Goodness: Now and Later!

8 For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come. 9 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance. 1 Timothy 4:8-9 NKJV 

 Our God is a Good Father. Christians serve a Good God. Serve doesn't mean earning, or striving for, but in service of the King, we are ambassadors for Christ. God is such a Good God, He always has our best in mind.

 When we think of prosperity, healing, and goodness in this life, many conjure images and examples of excess and abuse in their thinking. When we mention wholeness and goodness for the here and now, many say no, the good life is for the future, in Heaven. Yet the Father made these promises and provided for them in Redemption. He did this to demonstrate His Goodness and lovingkindness to a lost and hurting world.

 Prosperity, healing, and wholeness are God's ideas. It is His way to visibly demonstrate His all the time Goodness. God wants to show His people off and let all the world know He is a good God. 

 Paul spoke of this idea of blessing in this life and the one to come. He wrote under the inspiration of the Spirit the text for this study. He states truly Godliness is profitable for this life and the one to come. He also wrote about this in 1 Corinthians 15;

If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable. 1 Corinthians 15:19 NKJV

 In context Paul was preaching the Gospel of Jesus and addressing those who claim there is no future fulfillment, the resurrection has passed, and those claiming there is no resurrection. Therefore claiming Jesus didn't rise from the dead. Paul was not saying there is no promise for this life but only the next.

 Paul was not contradicting himself. The Spirit doesn't lead to contradictions. The problem with relegating everything to the afterlife and discounting healing and prosperity as excess and abuse is twofold. 

 The first problem is we take away from God's Goodness. We make God out to be a terrible Father. What would someone think if they saw a wealthy father have a child who had holes in his shoes, malnourished, and dirty, old tattered clothes? They would say that is a terrible unkind and neglectful father. 

 Secondly, we diminish what Christ suffered and died for. We take away from the fullness of what He procured and purchased and provided for in His work of Redemption. This limits God and causes people not to awaken to the fullness of their inheritance in Christ. 

Now in a fallen world suffering is a reality. While suffering exists, it doesn’t negate God’s compassionate desire for His children to experience blessings now. Misinterpreting suffering as God’s will can prevent believers from standing in faith for healing, prosperity, and breakthrough It's of vital importance to differentiate between the trials of living in a fallen world and God's will. God is always for us, never against us, and wants His children to walk in His promises.

Matthew 6:19-21 teaches about storing up treasures in heaven, emphasizing eternal rewards. However, this does not mean earthly blessings are excluded. It’s about prioritizing God’s kingdom while also recognizing that God cares for our needs in this life (Philippians 4:19).

And it is he who will supply all your needs from his riches in glory because of what Christ Jesus has done for us. Philippians 4:19 TLB

 In summation, The belief that all blessings are stored up in heaven often stems from a misunderstanding of God's character and the fullness of His promises. God's goodness includes a desire for us to experience healing, provision, and a blessed life here on earth, as well as eternal life with Him. Godliness is profitable for this life as well as the life to come, we have a Good God we can trust and rely on. 

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Your Best Life Now?

8 For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come. 9 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance. 1 Timothy 4:8-9 NKJV

God is a Good God. Jesus is a loving Savior who laid His life down to redeem us. The Holy Spirit is our Comforter and Counselor and the fire from on high indwelling all those who believe. How do we see God though? How do we see the Christian life? 

 If God is a Good Father and His Son loved us so much that He went through the sufferings of the Cross on our behalf, how does this shape our view of the Christian life? How should we then live in light of this? 

 If God is Good, Jesus loves us so much and God sent His Spirit to indwell all who believe, how does He want us to live this life? Does He want our lives filled with misery, mistreatment, and misfortune? What is the life He desires for us?

 When I look at the life Jesus lived on earth, I don't see a life filled with despondency, despair, depression, or desolation. I see Jesus going around doing good and healing all! Jesus dealt with persecution from religious leaders, but his real suffering was only when He was paying the price for our redemption. 

 Religious tradition has decided to ignore all Jesus did and claim that the Christian life is meant to be a life full of nothing but affliction, agony, and anguish. To them, tragedy, torment, and tribulation are all one should expect in this life. They also say we should be thankful to receive all these things.

 Yet when I read the Bible why do I see God and His people bringing healing, hope, and help to so many? Religion would respond that Jesus and the disciples went about doing good just to preach the Gospel and get people saved. Yes it is true goodness on display points the lost to a loving Savior, and people respond, this is certainly an important reason but isn't the only reason. God brings wholeness, and relief, and alleviates suffering simply because He is Good and desires to do good.

 Jesus raised Jairus' daughter from the dead, He healed the Centurion's servant and did many other works of goodness, healing all who were oppressed by the devil. He did this to demonstrate His goodness and God's love. If we were to apply modern religious traditional teachings to these events, Jesus shouldn't have gone about doing good and healing. 

 Jesus should have asked Jairus why are you focusing on seeing your daughter healed? You should be more focused on becoming righteous and holy. You should be focused on how sinful you are and how your best life is in heaven not here. Jesus should have told the little girl, your best life isn't here so just accept this sickness and eventual death. 

 When the Centurion beseeched Jesus to come heal his servant Jesus should have responded, you gentile, you heathen! You are sinful and wretched, how can you dare ask me anything?! You need to realize your best life is never here. Repent and keep repenting, and only expect misery and hardship in this life. I trust you see the fallacy of the religious traditions of men. 

 Does God want our best life now or only in the hereafter? The true, biblical answer is both. Father God is Good and wants only our best. The interesting fact about the religious leaders proclaiming God wants our worst life now, all live in affluence, possess many earthly goods, and do what they can do to provide comfort and happiness to their own kids. 

