Two Things

God is faithfully doing a work in my heart to make me more like Jesus.
God is continuing to reveal truth about the end times and why some "systems" of belief are not true.  Most people would not even know the meaning of the term 'preterist' and 'replacement theology.'  Unfortunately, ignorance does not excuse you from deception and 1/2 of the organized churches in the USA, that contain probably 70% (in number of individuals) of those who say they are Christians, teach these 'systems.'

I would not typically post the same thing to my "heart" blog,  (this one) and my end times blog (chuckabean.wordpress.com) BUT I am today, because the issue of grace crosses over into both.  So, here goes....

I know in my spirit that preterism and replacement theology are wrong, but an article on grace by Reggie Kelly has enabled me by the grace of God to put words to what is sinful about the very root of these two systems. Here is my introduction paragraph, followed by words from Reggie's article, the full article is here..http://the.mysteryofisrael.org/2014/01/21/thoughts-on-faith/

Preterism and replacement theology, rescue a teeny tiny bit of the flesh and say, “See, we differ from unbelieving, no longer chosen of God Israel, because we demonstrated to God a teeny weeny bit of faith that connected us to His grace and power.” It is a lie, born out of pride. It is a lifting of the veil, without a tearing of the veil. The veil is lifted by a teeny bit of power from the flesh that differentiates the Church from Israel, that elevates the Church over Israel.

From this moment of divine quickening, the progressive work begins that is a continual process of death and resurrection. It is that inner conquest of the Spirit that subdues the soul by degrees (‘little and little;” Ex 23:30) and works a growing conformity to Christ’s image. Through both the blessings and the fires of our walk we learn to trust Him more and more to the perfect day. In this way, all the works of lasting value, even the faith that overcomes, are shown to be His and His alone. His is the one Seed who alone receives the promises (Gal 3:16). All covenants and promises are yea and amen in Him alone (2Cor 1:20), as He alone is worthy to receive anything (Rev 4:11). We receive by Him because we are in Him.

He is jealous in His insistence that any presumed contribution on our part is rejected as an affront to grace (Gal 2:21). Our part is absolute surrender of everything, even our ability to surrender, to Him who insists on doing it all for us and then in us as a free gift. According to Paul, we proceed in grace by the same freeness that we began, through a total dependence on Him for everything, even our further sanctification and maturity (Col 2:6-7). This means our continuance is by the same rule and approach as our beginning in grace. We continue by the same freeness of faith that we began, but our constant vigilence must be against being moved from this simplicity, most often through the subtlety of Judaism, which had the right standard, but was fatally wrong in its approach (Ro 9:30 -10:2).

It is precisely because of such freeness and goodness that no one will ever say to God, “you didn’t do enough or give enough.” It is precisely because God has promised to do it all that makes damnation so much the more without excuse, as completely self inflicted. Conversely, in grace, no one can be disqualified, since despair of any qualification in ourselves is the beginning of true faith. We must find no hope in ourselves, not even in our presumed willingness, since the only willingness that counts must also be quickened by the Word and the Spirit (Jn 1:10-11). This is because grace, and even the faith that receives grace, must be entirely free in the sense that it operates completely apart from either human vice or virtue. It cannot be biased by anything in man, whether good or bad (Ro 9:11, 16). It saves the worst and takes no help from the best.

As new creations, believers are created by the Word, because when the Word is heard and received in faith, this is by no power or virtue in ourselves, since in us is no good thing (Mt 10:18; Ro 7:18), and we are told that we have nothing that makes us to differ from another that we did not first receive (1Cor 4:7). Only in this way is all boasting excluded.

We cannot know all the mystery of its workings, but we can know that from start to finish, trusting and loving God, which is also to obey Him, is all of grace, as Paul credits any faithfulness on his part to mercy alone (1Cor 7:25), as he is careful to always add to every report of success that all important disclaimer: the “yet not I” of gospel grace (1Cor 15:10; Gal 2:20). From start to finish, it is of Him, through Him, and to Him” (Ro 11:36).  The faith that is demanded of us is not expected of us, but from the God who gives freely. Because of the fall, the ability to believe God is not in us. That is why it must be born of God. The one thing needful whereby we are united to every divine supply cannot, therefore, be attributed to any virtue of endeavor that we supply out of ourselves, even our will (Ro 9:16). That is why Paul is careful to add, lest we should imagine otherwise, that not only grace, but the faith that secures saving grace, is itself no less the the gift of God, lest anyone should boast even in that (Eph 2:8-9).

All’s to say that when we are not foolishly looking to ourselves for vital faith, but look away to Him alone for what only He can give by His quickening power, we may be sure that our request will not be disappointed. He does not give stones when we ask for bread (Mt 7:9).