Father of Lights: Cruel God and cruel men.

The LORD is good, A stronghold in the day of trouble; And He knows those who trust in Him. Nahum 1:7 NKJV

Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow. James 1:17 NLT

 God is a Good Father. He has revealed Himself as the Father of Lights. In Him, there exists no darkness at all. He is not the author or orchestrator of death, disaster, or destruction. He is the author of Abundant Life. 

 Does it matter whether we receive and understand this truth? Absolutely. If we want our faith to grow strong and steadfast, we must know the character of the One who makes the promise. Trust is built on knowing the heart behind the words. If we are to confidently trust a Savior who offers eternal life through simple belief, we must be fully convinced of the goodness and integrity of the One who offered it.

 As important as those things are, there is another reason we must know the character of God. We are told to emulate, to be like God throughout the Word. We have sayings like;

 What would Jesus do?

 If we think of Jesus and the Father and the Spirit as harsh taskmasters who are quick to punish, point out our sins and shortcomings, and separate themselves from us, how will we treat others? 

 When men believe they serve a cruel God, they themselves will become cruel. If they see God as angry, obsessed with rules, and determined to make them do what they dread simply to prove His power, it will shape their hearts into the same harsh image. A distorted view of God always produces a distorted life.

 The Lens of the Heart

The way we perceive God becomes the lens through which we see everything else.
If we believe God is unpredictable, harsh, and ready to lash out, we will approach life with fear, suspicion, and anxiety.
We will struggle to rest, to trust, or to live with joy — because deep down, we will always be bracing ourselves for the next blow.

But if we see Him as the Father of Lights, the One who is pure goodness with no shadow of turning, our hearts can finally exhale.
We can live freely, joyfully, and fearlessly, rooted in the unwavering love of a perfect Father.

"God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all." (1 John 1:5)

Religious Fear Produces Religious Cruelty

Many believers today, though sincere, have been taught to fear God in the wrong way.
Not with a holy awe for His majesty and grace, but with a terror of punishment and rejection.
This false fear hardens hearts. It produces believers who are more judgmental than joyful, more condemning than compassionate.

The truth is, a cruel view of God creates cruel men.
If you believe God is constantly displeased with you, you will live displeased with yourself and others.
You will feel justified in being critical, harsh, and unkind because you think that's how God is.

This isn't holiness. It's hurt wearing a religious mask.

"There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment." (1 John 4:18)

The Father of Lights

Our God is not two-faced. He is not sometimes good and sometimes cruel.
He is the same yesterday, today, and forever — good, faithful, merciful, and kind.

He corrects His children, yes — but He corrects by reminding us who we are in Christ, not by crushing us with calamity.
He leads by love, not by fear. He builds up — He doesn’t tear down.

Beloved, reject every image of God that is less beautiful than Jesus.
Reject the religious lie that portrays the Father as cruel, calculating, and condemning.
Embrace the radiant truth that your Father is the Father of Lights — and in Him, there is no darkness at all.

You were created to reflect the One you behold.
Behold His goodness — and you will shine.

 Religious traditions' distortion of God has created the image of a cruel God. This cruel image causes the thinking of the religious mind to be programmed to condemnation, shame, and guilt. We direct this first toward ourselves, and afterwards to others around us.  

 This makes us forget who the Father is. We forget that we cannot come to God based on our merits. We forget that it was only the shed blood of Jesus that makes us worthy. 

Summarizing, why must we know and understand how good God truly is? Because everything in the Christian life rests upon this truth. His goodness and His grace are not side notes—they are the very foundation! The entire Christian life rises or falls on this revelation. His goodness is the anchor of our faith, and His grace is the melody of the Gospel—without them, there is no true Christianity, only cold religion.

Image by Alexa from Pixabay

Abundance of Grace: More than Enough!

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

For if, through the transgression of the one individual, Death made use of the one individual to seize the sovereignty, all the more shall those who receive God's overflowing grace and gift of righteousness reign as kings in Life through the one individual, Jesus Christ. Romans 5:17 WEY 

 There are various religions and spiritual paths that mankind has followed for centuries. Some follow philosophies, creeds, and reasonings. What distinguishes Jesus and Christianity from all of these voices in the wind? What is the distinction between the Gospel of Christ and the other religions? 

 Grace is the distinction from all the rest! Our Gospel is rooted in what Jesus Christ has done for us. Our Gospel is based on Jesus' work and not any other. The foundation of the Gospel is Jesus' perfect work of Redemption, and nothing we have achieved, nothing we are doing consistently, and nothing we can accomplish with enough consistency.   

 The Gospel distinction is that Jesus' work was more than enough. The Cross of Christ was more than enough to purchase and procure and provide for Redemption for whosoever receives. The Cross was more than enough to forgive our sins past, present, and future. The Cross was enough to permanently save us, securing our salvation forever. The Cross was more than enough to remove condemnation for all time and eternity.