 Godliness is profitable for the hereafter and the life we live today. God has plans and purposes for our lives. He has a destiny for His children. He has great things He wants us to accomplish. Now the scale is different for each of us, but it is still great nonetheless. 

 Perhaps He purposed us to help lead our family to Christ, or that coworker to find help and restoration for their past trauma. God has plans for us and they are always good. Each part of the Body of Christ is important, vital, and needed. You are valuable and have a calling, gifts, talents, and a destiny only you can fulfill.

 Don't allow religious tradition small-minded people to steal God's dreams and visions and destiny He has planned for you. Favor surrounds you like a shield. Goodness and mercy follow you all the day.

 In summation, disregard the goofy ideas of religious tradition. Stay with the Word. God is always good. He has promise for the life that now is and the one to come. It is time to live your best life now. 

 

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God is Good all the time!

For the Lord is always good. He is always loving and kind, and his faithfulness goes on and on to each succeeding generation. Psalm 100:5 TLB

8 The Lord is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy. 9 The Lord is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works. Psalm 145:8-9   

  One of the most profound truths that will change a person's life is the reality of knowing and understanding the Goodness of God. When the believer is not just aware of His Goodness but has his heart established in this truth, he will see greater Faith, greater joy, and greater trust in the Father. The Goodness of God seems so elementary but it is the foundation of all other Gospel and Redemption realities.

 Faith is having a good opinion of God. Knowing just how Good God our Father is enables a trust in whatever He has promised and declared will come to pass. In fact, Faith declares whatever God has done in the Finished Work is already mine. Faith comes into agreement with what The Father has spoken and declared over our lives. 

 Only a Good God can make promises that will come to pass. If an earthly father told their child get ready we are going to get ice cream, but never took the child, and did this repeatedly, what would be the end result? If the father said again to get ready we are going for ice cream, the child would not trust what he said and more than likely wouldn't even get ready. Why? He couldn't trust those words, because those words weren't coming from a place of goodness.

 God's Goodness at all times is the single greatest foundation all other truths are built upon. Faith builds on the foundation of Goodness because it's the character of the one promising that produces trust. Goodness is the foundation Grace builds on, His character reveals He is merciful, and will give us unearned and undeserved and unmerited favor. 

 God's Goodness is revealed in His blessings. He blesses us because He is Good, not because we are good. He blesses us because He is Good, His Goodness takes pleasure in blessing and providing and prospering His people. 

 God's Goodness is revealed in His Grace and great Love for us. His Grace is greater than our worst sins. No matter how far we have fallen or fouled up, His Grace is far-reaching and will always find us. His Grace covers, cleanses, and completely forgives all our sins. Nothing we can do can be so terrible that Grace can't overcome it and bring redemption, mercy, and transformation. 

 God's Goodness is revealed in the Word of Faith. We can come in agreement with God and receive all He has purchased, procured, and provided in the Finished Work of Redemption. We can make bold declarations of Faith because we know the character of the One who promised. We can rest in what He said in His Word because He is a Good Father and He can't lie. We can take Him at His Word and freely receive. 

 God's Goodness is revealed in His healing power and the wholeness He procured for us at Calvary. He was healer when He walked the sandy shores of Galilee and He has not changed. Look again at the Gospels. Many times when Jesus healed, it states He was moved with compassion. Is He any less compassionate today? He is our healer and He is Good. 

 One area we all need to develop in is seeing God's Goodness in the face of catastrophe. In a fallen world, there exist calamities, crises, and cataclysmic events. We must gain greater insight and understanding of God's Goodness in these times. We too often assign blame in some way to God for these events. 

 We say God is sovereign. Therefore this must mean He caused the event, He ordained the event, or He allowed it for some mysterious purpose. Look again at the character of Jesus. He said if you have seen Him you have seen the Father. 

 Jesus never crippled anyone to teach them empathy for others who were infirm. He didn't bankrupt anyone to teach them humility and to ensure they didn't get too high-minded. He didn't send a storm or disaster to punish, afflict, or chastise. He didn't crush and destroy lives claiming a mysterious purpose. No, He came to save men's lives not destroy and wreak havoc in their lives. 

 When we see disaster, calamities, or tragedy, our response should be to render help, to be there for those afflicted. Our response should be us being the hands, feet, and mouth of God and His Love and Goodness. We shouldn't be claiming that disaster is God's judgment on people. We shouldn't be saying this trauma was ordained of God because He is in control and He allowed it for His purposes. 

 When we are in a trial, when we are experiencing hardship and going through a challenge, we should be running to our Good Father. We shouldn't be accusing Him of causing the affliction or allowing it for some purpose. We shouldn't be asking God why are YOU doing this to me? 

 The enemy likes to bring accusations against you for all your failings, your faults, and foul-ups. He likes to bring condemnation for the sins you commit, the very sins he tempted you with. However, when you become established in Grace these accusations lose their effectiveness. 

 The enemy has another tactic and scheme. If he can't accuse you when you fail, he will try to get you to accept accusations about God. The enemy accuses God to you. He will claim God isn't always Good. If God was Good then this thing wouldn't have happened. If God was so Good why are you still struggling? If God is Good why are your prayers going unanswered? The enemy wants you to question and doubt His Goodness and faithfulness to you. Take those thoughts captive and instead begin to praise your Good Father! Your praises still and silence the enemy. 

 We have to establish our hearts and renew our minds to this truth, that God is Good all the time! Look at Psalm 34. We see a powerful truth and establishment of His all the time Goodness.

