Tuesday, October 16, 2018

Grace:the Antidote for Burnout

11 But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved in the same manner as they.” Acts 15:11 NKJV







 We've begun a new series of study on the Radical Grace of Almighty God. We're centering on the restorative, renewing, and healing power of His Grace in our lives. Once Grace is freely received in our hearts, we will experience wholeness. 

 Today, I want to focus on an issue many believers have struggled with. That is this area of spiritual burnout. More clearly stated, this area of strivings, abiding in a performance-based faith, operating in achievement syndromes. This accomplishment rooted approach to God only produces more struggle and eventual burnout. 

 Many Christian sincerely desire to be committed, dedicated, devoted followers of Christ Jesus. This is commendable. However, what God wants is not a dutiful servant. He is not seeking interaction with people who relate or interact with Him out of a sense of obligation or moral responsibility. 

 What our Father seeks is a relationship. He is not our supervisor or manager or executive in the Heavens, He is our Father in Heaven. He is longing for a relationship, not a duty-minded servant. He is the good Father, who gave us His only Son as the payment for all our sins, redeeming us from the hand of the enemy, exchanging our old nature with a new nature, making us the very righteousness of God in Christ. 


28-30 “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” Matthew 11:28-30 MSG

 God desires us to come to Him as His children, not His workers. He longs to interact with us as the loving Father who rejoices over us with joy. He strongly desires to fellowship with us like family, not as employees. He sees us as His sons and daughters, not subjects or dutiful servants. God longs to eradicate the image of God as the harsh taskmaster, who is never pleased, out of our thinking and to embrace the true image of God. That He is our good and loving Father who is always for us and never against us.  

 Spiritual activity such as prayer, devotion, church attendance, and even our giving are good things. We can experience growth and maturity as a result. However, prayer or Bible study was never designed as a task to complete or duty to fulfill. Going to church has always been about fellowshipping with fellow believers and bringing our supply to bless the Body of Christ. It was never about an obligatory, weekly chore that must not be missed. 

 The cure for this burnout is found in Grace. Paul masterfully expresses a truth we must never forget.


Don’t be mistaken; in and of ourselves we know we have little to offer, but any competence or value we have comes from God.              2 Corinthians 3:5 Voice


 Our sufficiency or Christ's?

 The key to overcoming burnout is realizing it's Christ sufficiency and not our own. That's Grace. When we focus on doing the good things and turn them into some type of chore or task to be completed we are operating out of our own sufficiency.

 Sometimes people mistakenly think they are operating out of Christ's strength when in fact they are in their own strength. You see reading God's Word offers comfort and strength. Hearing the Word preached also brings faith and encourages us. However, how we are to live and operate is out of His sufficiency not our own, as Paul said

 People take the encouragement from the Word and assume this is living and moving in Him. They then proceed to carry out the Christian "tasks" expected such as witnessing to the lost. Eventually, this work, work, and more work begins to grow tiresome and produces weariness. 

 In response, they increase their study time. They fast. They attend more church services. Still, the work makes them weary and has the potential to turn them bitter and cold. The solution? The answer? Knowing and understanding the truth that operating in Him is letting Christ work through us and not us working for Him. 

 We must know and understand where our sufficiency is. No matter how much Bible we read, no matter how long we pray, no matter how many sermons we hear, we must never forget where our sufficiency is. We are insufficient apart from Him. Our trust should always be in Him and not in anything we have done or are doing. 

 What we must understand is that our efforts, our works, are never sufficient in and of themselves. What Grace does is bring us to a point to realize no matter what we will always need God to work through us and in us. When we lose sight of this, we will burn out.

 In summation, how can we tell if we are on the path to burning out? How can we tell if we are on that road headed to weariness? When we begin trusting in our actions and disciplines when we see spiritual activities as duties or obligations to meet know we are on the wrong path. Thank God for Grace that directs our steps to a better way, the way of rest and refreshing. 
Image courtesy of Master isolated images at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Monday, October 8, 2018

Grace: The Antidote for the Hurt

11 But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved in the same manner as they.” Acts 15:11 NKJV




 We've begun a new series of study on the great Grace of God. Specifically, we are focused on the healing, delivering and renewing power Grace provides once received within our hearts. Grace is the antidote for anything that afflicts or brings torment. 