 Traditional religion keeps looking at our sins, shortcomings, and failings. Grace keeps looking at our Savior and His completed work and the more than enough sacrifice that forgave those sins. Grace isn't making light of our sins but standing in awe of the forgiveness purchased by the shed blood of the perfect Savior, Jesus Christ!

If You, Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? But there is forgiveness with You, That You may be feared. Psalm 130:3-4 NASB

 There is complete Redemption and forgiveness in Christ alone. This Grace distinguishes Jesus from all the rest. No other religion, no other philosophy can provide this peace and reconciliation. No amount of charity and good works could merit this Love and mercy. No level of discipline or abstinence from wrongdoing could earn or achieve this forgiveness. 

 How does this abundance of Grace alter or affect our lives practically? What does the knowledge of the forgiveness of our sins and security in Christ produce? What is the benefit of focusing on this Grace? 

 To the child of God, the believer, and even those who are outside, lost in their sin and unbelief, it brings hope and brightens our path as a shining light, a beacon of expectation of goodness unparalleled and unmatched by anything. The focus shifts from ourselves and onto this Loving Savior and Good Father. The realization is we can trust in Him completely and know He is for us and will not hold our failures against us.

 It opens our eyes, that this Cross and work of Christ was more than enough. It leads us to the truth He paid it all in full. He has more than enough Love, mercy, forgiveness, and new life for us.

Let Israel hope in the Lord: for with the Lord there is mercy, and with him is plenteous redemption Psalm 130:7 KJV

O Israel, hope in the Lord; For with the Lord there is lovingkindness, And with Him is abundant redemption. Psalm 130:7 NASB

 When we know there is plenteous Redemption for us we can lay down our own works and performance attempts to be loved and accepted by our Father. When we know there is more than enough Redemption the lost soul can stop running and run to the Father and find forgiveness and a new life. When we know there is abundant Redemption for us we can lay down worry and anxiety and know our Father is there caring for us and providing for our needs. 

 Grace is the personal realization that Jesus' work was more than enough. This Grace has provided for anything we would ever need in this life. Jesus is our one thing! He is the only thing! He is more than enough!

 The Cross was more than enough, and the Father has accepted this once for all sacrifice. That means our sins are forgiven once and for all time, and they will never be accounted to us again. This also means that our Father is not against us but for us. That we are welcomed in the presence of God and celebrated there. 

 Embrace this abundance of Grace. It's all about Jesus. It is all about knowing and understanding Jesus' work was more than enough. This produces such gratitude and thankfulness for Jesus and His Redemptive work. This is true honor and glory given to the Lord Jesus Christ. Our lives will never be the same the more we focus on Grace and the More than enough Savior Jesus!

image by Grok,X AI 

Abundance of Grace: Graceful thinking

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

 For if, through the transgression of the one individual, Death made use of the one individual to seize the sovereignty, all the more shall those who receive God's overflowing grace and gift of righteousness reign as kings in Life through the one individual, Jesus Christ. Romans 5:17 WEY

 Jesus is the person of Grace. The Gospel is the Grace of God revealed and demonstrated in Christ's victorious, Redemptive work. When we receive an abundance of Grace, Paul tells us we will reign as kings in this life.

 If we want to reign in life, we need to know how to receive abundant Grace. I believe Paul gives us the key to reigning in life when he tells us to renew our minds and not be transformed by the world's ways. Think about it—this world operates on effort, striving, earning, and achievement. But God's New Covenant operates by grace.

 God's New Covenant is a Covenant of Grace. It is not a covenant requiring our efforts, our achievements, or our performance. It is a covenant made between the Father and the Son, and we are the benefactors. We partake of this covenant when we trust in Christ alone. We freely receive all Jesus purchased and provided through His work and not our own.

 Renewing the mind is crucial to walking in the fullness of grace, but it’s not a self-effort or works program;

 Paul tells us in Romans 12:2, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” Transformation comes not by striving, but by seeing—seeing Jesus, the person of Grace.

  Beholding Jesus: The Key to Renewal

The secret to renewing the mind is not willpower or self-effort. It is found in beholding Jesus.

2 Corinthians 3:18 says, “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.”

As we behold Jesus—His love, His finished work, His righteousness—we are transformed effortlessly. The more we see Him, the more we think in alignment with grace.

Renewing Our Minds to Grace

1. No More Condemnation
   Romans 8:1 declares, “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus.” If Jesus took our judgment, why entertain thoughts of guilt or shame? Jesus' sacrifice was enough, God isn't punishing you. Renew your mind to this truth: God is not condemning you, so stop condemning yourself.

2. Eternally Secure
   Jesus said in John 10:28, “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.” Renew your mind to this: Your salvation is not fragile; it is secured by Christ Himself. You can't forfeit it, or lose it, once you trusted Christ alone you are irrevocably saved!

