He Brought Me Out [Of The Miry Clay]

We don't automatically sin. At some point we choose to either do wrong or not do right. Only Jesus chose and always did the right. When we sin, we fall in a pit (death) that we can't get ourselves out of. Rom 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Jesus' grace (free gift) threw us a rope (gospel salvation plan, 1 Cor. 15:1-4 with Acts 2:38), by which we can be drawn out of the pit.

We can choose to ignore Jesus altogether. John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. John 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:" We can say we have chosen Jesus, and yet ignore, or disallow the necessity of, holding onto the rope altogether. Or we can grab the rope at one moment and claim to be being saved by it, yet never let the rope guide us one step. (This is the point people are at who say things like- "just accept the Lord" or "just say the sinner's prayer, and that's all you have to do to be saved.") Matthew 7:21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Hebrews 12:4 Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin. James 2:14 What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?... 17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. 18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. 19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. 20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

We can grab onto the rope and start following after Him, and then change our minds and let go completely. Heb 12:14 Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: 15 Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled; 2 Peter 3:17 Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness. Matthew 10:22 And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved. Romans 11:22 Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off. Heb 3:13 "But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. 14 For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end;" We can start up the rope for a ways after Him, and then decide to find our own way of climbing out.

Phil 3:8 "...I count all things but loss... that I may win Christ, 9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: Joh 3:19 "And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest *his* deeds should be reproved. 21 But he that doeth truth.. his deeds.. *are wrought in God.* Eph 2:8 "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that *not of yourselves*: it is the gift of God:... 10 for we are *his workmanship*, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in *them*. (His works, not OURS!) Rom 9:31 "But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness. 32 Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone;... 10:3 For they being ignorant of God's righteousness (God's works), and going about to establish their own righteousness (man's works), have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God." Or finally... We can receive Jesus, grab on to the rope, and follow Him step by step unto the end as He leads us out of our miry pit. Heb 11:8 By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went. Rev 12:11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death. The point is that you can't take any one element out of the picture, and expect to be saved.

Rev 22:18 For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: 19 And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book. We can't say we are saved by grace only (the act of Jesus supplying the rope), for that would be as if we never have to leave the pit. Heb 12:14 Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: Titus 2:11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, 12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; We can't say we are saved by our works, because without His rope, and following in His steps up and out of the pit BY the rope, following Him, we could never find our way out. Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast. 10 for we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. Yet we can't say that we are not saved by works, because we are not instantly and magically transported entirely out of the pit, never to be tempted by it again! Rom 8:24 For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? 25 But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it. Heb 10:36 For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. 37 For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry. 38 Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. 39 But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul. What we see is that we can say we are saved by grace, because we are undeserving of receiving the way. We can also say we are not justified by grace alone, because our faith actually moves us to allow God's works to be wrought through us. Thereby we become His workmanship. We hold on- but He raises us up. It isn't the "holding on" (the faith), that is a "work" of righteousness. It is the holding on, the faith, that causes us to follow Him as He walks us in the way of righteousness. That is the part where people seem to get confused at, is in thinking that holding on to the rope, because Jesus says to, and following Him up and out, is the same as to have walked out on and through OUR OWN guidance and power. That would be our own works, but following Him is not "our" works! Unfortunately, just knowing the rope is there does absolutely nothing. In fact, even holding onto the rope, but not following, or allowing Jesus to pull you with it also does no good. And that is why faith without works is dead. Luk 6:46 "And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? 47 ...cometh to me... hear my sayings, and doeth them..." We must understand that holding onto the rope does not equal righteousness. The steps of holiness that Jesus walked in- those are the true steps of holiness. When we hold onto the rope, and thereby follow and actually begin to walk in HIS steps- we actually become holier through him with each step. But not by our works- by His. And we thereby become his workmanship!