Showing posts with label grace. Show all posts
Showing posts with label grace. Show all posts

Wednesday, March 13, 2024

Answering Objections to the Gospel of Grace: God is angry with and will punish believers who sins.

For the Law was given through Moses, but grace [the unearned, undeserved favor of God] and truth came through Jesus Christ. John 1:17 AMP

 Throughout the last one hundred years God has been restoring truth to the Body of Christ. These truths are verifiable by examining the Word of God. Even though truth is restored certain traditional religious-minded ones will reject the truth if it contradicts their tradition.

 Recently I came across a concise list of objections to the Gospel of Grace. With such a detailed list, a detailed response seemed the best way to address these objections. I have already responded to the objections concerning 1 John 1 and confessions of sins to receive forgiveness. 

 In the last study, I responded to the objection that all Grace teaching does is focus on Paul. That Radical Grace teaching simply ignores the rest of the Bible, as if the rest of the Bible contradicts and disagrees with Paul. Today I want to respond to the objection of the Grace message that we miss it because we teach that God isn't angry with believers when they mess up. That God won't punish believers who sin too much.

 This concept of the angry God who punishes His own is a deeply rooted stronghold in the minds of tradition-ruled believers. Why? Guilt over their own transgressions and sins. Guilt means they are guilty and recompense must be made in some way or fashion for their wrongs. It's either their own guilt or condemnation they project on others whom they deem guilty of too much sinning. 

 Does God get angry with believers? Does God punish us when we sin? These are valid questions that beg an answer. Many believers have lived with guilt and shame over their sins and transgressions. Many look at the circumstances of their life and conclude God must be punishing them for some sin they have committed.

 Let's address this objection to the Gospel of Grace. Does God get angry with us and even punish us when we sin? In addressing this objection, let's examine facts about our Father in Heaven. 

 Let's look at the character of our Father in Heaven. Let's look at what was accomplished on the Cross. Let's respond using the light of the New Covenant.

 The first fact we must consider is that God our Father has accepted the final sacrifice of Jesus Christ. The Father has fully accepted Christ's sacrifice and no other is needed. Jesus was enough.

 whereas Christ, having offered the one sacrifice [the all-sufficient sacrifice of Himself] for sins for all time, sat down [signifying the completion of atonement for sin] at the right hand of God [the position of honor], Hebrews 10:12 AMP

 God the Father has fully accepted the perfect once-for-all sacrifice of Christ Jesus for sins. He isn't unsatisfied with Jesus' sacrifice. He isn't looking for our sacrifices for our sins. Where there is a once for all sacrifice for sins offered there will be no other sacrifice accepted. The Father is satisfied with Jesus!  

 The next fact about our Father is that He isn't counting our sins against us. In other words, the Father isn't charging our sins to our accounts. Thanks to the shed blood we are free!

Even David describes the blessedness of the man to whom God credits righteousness without works: 7 “Blessed are those  whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; 8  blessed is the man  to whom the Lord shall not impute sin.” Romans 4:6-8 MEV

 The next fact about the Father is that in the New Covenant, the Father isn't remembering our sins. He declared under the New, our sins and iniquities He remembers no more. He said He doesn't remember them and neither should we.

 then he says, · “Their sins and · their lawless acts I will never again remember.” Hebrews 10:17 MOUNCE

 God declared He would never again remember our sins. If He doesn't remember them who are we to bring them up? If He said He will never remember them who then can bring a charge to God's Righteous and forgiven children?

 The last fact about our Father is that He said He would never be angry with us again. Grace teachers didn't say it He did. He cannot lie.

“For this is like the days of Noah to Me, When I swore that the waters of Noah Would not flood the earth again; So I have sworn that I will not be angry with you Nor rebuke you. Isaiah 54:9 NASB

 We have looked at several truths concerning redemption and the facts about our Father concerning sins. God is a Good Father. He is not an angry harsh taskmaster. 

 For God to be angry with us because of our sins, would mean He has not fully accepted the once-for-all all sacrifice for sins. He is still counting believer's sins against them. He still remembers our sins. In essence, He would be nullifying the New Covenant. The Good News of Grace is that He is fully pleased with Jesus and will never do that.

  Jesus took the full punishment of all our sins in His body when He suffered on the cross. The wages of sin is death, and Jesus died for our sins. He bore all our sins. He didn't bear just the sins we committed before we got saved, He bore them all. Therefore God isn't holding them against us ever again.

 God is angry with and punishes believers who sin? What about Jesus? Why is God punishing us when Jesus took all the punishment for us? This concept is so absurd and reveals a clear misunderstanding and ignorance concerning the New Covenant. 

 To some religious-minded ones, the New Covenant simply means we don't sacrifice sheep or goats any longer. God still judges, condemns, and is angry with His people for their failures. The cross didn't change anything, especially how God addresses our sins and shortcomings. 

 Thanks be to God Jesus paid the highest price. God is satisfied with Jesus' once for all sacrifice and is not remembering our sins. He is not counting them against us any longer. In fact, because of Jesus, we can always have boldness concerning the day of judgment. 

 And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world.

18 Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love. 1 John 4:17-18 NLT

 In summation, is God angry with Christians? Is God punishing them? Based upon the precepts of the New Covenant, Jesus' once-for sacrifice, the perfect Blood of Jesus shed, and the Word of promise from God Himself the answer is clearly no! God is not remembering your sins or mine. We can run to our Father whenever we miss it because His love is always there for us. 