3. Deeply Loved and Liked by God
   It’s easy to accept that God loves us in a broad sense, but do you realize He also likes you? Zephaniah 3:17 says He rejoices over you with singing! He enjoys being with you. He is not tolerating you—He delights in you. Renew your mind to this: God is smiling over you right now. His arms aren't folded in disapproval of you, His arms are open wide welcoming you! 

Abundance of Grace Through Abundance of Beholding

An abundance of beholding Jesus leads to an abundance of grace in our thinking. The more we focus on Him, the more we walk in transformation—not by effort, but by revelation. Instead of battling thoughts of fear, insecurity, or condemnation, we let grace flood our minds.

Keep beholding Jesus. Keep renewing your mind to who you already are in Him. Grace-filled thinking leads to a grace-filled life. 

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

Abundance of Grace: More Grace less religious traditions!

 

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

 For if, through the transgression of the one individual, Death made use of the one individual to seize the sovereignty, all the more shall those who receive God's overflowing grace and gift of righteousness reign as kings in Life through the one individual, Jesus Christ. Romans 5:17 WEY

 Grace is the Gospel of Jesus Christ pledged, promised, and made available through His victorious Redemptive work at Calvary. Grace is the unearned, undeserved, unmerited favor of Almighty God. Paul tells us that receiving an abundance of this grace will cause us to reign, rule, and dominate as kings in this life. 

 We have been in an ongoing series studying this abundance of Grace so we can receive it more and more in our own lives and live triumphantly. We have seen that this Grace is NOT of ourselves, but all of Jesus. We have seen how forgiven we are and what repentance truly means. It seemed good to me to keep pursuing more of this Grace and relinquishing religious traditions and ideas.

 Grace is all of Jesus, and never anything we have added or contributed. 

Now if by grace, then it is not by works; otherwise grace ceases to be grace. Romans 11:6 HCSB

 Yet, with all the truths revealed from God's Word, so many traditions arise from men attempting to add to the work of Christ to gain more acceptance and approval from God. Not only that we add more rules and regulations for believers to follow so that they will receive more goodness from God. 

 For many leaders, sin seems to be the kryptonite or the barrier to God stopping Him from hearing us, fellowshipping with us, and communing with us. As if sin was not dealt with completely at the Cross of Christ. Jesus died for the sins of mankind, yet religion teaches that He still sees sin upon us and steps away until we change our behavior.

 This is not an encouragement to engage in sin, sin has its own consequences apart from God punishing someone. Drunkenness produces hangovers-nausea, dizziness, headache, sluggishness and fatigue. Steal, lie, or commit fraud, and the consequences will follow, some include prison time. This is not divine retribution. 

 God cannot punish you when you sin, if He did, then He would be unfaithful, unjust, and untrue. He cannot justly punish sin in the body of Jesus on the Cross and turn around and punish you as well. For God to hold your sin against you after you have trusted in Christ is to declare that Jesus' work of Redemption was not enough. That Jesus' shed blood was insufficient to pay for your sin. That He has not fully accepted the Finished Work of Christ. The ledger on the accounts of Heaven would have to read insufficient funds, Jesus was not enough.

 Thank God, though Jesus' blood was enough, and God is completely satisfied with the Redemptive work of Christ. The Father has gladly accepted Jesus' payment for sin and separation. The price is paid in full, and for the believer, God is never again imputing sins to your account ever again 

 Religious traditional-minded leaders still preach and teach that your sin blocks the blessings, breaks fellowship, and renders Faith and prayers ineffective. They have the people living in a schizophrenic, fearful state of forgiven/unforgiven of their sins. They are more sin-conscious and less Grace and righteous-conscious.  

 Traditional religion errs because they don't know the Scriptures. They tend to read passages with a preconceived bias from their upbringing. They read into passages rather than reading the actual passage. 

 The first act of tradition we see is in Genesis 3. Eve added to what God actually said. That is what tradition does. It adds to what God actually said. Religion has built a stronghold concerning sin and the believer and the Holy Spirit, which leaves so many with a sin-consciousness rather than a grace-righteousness consciousness.   

 Adding to Jesus' words or rather reading into Jesus' words, they create a doctrine that the Holy Spirit convicts the believer, the child of God, of their sins. In John 16, Jesus speaks of the work of the Spirit. He does not teach or state the Spirit will convict believers of their sins. That is nowhere in this text. 

 When He comes, He will convict the world of sin and of righteousness and of judgment: 9 of sin, because they do not believe in Me; John 16:8-9 MEV

 Who is the Spirit convicting? He is convicting the world, the lost. What is He convicting them of? Their sin of homosexuality, transgenderism, fornication, lust, greed, murder, hate, lying, or stealing? No! He is convicting them of one sin, the sin of unbelief. 