I sought the Lord, and He heard me And delivered me from all my fears. Psalm 34:4 NKJV

This poor man cried out, and the Lord heard him And saved him out of all his troubles. Psalm 34:6 NKJV

The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears And delivers them out of all their troubles. Psalm 34:17 NKJV

Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the Lord delivers him out of them all. Psalm 34:19 NKJV

 Psalm 34 reveals Man has fears, troubles, and afflictions. However, what other pattern do you see? What is God's role in this? God is the one bringing deliverance and salvation. He is not the One bringing what's causing the fear. He isn't sending the trouble. He isn't the author of the affliction and He never will be. 

 In summation, embrace the Good News. God is always a Good Father. God is always for us and never against us. He is our advocate, He is our comforter, He is our deliverer, He is our Father. He loves us with everlasting unconditional Love. God wants an intimate relationship with His children, and knowing just how Good He is, is the foundation for that relationship. All the time God our Father is Good! 

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The Acts of Grace

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, so that the man of God may be proficient, fully equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 MOUNCE

 God's Word is truth. It is our supreme source for discerning truth from error, lies, falsehoods, and untruths born from the spirit of deception, and the religious tradition of men. God's Word is our source of truth, doctrine, and instruction. 

 It is not a rule book to follow dogmatically. It is a divine love letter revealing the heart of a loving Father and a gracious Savior who gave all, laying down His life to redeem lost and rebellious souls from sin, and satan's hold and spiritual death. It's called the "good book" for good reason. 

 This "good book" reveals to us the Grace of Almighty God. Grace is spelled out to us from Genesis to Revelation. Grace is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Salvation, newness of life, life eternal, and total and complete forgiveness and Righteousness are found in a relationship with Jesus Christ. 

 Now traditional religion and the deception of the enemy rob believers of all the Goodness God offers them. Jesus spoke of this. Look at His words here in Mark;

making void the word of God by your traditional teaching which ye have delivered; and many such like things ye do. Mark 7:13 Darby

 Tradition and religion make the Word of no effect. It renders the Word useless, invalidating it, thus negating it in the life of the hearer of religion. Religion is the enemy of growth and Christian victory.

 In sharing the Good News of the Spirit's power made available as a gift to all, religious tradition objected and based this objection on an absurd claim. The justification they gave for this objection was that the entire book of Acts was not a book of the Bible one could teach from. The claim is that Acts is not a book of doctrine. 

 I discovered a religious tradition that should be allayed and dismissed as utter foolishness. Religion claims Acts is a mere descriptive book and not a "prescriptive" book. They claim there is no doctrinal truth in Acts.

 Religion if followed would make the Word of Grace missing and lacking in the life of the believer. The cessationists, those clinging to religious tradition are so against the power of the Spirit for today that they are willing to disregard an entire book of the Bible. They are leaving behind some amazing truths of the Gospel in doing so.

 Some Christians have such a Religious bias and prejudice against Tongues, the active Gifts of the Spirit, the infilling of the Spirit, and Charismatic (supernatural) ministry that they can only see Acts as a Charismatic/Pentecostal book. I want to show that Acts is so much more than that. The Gospel of Grace is introduced in Acts and it is for us today!

 The Acts of Grace are seen throughout this wonderful book. This book describes the ministry of the Holy Spirit in the lives of early believers in the Church. It is also prescribed because it reveals a ministry that turned the world upside down.  

 The world was transformed not just through signs and wonders, but also through preaching the radical message of God's Grace. All of the faiths, (religions) in the world were based on the actions, performances, and behavior of their followers up until this point. Here is a message being preached, that the God being proclaimed through preaching, being revealed through teaching, is the same God that already did all the work required. All one needs to do is simply believe.

 Throughout this book, we see Grace demonstrated and see Grace proclaimed to all. We have a full sermon of the Apostle Paul, the Apostle of Grace, given in this book. Acts not prescriptive? Not a book of doctrine? Foolishness! 

  The Word declared that great power was on the Church, the Spirit's power yes. We also see that great Grace was upon the Church. Grace is on the Church, Grace is the Gospel message we preach. Lost, rebellious, dead in sin, humanity can freely come to a Holy God and receive forgiveness of all sins, Righteousness, and eternal life. Not because they deserve it, not because they worked hard enough, but simply because of His Love and Goodness.

 This is the message that turned the world upside down.  

Now when the congregation had broken up, many of the Jews and devout proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas, who, speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of God. Acts 13:43 NKJV

 Grace is proclaimed throughout the entire book of Acts. We see it first here that we as the Church are no longer under Law but His Grace. We see that we have been freed from the Old Covenant and the new has come. We see the opposition from religion and tradition to the message of Jesus and His Grace.  

 We can't allow religious bias to rob us of the fullness of God. Religious bias formed, creating further wrong thinking, and producing unbelief in the hearts and minds of some Christians is what's behind ideas like these. The book of Acts is a book about the power of the Spirit yes but even more about it's a book proclaiming the word of His Grace.

 Therefore they stayed there a long time, speaking boldly in the Lord, who was bearing witness to the word of His grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands. Acts 14:3 NKJV

This passage says it all. Grace and the Spirit's power are inseparable. They are the effective ministry that turned the world upside down then and it's still the same today. Proclaim Grace with power and demonstration and see God confirm His Grace with signs following. 

 In summation, Acts is a book of doctrine. It reveals the availability of the Spirit today. It reveals the supernatural ministry the Church should be walking in. It also reveals the message we should still be proclaiming. The Grace of God! 

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Grace, Faith or fantasy?