Image courtesy of iosphere at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Sunday, March 3, 2024

Answering Objections to the Gospel of Grace: Too much of what Paul preached?

  For the Law was given through Moses, but grace [the unearned, undeserved favor of God] and truth came through Jesus Christ. John 1:17 AMP

  Whenever God restores truth to the Church oftentimes it is met with critical skepticism. Certainly, it is not wrong to confirm what is brought forth to ensure it aligns with God's Word. This is seeking to confirm the truth, not resist the truth. That said, when truth is being restored sometimes objections are raised.

 Sometimes these objections come about because it cuts cross-grain to how things have been done for so long. Sometimes these objections come about because religious leaders feel like they are losing the control they have over their congregants. Sometimes these objections come about because of misunderstandings and minds rooted in the tradition of men. 

 In light of this, this is why it is good in a spirit of love to answer such objections. Recently I came across a concise list of objections concerning the Radical Grace of God. It seemed good to me that with such a concise list of objections, a detailed response was warranted.

 So far in addressing this list of objections I have addressed in detail this issue of 1 John 1:9 and confessions of sins to be forgiven. Today, I want to address this objection that the Gospel of Grace only focuses on Paul's Epistles. That Grace teaching disregards the Gospels and the Old Testament and ignores the other Epistles. 

 This may seem like nothing concerning to some believers, but to our mainline, denominational brethren it is a serious issue. It seems as if we are saying only Paul is inspired by God and everything else is false. Is it Paul's Gospel or is it THE Gospel?

 The answer to this objection is very simple. Look at what Paul himself said about the Gospel he preaches. Paul said it was Jesus Himself who taught him the Gospel. Jesus taught Paul. Paul's teachings are Jesus' teachings. 

 The true issue is that believers are not rightly dividing the Word. When we present the Gospel are we to teach the Old Testament? When we minister the Word do we need to present all the teachings of Jesus as what is required of New Covenant believers?

 If so what portions are active for believers today? Not eating our steaks medium rare or wearing clothing with mix fabrics? Are we to present ourselves to the priest when we are cleansed? 

 I am not being critical or "snarky." The issue is these objections are raised by angry believers who have simply taken the Bible and never rightly divided it and therefore don't even understand it all and presume it all pertains to all people forever. They can't distinguish between Jesus' preaching of the Old Covenant requirements and Jesus' teaching of the coming New Covenant. 

 Those who object to Grace preaching claim we have dismissed Jesus' teachings. They argue that we are to follow all of what Jesus taught. What do we do then with this word from Jesus?

24 But He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” Matthew 15:24 MEV

 For those who object to Grace teaching, and claim we should follow Jesus' words to the letter where does this statement leave us? If we are not literal Jews then we are lost without God and still in our sins. Jesus was only sent to Israel, His own words. Unless of course we are to rightly divide Jesus' words and apply what is New Covenant to our lives and leave the rest in the Covenant they pertained to. 

 When we rightly divide the Word, we get a clear picture of God's great love and all the time Goodness. Though we see wrath and judgment under the Old, we still see a Father longing for the day of Redemption. We see a Father who said He delights in mercy and not judgment. We see a Savior, God incarnate who revealed the full weight of the Law, revealing the need for a Savior. We see a Savior who said it is Finished ending the Old and ushering in a New Covenant based on His Grace, not our works. 

 Jesus' words are not disregarded just rightly divided under Grace. The Old Covenant is not thrown out. It is clearly seen as fulfilled and now obsolete. The other Epistles are not ignored. Peter and James did not disagree with Paul. In Acts 15, James and Peter agreed with Paul that the Old Covenant and Law are fulfilled and no longer in effect. 

 Look at Peter's own words;

10 Now then, why are you testing God by placing a yoke on the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we have been able to endure? 11 But we believe that we are saved through the [precious, undeserved] grace of the Lord Jesus [which makes us free of the guilt of sin and grants us eternal life], in just the same way as they are.” Acts 15:10-11 AMP

 This objection is simply a result of tradition-ruled men not rightly dividing the Word. This objection is a result of those who still desire to mix Law and Grace. This objection is a result of those who simply want to blend the Old Covenant with the New Covenant. 

 The Gospel of Grace is the Gospel Paul preached. This Gospel is the Gospel that Jesus taught Paul directly. Jesus purchased the free gift of Righteousness apart from man's work, performance, and behavior. He purposefully entrusted Paul with the task of proclaiming this Good News to all. The Lord also thought it best to have Paul pen 2/3rds of the New Covenant.  

 In summation, there is not too much Paul preaching. Paul's message is the Gospel. Jesus taught it to him. Jesus called and appointed him to proclaim it. When we rightly divide the Word we see Paul and Jesus and the other writers of the New are in harmony, not disagreement. 


Image by Benjamin Nelan from Pixabay

Sunday, February 25, 2024

Answering Objections to the Gospel of Grace: Confession of sins, is it for the Church?

 For the Law was given through Moses, but grace [the unearned, undeserved favor of God] and truth came through Jesus Christ. John 1:17 AMP

 On this site, I have addressed many concerns and objections concerning the message of Grace. I have even allayed some myths about grace teaching. Recently I came across a concise list of objections to the message of Grace. 

 With such a concise list of objections, I felt compelled to give a detailed response. So far I began addressing the issue of who 1 John was addressed to and answered if it was to Christians or not. Today, I would like to address this issue of confessions of sins so we may be forgiven of our sins. 

