Reclaiming Grace: Revolution or Rebellion?

17 For while the Law was given through Moses, grace (unearned, undeserved favor and spiritual blessing) and truth came through Jesus Christ. John 1:17 AMPC




We've been in a brief study of the inseparable relationship of Grace and Truth. We've seen that Truth must be defended. There exist those who would pollute the pure stream of Grace and truth with man-made traditions and error and false philosophies of men. Therefore we must not only defend the truth we as the rescued righteous ones in the eternal loving grip of Grace, must speak the truth in love.

 Of course, we can only speak the truth when we are hearing the truth. That is why we must also teach the truth. Those who are in the bondage of deception who go about deceiving have staked a claim against pure Grace. We reclaim Grace by teaching only the truth!

 Contrary to modern sentiment teaching the truth and only the truth isn't narrow-minded or unloving. It is in actuality being truth minded. It is being "closed minded" to error and false philosophies. We show our love when we protect the flock of God from error and wolves in sheep's clothing. Error tolerated in the midst of any ministry will cause its influence for good to weaken and wane and eventually be its downfall.

A Grace Revolution or Pseudo-grace Rebellion?

Moving like a tsunami there is currently a wave of the pure Grace of God sweeping the nation cleansing the believer's hearts and minds of tradition, tyrannical tenets of men rooted in performance, and condemnation and fear and insecurity. This is the true move of God. This is the Grace awakening or Revolution. It is a dynamic shift in our thinking and understanding and our approach to our Father God.

 Grace reveals that our good Father has an everlasting love for you. That God never grows weary of you. He never tires of hearing your voice or you calling out His name. He never demands perfection of you. He doesn't measure your worth based on your achievements. He doesn't meet out the favor of God by how well you perform.

 His love, affection, and kindness isn't something we can earn. There is nothing we can do that will make Him love us more. There is nothing we can do that will cause Him to love us less, or to look down upon us with disgust. Our times are in His hands. 

 He knew before He saved us how often we would fall, fail, reject His wisdom, or how regularly we would rebel. He saw, in the beginning, the times we would allow the flesh to dominate our thinking instead of walking out our new creation reality. Yet He still chose us, to be holy without blame before Him in love. There is no sin or failure that will catch Him off guard and make Him abandon us or trade us in for someone more faithful. This is Pure Grace! This is the true Grace Revolution. Now let's examine the false.

 In our last post, we mentioned the first type of hearer of Grace. The legalist. This is the one who rejects Grace in favor of Law and tradition. The second hearer of Grace is the foolish. These are they who hear Grace but abandon the truth and embrace error and pseudo-grace. Let's begin dismantling the errors of pseudo-grace.

 Is Grace a license to live in sin? Does Grace make light of sin?
Sadly, some folk who minister, Grace, have alluded that behavior no longer matters. If we are making light of sin because of Grace that is an error. The amazing and sometimes mind-boggling truth is how free we are in Christ. Grace will reveal our true motives.
 You're free now what are you going to do with that freedom? Pursue sin or pursue Christ which is more profitable? Espousing a view that sin is permissible because of Grace or that behavior doesn't matter is erroneous.    

Is Universalism the true gospel of Grace?
Universalism is the spoiled rotten fruit of dangerous deception. The enemy says don't worry how spoiled the fruit looks just eat it. The foolish hear and obey and partake of this deception. 
 Do all roads lead to God and eternal redemption? No! Jesus declared He was the only way. Not the best way but the only way.
Is faith necessary to receive redemption? Yes!
5 Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has become a child of God. And everyone who loves the Father loves his children, too. 1 John 5:1 NLT
22 But the Scriptures declare that we are all prisoners of sin, so we receive God’s promise of freedom only by believing in Jesus Christ. Galatians 3:22 NLT
pseudo-grace proclaims the error of universal salvation apart from faith. We must reject this lie and error and teach the truth. We must defend the truth from the falsehoods and lies of the enemy.