8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not of yourselves. It is the gift of God, 9 not of works, so that no one should boast. Ephesians 2:8-9 MEV
 

The Gospel is the Grace of God revealed and manifest through Christ. Grace is the unearned, undeserved, and unmerited favor of God. Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the proof of things we can't see, and the conviction of their reality. Faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to our natural senses. 

 Grace and Faith are power twins of victorious Christian living. Grace has provided all things for life and godliness. The Redemptive work of Christ fully and freely paid for and provided all the fullness of blessing, healing, peace, wholeness, forgiveness, and eternal life.

 Grace made this available. Though it is ours freely, we must receive it. Faith receives what belongs to us because of Jesus' Finished Work. In essence, Grace makes and Faith takes.

 This is the Good News of receiving abundant Grace and living by Faith. Grace provided and Faith reaches out and takes it. Jesus' work of redemption gives us hope and peace in this life. This is not fantasy. We can trust in God for help, healing, and hope on this side of heaven.

 Believing Grace has already provided all we need is not chasing a fantasy or "pipe dream." We have hope in this life. This is a tangible hope. This is not living in the realm of make-believe.

 God is actually Good! The Scriptures bear this out. He fed the children of Israel with manna daily. He provided water from the rock. He fed the five thousand. He declared He wills for us to prosper and be in health. We have a Good Father we can actually put our trust in.

 Perhaps, some make the assessment that Faith is fantasy because they claim they don't see the power and presence of God today. Religious tradition, the scheming deception of the enemy makes Faith appear as fantasy. It distorts Faith and trust. Therefore what some people claim Faith is, isn't really Faith. They may call something faith but it isn't the God kind of Faith.

 Some have the faith that waits. This is a passive waiting, not patience. This type of faith is characterized by passivity. It waits for something to happen without taking proactive steps. While waiting on God is sometimes necessary, this type of faith can lead to inaction and missed opportunities because it lacks the component of active trust.

  Some have a faith that merely speculates. It is an uncertain faith.  This type of faith is marked by uncertainty and hesitation. It speculates about what might happen but lacks conviction. Speculative faith often leads to doubt and indecision, preventing believers from stepping out confidently in God's promises. It is not fully trusting our good Father.

 Some even have a faith that merely wishes and hopes. This is a nursery rhyme faith. That is the same as looking into the sky and twiddling our thumbs saying Twinkle twinkle little star. This is a faith that Wishes and Hopes. This faith is more about wishing and hoping rather than being fully persuaded. It lacks the deep conviction needed for confident action. Wishing and hoping without being fully persuaded often result in disappointment and a lack of tangible results.

 When we fully trust in the love of God and rest in His goodness we will walk in the God kind of Faith. We will have a fully Persuaded Faith. Romans 4:21, "And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform." This type of faith is characterized by an unwavering belief in God's promises and His ability to fulfill them. It is fully convinced and does not waver regardless of circumstances.

This Faith compels us to speak out. We will have a confident declaration;

 Mark 11:23: "For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says."

  We will Speak with Authority. This faith speaks God's promises with authority, believing that what is spoken will come to pass. It declares the end result with confidence.

 At its core, Faith is about having a positive and confident view of God. Faith Believes that He is a good Father who is faithful and just and always acts in our best interest. Faith involves agreeing with God's perspective and declarations, regardless of external situations. It’s an unwavering trust that what God has said is true and will come to pass.

 True faith is in two places. It is in the heart. It’s a deep-seated belief in God’s character, promises, and power. This internal conviction shapes our worldview and our reactions to life’s challenges. It is also in our mouth. 

 Faith is not just about internal belief but also about verbal confession. Speaking in agreement with God’s Word is a powerful act that reinforces our faith and brings it into reality. The words we speak in agreement with God shape our reality. Confession is a powerful tool for believers. When we speak the Word of God over our lives, we align our circumstances with His promises. 

 Faith, trusting in God is not a fantasy we Christians hold fast to. It is not a fairy tale. We can confidently take God at His Word. 

 God has provided all things because of His Goodness and great Love. His Grace has procured and provided all we need in this life. Faith reaches out and takes what Grace has already made. 

  Regardless of our challenges, we can stand firm on the Word of God and trust our Good Father. The Word is not fantasy or make-believe. The Word of God is a powerful force in the life of a believer. By continually confessing and standing on His promises, we invite His transformative power into every area of our lives. Remember, the Word is working mightily in you and for you! Keep speaking it, believing it, and watching it come to pass

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Will the Real Radical Grace Gospel please stand up!

  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 

 Who doesn't like to hear good news? The Word even declares a good report refreshes and strengthens our bones. What is the Good News? It is the glad tidings of salvation through Christ. The proclamation of the Grace of God manifest and pledged in Christ. This is the good news Gospel. It's glad tidings of total salvation in and through Christ.

 Grace is the Good News. We don't need the enemy's deception or errors distorting Grace. We don't need the traditions and misunderstandings from men to detract from it. Grace is amazing enough just as Paul first proclaimed it. 

 In the previous study, we addressed the enemy's counterfeit to Grace. We detailed the depths of the enemy's hijacking of the Grace message and exposed its full error. Dr. Brown sadly lumped Grace preachers in the same category as those proclaiming the error of inclusion/universalism in his book that attacks the Grace message. 

It is imperative to hear the Good News of the Grace of God. Grace is not just a new message or some fading fad. It is the Gospel of Jesus. Grace and the Gospel are simple. Mankind seems to always make the simple complex and hard to understand. 

We should know and fully understand the message of Grace. When we hear it we grow and have a more fruitful relationship with our Father and our brothers and sisters in Christ. Understanding the importance of hearing, we must also understand what the real Grace message is.