 On this site, we have addressed this issue several times. Each time, addressing different perspectives on the issue of confession. I will proceed with fresh insight on this matter of confession but want to allow you to study the issue further. You can find further study here, here, and here

 Are confessions of sins so we may be forgiven of our sins the system God designed in the New Covenant? Think of how this reflects on Jesus' once for all sacrifice for all of our sins. If we no longer have to offer lambs as a sacrifice for our sins to be covered but still must offer the "sacrifice" of apologizing, acknowledging, and admitting that we sinned to receive forgiveness for that sin, what does that say of Jesus' sacrifice? It says His sacrifice, His shed Blood,  is insufficient and we must add our apologies and admission in order to be forgiven.

 Let's use the Word as the final authority on this subject. If we wish to believe in a "doctrine" that says after conversion, acceptance of Jesus' and being born again, each and every time we sin thereafter we must confess it or acknowledge it so we can be cleansed from unrighteousness and receive forgiveness for it, we must consider some important truths. What truths? Let's look closer at the Word as a whole.

 For one to believe the premise of confessing to be forgiven, one has to overlook, disregard, and ignore some important Bible facts. First fact, we are only forgiven of sins by the shedding of blood not our apologies or admissions of guilt. Look at the Word;

In fact we can say that under the old agreement almost everything was cleansed by sprinkling it with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins. Hebrews 9:22 TLB 

 Let's look at the second Bible fact. We as believers are forgiven of all our sins once and for all time. This is Jesus' sacrifice alone not His plus ours equaling forgiveness. 

12 but He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of GodHebrews 10:12 NASB

 Let's look at the third Bible fact. We are forgiven of all our sins. Not just forgiven of our past sins. Not forgiven only up towards the time of conversion. No, we are forgiven of all our sins past and present and future. 

14 who bought our freedom with his blood and forgave us all our sins Colossians 1:14 TLB


13 You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins. Colossians 2:13 NLT

12 I am writing to you, little children (believers, dear ones), because your sins have been forgiven for His name’s sake [you have been pardoned and released from spiritual debt through His name because you have confessed His name, believing in Him as Savior]. 1 John 2:12 AMP

 Let's look at yet another Bible fact. Truth is established in the mouth of two or three witnesses. 1 John 1:9 is the only place that tells us to confess our sins so we can receive forgiveness. If we must admit it before we are forgiven, this concept should be repeated throughout the entire New Covenant. 

This will be the third time I am coming to you. “By the mouth of two or three witnesses every word shall be established.” 2 Corinthians 13:1 NKJV

When we allow the Word to be the complete truth and final authority we can see how some ideas can't hold up to scrutiny. Another truth we must look at is the context of the Epistle. John is not contradictory as an Apostle.

 Look at his words in the second chapter of 1 John. John specifically addresses Christians who have sinned. Why didn't he tell them to admit it? Why didn't he tell them to acknowledge it? Why didn't he tell them to apologize? 

 Doesn't John know if they don't apologize they won't be forgiven? Doesn't John know if they don't admit it their sin will go on being unforgiven? What is John thinking?

 The Apostle John is not contradicting himself. In 1 John 1:9, he points sinners to their admission of sins, so they will see the need for a savior. He points to the acknowledgment of sins so they will receive the Grace of once for all forgiveness. In 1 John 2, John points believers to Jesus and not themselves. He points those who have sinned to Jesus and reminds them of His sacrifice, not theirs. 

 In summation, the facts are clear. 1 John is not teaching believers we must confess in order to receive forgiveness. The second chapter of John proves this. John reminds us of Jesus' sacrifice. He reminds us of our forgiveness in Jesus. We don't confess to be forgiven under the New. 

 When we sin, we confess what Jesus did about our sins. We confess who we are because of Jesus despite our sins. We confess our Righteousness and redemption in Christ when we sin. Because we are forgiven we can freely admit when we have failed and know we are not condemned.  This is the Good News of Grace. 

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

Monday, February 19, 2024

Objection?! Answering objections to the Gospel of Grace

For the Law was given through Moses, but grace [the unearned, undeserved favor of God] and truth came through Jesus Christ. John 1:17 AMP

 Grace and truth came through Christ. Take note that Grace and Truth are listed together. They are on the same side if you will. Some religious minded say preach Grace but we also need truth. As if Grace isn't speaking the truth. As if Grace opposes truth. 

 If Grace and truth are together, which John 1 clearly demonstrates, then Grace and truth are not opposites. It means that Grace is the truth. That truth is also Grace. They go hand in hand. With this understanding, I want to look at some serious objections some Christian leaders have concerning Grace.

 There may be many objections you have heard previously. On this site, I have spent considerable time answering concerns about the Gospel of Grace. That said I recently came across a concise list of objections to the message of Radical Grace. It was so detailed I felt a detailed response to each objection was warranted. With that let's begin.

 The biggest objection to Radical Grace is the concept of confession of our sins and 1 John 1:9 being written to believers. The Gospel of Grace has revealed that 1 John 1:9 is not to believers but rather to unbelievers. This is a strongly controversial point to some. 

 This objection must be responded to by tackling two questions.  Is 1 John 1 written to Christians or sinners? Is confession of sins (in order to be forgiven of sins) for the believer? Let's answer objection one part one, who is 1 John chapter 1 addressing? 

 Let's look at the first chapter in full context here. Take note of how John the Apostle begins the Epistle. Look how there is no greeting. Every Epistle in the New Covenant begins with a greeting. Even in the Epistle to the Hebrews though it begins with a statement, this statement is clearly addressing those in the Faith. 