 The World's sin is unbelief, which manifests in the fruit of self-righteousness. They reject God's Righteousness, opting instead for their own righteousness. They create their own standards of what is good and right. Often, it is at odds with God. This is what repentance is all about. It is changing the thinking of man. It is about renewing the mind to God's truth.

  As for the saints, the only thing the Spirit convicts the believer of is their Righteousness in Christ, their true identity in Christ. The Spirit is not tallying up your sins, and convicting you for them. Conviction is a legal term for guilt. We are not guilty because of Jesus.

 Religious tradition tells believers they remain guilty before God and must make sacrifices and atonement for their shortcomings and failures. This flies in the face of the redeeming work of Christ. In Christ, you are not guilty. God is not requiring you to pay for the sins that Jesus has already perfectly paid for!

Christ Jesus paid the highest price for our Redemption. He fully paid the price for our forgiveness. He took the just recompense for our transgressions. He is not holding them against us as well. We stand faultless, guiltless, and blameless before the throne of an Almighty Holy God. This is all because of Jesus and His Finished Work!

Image by Peter H from Pixabay

Abundance of Grace: Abundantly pardoned

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

 For if, through the transgression of the one individual, Death made use of the one individual to seize the sovereignty, all the more shall those who receive God's overflowing grace and gift of righteousness reign as kings in Life through the one individual, Jesus Christ. Romans 5:17 WEY

 How much Grace is too much? Is there a specific point where we can confidently declare we have over-emphasized Grace? Is there such a thing as hyper-Grace? That is an out-of-balance overfocus on Grace?

 Grace is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Christ is the tangible embodiment of the Grace of God. Grace is the Gospel, the good news of permanent salvation and reconciliation, restoration, eternal life, and complete forgiveness of sins. We can never overemphasize all Christ has done for us in the Finished Work of Redemption.

 Grace is the truth revealed in Christ that apart from His work, we are incapable of pleasing God and being found acceptable and approved of Him. If we could attain and achieve a level of favor, acceptance, and good standing with God by some kind of good work or charitable deed, why would we even need Jesus? 

 One of the most amazing and powerful truths of the Gospel of Jesus is the complete and total forgiveness of all our sins. We are forgiven of all our sins not by our good works but by Jesus' shed blood. This blood was more than enough.

 God through Christ has revealed a plenteous Redemption! He has more than enough love. He has more than enough mercy. He has more than enough goodness. He has more than enough forgiveness and pardon for all our sins and transgressions. 

 Who is a God like You, Pardoning iniquity And passing over the transgression of the remnant of His heritage? He does not retain His anger forever, Because He delights in mercy. Micah 7:18 NKJV

 He is the God who pardons our sins and iniquities. Look at this same passage in the Aramaic;

There is no God like you who forgives evil and passes over the sin of the remainder of his inheritance, and you do not hold a grudge to eternity because you have chosen grace Micah 7:18 HPBT

 God prefers mercy over judgment. He has chosen Grace as the way to purchase our salvation, redeem us from the enemy, and save us from spiritual death. Yet to so many this concept seems to be foreign to their thinking. They are quick to say His ways are not our ways, meaning He is high and lofty and looks down upon us with disdain, disgust, and disappointment. 

 Yet if we were look to the Word where the words are found my ways are not your ways, we would see a radical shift towards mercy and Grace and not wrath and judgment.

Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts; Let him return to the LORD, And He will have mercy on him; And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon. “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the LORD. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts Isaiah 55:7-9 NKJV

 In context, it is clear what the higher ways are and what the thoughts are. He is saying man's ways are to hold on to grudges. Man's ways are to not forgive and not pardon. But the Father says, my ways are the ways of Grace. God's ways and God's thoughts are on the complete forgiveness of sins. God's ways are forgiveness and full remission of all sins. 

 Some of our Christian brothers and sisters who have a more religious traditional understanding would concur that God forgives. Yet traditional religious Christianity limits God's forgiveness to the believer's past sins only. 

 They will celebrate the total forgiveness of the sinner's past transgressions and evil deeds. They will readily proclaim that the sinner is a new creation with a "clean slate." After initial saving Faith, though, the "slate" is easily stained, blemished, and needs a new cleansing whenever it falters, fails, and fouls up. As a result of this teaching, a sense of shame, guilt, and condemnation weighs heavy on believers

 The Good news is that this is not the truth of the Gospel. When Jesus laid His life down for us, becoming the once for all sacrifice for our sins, His sacrifice was more than enough. We must not allow religious tradition to weaken the work of the Savior and limit the scope of this plenteous Redemption.

 Jesus Didn’t Die in Installments!