 In this life, we experience joy, peace, and comfort. We all have experienced victory and triumph in our lifetime even in the smallest circumstance. Be it something as simple as finding a good parking space at the mall, to something as profound as people escaping tyrannical governments. Point is we all have things to be thankful for. 

 That said, we must also acknowledge sometimes there are challenges to living life on this planet. Especially challenging is when those we trust bring us pain. Certainly, I can acknowledge we as finite beings can allow our emotions to rule a situation and "feel" hurts. Circumstances where the Pastor didn't shake your hand or the situation didn't turn out exactly like you wanted. 

 Sure, in those times, we know when we are honest we may have just misread the situation and need to realize people didn't go out of their way to make our life difficult. These are things that we through growth, maturity, and managing our emotions overcome and find a better way to navigate feelings and expectations. However, there are real and genuine hurts and painful experiences that we need to receive healing and wholeness from.

 I said all that because often when we bring our pain to others sometimes these situations are dismissed as us being too emotional or too wrapped up in our feelings. When our pain has been dismissed these hurts and wounds begin to fester and they create anger and morph into bitterness. God wants to heal our hurts not dismiss them as imaginary or us overreacting.

 Jesus is the person of Grace. He is there for us when life brings about pain and misery. Today, I want to address the real pain religion and tradition afflict upon the masses. There are so many who have been hurt and mistreated by the traditions of men. 

 For instance, there is a tradition that divorce is the unpardonable sin. That if you divorce and the ex is still alive and you remarry then you are committing adultery. Sadly, so many churches and ministries adopt this view. 

 Their tradition so blinds them that they even insist on women who are in a physically or even sexually abusive situation with their husband that they must remain married. Sure separate they say, but you must not divorce. You must wait, (for an undetermined amount of time, until you die?) for that husband to change, and you must not divorce and definitely never remarry.  This is not Good News. God cares about our wholeness, not us upholding some tradition of man.

 If you've been hurt by religion and tradition I have great news. Jesus is the healer of the hurt. Did you know how Jesus deals with the hurts religion afflicts? We don't have to guess because the Gospels record Jesus dealing with this exact situation. 

 If you read John 9 the entire chapter,  you will see an exciting event unfold. What we see is Jesus encountering a man who was born blind. Now before we proceed, let's quickly address a tradition that has been formulated. 

 The disciples ask was the person born blind because of sin? That is the person's own sin or his parents? Jesus dismisses this nonsense and just proves His goodness and brings wholeness. God didn't cause the man to be born blind just so later in life Jesus could heal him. I believe God is Almighty and magnificent. He is not a weak, puny, pathetic god. He doesn't need to make one sick just to heal him. See more about this here

 Jesus heals the man and you would think there would be rejoicing and gladness. No, among the religious there was strife and variance. Some doubted the miracle, so they brought this man to the Pharisees, the religious leaders. Were they happy that a man born blind can now see? No, they were angry because their traditions were trampled on and that didn't sit well with them.

 The religious leaders doubted, questioned his integrity and even brought his parents before them. They began to intimidate his parents who had fears of excommunication. When the man reaffirmed the truth that he was once blind but can now see, and gave glory to Jesus, they became enraged. He told them once again of this great miracle. He once again gave glory to Jesus. They called him a no good sinner and excommunicated him.

 All this man did was receive a miracle from God and rejoice and give the glory to Jesus. Yet he had his integrity questioned. He and his family were intimidated. He was labeled a sinner and then removed from fellowship. That is a lot of pain inflicted upon him by religious leaders. Let's see Jesus' actual response.

35 Jesus heard that they had put him out, and finding him, He said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” 36 He answered, “Who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him?” 37 Jesus said to him, “You have both seen Him, and He is the one who is talking with you.” 38 And he said, “Lord, I believe.” And he worshiped Him. John 9:35-38 NASB

 Look at the response of Jesus the person of Grace. He heard they kicked him out. Jesus is attentive to the plight of this man. In other words, Jesus is looking out for you, you're important to Him. He found the man. This is amazing Grace. Jesus was seeking and searching for this man. Grace found him. He showed him the way and the truth. Jesus brought wholeness and restoration to him. 