 In John's other two Epistles, he specifically addresses the believer with a greeting. Looking at 1 John 2:1, we can see the standard greeting begins here. So why no greeting in the first verse or two of this Epistle? This should make us pause, and ask why there is a deviation from every Epistle in the New Testament. 

 Next, let's look at some of the passages in the first chapter. 

 3. we declare to you that which we have seen and heard, that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. We are writing these things to you so that our joy may be complete. 1 John 1:3-4 MEV

 Now let me take this passage and highlight some words that indicate who John is addressing. 

 3. we declare to you that which we have seen and heard, that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. We are writing these things to you so that our joy may be complete. 1 John 1:3-4 (emphasis mine).

  Have you noted the pronouns being used? We (those in Christ) are addressing you (those not in Christ yet), and telling you (those without Christ) about Jesus. If this first chapter is to believers why is John distinguishing himself from the audience? Who are the "we" and who is the "you?"

 I trust you are tracking with me. Tradition is such a powerful force. It creates a stronghold in the minds of believers that can be a struggle to pull down. This stronghold of tradition is so strong it makes the Word of no effect. 

 The Word being of no effect means that even when reading and seeing clear passages presented from God's Word, the clouded mind of tradition cannot see the light of it. Tradition won't allow the person to grasp the truth of the Word. In fact often times it causes them not only to reject it but to aggressively fight against it. 

 If not written to believers who is John addressing? John is addressing the Gnostics who have infiltrated the Church. Understand the Church is in its infancy growth stage when the Scriptures were given. The Scripture must address certain mindsets attitudes and issues that pose a threat and hindrance to the development of the Church. 

 This is exactly what John was doing in writing the Epistle of 1 John. The Gnostics believed flesh was evil and therefore rejected Jesus being a flesh and blood man. This is why John went to great lengths to describe Jesus in the first two verses of this Epistle. John describes perfectly both the humanity and divinity of Jesus Christ.

 When we understand that this first chapter is written to the Gnostic lost, the rest of the chapter makes more sense. Verses 5-10 have been a source of condemnation and shame to the Church for generations. Look at them again. The passages seem to suggest we can walk in and out of fellowship with God when we sin.

 This is not what this passage is saying. Think of it this way. Replace the word light with the word morality. If we walk in morality as He is morality we have fellowship with God and the blood cleanses us from sin. Wait, if we are walking morally then why would we need cleansing from sin? We would only need cleansing when we are immoral.

 Yet tradition creates a doctrine from this one passage that says if we sin we have no fellowship with God until we say I am sorry. Is this right? Again, who is this addressing? It is talking to lost Gnostics who think they are in the light because of knowledge. 

 If we think we are in the light because of our doing, and our thinking, then we are deceiving ourselves and actually walking in darkness. This passage is an invitation to accept Christ, to walk in true fellowship with Him, and to receive continual cleansing from the blood. This is not addressing the saints who have sinned.

  In Christ, we are forgiven once for all time. He declared we will never be forsaken or abandoned. He didn't say oh wait, let me add a clause here. You're only unforsaken if you don't commit sin. 

 No, we don't lose fellowship with our Father when we sin. Whenever we do sin, our Good Father draws us closer. He doesn't run from us. He doesn't distance Himself from us. He doesn't disown us. He runs to us and reminds us of who we are in Him. We are the Righteousness of God in Christ. We are forgiven of all our sins. 

 With this truth established of who the audience is, we can know that 1 John 1:9 does not address Christians but unbelievers. If we rightly divide the Word apart from tradition we can clearly see it. If we allow the Scriptures themselves to establish precedence, we can see how this Epistle is distinct. 1 John 1 is not addressing believers it is speaking to the Gnostic lost. 

 In summation, relinquish tradition and embrace truth. If we embrace Grace we embrace truth. Let's not man's understanding lead us astray from this Gospel of Grace. Next time we will address part two of this objection. Must we confess our sins? 




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Saturday, January 6, 2024

Radical Grace or Radical works?

 We have all received from His fullness grace upon grace. John 1:16 MEV

For from · his fulness we have all received · one gracious gift after another. John 1:16 MOUNCE

 The announcement of salvation found in Christ alone is glad tidings. The proclamation of the Good News of the Gospel of Christ brings fullness of Joy. The Gospel is the Good News of the Grace of God pledged through Jesus Christ. In short, it's supposed to be the most amazing news you've ever heard.

 As of this writing, we just came out of the Christmas season. This is the season of glad tidings, peace, and goodwill toward men. This is the season of giving gifts freely to the ones we love and care for. It's gift-giving season, did you then have to earn the gift you received?

 If you did, then you really didn't receive a gift but wages earned by your doing. When you go to a job and put in a work week, you aren't receiving a gift from the employer when you get your paycheck. It is a culmination of the wages earned by your efforts, your performance, and your doing. It is therefore not a gift.

 God our Father is not an employer. He is not a taskmaster. He is not a manager. He is not the chief executive. He is not assigning tasks to complete and then rewarding us based on the success or failure of our assigned tasks. If He is then He is not a God of Grace but of performance. 

 If God is not a God of Grace, then His standard is performance. If it's all about performance with God, then that means He is focused on our performance. If He is focused on our performance, then Jesus' performance isn't paramount. Jesus' performance wouldn't be enough and it would mean we are dependent on Jesus plus our works. This would also mean in one sense, Jesus' performance in the Finished Work, is pointless and meaningless because God still requires our good performance.