 Too often through our traditions, our various backgrounds, and our denominational experience we add to the message of Grace. Understand that the message of Grace is amazing just as it is. We don't need to help it out.

 What is the real message of Grace? It is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is the Good News that Jesus has fully completed the Work. It is the happy Gospel that Jesus paid the price in full and the Father has accepted the completed payment and is fully satisfied with Jesus' sacrifice. It is the wonderful realization that if Jesus' sacrifice is enough we can't add to it.

 This is the foundation of the Radical Grace Gospel. How do we know we are hearing the message of Grace unashamedly preached? It is simple, look at the sermon Paul preached. Look at the New Covenant described in Hebrews. 

8 For it is by grace [God’s remarkable compassion and favor drawing you to Christ] that you have been saved [actually delivered from judgment and given eternal life] through faith. And this [salvation] is not of yourselves [not through your own effort], but it is the [undeserved, gracious] gift of God; 9 not as a result of [your] works [nor your attempts to keep the Law], so that no one will [be able to] boast or take credit in any way [for his salvation]. Ephesians 2:8-9 AMP

  To be more specific, the Grace messages preaches the main clause of the New Covenant. What is the main clause? The complete forgiveness of all sin, past and present and future. This forgiveness is not dependent on our apology or acknowledgment of our sins. It is because of Jesus' sacrifice we are forgiven.

 The Grace messages preaches that the Blood of Jesus alone is what forgives. No other sacrifice is acceptable. We can't apologize enough, or promise God we won't mess up for sin to be forgiven. No amount of abstinence from sin or good works brings forgiveness. Only the Blood of Jesus forgives, cleanses, and removes all sin, all guilt, and all shame.

 The Grace message is not a condemning message to those who fail or those who are continually failing. Condemnation kills and is not what motivates the believer to overcome sin. God our Father is merciful and long-suffering. Jesus has already paid the price in full and our Father will not impute our sins to our account nor does He remember them. 

 The message of Grace magnifies the wonderful work of Jesus. Grace honors God's New Covenant. Grace understands the New Covenant begins with Christ's once for all sacrifice. Jesus' death, not His birth ushered in the New Covenant. The majority of the four Gospels take place under the Old Covenant. 

 The Grace message is not a mixture of Law and Grace. It is not a blend of the Old Covenant and the New Covenant. The prerequisites to receive from God under the Old are not the same as the New Covenant. Under the Old, the faithful, obedient ones to the Law were blessed. Under the New, Jesus has already procured the blessing. 

 The Grace message understands our standing before God is Christ's standing. We don't come to God based on anything we do or don't do. We come to God based on Jesus' faithfulness and perfect obedience and receive the blessings and Goodness of God.

  The Grace message teaches that the believer is fully secure in Christ. The one who has trusted in Christ is completely forgiven and forever secure in their Father's hands. The Grace of God affirms the unconditional eternal security of the believer. 

 Grace reveals a Good Father who loves us. The Grace message proclaims a loving and merciful Father. God isn't sending judgment or tragedy today. Jesus paid the price and the Father has accepted the payment, He is not punishing us, nations, or cities because of sin.

 This is the beautiful message of Grace. This is what we who have experienced Grace should fellowship around. This is the common ground of Grace. 

 We shouldn't be divided on other doctrines that have nothing to do with Grace. Our fellowship is about Grace, not our views on tithing,  or the type of church services we have.

 We who have received Grace don't have to argue about end-time views. There is not a set "hyper-Grace" view of the end times. Some churches and ministries are Grace-based but don't agree with the charismatic gifts for today. It doesn't matter because we are fellowshipping around the Grace of God not our views about the Holy Spirit moving today.

 I have presented the clear message of Grace. This is something Charismatic, Word of Faith, mainline denominational, cessationist Christians who have had their heart ambushed by Grace can fully celebrate and fellowship with. We have this much in common let's celebrate Grace. Let's come together and advance this Gospel truth.

 In summation, we have already exposed the false, the counterfeit. We have revealed what Grace is not, works or performance. We have also seen what the Grace Gospel is. I would like to share a powerful resource a brother in Christ has put together. This is an excellent minister of the New Covenant and Grace and yes I am practicing my message, we disagree on the end times, but that's not important, and not what we fellowship around. 

 Here is this resource here, locate Grace Ministries. Looking for a Grace church? Looking for Grace teaching online? Looking for Grace resources? This is the place. Let's come together under the banner of Grace, the real Gospel of Grace.

  

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Will the real Radical Grace Gospel please stand up: Discerning truth and error

 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

... By this we know (recognize) the Spirit of Truth and the spirit of error. 1 John 4:6b AMPC

 The Gospel is Good News. God has restored the simple truth of the Gospel within the last 20 years. The "Grace message" can be summed up as Jesus at the center of it all. Grace reveals all that Jesus has accomplished and freely provides for us in the Finished Work.

 The enemy tries to steal the Word when truth is restored and revealed afresh.  One way he does this is by perverting truth and promoting error. If truth is overshadowed by the counterfeit, by error, it is diminished in its effectiveness to reach people and transform them.

 Nothing new is under the sun. Grace has always been the Gospel. God's Love has always been unconditional and freely received. Receiving salvation and a new life has always been by Grace through Faith. Simply believing in Jesus has always been the way to the Father.

 What else is not new is the erroneous concepts of universalism, inclusionism, and ultimate reconciliation. The enemy satan has always tried to subvert the Gospel. Legalism and works-driven messages were one way he had hidden the Gospel. 