 Jesus isn't done. Continue reading. 
39 And Jesus said, For judgment I came into this world, so that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may become blind.” 40 Those of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these things and said to Him, “We are not blind too, are we?” 41 Jesus said to them, If you were blind, you would have no sin; but since you say, ‘We see,’ your sin remains. John 9:39-41 NASB

 Jesus reveals once again He is the Savior of the World, that He is come to save all people from their sins if they simply believe. Then He rebukes religion. Why? Because they are so self-righteous they cannot see their own brokenness and unrighteousness. 

 Grace is the antidote for the hurt and the pain. Whenever religion and tradition bring affliction Grace brings wholeness. When religion questions your worth, Grace reminds you whose you are. Believer, when religion calls you a no good sinner, Grace reminds you that you are the righteousness of God in Christ. When religion calls you unforgiven Grace reminds you that you're forgiven once for all time. When religion tells you that your salvation is uncertain or insecure, Grace reminds you that you are unconditionally eternally secure. Grace is the remedy for all the lies and slander of religion.

 With Jesus as our healer, we must remember not to lash out at other believers. The "institution" of the Church isn't the issue. It's the religious traditions and controlling leadership that is. We must not allow hurts to make us bitter and spiteful and resentful people. 

 Yes, the hurt is real. The pain inflicted upon us by tradition runs deep. Yet, Grace can uncover all the areas we are hurting. Grace can bring wholeness to all areas, even the hurts we refuse to give voice to. We must not allow pain to isolate us. We all need each other. Allow Grace to overtake you. Let His love cascade over you, showering you with healing and wholeness, acceptance, and restoration. 

 In summation, Grace is the antidote for all that afflicts. Tradition and religion seek to control. It seeks to impose its insidious rule over our lives. Under Grace, we are free from the religious traditions of men. We find our help, our hope and our being in His Grace and what His Finished Work made us.
image courtesy of digitalart at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Monday, October 1, 2018

Grace: the Antidote for Religious Tradition

11 But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved in the same manner as they.” Acts 15:11 NKJV








  Have you ever been enthralled in an adventure film and the hero is desperately searching for the antidote to some poison the villain has infected them with? You breathe a sigh of relief as the hero finds the help and the villain is captured never to do harm again. Can I tell you of a real-life adventure? If you are a believer you live out one daily.

 You see as a child of God, the World, the flesh, (that old way of thinking, the unrenewed mind), and the enemy, the defeated devil, seek to constantly inject "poison" into you every day. Be it the "poison" of fear, shame, guilt, condemnation, stress or even the religious tradition of men. The Good News is God has already granted us the antidote for all the schemes of the enemy and whatever this World may try to throw our way. What is this antidote?

 Grace! God's Radical Grace is the antidote for all that seeks to derail us and bring us destruction and defeat. God's unearned, unmerited, undeserved favor brings us the constant victory. It reminds us the Work is Finished. Jesus is King! He is victorious and the enemy is defeated. 

 Grace isn't just about being unable to save ourselves. It isn't just about exchanging our unrighteousness with His perfect righteousness. Though these truths are amazing and essential to know to walk in victory, Grace has done so much more than that. 

 Grace connotes the idea of stooping down. Like a King stooping down from his horse and lifting up a commoner. In other words, God came down from Heaven, became a man and lifted us up. Think of it. Undeserving, selfish, sinful, wicked humanity who were going about satisfying our every unrenewed desire and God stooped down to rescue us. God looked past our faults, flaws, and failures because He desired a family. 


 God's amazing over the top Grace, is not just for procuring our eternal salvation. It is also where we find our true identity. It is where we see all He made us in the Finished Work. It gives us a new purpose for living. It's God and His unconditional love and acceptance surrounding all areas of our life. 

 When we as believers see the "poison" of religious tradition seeking to infect us we now know the antidote is already prepared. When we go to a church gathering, an evangelistic meeting, a crusade meeting or any Christian assembly and they began to spread the poison of tradition you have no need to fear. Know Grace is the antidote. 