Jesus did not die one sacrifice at a time every time you sin! He died once for all sins—past, present, and future! If your future sins weren’t forgiven, Jesus would have to keep going back to the cross every time you messed up. But Hebrews 10:10 says He made us holy ONCE FOR ALL!

Religion wants you stuck in a cycle of guilt, confession, and fear. But Jesus came to set you free!

🔥 Hebrews 8:12 (NKJV) – “For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember NO MORE.”

No more means NO MORE! God is not keeping a record of your sins. The only one who wants you focused on sin is the enemy. Why? Because if you’re constantly focused on sin, you won’t be focused on Jesus! 

 Stop Trying to Earn What’s Already Yours!

Let me be blunt: If you think you have to confess every sin to be forgiven, you’re saying Jesus’ sacrifice wasn’t enough. You’re saying His work is incomplete. That’s not faith—that’s religion.

🔥 Ephesians 1:7 (NKJV) – “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.”

You don’t lose fellowship with God when you sin. You don’t go in and out of salvation. You are sealed by the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13). If future sins were not forgiven, Jesus would have to die again and again. But Hebrews 10:14 settles it:

"For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified.."

 Jesus did not purchase a partial salvation, a temporary redemption, or a forgiveness that expires with our next mistake. His work on the cross was final, complete, and eternal. The blood of bulls and goats in the Old Covenant could only cover sins temporarily, requiring repeated sacrifices—but Jesus, our perfect High Priest, offered one sacrifice for sins forever. If all our sins were in the future when He died, then all were fully dealt with by His blood.

 To say that future sins are not forgiven is to say that Jesus’ work was incomplete, that His sacrifice was insufficient, and that we must somehow finish what only He could do. But the Gospel is good news precisely because He finished it all! This is the abundance of grace!

Let religious tradition say what it will, but God’s Word is clear: “Blessed is the man to whom the Lord shall not impute sin” (Romans 4:8). Our sins are not only forgiven; they are removed, forgotten,, and never counted against us again! This is the extravagant grace of God, the abundant pardon He freely gives. Stand firm in it. Declare it boldly. Walk in it fully—because you are forever forgiven!

Here is more Scriptural proof of complete and total forgiveness of all sins to ponder and meditate on.

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

32 Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you. Ephesians 4:32 NLT

13 bearing graciously with one another, and willingly forgiving each other if one has a cause for complaint against another; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so should you forgive. Colossians 3:13 AMP

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Abundance of Grace: True Repentance

 

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

For if, through the transgression of the one individual, Death made use of the one individual to seize the sovereignty, all the more shall those who receive God's overflowing grace and gift of righteousness reign as kings in Life through the one individual, Jesus Christ. Romans 5:17 WEY

 The Gospel is the Grace of God revealed in Christ. It is the Grace pledged in and through Jesus' once for all redemptive work. Paul tells us in order to reign in life we must receive His abundant Grace. 

 Grace is the Gospel, and we are admonished to receive an abundance of this Grace. Therefore, continually hearing and feeding on the Word of Christ is an essential element of victorious Christian living. We joyfully receive His abundance of Grace in our lives. We can never do enough to earn or achieve any favor from God.

 Since Grace is the Gospel, it is essential that we understand it and contend for its truth to be preserved. Paul warns us about polluting or corrupting the Gospel message with works and mixtures. Today, I want to expose and examine one such perversion of the Gospel: the man-made definition and concept of repentance.

 Repentance has been a source of controversy and debate for many years. Religious tradition defines it as turning away from sin, changing directions, ceasing from sin, and some go so far as to say that if you sin the same sin, you never really repented, and thus, your sin has not actually been forgiven.

 Religious tradition defines God as an impatient, harsh, and demanding despot who is daily displeased with us. He isn't long-suffering but rather easily provoked. He makes a list and checks it continually to see how often we sin and whether or not we repeat the same sin so He can ascertain whether we should be forgiven of our sins. 

 Let's define repentance and begin to dismantle this religious tradition. Repentance is from the Greek word metanoia. It simply means to change one's mind. Now, tradition has engrained and indoctrinated the masses to believe that repentance is all about sin, claiming that the object of repentance is sin. They claim we are commanded to repent of our sins throughout Scripture. 

Brace yourself for this truth bomb: the phrase “repent of your sins” is nowhere to be found in the Bible. That’s right—religious tradition has been preaching a concept that Scripture itself never explicitly teaches. Repentance is not about sin. It’s about changing your mind—specifically about who God is and what He has done for you.

    Now, many religious, traditional-minded ones will scream heresy! Let's rip the mask off religious tradition: the Bible never says, “Repent of your sins.” That phrase so often hurled from pulpits to heap guilt on believers, doesn’t exist in God’s Word. Repentance is not about groveling over your sins or proving your worth through changed behavior. It’s about changing your mind—specifically about God—and turning to Him in faith.

