ALPHA MAAMA (A.M.)

Monite Sune 13, 2022

GRACE TO BE HOLY

KO E KELESI KI HE MA’ONI’ONI

1 PETER 1:14-16

As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written: “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”

1 PITA 1:14-16

Fai ‘o ngali mo ha fānau talangofua, ‘o ‘oua te mou tuku kimoutolu ke anga ki ho‘omou ngaahi holi mu‘a, fai ‘i he ta‘e‘ilo; ka mou anga ki he Toko Taha Mā‘oni‘oni ne ne ui kimoutolu, ‘o mou hoko kimoutolu foki ko e mā‘oni‘oni ‘i ho‘omou tō‘onga kotoa pē: koe‘uhi kuo tohi ‘o pehē, Te mou mā‘oni‘oni, he ‘oku ou mā‘oni‘oni.

 

Sola Gratia - Grace Alone - Ko e Kelesi´ pe   

We were in our first estate dependent on God for holiness: we had our original  righteousness from Him; but then holiness was not bestowed in such a way of sovereign good pleasure as it is now. Man was created holy, and it became God to create holy all the reasonable creatures He created: it would have been a disparagement to the holiness of God's nature if He had made an intelligent creature unholy.

But now when a man is made holy, it is from mere and arbitrary grace; God may forever deny holiness to the fallen creature if He pleases, without any disparagement to any of His perfections. And we are not only indeed more dependent on the grace of God, but our dependence is much more conspicuous, because our own insufficiency and helplessness in ourselves is much more apparent in our fallen and undone state than it was before we were either sinful or miserable. We are more apparently dependent on God for holiness, because we are first sinful, and utterly polluted, and afterward holy: the production of the effect is sensible, and its derivation from God more obvious.

JONATHAN EDWARDS

‘I he Ngoue ‘Iteni, na’e fakafalala ‘a e tangata ki he ‘Otua ki he’ene ma’oni’oni: Ko ‘etau fuofua ma’oni’oni na’e meiate Ia; pea na’e ‘ikai ‘omi ‘a e ma’oni’oni kiate kitautolu ko ha tu’utu’uni ‘o ‘Ene anga’ofa, ‘o hange ko ia, ‘oku hoko ‘i he ngaah i’aho ni. Na’e ngaohi ‘a e tangata ke haohaoa ‘o fakatatau ki he tu’utu’uni ‘a e ‘Otua; na’e ta’e ngali mo e natula ‘o e ‘Otua, kapau na’a ne ngaohi ‘a e tangata ke ta’e haohaoa. 

Ka ‘i he ngaahi ‘aho ni, ko hono ngaohi ‘o e tangata ke ma’oni’oni, ‘oku tefito pe ia ‘i he’ene kelesi fili.  Pea ‘oku malava pe ke fakaikai’i ‘e he ‘Otua ‘Ene kelesi mei he fa’ahinga ‘o e tangata kapau ko hono finangalo ia pea ‘e ‘ikai uesia ai hono langilangi. ‘Oku ‘ikai ngata he’etau fakafalala ki he kelesi ‘a e ‘Otua, ka ‘oku toe vivili ange ‘etau falala ki he kelesi ‘a e ‘Otua koe’uhi ko ‘etau masiva fakalaumalie mo ‘etau ta’emalava ke fai ha me’a ‘iate kitautolu pe, pea ‘oku toe mo’oni mo malohi ange ia ‘i hotau tu’unga hingaa, ‘o laka ange ‘i he kimu’a ‘i he hingaa. ‘Oku tau matu’aki fakafalala ‘aupito ki he ma’oni’oni ‘a e ‘Otua, koe’uhi ko e angahala kitautolu pea kuo tau afuhia he kovi ‘o e angahala pea toki hoko mai ‘ene ma’oni’oni. Ko e ola ‘o e ngaue ‘a e ‘Otua ‘oku ha mahino ‘i he fakatupufo’ou pea ka ‘ikai, ‘oku ha mahino mo ia.