 When you're sitting there and they begin to tell you that you need to do more of this or that in order for God to accept you or love you or favor you just take the antidote of Grace. You know its His undeserved favor that brings acceptance not your performance. Now certainly, I am not suggesting these religious leaders are intentionally seeking to wreak havoc in your life, they are just deceived themselves by the traditions of men, and Grace is the same antidote for them too.

 Often, religious tradition means well, but it always leads to more bondage. Bondage to works and performance and futile attempts to earn God's love and acceptance. For instance, as believers in Christ, we know from God's Word to the Church, that He desires we grow and bring forth the fruit of righteousness. Now how is that accomplished?

 Religious tradition begins to preach and place demands on God's people. You need to be in church more. You need to study God's Word more. You need to pray more. You need to give more offerings. You need to share your faith more. It's all do, do, do. It's a constant harping on doing these good things. What is the result? Guilt, and shame because we don't consistently, engage in personal devotions, prayer or sharing our faith. Our church attendance can become sporadic. 

 We then look at our lives and make a connection between not doing these things and receiving God's goodness. The antidote is Grace. We must remember He is good to us because He is good not because we are good. 

 Instead of constantly harping on doing good things and pointing out the areas where we are missing it, how about we tell people the Good News? Instead of telling folk, read your Bible or pray, how about telling people how much God loves them? What we really need is to remind people how loved they are by God.

 Want to see growth in Grace? Tell people how much God loves them. Tell people how pleased He is with them. Tell them how God accepts with them and approves of them. Pray they experience His unconditional love, goodness, and favor. 

 Tradition says "you're unworthy."
Grace the antidote says "The Cross made you worthy!"
Tradition says "God is punishing you for your sins."
Grace the antidote says "Jesus bore all the punishment for your sins, He isn't charging your sins to your account, now live in the freedom only Grace brings, and sin will not have dominion over you."
Tradition says "God is mad at you, God is so disappointed in you!"
Grace the antidote says "God is satisfied with Jesus once for all sacrifice. Because of Jesus, you're the beloved with whom He is well pleased."

 In summation, no matter what words tradition speaks over you, Grace has the antidote to remove those lies. Grace received produces victory in every area of this life. Christianity is Grace from start to finish. It is only in the Finished Work will we find our peace and stability and true identity. 
Image courtesy of debspoons at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Monday, September 24, 2018

What's so Amazing about Grace?

18 Instead, grow in grace and in the true knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus, the Anointed, to whom be glory, now and until the coming of the new age. Amen. 2 Peter 3:18 Voice

 Today, I want to answer a question that though isn't asked in a straightforward manner but does seem to be the foundational question at the heart of all the objections to God's Radical Grace. This question may be worded differently by some. However, the question is basically the same no matter who asks. Just what's so amazing about Grace?

 Now, most religious folk would never ask such a direct question. They use more subtle wording. They make statements like, yes Grace is good, celebrate Grace, but what about holiness? Grace is important, but we must focus on being more obedient. Some even say Grace isn't the goal, we must focus on holiness.

Grace is for beginners?

 This is the mindset of many believers captive to the traditions of men. Grace is the baby steps. The initial entry into Christianity begins with Grace but once a believer, the focus becomes one's performance, accomplishments, and achievements.  

 I and many other well studied leaders and ministers have written and spoken about God's Radical Grace. The Good News Gospel has been spread worldwide. There is truly a Grace Revolution covering the Earth as the waters cover the sea. 

 Yet, in spite of this overflow of Good News, many still cling to their traditions. They will hear the Good News with legalistic ears and respond in kind. Hence, the prevailing mindset that Grace is for beginners. Grace is unimportant after we are saved. 

 Traditional religion calls for the lost, the broken and hurting, those outside of Christ, those separated by their fallen nature to salvation. They call the broken to wholeness. They call the sinner to receive right standing. They proclaim God isn't angry at you, He has arms open wide to receive you freely. Then they respond, and they receive Jesus and His free gift, and at this point, the party's over.

 Once salvation is received, the rejoicing ceases. The loving gaze of a merciful Father morphs into a grimace, a scowl replaces an affectionate smile. The approving, open arms of the Father become folded in disappointment. The outstretched hand lifting up the hurting closes into a clenched fist of outrage. The finger pointing to the Father as the only help turns into a finger pointing accusatively.  