 Now to the one who works, his wages are not credited as a gift, but as an obligation. But to the one who does not work, but entrusts himself to the one who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited · as righteousness Romans 4:4-5 MOUNCE

This is so clear it is by Grace, a gift, not of works. Look at this same passage in another translation;

When people work, their pay is not regarded as a gift but something they have earned. However, when people don’t work but believe God, the one who approves ungodly people, their faith is regarded as the basis of God’s approval. Romans 4:4-5 NOG

 The Word of God, the will of God clearly revealed to us, is quite clear on this matter. It is either all work or it is all Grace. There is no mixture or middle ground. This is the essential Gospel message. Paul declared anyone preaching another message than this is not of God and said let them be accursed.

 Now to be merciful, some well-meaning ministries and churches do not preach the message of Grace but a mixture of works and Grace. Am I declaring these are all cursed and going to hell when they die? No of course not. It's just that there is no blessing or goodness associated with this "mixture messaging."

 I said all of this, affirming and reaffirming the Gospel, to kick over a sacred cow if you will. I said all this to establish the true Gospel and to expose the perversion of man. We can't contaminate, corrupt, or cast aside the pure message of the Grace Gospel to make way for man's performance or make way for a place for good works.

 This week, I came across a message from an internationally known mega-church. The speaker there was quoting and thus also affirming, the words of a very well-known minister and missionary who has long since passed away. This quote was so astounding to me. It was the words of a man, and even good men can miss it.

 In essence, this is what the minister quoted;

"If you want to go to Heaven then just do these three things. Read your Bible daily, pray every day, and go to church."

 The speaker of course affirmed this same message to the people present and those watching online. In fairness, this was done as an appeal for people to come to church. That said, the words are still problematic. The reason is they cut cross-grain to the Gospel. 

 What happens if we don't go to church one Sunday? What happens if we forget to pray? How much of the Bible are we to read daily? One verse? Three verses? A chapter? This is the problem with the works and performance-centered gospel of man. How much is enough? How do we know if we've done enough?

 The most concerning point about this quote is it diminishes the Cross and Finished Work in favor of man's performance. It says it's not by Grace alone through Faith alone we are saved and eternally secure it's our doing that saves us. Jesus once for all sacrifice and trusting in that alone isn't enough. We must add to it by our spiritual disciplines. 

 Now is reading the Word daily, praying every day, and consistent church attendance bad? No, it is highly beneficial and will result in spiritual growth and a better understanding of who God is and is part of a fruitful relationship with our Father. It is a fruit, not a root of our salvation and relationship with our Father above.

 Radical Grace or radical works? I believe the Gospel message is simple. I believe the Word is clear. It is all by Grace and never of our works. If anything from God is received by works, then it is not actually received it is achieved! If it's achieved it's not a gift received it's wages earned. That's not Grace.

 If it's wages earned it is not a free gift. If it's not a free gift then it's Jesus plus something else. The truth is God deals with us based on Grace not works. He has accepted Jesus' works and not ours. 

 We don't want God to relate to us based on our works or doings. For His standard is absolute perfection. If we come to God trusting in our performance then we are coming to an employer expecting a wage. We aren't coming to our Father to freely receive from His loving hands. It's Grace from beginning to eternity. 

 In summation, let's affirm the true Gospel. Let's receive from God based solely on what Jesus has done, what He has Finished, what He has procured and purchased for us. Remember it's from His fullness we receive one good thing after another after another, endless Grace. 



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Tuesday, January 2, 2024

The Spirit of life in Christ has made you free!

 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. Romans 8:2 MOUNCE

 

 Did you know that you have freedom in Christ? This is not a mere Christian cliche or hyperbolic rhetoric designed to garner an emotional response. The spirit of life in Christ Jesus has freed those who simply believed. 

 The question then is what exactly are we freed from? Many only scratch the surface of this freedom we have in Christ. Many only see this freedom as no longer a requirement to observe the ceremonial and sacrificial aspects of the Mosaic Law. 

 Yet, some still believe we must observe the Saturday sabbath and that much of the Old Covenant is still applicable to the Church. Then others will agree we aren't under the Old Covenant any longer and this is the freedom Paul speaks of. So what is this freedom Paul speaks of?

 In answering this, let me elaborate briefly. This portion of Scripture had been coming up in my spirit and I found myself periodically meditating on what Paul said in verse 2. The more this passage rose up within me, I finally decided to really examine this passage using the original Greek text, as well as various translations and lexicons I was quite astonished at this amazing freedom we have in Christ.

 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. Romans 8:2 MOUNCE

 This powerful passage unlocks for us who believe, the staggering, and extraordinarily phenomenal freedom the life in Christ has procured for us. The depth of this triumphant freedom has been scarcely understood and fathomed in the Body of Christ. The implications of this freedom will rock the religious boat of man's traditions and shake the foundation of faulty theology. 

 When we simply define the terms of this freedom the light of His Radical Grace will enlighten the darkened caverns and crevices of our thinking left unexplored because of man-made tradition. We are made free from the Law of sin and death. What is sin?

 The word sin here means to miss the mark. To miss or wander from the path. Going deeper, it also means the propensity to sin, guilt, and the imputation of sin. Think of it the spirit of life in Christ Jesus frees us from sin! It gets better.

 The word death here is the Greek word Thanatos. Comic book fans don't lose focus because you recognize that name. Now in defining this word death, the depths of God's Grace became even more clearer and also reveal the immeasurable depths of His Love, Grace, and all the time Goodness!   