 Works and performance-based theologies hinder evangelism because the lost believe the Christian life is too hard. They see their failures and know they can't measure up so why try they conclude. Still, mixed messaging has some success in reaching the lost. 

 The enemy conjured up a more sinister scheme. If he can convince the lost they aren't actually lost, they won't come to Christ and receive salvation. If he can convince the lost that there is postmortem salvation available he knows people will live a life never considering God and the Gospel. 

 Enter the ancient lies of inclusionism, trinitarian theology inclusionism, ultimate reconciliation, and universalism. Proponents of these errors point to early voices who proclaimed some of these sentiments as proof of their truth. Error spoken is still an error no matter how ancient it is. 

 Something to consider is that these views are not Christianity. Just as Mormonism and Jehovah's Witnesses claim portions of the Bible prove their views they also create their own source material and rely heavily on those, such as The Book of Mormon and the Jehovah's Witnesses' New World translation. So it is with the inclusion/universalist groups. They rely on the Mirror Bible, the writings from Grace Communion International, and various books and talks given by its proponents.

 These views are not Christianity and they are promoting a different gospel. In truth, they are promoting a doctrine of devils. Twisting and misapplying Scripture and rewriting a portion of the Scriptures to fit a narrative is not the work of the Spirit. 

 These groups use subtle tactics to try to disprove the truth that mankind apart from Christ is lost. They go so far as to push the idea that no one was ever lost, that it was all a wrong belief mankind adopted. To promote this error, they misapply misinterpret, and misrepresent Colossians 1:21 from the KJV. 

 This passage is not claiming no one was ever lost. This passage indeed says the exact opposite;

This includes you who were once far away from God. You were his enemies, separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions.  Colossians 1:21 NLT

 Because we were all lost and needed a Savior Christ came and paid the price for whosoever will receive. Because of the great need, God provided an even greater answer. He has provided a way to eternal life apart from works, performance, or behavior. He provided the way of Grace through Faith.

 These groups also claim all humanity is saved or will be saved post-mortem. They say Jesus paying the price for all equates to Him redeeming and saving all. Redemption, salvation, and Righteousness are already purchased at Calvary. For one to be redeemed, saved, and be made Righteous, they must believe.

 Salvation is not an invasion of the will. Salvation must be received. Look at what Grace really does;

We have cause to celebrate because the grace of God has appeared, offering the gift of salvation to all people. Titus 2:11 VOICE

 Grace appears to all mankind and offers them new life in Christ. This is not "automatic." Romans 5 declares those who receive abundant Grace and the gift of Righteousness reign in life. Receive is the optimal word. We have to lay hold of it by Faith it is not "automatic." 

 The notion that all humanity is righteous but doesn't know it is contrary to clear Scripture. We are only Righteous by Faith. No one is righteous apart from Christ. There is no secret righteousness indwelling the lost unbelieving one. Those who say all are righteous apart from faith are echoing the spirit of error and not the spirit of truth.

to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. Romans 3:26 NKJV

For Christ is the end of the law, so now there is righteousness for everyone who believes. Romans 10:4 MOUNCE

 We were not saved before we believed. Those proclaiming inclusion/universalism state believing is a work or some kind of legalistic ritual or performance. They twist words in Scripture and claim we are not saved by personal acceptance and trusting Christ alone but saved by Jesus' faith. 

 They believe God overrides free will, bypasses personal desire, invades the heart, and claims it as His own. This is not love in action. This is forced fellowship, compulsory relationship, and a seized spirit. Again none of this is voluntary. This is a non-consensual relationship with humanity. Somehow the proponents claim this is true grace and true love. Overriding one's decision, forcing oneself upon another, and seizing their heart is love in their mind. That sounds more like the work of the enemy and not a loving Father.

  He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” John 3:36 

 Truly, truly I say to you, whoever believes in Me has eternal life. John 6:47 MEV

To him all the prophets bear witness, that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through · his name.” Acts 10:43 MOUNCE (Forgiveness needs to be received).

 For with the heart a person believes and is made righteous, and with the mouth he confesses and is saved. Romans 10:10 MOUNCE

 The Grace Gospel of Jesus is not a message that all are saved. It is not a message that all humanity is righteous, has the Holy Spirit indwelling them, is adopted into the Family, and is born again apart from believing and trusting in Jesus. The Grace message doesn't proclaim there is salvation after death. There is no Biblical passage promoting this. 

 The message of universalism, inclusion/trinitarian theology inclusion, and ultimate reconciliation is false teaching created by the enemy. It is not Christianity, it is not Biblical and in opposition to the Gospel. It is truly a doctrine of devils, and it comes to steal and kill and destroy. It robs people of hearing the Gospel and kills and destroys ministries and churches promoting this error. 

 Those following these doctrine of devils, also adhere to the notion there is no future judgment. That hell is non-existent or simply a fantasy in Christian's minds. Hell exists and those who reject the Gospel of Grace choose to go there. God doesn't send anyone to hell.

 The lost are headed to an eternity separated from the Father. This is why the Grace Gospel must be proclaimed. Now judgment and eternal separation are not the Gospel message. They only serve to remind us of the urgency of the Gospel proclamation. 

 In summation, the real Radical Grace Gospel must be proclaimed error-free. The Gospel of Grace is the Good News. God is not mad and the price for the forgiveness of all sins, and redemption has been paid for by Jesus. Righteousness, forgiveness, and redemption are all received by Grace through Faith. Grace is the Gospel. Radical Grace is the error-free Gospel of Jesus Christ.

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Redeemed from the…Blessing?