 What happened to the unconditional love of the Father? What happened to the God who isn't moved by one's sin and offers eternal life? Where is the Father who doesn't ask you to do anything to earn eternal life? Where is the Good News that all one needs to do is believe?

 Sadly, once one receives Jesus, Grace seemingly gets tossed to the wayside. Grace is no longer the focus of the Christian life. Efforts, working hard, performance, faithfulness, giving, achievements, and accomplishment become the main criteria. If Grace is ever mentioned, it is done so with an altered definition.

 Grace becomes simple empowerment. It becomes defined as some form of ability gifting empowering one to do, to perform, all the tasks tradition has formulated. Grace is not empowerment. Grace is God's unearned, undeserved, unmerited favor. Once received freely, His divine influence will produce an empowerment. 

And if by grace, then it is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace. But if it is of works, it is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work. Romans 11:6 NKJV
 here it is in another translation/paraphrase version
And since it is by God’s grace, it can’t be a matter of their good works; otherwise, it wouldn’t be a gift of grace, but earned by human effort. Romans 11:6 TPT
 Grace received will produce an empowerment. That's what Grace does but that's not what Grace is. Yes, Grace produces an empowerment in believers, that is the truth. What we mustn't do though is put a timetable on that empowerment working in the lives of individual believers. 

 We mustn't look at a believer who is struggling in a long-term sin and assume that it is proof they must have lost or forfeited their salvation. Tradition would respond are you suggesting that it's ok to live in sin? Absolutely not, Grace gives us dominion over sin. That said we can't create some timetable where one is living in sin and they have only so much time to find victory or they are out. 

 I've pointed this out to tradition ruled folks and they accuse me of being soft on sin. No, I am just big on Jesus and His Grace. I also ask which sins constitute living in sin? For these same ones neglect many sins in their lists. Fear and worry is a sin. Are we worrying weekly, daily, hourly? Well, are we then "living in sin?"I am always met with silence afterward.

 Because of the lack of Grace understanding, many believers get lost in their spiritual walk, not fully understanding their identity. They hear Grace to gain entryway, and then they hear better get busy showing God you were worth saving. If you don't measure up you are in jeopardy of being removed from salvation. 

 This is why there is so much talk and emphasis on Grace. This is why many ministries have dedicated to teaching the Grace of God. The truth is for years and years many Christians have been leading lives quietly struggling with the idea that God is often displeased with them, disappointed in them, and doesn’t approve of them. They struggle under the weight of trying to perform better, meet Christian “obligations” and “expectations”. They strive in their walk because they sense God is a harsh taskmaster and not a loving Father. 

 Think of this, if Grace is just a doctrine, just an entryway, just for beginners, why did Peter, by the Spirit tell us to grow in Grace? He didn't say to grow in holiness or righteousness. He said to grow in Grace. Why?

 Because it's only by Grace will find our true identity. It's only in the Finished Work will we see true growth and fulfillment. The Finished Work reveals to us the work is complete. God is satisfied, He has accepted the work of His Son.

 What's so amazing about Grace? Under Grace, we now know our sins are forgiven once for all time. We realize that we aren't just declared righteous, but He actually made us righteous. We discover that He has already sanctified us once for all, we are already holy. We just daily mature into who we already are. 

 What's so great about Grace? Because of Grace, we see that He has made us accepted in the Beloved. Just as Jesus has perfect acceptance in the sight of God, so do we. Because of Grace, we understand He has approved us and is not mad at us. We see His Grace has purchased our eternal redemption. We rest confidently in our eternally secure salvation. 

 This is the Good News of Grace. Grace isn't about denying that there isn't anyone lost, or separated by sin. That apart from faith all are saved anyway. That Hell is a man-made fantasy and there is no real enemy, satan. Grace isn't even about throwing stones at religious tradition. Grace is about exalting Jesus and His Finished Work and inviting whosoever will to partake of the Good News.

In summation, God by His Spirit has been reintroducing Himself and Jesus the person of Grace to His Church, His people, for many years now and they are now seeing their Father in His love and goodness. They are finally finding the peace, the rest, the joy of their salvation, and satisfying life in Christ because of His Grace. No longer having to strive or struggle with receiving His goodness or favor or love in their life. This is the Grace Revolution! 