 The word death is not merely defined as the cessation of life. This word is defined as the separation of the spirit from the body with the implication of future misery in hell. Now this is only the tip of the full definition of this word.

 This word also includes all the miseries associated with sin, that is the fall, the lost state of the sinner apart from Christ, this would include all the effects of the fall. Shame, guilt, unrighteousness, as well as the curse. This has to include death, disaster, depression, desolation, disease, and despair. All the attributes associated with the full effects of spiritual death, that is separation from God. 

 Lastly and most powerfully, the word death means the forfeiture of salvation. Can you now see and understand just how triumphant this freedom we have in Christ actually is? It is truly astounding and astonishing when we grasp the full magnitude of this perfect Redemption we have through Jesus.

 The Law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set us free from the Law of sin and death! This truth is so powerful and so comforting. Through the life we have in Christ Jesus, there is no longer any guilt or shame. Not even if we sin! Through Jesus, our sins are no longer imputed to us! Instead, we have the life of Christ and we are made perfectly Righteous and therefore we are free! 

 Through the life we have in Christ, we are freed from sin and death. This life in Christ frees us from the effects of sin and death. The despair and misery associated with sin and separation cannot exist in our lives. The fall, the curse, and the fractured creation are around us but we can have victory and peace in their midst. In other words, they are on the outside but not on the inside. 

 The spirit of life in Christ Jesus frees us from eternal insecurity! We have hope and full assurance through Christ. He is our anchor in this fallen world. Fear, anxiety, and insecurity need not burden our thinking and emotions. We have full freedom from them in Christ. We are fully accepted and approved in Christ. We have hope, we are loved, we are cherished by our Father because of Jesus.

 This life in Christ Jesus means we are unconditionally and eternally secure! We are free from death, that is freedom from forfeiture of salvation. We are prisoners of hope and Righteousness. Nothing can cause us to fall away, be found wanting and unaccepted, and be lost again. This life in Christ makes us His forever and nothing can change that.

 In summation, this powerful passage reveals a redemption that only Grace could procure and provide for all. Apart from Christ, the way of life is if we sin just once we die. Hence what we are freed from, is the law of sin and death. That is if you sin, you die. In Christ, even if you sin you will not die or be separated. This is Radical Grace, this is the life we have in Christ Jesus! 


Image by Nadine Doerlé from Pixabay

Wednesday, November 22, 2023

Unfailing Love?

The grace that comes through our Lord Jesus Christ, the love that is of God the Father, and the fellowship that is ours in the Holy Spirit be with you all! 2 Corinthians 13:14 PHILLIPS

But God, with the unfathomable richness of His love and mercy focused on us, united us with the Anointed One and infused our lifeless souls with life—even though we were buried under mountains of sin—and saved us by His grace. Ephesians 2:4-5 VOICE 

How great is the Love of God? How wonderful is His great Love? If you've been a Christian for any length of time it's more than likely you've heard that God loves you. 
 
Hearing how much God loves us is wonderful and good. Singing worship songs proclaiming His great Love is amazing. All this emphasis on His Love leads me to ask some questions in light of what most churches teach and proclaim after they tell us God loves us.
 
Most ministries will readily affirm God's Love. They even declare His Love is unfailing. Yet shortly after proclaiming His great Love, the message begins to shift, and the focus becomes about our faithfulness, our obedience, and our performance, and less and less about the unfailing love of God.
  
The questions I have concern the apparent disconnect between a Love that never fails and a teaching that says mercy runs out. That God's forgiveness has limits. That we can sin away Grace. That in spite of unfailing Love, we as Christians can lose our salvation. 

Let's ask some questions in light of this disconnect, this contrast, this possible contradiction;

 Will God ever come to a place where He is done with us?

 Will God ever say to us enough I am through with you?

 Will God ever say to us concerning our salvation, His relationship with us, it's over, we're done? 

 Is this Love really unfailing and unceasing? Can a Christian deplete God's Love and mercy and Grace? Will God's Love diminish the more a Christian fails and falters? 

 Traditional religion will declare His Love is unfailing. Yet they also say a believer can fail God so much that they can forfeit or suffer the loss of their salvation. In essence, a believer's failure can cause unfailing love to actually fail and result in forever losing the object of the unfailing love. 

 The Love that never fails means that it will never fail no matter what someone else does or doesn't do. There is nothing we can do to cause God to Love us more. There is nothing we can do to make God cease loving us. 

 All that the Father gives me will come to me, and anyone who comes to me I will never turn away. For I have come down from · heaven, not to do · my own will · but to do the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of the one who sent me: that of all that he has given me I should lose none but raise them up on the last day. John 6:37-39 MOUNCE

 God's Love is everlasting and eternal. God's Love is unceasing and unfailing. God's opinion of you has never changed and it will never will change. God's Love will never falter or fade from day to day based on our actions or words. In fact, His unconditional Love received within is the power of God that renews our thoughts and thinking which produces the change in attitude and behavior effortlessly. 

 So let's answer those questions. Will God ever say it's over? Will God ever tell you I'm through with you? Will God ever inform you that you're done? In light of the unfailing Love of God, a thousand times no! A trillion times never, no way, not ever. 

 God's Love is unfailing and unending. When the voice of the condemnation preaching of legalism speaks, God's Love speaks louder. When the voice of the accusation of the enemy speaks, God's Love speaks louder and silences these lies! God's Love is for us! 