 Acts 3:19 makes it clear: “Repent and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out.” It’s not “fix yourself,” but “fix your eyes on Him.  When Peter preached, he didn’t say, “Repent of your sins.” He said, “Repent and turn to God so that your sins may be wiped out.

 Let’s be clear: the object of repentance is not your behavior or your failures—it’s God. Repentance is about seeing God as He truly is—loving, good, and full of grace—and placing your trust in Him. Sin is dealt with not through your efforts, but through the finished work of Jesus Christ. If we keep teaching repentance as behavior modification, we’re reducing the Gospel to a self-help program. 

This false idea that repentance focuses on sin has warped the Gospel into a man-made effort instead of God’s divine gift. The religious message of “clean up your life to be accepted by God” is not the Gospel—it’s bondage. The real Gospel proclaims that Jesus has already dealt with sin, once and for all. Repentance isn’t about your works; it’s about receiving His. It’s about abandoning the lie that God’s acceptance is tied to your performance and embracing the unshakable truth that His love and grace are more than enough.

If you’re clinging to the idea that repentance means fixing your sins before you come to God, it’s time to let that lie die. It’s not just wrong—it’s a perversion of the Good News. True repentance is turning from unbelief to belief, from trusting in yourself to trusting in Jesus. Anything less is religion; anything more is Grace.

 Religious tradition have created so many confusing doctrines and concepts in the Church by not actually reading the texts in their context. They also read into certain texts their preconceived notions and ideas about God and then go around proclaiming them as the Gospel message. If it's "the gospel," and you don't concur and accept what they say, well, then you're just some heretic preaching a false gospel. No, we are just staying with what God actually said, we stay with truth not tradition. 

In summation, remember The phrase “repent of your sins” is NOT in the Bible. Search the Scriptures from cover to cover, and you won’t find it. What you will find is a religious system that has hijacked repentance, twisting it into a works-based effort to grovel, weep, and self-punish over sins, as if that could ever earn forgiveness. The religious notion that repentance requires groveling over every failure or performing penance is nothing more than human tradition, and it’s a slap in the face of God’s grace. Jesus bore the full penalty for sin. He said, “It is finished.”

 Let’s stop preaching repentance as an obsession with sin and start preaching it as an invitation to life, freedom, and intimacy with God. Repentance isn’t about you cleaning yourself up—it’s about seeing the One who already made you clean. It’s not about guilt—it’s about grace. It’s not about your works—it’s about His.

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Abundance of Grace: More than enough or too much?

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

For if, through the transgression of the one individual, Death made use of the one individual to seize the sovereignty, all the more shall those who receive God's overflowing grace and gift of righteousness reign as kings in Life through the one individual, Jesus Christ. Romans 5:17 WEY

 How much Grace is enough? Is there such a thing as too much Grace? Is it possible to get "out of balance" with Grace? Is there too much focus on Grace and not enough on Christians "doing"?

 My instant response to these questions is to remember that Jesus is the person of Grace. Jesus is God's will in action. Jesus is the Father's expressed perfect will. We know God is always God and wants our good because we see Jesus demonstrate this during His earthly ministry.

 My initial response is too much, Grace? How can we have too much of Jesus? The religious-minded say they don't think we can have too much of Jesus but that Grace people only focus on a part of Jesus' life and ministry. Critics, in essence, say the "Grace message" focuses only on Jesus as Savior, not on Him being Lord!

 Religious tradition's concept of Jesus' Lordship is that of an austere taskmaster. He will subjugate and demand obedience or unleash trouble and turmoil in one's life. Religion's concept of Lordship means He places burdensome rules, regulations, and requirements on our lives. 

 Jesus' Lordship is not about our performance or behavior. Jesus' Lordship is about who He is and what His triumphant work of Redemption accomplished. Because of His Finished Work, He is Lord of all creation, all the powers of darkness, and over the curse. 

 Jesus is Lord over healing and wholeness. Jesus is Lord over prosperity and provision and blessing. Jesus is Lord over deliverance and freedom. He is Lord of all! Jesus' Lordship recognizes who He is, what He accomplished, and what He is doing today through the power of the Word and the Holy Ghost. 

 Grace teaches us to deny ungodliness and live upright lives (Titus 2:11-12). It transforms us from the inside out, making true holiness possible—not through rules or fear, but through a relationship with the One who has already made us holy. To embrace grace is to embrace the fullness of Jesus, and to suggest it’s ‘too much’ is to misunderstand the Gospel entirely. Grace isn’t just enough—it’s more than enough because it’s the unending, all-sufficient gift of Jesus Himself.

 Again this Grace teaches us to deny ungodliness and the desires the world seeks after. These are not the Lord creating rules, but maximizing our life here. Adultery, addictions, and abusing our bodies with chemical substances have lingering consequences that dishonor the Lord and impact our personal lives negatively. 