Monday, September 17, 2018

Does God's Grace make you Angry?

21 I can’t dismiss God’s grace, and I won’t. If being right with God depends on how we measure up to the law, then the Anointed’s sacrifice on the cross was the most tragic waste in all of history! Galatians 2:21 Voice






 This week, I had intended to do a follow-up study on God's Grace and our eternally secure redemption. That is, answering some objections raised about eternal security. It seemed good but the Spirit interrupted me with an observation made about some people's reaction to God's Grace.

 Let's look at some Scripture that will give us a clear image of this observation. In Luke, we have the parable of the prodigal son and the older brother. See it in full context here.

 This observation made concerns the older brother. What is his reaction to his father's kindness and goodness and grace? Anger! He is enraged at the goodness of his father. Let's see the older brother's reaction in another translation;

25 ‘The older son was out in the fields. When he came home, and got near to the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 He called one of the servants and asked what was going on.27 ‘ “Your brother’s come home!” he said. “And your father has thrown a great party – he’s killed the fattened calf! – because he’s got him back safe and well!”
28 ‘He flew into a rage, and wouldn’t go in.‘Then his father came out and pleaded with him. 29 “Look here!” he said to his father, “I’ve been slaving for you all these years! I’ve never disobeyed a single commandment of yours. And you never even gave me a young goat so I could have a party with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours comes home, once he’s finished gobbling up your livelihood with his whores, you kill the fattened calf for him!”31 ‘ “My son,” he replied, “you’re always with me. Everything I have belongs to you. 32 But we had to celebrate and be happy! This brother of yours was dead and is alive again! He was lost, and now he’s found!” ’  Luke 15:11-32 NTE

 We can clearly see the older brother's reaction. It wasn't one of rejoicing or celebration. It was one of contempt and anger and rage. Why? Grace reveals our thinking, our true thinking, and beliefs. 

The Grace that makes you angry!

 This is the observation the Spirit impressed upon me. Grace makes some people mad. God's goodness and love and mercy in action sadly produce a bitterness and anger in some people's thinking. Why is this?

 Because people identify more with the older brother than they realize. How so? Because we can allow the same error in our thinking that the Pharisees and Sadducees adopted. They believed because of their good deeds they warranted God's favor.

 These religious leaders forgot the words of God. In Deuteronomy, He told them it was His love for them, why He chose them and nothing they had done to earn or deserve it. Sometimes we've got so caught up in all we've done for God we make the mistake that His goodness and love overflowing in our life is because of all the good we have done. 

Remember, He blesses and favors and bestows goodness upon us because He is good not because we are good.

 If we are the source of the good in our lives then we have a place to boast;
 "It was my faith, and faithfulness that produces all this goodness and favor!"
 " It is God rewarding me for all my hard work in the kingdom."
 "God, you sure are blessed to have me working so hard for you."

 These self-righteous mindsets negate God's Grace, His undeserved favor. We get our eyes off of God's goodness and Grace and shift our focus upon our deeds, and actions. Now am I suggesting good deeds, walking upright, avoiding sins and speaking right words is somehow anti-Grace? Absolutely not! 

 I am saying these are the fruits of His Grace. These are the result of Grace's influence upon our hearts. So we, therefore, can't take the credit for anything.  We have no place to boast. 

 When we get so focused on our own goodness, our own works, achievements, and accomplishments, we then become resentful and angry at the blessing of those who appear "undeserving." When witnessing God's mercy overtake judgment in a fallen brother it produces contempt in our thoughts. When we see Grace restore a believer who was lost in great sin, we will look upon that one with contempt and mistrust and will distance ourselves. His Grace produces anger and resentment in the performance-driven believer.

What makes you angry?

 I'm confident that many believers would respond that Grace doesn't make them angry. They would say I believe and celebrate His Grace. Some leaders would then preach a six-week sermon series on the dangers of Grace teaching. Some would then go and write a book warning about the dangers of Grace. The same believers denying Grace makes them angry would readily listen to those sermons or read those books, thinking we need to watch out for that Grace stuff! It needs to be balanced with Law and good works.

 Let's be transparent. Let's be positively introspective. Does Grace make you angry? Bitter? Resentful? Again most would respond with a loud no, but is this being really honest?