  But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises...In that He says, “A new covenant,” He has made the first obsolete. Now what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away. Hebrews 8:6, 13 NKJV

God speaks of these new promises, of this new agreement, as taking the place of the old one; for the old one is out of date now and has been put aside forever. Hebrews 8:13 TLB

 I have good news to share. The New Covenant has come. God has instituted a new and better Covenant. The Old Covenant has been fulfilled and now is done away. We have a new and living way to God.

 The Gospel of Grace is the Good News of Grace pledged in and through the Lord Jesus Christ. The Work is Finished and the Father has fully accepted the redemptive work of Christ. There is nothing we can add or do to complete the work in our lives. All He asks is that we believe. 

 This is the Good News of Grace. Grace has been revealed with the revelation Paul proclaimed in the Scriptures. Some still can't see the message of Grace. This is why God restores the truth from generation to generation whenever it gets lost through man's tradition. 

 Whenever God restores truth, He raises up teachers to explain the truth. When the truth is proclaimed and explained, it falls upon hearers in different stages of spiritual growth: new, older, and mature believers. Now spiritual immaturity is not necessarily a bad thing, we are still growing.

 Spiritual immaturity can be detrimental however when the immature hear the truth but don't fully understand the truth. Some only hear a portion of the truth and end up in a proverbial ditch. We need to hear the truth but also need to understand it for it to benefit our lives.

 When a spiritually immature person hears just a portion of the truth of Faith or divine healing or Faith's confession, and don't understand it, they make foolish decisions such as quitting their job, refusing medical care, or denying their circumstances mistakenly believing they're acting in Faith. Grace is no different. When the immature hear a portion of Grace they begin to misunderstand Redemption and how to rightly divide the Word of God.

  How does the spiritually immature misunderstand redemption? How do they wrongly divide the Word? They misunderstand what it is we have been redeemed from. They don't understand how to rightly divide the Word, distinguishing between the Old Covenant and New Covenant. 

 We are redeemed from the curse of the Law. We are not under Law but Grace. We are not under the statutes and precepts of the Mosaic Law. We don't approach God the same way they did under the Old. Now religious tradition likes to cite Old Covenant passages about how to receive the blessing of God. The problem is that's the Old Covenant's standard of how to receive. 

 That's not how we receive in the New. Under Grace, we receive from God by Grace through Faith. Under Grace, we rest in Jesus' perfect obedience. We come to the Father based on Christ's perfection, not our own. Our hope and Faith to receive is Faith in His Faith and Finished Work not our own. 

 Understanding Christ met all the requirements on our behalf then we know we are now prequalified for all the blessings and benefits God has promised and provided for us. This begs the question which blessings are we prequalified to receive? Are we only promised what God declared in Acts through Revelation? 

 What about all the promises of provision, peace, protection, and prosperity found in the Bible from Genesis to Revelation? Are we limited to what Peter and Paul and James and John wrote? That is if a promise of provision or blessing is found in the Psalms or Isaiah does that mean it's not for us? Some who misunderstand Grace are teaching that yes they are not for us.

 Has Grace then redeemed us from the curse of the Law and the blessings? Some spiritually immature ones claim that looking at the promises and provisions found in the Old Testament means you are putting yourself back under the Law. This is simply not true. 

 Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the Law, not the blessings. Look at David's words in Psalm 35. God takes pleasure in the prosperity of His servant. God derives pleasure when His servants experience nothing missing or lacking in their lives. If God takes pleasure in His servant's prosperity how much more in His beloved sons? Christ's Redemptive work didn't "redeem" us from this blessing! In fact, His work purchased it for us!

 Look at Psalm 91. We see promises of protection and long life. Does this passage mean this is only for those under the Law? Of course not. Under Grace, this provision of protection and long life is more sure because it's purchased by Christ. 

 Look at Isaiah 49. If God our Father won't forget His servants and has them engraved in His palm how much more His children? There are many many promises and provisions and blessings found in the Old Testament. They are not solely for "the Jews." 

 The provisions and blessings of the Old are for us in Christ today. We are not redeemed from them. We aren't placing ourselves under the Mosaic Law by claiming these provisions and promises. We are simply receiving the full salvation package.

 All Scripture is breathed out by God and is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correcting, for training · in righteousness, so that the man of God may be proficient, fully equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 MOUNCE

  All the blessings, benefits, provisions, and profits from the Old are now ours through Christ. We are in a better Covenant established on better promises. If the New does not include at least the same level of prosperity, peace and provision as the Old how then is it better? 

 The New has better promises than the Old. One of the better aspects of the New versus the Old is how these promises are made available to us. Under the Old, we had to do, we had to obey perfectly, we had to perform to receive. In the New, Christ has already done enough. Christ has already obeyed flawlessly. He has performed perfectly on our behalf. Our basis for receiving all these blessings is Christ never our behavior, our performance, our good deeds, or charity. 

  In summation, when Christ freed us from the Law, He didn't redeem us from the blessings found in every book of the Bible. Provisions of peace, long life, healing, protection, favor, fullness of joy, and strength are ours in Christ. We have the fullness of life, prosperity, and wholeness, in Christ Jesus. We are not just blessed, we are the commanded blessed because of Jesus!

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Holy Communion: Even more truth vs traditions

 24 When He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “Take and eat. This is My body which is broken for you. Do this in remembrance of Me.” 25 In the same manner He took the cup after He had supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” 26 As often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes. 1 Corinthians 11:24-26 MEV

 The Church was given two "ordinances" that we as believers observe. Now we understand these have nothing to do with our salvation or earning something from God our Father. Man on the other hand has tried their hardest to turn these into traditions that they can war over.