Remember God isn't punishing us for our sins. Jesus paid the price in full with His precious shed blood. We have been forgiven of all our sins past and present and future. Our sins are already forgiven. God isn't imputing sins to the Righteous ever again. To claim God is punishing a believer for sin is to disregard and make nothing of Jesus' Finished Work.

 I can understand staying centered and not wrongly teaching truths from the Scriptures. For instance, teaching healing is good, but is wrongly applied if we tell people to never go to a doctor. That said, we can never over-emphasize Grace or have too much Grace.

 We can never over-emphasize Faith. Faith is how the believer lives. Faith is how we please God. Grace can never be over-emphasized. Grace is the person of Jesus. Grace is the Gospel of Christ. We are saved by Grace through Faith. These truths of God can never be over-emphasized.

 I liken this whole over-emphasis argument to the human anatomy. Can you imagine a physician saying you are focusing too much on your heart? The body needs the brain, the lungs, the kidneys, the heart, etc to live healthy and sustain life. So it is in Christ. We need Faith, we need Grace, we need Love, we need hope in order to live, spiritually speaking. 

 When religious tradition claims we focus too much on grace, it reveals a fundamental misunderstanding: Grace isn’t a doctrine to balance—it’s the person of Jesus Christ. Grace is the Gospel itself. Can we ever have too much of Jesus, the One who embodies grace and truth? To say there’s 'too much grace' is to undermine the very essence of the Good News and the life-transforming power it carries. Grace isn’t just sufficient—it’s everything.

Abundance of Grace: Not of Yourselves

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

For if, through the transgression of the one individual, Death made use of the one individual to seize the sovereignty, all the more shall those who receive God's overflowing grace and gift of righteousness reign as kings in Life through the one individual, Jesus Christ. Romans 5:17 WEY

Grace is God's unearned and undeserved favor. In essence, it is God's free gift, something that cannot be earned. Grace is God stooping down to our level because of His Goodness, not our goodness or merit.

 The cross of Christ demonstrated the majestic mercy and grand goodness of the Father. It revealed a love that is matchless and unparalleled. It also showed us that grace is a gift that must be received and something that can't be achieved. 

 Paul was granted the privilege to receive the revelation of God's Grace. He dedicated many chapters and verses in his Epistles to the Grace of God. Look at a key statement he made under the direction of the Spirit concerning Grace; 

 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. Ephesians 2:8-9 NKJV

 Look at this in Weymouth Translation;

For it is by grace that you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves. It is God's gift, and is not on the ground of merit—Ephesians 2:8 WEY

 This passage plainly defines the true nature of God's Grace, it is unearned, unmerited, and undeserved. It is free of any boasting or claims of earned favor. It is all about Him and has nothing to do with us.

 Yet even with passages like this given by the inspiration of God, we still find ourselves clinging to works and performance-rooted traditions. We think and feel we must contribute something. It can't really be that free, that sounds irresponsible.

Why is this? Because we are conditioned to the natural realm more than the spiritual realm. Paul tells us this natural realm is temporal and subject to change.

Yes, in the practical, natural world, merit can be a good thing. 

 All things being equal, we award the promotion to the one who is the best-suited and qualified candidate. In the athletic realm, we award the trophy to the one who endured and scored the most points. This is okay in the natural, it is a way to be fair and equal. 

 Guess what, though, the athlete who scored the most scored their best that day. That doesn't mean they will score that well tomorrow or the next day. Merit has a place in the natural, but even then, it is fallible and rooted in personal strength alone. 

 This is why God cut the New Covenant with Jesus and not with fallible man. Jesus is perfect and flawless, but we aren't. 

 We may score the best one day but could also score the worst a few days later. This is why personal merit, performance, and performance are faulty grounds to base our relationship with God. 

 God, in His wisdom, knew this. 

 Consider three words that can revolutionize your relationship with God: not of yourselves. Paul, under the Spirit’s inspiration, captured the heart of grace in these simple yet profound words. They sum up the Gospel: it’s all about Jesus, not us.

On the Cross, we saw the great exchange. Jesus took and bore all our sins and the death sentence and exchanged it with His forgiveness, Righteousness, and new life.  This exchange was not of ourselves, but only through Jesus and His perfection. He was the spotless Lamb slain before the foundation of the world.

 Grace is completely about Jesus alone. Grace is not of ourselves; it is of God, not any achievements, deeds, or abstinence from sinning we could accomplish. 

 If it is not of ourselves, then on whose shoulders does it bear to get it perfectly right? Is it us or Jesus? If it is not of ourselves then it can only be Christ alone. Isn't that the Gospel message summed up? Christ alone bore the penalty and paid the price in full.

 If it is not of ourselves, then what are we doing attempting to enter God's presence based on our merits? 

 If it is not of ourselves, why are we petitioning God for answered prayers based on our behavior, our good deeds, or our performance? 