 If you hear about a minister who had fallen into porn addiction or adultery being restored and returning to the pulpit what is your reaction? If you react with distrust, contempt or anger at this "greasy grace" response to that leader's sin, then know Grace makes you angry. 

 There was a minister in the Southeast part of America who fell into great sin. Some other leaders surrounded him and began a restoration process. To my knowledge, he hasn't fallen again, and he is back in public ministry. Come to think of it there have been two such ministers in this vicinity with similar testimonies. 

 To me, I say praise the Lord. His Grace is greater than their sins and failures. His Grace and love can heal the hearts of those wounded by these sins. Certainly, these ministers should ask forgiveness from those directly affected. I am certain they did just that. This was Grace restoring. 

 Yet, while Grace was working, many Christians were busy throwing stones. They mocked the whole restoration process. Once these guys fell that should have been it. No more ministry for them ever. Grace made them angry.

 A minister in the Southwest portion of America had fallen so deep in adultery and sex addiction, he had to resign from ministry. Again a restoration process began. Soon after he returned to public ministry. Another minister I know responded with contempt. His contention was he had returned to public ministry too soon. Apparently, in this minister's view, God was done with this minister.  In reality, he was just angry at the Grace of God.

 If you preach the Gospel and must include hellfire and brimstone to garner a response from the lost, but get disturbed because others just focus on the Good News of Grace to reach the lost, then you're angry at Grace. Grace is enough to draw the lost to the Father. Dangling people proverbially over hell's fire isn't going to win people. They will not respond to the drawing love of a loving, good Father. Rather, they will buckle under fear and respond hoping to escape Hell. Being fearful of our good Father isn't the right way to begin a relationship with God. 

 Speaking of the Gospel, if hearing that upon receiving Christ's free gift that we are eternally secure causes an angry reaction, know you are angry at God's Grace. God purchased for us an eternal redemption, not a temporal one. If this Good News produces contempt in your thoughts know Grace has made you angry. If you have to come up with a long list of reasons one can undo what only Grace can do then know you are bitter at the Grace of God. 

Grace is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Grace is the Good News. Grace manifested reveals and exposes our own thinking and heart motives. 

 Let the spotlight of God's goodness and love reveal the hidden areas of our hearts. If we become bitter or angry at the news of restoration, of the Good News preached, or eternal security know we need to experience the love of God for ourselves in those areas. 

 In summation, this Good News can either make you mad or make you glad. If you're focused on your own goodness and ability to remain steadfast and faithful, chances are you will have a mad reaction to the Good News. If you know it's only by His Grace and goodness you walk in victory, Grace will make you glad. If we are dependent upon self, Grace will make you mad. If we are dependant upon Him and Him alone, Grace will make us glad. 

 How do we overcome this anger? By letting go of trusting in our own goodness and abilities. By focusing on His goodness and not our own, Grace begins to transform our thinking. We will begin to see without Grace it is impossible to walk in victory. Allowing God's love to overshadow our hearts and minds we will experience His Grace in a greater measure and will relinquish tradition and a performance-based faith. If you're angry at Grace, there is hope. Just trust in Him. It's Jesus plus nothing where you will find complete fulfillment. 
 Image courtesy of iosphere at FreeDigitalPhotos.net 

Friday, September 14, 2018

Grace: the Antidote for insecurity



11 But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved in the same manner as they.” Acts 15:11 NKJV

Monday, September 10, 2018

Grace Q & A: Can a Christian lose their Salvation?

17 For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. John 1:17 NKJV

For this reason we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away from it. Hebrews 2:1 NASB







We've been in an extended study getting back to the basics of the Good News Gospel of Grace. Using a Q & A format we've asked and answered many pertinent questions about Grace and even addressed concerns some may have about the message of the Radical Grace of God.

 So far we've seen that under Grace, there is no condemnation in Christ. We've seen what Grace is, we've also addressed the concern about too much Grace? Is there something as too much Grace

 Today, it seemed good to conclude this study by answering the question often asked in relation to God's Amazing Grace. Can a Christian lose their salvation? Can a believer forfeit or leave, or "give back" the gift of salvation?