 God's unfailing Love proves our relationship with our Father is unshakeable and completely secure. In Christ, we have the hope and reassurance that we are eternally secure and rest firmly, safely, in His hands forever. His Love surrounds us and shields us from the lies of condemnation, accusation, and a performance-driven relationship. 

 In summation, we are forever His. His unfailing cascades over us bringing hope, healing, and wholeness in every area of our life and relationship with God. Is His Love unfailing? Yes, we can boldly declare in light of Redemption, the Cross, the Resurrection, the gift of the Holy Spirit, and Grace, that God's Love never fails! 

 


Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

Sunday, October 22, 2023

The Vitalness of continually feeding on the Gospel of Grace and the Word of Faith!

 But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart.” This is the word of faith that we preach: that if you confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved, Romans 10:8-9 MEV

because of the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, of which you have already heard in the word of the truth of the gospel, which has come to you, as it has in all the world, and brings forth fruit, as it has also in you, since the day you heard it and knew the grace of God in truth. Colossians 1:5-6 MEV

 As New Covenant believers in Jesus Christ, two of the most vital truths we must know and understand are Faith and Grace. The truth of Grace and Faith are two primary factors in living victoriously in this world. We will never grow up into maturity, walk successfully, and overcome if we lack understanding of these two vital truths.

 Someone may say, I think you may be overstating it just a little. I am only agreeing with Paul and John;

  For if by the offense of the one, death reigned through the one, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ. Romans 5:17 NASB

 because everyone who has been born of · God conquers the world. And this is the victorious power that has conquered the world—· our faith. 1 John 5:4 MOUNCE

 Okay, there be something to Grace and Faith, you may be saying. Glad to have your attention. The Word is not a list of rituals and rules to follow. It's a love letter from Heaven to us. The Word lets us in on the blueprint for an overcoming life in this fallen world.

 God is our Good Father. He is for us and never against us. He is not withholding anything from His children. He wants us to walk in blessing and victory even more than we desire. He has given us all the things needed to do just that. He is Love, and love gives. We could sum it up, Grace makes, Love gives and Faith takes!

 What is the Gospel of Grace? It is the Good news of God's Grace pledged through Jesus and His complete work of Redemption. It is God Almighty Himself stooping down to become one of us, living among us, and laying upon Himself the sins and iniquities of us all. 

 In His Redemptive work, Jesus became something He never was; sin, separated, and spiritually dead, so we could become something we never were. He exchanged our sins and poverty, and sickness and brokenness, for His forgiveness, His healing, His abundance, and His wholeness. None of this was done because we earned it merited it or worked enough for it. In truth, there is nothing we could ever do to merit this blessing of new life.

 What is the Word of Faith? This is the heart that is fully persuaded in what God has accomplished in and through Christ, and what His Word declared confirming it, is the truth. Faith is being fully persuaded that what God says is the final authority. Faith agrees with God no matter what it looks like, feels like, seems like, or appears like. 

 We could say Faith is having a good opinion of God. Faith is fully persuaded that He is a Good Father. Faith is found in two places. It is in our hearts and in our mouths. The Word of Faith is believing with our hearts and speaking in agreement with God with our mouths.

 Why is it vital then to continually feed on these two important truths? The reason is because one, we live in a fallen and fractured creation and it is not mending itself. Second, in this world, and in the Church there are tradition-rooted mindsets that bombard our minds frequently. They come through messages, conversations with family and fellow Christians, and various media platforms. Lastly, because the enemy is at work still on this planet, and he has not taken a vacation.

 Faith and Grace are not fad messages, or just the in thing in some churches but it's time to move on to the next "thing" or "message." Understanding Faith and Grace are just as vital as it always has been. We still have believers pushing concepts that God looks more at our performance than He is satisfied with Jesus' work. We still have believers wanting the Church to operate from the Old versus living out of the New Covenant exclusively. We still have churches that use condemnation as a tool to guide Christians into "living right."

 We also live in a fallen world where the works of the enemy and the effects of the fall are evident. We see pandemics, plagues, and poverty. We see rising inflation and inept leaders worldwide not making things any easier. Now more than ever our trust needs to be fully in God and nothing else. 

 We will not know how to successfully overcome these obstacles if we are not steadily and consistently feeding on God's Word concerning His Grace and the principles of Faith. In this age of technology, we have more than enough sources to help us in this endeavor. We have media and messages that are still proclaiming Grace and Faith.

 I just don't have time is not a real truth. It is the enemy deceiving. We all take the time to shower. We all take the time to cook. We all take the time to drive to work. In traffic, tune into messages preached on Faith and Grace. Joseph Prince has many of his messages for free on YouTube, as well Bro Kenneth E Hagin's messages are there as well. 

 When you shower, or prepare a meal in your kitchen, pop in a CD or MP3 message and listen while you get ready for work. While you sip on your morning coffee read a devotional or blog post proclaiming Grace and Faith. Bro Hagin has a devotional called Faith Food, and Joseph Prince also has several devotions that will uplift you. 

 In summation don't neglect the hearing and reading the Word. It is not works or performance to feed on God's Word. It is life-giving and life-sustaining not self-effort. Build yourself up on the Word and watch your Faith grow exceedingly as well as your understanding of Grace. 