 If it's not of ourselves, We come to the Father based on Jesus, and nothing we have done or could do.

 It is not of ourselves, it is totally and completely based on Jesus alone. We pray in Jesus' name. That means we are coming to the Father based on Jesus' goodness, Jesus' Righteousness, and His acceptance. 

 In summation, Abundance of Grace means embracing the truth that it’s entirely about Jesus, not us. To receive Grace is to receive more of Him—His righteousness, His goodness, His sufficiency. Jesus is more than enough, covering every shortcoming and meeting every need.

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Abundance of Grace

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

For if, through the transgression of the one individual, Death made use of the one individual to seize the sovereignty, all the more shall those who receive God's overflowing grace and gift of righteousness reign as kings in Life through the one individual, Jesus Christ. Romans 5:17 WEY

 Grace, what is Grace? Is Grace just a doctrine or a topic we study? Is Grace merely an abstract or fleeting concept we don't consider much? Grace is not a doctrine or a topic. Grace is the unearned, undeserved, unmerited favor of God lavished upon us.

 Grace is the very heartbeat of God’s love, expressed through Jesus Christ.  Grace is the heartbeat of divine Love demonstrated in and through the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It's Jesus' victorious work of redemption, a free gift fully and freely received into our lives, never earned. 

 Paul tells us through the direct inspiration of the Spirit that when we receive the abundance of Grace, we will reign in this life. We reign in life, not fear, inferiority, shame, guilt, condemnation, or sin. We will not be timid but bold. All of this is based on Jesus' work and not our own.

 Grace is an inexhaustible truth. Biblical truths such as Faith, Love, hope, and Grace are truths we continue studying and growing in deeper understanding. God dedicated whole Epistles to teach us Faith and Grace and reveal His Love. 

 Grace is also something we must continually feed on because the default setting of humanity is earning and achieving. No matter how often we hear about the Cross, some still come away believing there is a part they must play in redemption and eternal salvation. The Cross reveals the Grace of God.

 The Cross of Christ stands as the ultimate revelation of God’s grace. It declares that no human effort could pay the price. It was the only work that could bring right standing with God and redeem us from the curse of the Law. 

 Yet, with the witness of the Cross, we still have ministries and churches proclaiming that it is the work of the Cross, plus our own works. Apparently, the Cross alone is insufficient to bring about healing, deliverance, receiving provision, and answered prayer. Their teaching is if we want to receive, we must live completely upright and engage in much spiritual discipline. This undermines the sufficiency of Christ's sacrifice, supplementing Christ's work with our own.

  I have actually heard ministers teach that our behavior is the measure God used to bless us. That if our act isn't just right, God won't heal us. If healing, blessings, provision, and answered prayer are contingent upon the believer's behavior then what is the purpose of the Cross?

 The Old Covenant functioned in this way. The children of Israel did offer sacrifice for their sins annually, but they had to obey the Law to be blessed and healed. They had their work to do and Moses told them if they weren't following the Law then they wouldn't be healed and blessed. 

 The Cross of Jesus reveals the new and living way to receive from God. The Old Covenant was following Moses, sacrificial offerings, and our behavior as the means to receive from God. The New Covenant is Jesus plus nothing. 

I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain Galatians 2:21 NKJV

 Do we really believe it's Jesus plus nothing? When I pray for healing, in whose name am I asking to receive healing? Jesus' name or my own?

 Most would say well, Jesus, of course. Yet, when religious mixture of Law and Grace lists rules and precepts we must do so we can receive, we are not actually asking in Jesus' name any longer. We may be verbally saying in Jesus' name, but in reality, we are actually asking in our own name. 

 We are, in essence, saying to the Father, see God, I have done this and that and kept these rules here, now can I be healed? When we do this, we are unwittingly demanding the Father to base our answers to prayer, receiving healing and provision on our personal achievements, work, performance, and behavior. This is perhaps why some fail to receive.

 We want to reign in life not live defeated and not receiving from God. To reign in life means walking in Christ's victory for us—victory over sin, sickness, lack, and every form of bondage. It is living boldly, knowing we are deeply loved, fully forgiven, and richly provided for through Jesus. We can only reign when we receive the abundant Grace of God. 

So, let us stop striving and start receiving. Let us boldly lay hold of the abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness, knowing that Jesus has already accomplished everything for us. His victory is our victory; His life is our life. We don’t reign by earning or achieving—we reign by believing and receiving. 

 Grace invites us to step out of fear and failure into the fullness of God’s favor, provision, healing, and love. The Cross is proof that it’s never about what we do but about what Jesus has already done. Through Him, we reign—not as slaves burdened by the weight of performance, but as kings walking in the light of His finished work. Grace is the key to reigning in life—receive it, walk in it, and reign boldly today!

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