Truth sets free!
I feel we should be a little more careful with abusive terminologies within the church - especially when many unsaved people are watching and listening.
The Grace of God is not a new "concept" recently discovered, it infact is God's unmerrited favor towards mankind in the person Jesus Christ. And when people (mostly believers) begin to say that "this grace thing is heresy and causing people to sin", one must be very careful, because what they're really [literally] saying is, "God's mercy, and abundant love and goodness towards man in the person Jesus Christ, is causing people to sin" ... semantics...?
Also, the two false doctrines, namely Legalism and Licensiousness, are commonly seen as two extremes of Grace. This is incorrect!
Legalism is not an "extreme of grace" or "Grace controlled", it's a false doctrine in the light of the New Covenant (you cannot control the Grace of God) - it's not our "object" to control, it's our privilege to receive and advance (not do dish out in controlled doses so that man is not overwhelmed - the church has done this for centuries).
2 Corinthians 5:18-20 - We are entrusted with the message of reconciliation, which is this: God's APPEAL that He does NOT hold our sins against us (regardless of what sin it is, or when it takes place - do they have consequences, sure, but that's not my dealing here...this is not a thesis, it's a brief article).
Licenciousness, too, is not an "extreme of grace". Licenciousness is, in itself, a false doctrine too, that says we have permission to disregard moral restraint (especially sexual immorality), as well as to disregard accepted rules and standards.
This is not what the Holy Spirit will bare witness to within us - so while God Himself will not hold such (or any) sins against us (2 Cor 5 18-20), if the Holy Spirit is leading me into purity by His grace, and someone tells me his "holy spirit" says such conduct is fine, well, his "holy spirit" is not the same as my Holy Spirit...
God's grace is already an extreme all on its own....He gave ALL of Himself, so that, without any effort but to rest in Him, we can access ALL OF HIS ALL...ALL!!!
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Friday, March 5, 2010
From a Horses Mouth!
I recently had a very inspiring conversation with a new believer - a young gentleman who has been exposed to Christianity in a religious context before, but who has only recently started to truly personalise the love and goodness of God towards himself.
His reason for this fresh outlook towards God (and life), did not come through reading hours of course material, or counselling sessions regarding sin in his life.
In fact, if I can remember correctly, he said something along the lines of, "the more I hear people at church I've started going to, carrying on about how Jesus died for ME...ME! The more excited I become..." (something along those lines).
Bearing in mind this young man does not come out of a time of "studying God's grace", he is a real life product of it (like each of us are).He went on to say the most profound thing afterwards, he said, "the more I think about how much God loves me, the more I want to resemble His character".
Un-freaken believable!
The grace of God has effect!
His reason for this fresh outlook towards God (and life), did not come through reading hours of course material, or counselling sessions regarding sin in his life.
In fact, if I can remember correctly, he said something along the lines of, "the more I hear people at church I've started going to, carrying on about how Jesus died for ME...ME! The more excited I become..." (something along those lines).
Bearing in mind this young man does not come out of a time of "studying God's grace", he is a real life product of it (like each of us are).He went on to say the most profound thing afterwards, he said, "the more I think about how much God loves me, the more I want to resemble His character".
Un-freaken believable!
The grace of God has effect!
Thursday, February 25, 2010
You are a new CREATION, not a new discovery!
Revelation [of the TRUTH] is a powerful thing - when we realize that abundance, growth and fullness of Joy is ACCESSIBLE and not ACHIEVABLE, a supernatural peace will rest over us, and our journey into increasing Glory will begin to accelerate.
Just read through some of these truths until your spiritual tongue begins to salivate for more:
We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. (Romans 6:4)
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. (2 Corinthians 5:17)
…and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds… (Ephesians 4:23)
…and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. (Ephesians 4:24)
…and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. (Colossians 3:10)
But now we are released from the law, having died to that which held us captive, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code. (Romans 7:6)
Since God created the world and the universe, can we “un-create” it?
We can certainly neglect and abuse (AB-normal USE) it, but when God said, “let there be light”, no matter what you do, light exists.
In the same way, as a born again believer, we are not a “New Discovery” to God, we are a “New CREATION”. No matter what you do as a child of God, it’s He who has eliminated the “old” and made us into a brand new “creature” - a “creature” who is created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness (Ephesians 4:24).
God has done all the work to enable us to walk in newness of life – as effortless as it was for Christ to rise from the dead (He was just lying there), we too might walk in newness of life – it was the glory of the Father that rose Christ from the dead, and just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. (Romans 6:4). The “effort” required on our part, is to constantly renew our minds regarding the truth about the grace of God, and His love for us.
We all know someone who has "left church" and distanced themselves from fellowship, and this dawned on me recently: The term "backslidden" is a legalistic, man-made term to traditionally label an "inactive" Christian based on their fruitfulness and attendance to meetings.If a person is saved they cannot "backslide", where would they backslide to?
Back into an unsaved state?
Or maybe into a lower level/category of righteousness?
No, that's ridiculous!
All that's happened is they've forgotten who they truly are in Christ.
In God's eyes...they've never "left church"...because they are the church. This emphasizes the need and importance for a constant revelation of God's love and goodness.The consequences of forgetting who we are in Christ and what He has accomplished for us by His grace, is very real and tragic at times (ranging from not experiencing His tangible presence, to Christian suicides). And the reason is not “backsliding” into carnality (that’s merely the effect), it’s simply forgetting the truth about who we are in Christ, and how He truly feels about us – He is constantly burning with passion to shower us with His Glory and abundance, as He sees only the righteousness of Jesus in us.
Just read through some of these truths until your spiritual tongue begins to salivate for more:
We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. (Romans 6:4)
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. (2 Corinthians 5:17)
…and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds… (Ephesians 4:23)
…and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. (Ephesians 4:24)
…and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. (Colossians 3:10)
But now we are released from the law, having died to that which held us captive, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code. (Romans 7:6)
Since God created the world and the universe, can we “un-create” it?
We can certainly neglect and abuse (AB-normal USE) it, but when God said, “let there be light”, no matter what you do, light exists.
In the same way, as a born again believer, we are not a “New Discovery” to God, we are a “New CREATION”. No matter what you do as a child of God, it’s He who has eliminated the “old” and made us into a brand new “creature” - a “creature” who is created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness (Ephesians 4:24).
God has done all the work to enable us to walk in newness of life – as effortless as it was for Christ to rise from the dead (He was just lying there), we too might walk in newness of life – it was the glory of the Father that rose Christ from the dead, and just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. (Romans 6:4). The “effort” required on our part, is to constantly renew our minds regarding the truth about the grace of God, and His love for us.
We all know someone who has "left church" and distanced themselves from fellowship, and this dawned on me recently: The term "backslidden" is a legalistic, man-made term to traditionally label an "inactive" Christian based on their fruitfulness and attendance to meetings.If a person is saved they cannot "backslide", where would they backslide to?
Back into an unsaved state?
Or maybe into a lower level/category of righteousness?
No, that's ridiculous!
All that's happened is they've forgotten who they truly are in Christ.
In God's eyes...they've never "left church"...because they are the church. This emphasizes the need and importance for a constant revelation of God's love and goodness.The consequences of forgetting who we are in Christ and what He has accomplished for us by His grace, is very real and tragic at times (ranging from not experiencing His tangible presence, to Christian suicides). And the reason is not “backsliding” into carnality (that’s merely the effect), it’s simply forgetting the truth about who we are in Christ, and how He truly feels about us – He is constantly burning with passion to shower us with His Glory and abundance, as He sees only the righteousness of Jesus in us.
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