 These two ordinances are water baptism and Holy Communion. People have engaged in small wars over how one is baptized and how they receive Communion. Brothers and Sisters this should never be. 

 Water baptism is simply an outward demonstration of what has already occurred inwardly. We were dead in our sins, but when we first trusted in Christ alone, we were made alive forever. Going under simply demonstrates that the old is gone, "Buried" and the New has arisen. Take note this is only done once, why? Because eternal life is eternal, once and for all. Baptism is a one-time act and has nothing to do with our standing with God or our salvation.

 Holy Communion is observed as Jesus instructed. As often as you do this, do this in remembrance of Me. He didn't say how often to do it. He didn't say this has anything to do with receiving salvation or losing it. He simply gave us a meal that brings Christ's Finished Work to our remembrance. 

  Jesus' work of Redemption is illustrated in the Communion elements. The wine and bread illustrate His blood shed for us and His body broken on our behalf. He said to partake in remembrance of Him. Yet religious tradition has told us not to put Him in remembrance but rather our flaws and failures and many sinful shortcomings in remembrance. Jesus said to reflect on Him, and what He accomplished, but man says no, reflect, consider, remember your sins, and search for any you may have missed.

 Paul gives instructions concerning Holy Communion in the Epistle to the Corinthians. Again understand the context of the first Epistle to the Corinthians. The one-word summation for the Church at Corinth is excess. 

To them, Holy Communion was just an opportunity to have a feast. They would have a full spread of food and drink. They would indulge themselves in the food and wine. Some would eat and not leave some for the poorer saints among them. Still others would get drunk on Communion wine. This is the reason for Paul's instructions.

 We have already seen that examining ourselves and partaking unworthily has nothing to do with searching our hearts and lives for some areas in which we are failing. We are examining if we are partaking worthily and not unworthily. Partaking unworthily doesn't mean partaking with some unconfessed sin in our life.  

We partake unworthily when we receive communion as just some common meal or take it for granted and dishonor and disregard the Finished Work. This is what the Corinthians were doing. They simply served a regular meal and called it having the Lord's supper, 

 This is where Paul used the word judgment in connection to partaking of Communion. These two phrases "examine yourself" and "judge yourself" are the phrases that are lifted from their context and used to condemn and scare God's people concerning Holy Communion. To allay the traditions of men we must remember the words of Jesus. 

I tell you the solemn truth, the one who hears · my message and believes the one who sent me has eternal life and will not come into judgment, but has passed from · death to · life. John 5:24 MOUNCE

26 As they were eating, Jesus took some bread. He offered a blessing over the bread, and then He broke it and gave it to His disciples. Jesus: Take this and eat; it is My body. 27 And then He took the cup of wine, He made a blessing over it, and He passed it around the table. Jesus: Take this and drink, all of you: 28 this is My blood of the new covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. Matthew 26:26-28 VOICE

 Jesus has already told us that the Holy Communion represents the forgiveness of our sins. He already said we will never be judged again when we believe in Him. So this begs the question what is Paul speaking of then? Judge yourself and you won't be judged?

 We see in context what Paul is saying. If you simply have a church "potluck" or "cookout" or a "dinner" and because there is wine or juice, and bread present you can't claim you have partaken of the Lord's Supper. Having a meal only fills your belly and makes you reflect on how tasty those breadsticks were and how flavorful that juice was.

 Having a meal at their gatherings wasn't causing them to think of Jesus. The bread served didn't make them trust in Christ's body broken for their healing and wholeness and provision. The wine didn't cause them to be thankful for Christ's blood shed for their eternal forgiveness and for making them Righteous.

 What does it mean to judge yourself then? The word judge means to make a separation, a distinction. We are making a distinction that this meal is a divine illustration of the Finished Work and not simply bread and wine. If we see it as a simple meal like any other, we are not discerning or seeing Jesus' redemptive work. The taking judgment on oneself then is receiving the "judgment" of the fallen creation. It's not seeing Jesus as the way of escape from this fallen creation and simply accepting the fall as part of normal life. 

 This is what Paul was speaking of. We live in a fallen and fractured creation. Disasters, disease, and premature death abound in a fallen world. This is the judgment of sin seen in creation. When Jesus returns total redemption will fully manifest. This is what Paul was speaking about when he said if we partake unworthily we are taking judgment upon ourselves. 

 Holy Communion is the meal that heals. It is the perfect illustration of Jesus' Redemptive work. When we partake of Communion we are reminding ourselves of Jesus' body that was broken on our behalf procuring healing, wholeness, provision, and deliverance. We are putting into remembrance His shed blood cleansed us once and for all time and we are now forgiven forever. Condemnation, guilt, and shame will not oppress our thinking and self-image because we know we are forgiven and accepted and approved and Righteous because of the Blood. 

 Judging ourselves then has nothing to do with self-introspection to see how far we have fallen. We judge ourselves to be partaken of Holy Communion worthily. We judge ourselves to not be enjoying a natural meal. We are partaking of Holy Communion.

 Now Paul does say if we judge ourselves or are discerning the Lord's body we won't be judged. This statement is not a warning concerning a loss of salvation or God punishing us. The New Covenant is clear about that. Paul said the judgment comes to correct us. Instruction and correction are not punishment and not a loss of salvation.

 In summation, we need to celebrate the Lord's Supper. Holy Communion is a time to reflect on Jesus. It's a time to ponder Grace. It's a time to honor the Finished Work. It's not a time to be sad but to be thankful and joyous. We must relinquish the traditions of man and embrace the truth of the Word. We must embrace the truth about Communion and allay tradition and give it no place in our lives. Reflect on Grace. Remember Jesus.

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