Is Inclusion, Trinitarian Theology inclusionism deeper truths of Grace?
Where Universalism is the obviously spoiled fruit of the enemy, inclusion is the subtle, candy coated, deceptive error that captures many with its enticing words of men born from the very lips of the enemy. This is one of the major error of the foolish. This doctrine of pseudo-grace floods social media. In truth, this is merely reason and emotion exalted over the truth of the Word.
Are all humanity in Christ apart from personal faith? No!
13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, Ephesians 1:13 NIV
Paul the Apostle of Grace stated there were even those who were in Christ before him. 
Are all the children of God apart from personal faith in Christ? Again, No!
26 For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus. Galatians 3:26 NLT
Some are children of the devil because they reject Grace.
10 So it is not hard to figure out who are the children of God and who are the children of the diabolical one: those who lack right standing and those who don’t show love for one another do not belong to God. 1 John 3:10 Voice
Is all of humanity righteous and possess the Spirit of God apart from personal faith and simply by virtue of the Cross? Again the answer is no!

9 But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them do not belong to him at all.) Romans 8:9 NLT

 4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. Romans 10:4 NASB

Paul declared righteousness is by faith alone. Relinquish the lies of inclusionism. They are all rooted in serious error and are not pure Grace. They aren't just a different view point. They are deceptive erroneous philosophies birthed from our enemy satan. If you embrace them you are not embracing Grace and Truth you are cheating on Jesus and sleeping with your enemy. 

Is all humanity forgiven of all their sins?

This idea is an overreach of Grace. Pseudo-grace proclaims this idea of all humanity being forgiven of all their sins. Yes, Jesus paid the price for all sins. But forgiveness still needs to be received to be activated and see the benefits.

47 and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. Luke 24:47 NASB

43 Of Him all the prophets bear witness that through His name everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins.” Acts 10:43 NASB

But what about 2 Corinthians 5? This passage states God was in Christ reconciling the World. Reconciliation is a two-way street, it isn't one sided. God paid the price for all to receive. Jesus took the full penalty of all sin. Now by the change of mind and the placing of heart trust in Christ alone anyone can receive the forgiveness of sins and perpetual right standing and eternal security. The good news is the invite is available to all and no one can earn it or deserve or merit it. 

What about Hell?

Hell is real and no one should want to go there! But pseudo-grace says Paul never spoke of Hell. Seems pseudo-grace misinforms once again. 

9 They will be punished in everlasting hell, forever separated from the Lord, never to see the glory of his power 2 Thessalonians 1:9 TLB

John the apostle of love spoke of Hell in revelation. The only answer for Hell is Grace. If one rejects Grace they are in essence saying, Lord, I see you paid for my sin but I don't need your provision. That person would be then trying to pay for their own sins by their own goodness and performance and not Grace. Once we trust in Christ alone we are eternally saved and forever secure. No born again child of God will be in Hell.

Is the Word of God infallible?

Pseudo-grace attacks the validity of the Scriptures because it denounces and dismisses their errors. It proves them to be false and from the enemy. There is a concentrated effort by some to delegitimize the Bible. Jesus quoted the Old Covenant to prove who He was. Paul declared the Scriptures to be God's Word. 

The Word of God is what revealed the Grace of God. It is what proves we are righteous by faith and not efforts and performance. It proves we are loved and highly favored and eternally secure. Don't allow pseudo-grace to rob you of the joy of Scripture.

Reclaiming Grace

Up to now, we've seen two types of hearers of Grace. Legalism and foolishness. We who know the truth must reclaim Grace and garrison around the truth. The truth is never discerned and established by emotions or reason or what feels good. We must stay with Grace and Truth.

 The Grace that revealed He will never leave us, and will never be angry with us. Grace and Truth keep us anchored when tradition tries to pull us back to efforts based relationship. It keeps us secure and free from error when deception speaks in our direction. In our next study, we will look at the final hearer of Grace. We will look further into pure Grace and see just how amazing Grace is.

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