  What is the root of such questions? What drives believers to ask such a question? Is it walking by Faith or walking by sight, or walking according to outward evidence, to surmise that a person once born again can somehow undo what only Grace and the Finished Work could accomplish?

 Where did man somehow draw the conclusion that a believer can lose his salvation? We have zero accounts of anyone in New Testament Scripture where they were born again and then lost that salvation or came to the point of "walking away" from their faith. I mean if something that has such eternal consequence as loss of redemption, shouldn't there be at least one person we can point to that experienced this?

 What is at heart is a concept rooted in many believers thinking. This concept suggests that somehow man, in all his finiteness can somehow undo the eternal work of the Infinite Lord God Almighty.  In other words, if there is a way to foul it up man can find a way so therefore God just allows fallible man to foul it up and has made no fail proofs in His plan of redemption.

Can we lose our Salvation? Can we leave it?

 Here is the Good News Gospel of Grace answer. No! Your salvation is an eternal work of God, not a temporal work rooted in the fallibility of man and his performance. Think of it, what work caused you to be saved? What good deeds did you do enough of to qualify you for Heaven? No amount of good deeds or random acts of kindness done caused you to have an entryway into the Kingdom of God. No righteous act performed caused you to be saved, so what unrighteous act could cause you to be unsaved?

 Where the disconnect begins is the fallacy that man, when they receive Jesus, are somehow in Covenant, personally, with Father God. So if they aren't faithful to uphold their end then certainly, it seems justified that the person would then be removed from the Covenant. Many Christians in some form or fashion hold to this belief.

  The problem with this concept is the truth that God and man are not in Covenant together. God already tried Covenant with man. That was the fault of the Old Covenant. Man couldn't keep the standards of a Holy, Righteous God. The Law was good and perfect but couldn't make man perfect or holy. 

 Under this New Covenant, God is in Covenant with Himself. God is in Covenant with God and He is infallible. So we are not even factored into the equation. Whenever you hear a teaching or concept that suggest that man in his strength or power, or actions can somehow undo the work of redemption, the Finished Work of Christ, know that is an error. It is wrong because it presumes that man is factored into the equation.  The only part man plays in this Covenant is to believe, and God even gives us His Faith as a gift. 

Irrevocable Love

 Lose our salvation? Salvation is a gift. An eternal gift. Salvation is not an eternal reward for faithfulness or good works or kind deeds. You cannot earn a gift. If salvation is rewarded because of good works or performance it ceases to be a gift. If salvation is received by belief, but then perfected by good works and kept by our ability to remain sinless and faithful, then salvation is a wage earned, a payment for services rendered. 

 29 For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. Romans 11:29 NKJV

 This is the Word I want to encourage you with. Irrevocable. God's gifts are irrevocable. Salvation is a gift from God. This gift is irrevocable. God doesn't renege or change His mind about His promises. Yes, you may say but surely our actions or unbelief has a part to play in keeping our salvation, right? See this passage in another translation.

29 God’s gifts and God’s call, you see, cannot be undone. Romans 11:29 NTE

 This is the Good News of Grace! We are eternally secure. Our salvation is begun by Grace and kept by Grace. God is our Father, not our Heavenly employer. 

 Jesus gives us His clear view of our eternal security;
27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; 28 and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand.29 My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are one.” John 10:27-30 NASB

 Hear what the Apostle Peter says about our eternal security;
 And God has reserved for his children the priceless gift of eternal life; it is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. And God, in his mighty power, will make sure that you get there safely to receive it because you are trusting him. It will be yours in that coming last day for all to see. 1 Peter 1:4-5 TLB

 In summation, can we lose our leave our salvation? Absolutely not! We are eternally secure in the perfect hand of God, resting safely in His perfect once for all redemption. Fear-based theology, reactionary theology, that is reacting to the missteps and failures of our brothers and sisters in Christ by formulating a concept of loss of salvation has no place in the life of Faith. 

 We are saved by Grace through Faith. We are kept by His Grace and not our goodness or faithfulness. We walk by Faith, believing what He said about us is true. We don't walk looking at our circumstance or others to determine the truth. Jesus and His Word are the only truth we look to. Receive this irrevocable love and rest in His Grace. Once you've received Jesus you are eternally secure, no matter what. 
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