Image by peachknee from Pixabay

Monday, August 28, 2023

Discover Grace: Nothing more to add

God saved us, and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace. He gave us this grace in King Jesus before all time and ages, 10 but has now made it visible through the appearing of our saviour King Jesus, who abolished death and, through the gospel, shone a bright light on life and immortality. 2 Timothy 1:9-10 NTE 
 

 Grace. Grace is not just another doctrine of the Christian Faith. Grace is not just a topical study of God's Word. Grace is not just for the sinner to receive Christ and His free gift. 

 Grace is the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace is the person of Jesus manifest on earth demonstrating to us the Father and His great Love, mercy, Goodness, and kindness. Grace is the unearned, undeserved, unmerited favor of Almighty God. Once received, this unearned favor produces a divine influence upon the heart and empowers the believer. 

 There is therefore nothing we can add to Grace. We can't add our works to His Grace. It's a Finished Work. It's not an incomplete work waiting on our good behavior to be added in order to fully complete it. No human effort, spiritual discipline, or spiritual observance can add to His perfect sacrifice and gift of Grace. 

 It's not Grace plus something. It is Grace alone from the beginning to eternity. It's not Grace plus Law keeping. It's not Grace plus observing the Sabbath days. It's not Grace plus celebration and observance of Old Covenant feast days. It's Grace alone, through Faith in Jesus' Finished work alone. 

 With such amazing Good News of the Gospel, we still see leaders and ministers encourage, teach, proclaim, and demand that New Covenant believers keep the Law, observe the Sabbath, and celebrate the feast days. It's as if some have completely ignored Romans, Galatians, Colossians, and the Book Of Acts to proclaim this. It's as if the meeting in Acts 15 never occurred. 

 Some are claiming there is some special spiritual significance for Christians to observe Jewish customs today, post-cross and resurrection. Some claim that Christians, in order to have a better understanding of their Faith, need to get back to the Jewish roots of the Faith. Some teach that the Sabbath and the festivals and feasts are to be celebrated forever, therefore they are required to be observed by both Jews and believers in Christ alike. 

 This is nothing new. We saw this clearly addressed in Acts 15. This issue was settled back there. Why are we still discussing and having to address this today? Understand the New Covenant is rooted in Grace and Faith, whereas the Old is rooted in outward acts of obedience to the Law and observing all its ordinances. 

 Those looking to keep Sabbath days and Celebrate the feast days are walking by sight and not faith. They are saying the shadow is more real and relevant than the substance which is Christ and His Finished Work. That the shadow offers more Revelation and in-depth intimacy than the substance who is Jesus. 

 

 They say they are just honoring Israel and the Old Covenant words. If they want to show honor then honor God's New Covenant, which is a Covenant of faith, not sight. To embrace shadows and not the substance is to walk in unbelief. 


 Under the Old, you could "see" your righteousness by how you kept the holy days, honored the Sabbath, and abstained from forbidden foods. It is not a light thing to God to try to mix the Covenants and to teach the Saints that keeping or honoring or observing holy days, feasts, manners, and customs is honoring God and His Word when the substance has already appeared and fulfilled all the shadows by His redemptive Work. We are to honor the Finished Work and His New Covenant and keep it free from mixture and error. 


 Now what does the New Covenant declare about keeping the Sabbath and observing and celebrating the holy days and feast days?


10 You are trying to earn favor with God by observing certain days months or seasons or years. Galatians 4:10 NLT

16 So don’t let anyone criticize you for what you eat or drink, or for not celebrating Jewish holidays and feasts or new moon ceremonies or Sabbaths.  17 For these were only temporary rules that ended when Christ came. They were only shadows of the real thing—of Christ himself. Colossians 2:16-17 TLB

 Grace is unearned favor. Outward acts such as keeping the Sabbath observing special days, and celebrating the Israeli feasts are a fleshly attempt to earn favor with God. It is telling God we are righteous by our doing and not by Faith alone in Christ's final sacrifice for sin. 

 If we are celebrating the feasts, we have fallen from Grace. The feasts were instituted by the Father to illustrate the perfect work of our Savior Jesus Christ. Those feasts revealed the coming Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ. Those feasts illustrate the life, death, perfect sacrifice, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, and His triumphant return. 

 If we still celebrate these feasts, then we are still looking for a Jewish Messiah to come. We are saying He has yet to come, we are also saying He has never come. Therefore in actively celebrating the feasts, we are denying Jesus as the Messiah.  If one is observing and celebrating these feasts today, they are denying Jesus and saying they do not believe in Him as being the Anointed One, the Son of God and Son of Man. 

Look clearly at Leviticus 23. We can see Jesus in these feasts. Because Jesus fulfilled these types and shadows why do we need to go backward and celebrate them? These Feasts were but shadows of He who was to come. Now that He has come, we have the substance and no longer need the shadows and types. 

 Again to observe and celebrate the feasts and keep the Sabbath today, we are saying the shadows are greater than the substance, Jesus. We are also saying we are still waiting on divine rest and the completion of the Work. We are saying the Messiah has never come yet and we are still looking for our substitutionary sacrifice to be made. We are denying Jesus and embracing an obsolete ordinance and Covenant. 

Now some of these who push for the Church to go back to Judaism try to misapply some New Covenant passages to justify their error. These Judaizers want to put the Church back under the yoke of the Law and blend the Old and New Covenant. For further study and a detailed response to the objections raised by these Judaizers and legalists see this post here

 In summation, let's celebrate Jesus. Let's give honor to the New Covenant. Let's give high praise and honor to the Finished Work of Christ. Let's not embrace dead works and deny Jesus as Savior and Lord. Let's discover Grace more and more. 


Image by Alessandro Macis from Pixabay