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GRACE BLOGS COLLECTION

931. Freedom From the Religion of “How To” (Growing in Grace 931)

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The church system in Christianity is largely based on following formulas and three-point sermons to help people work at how to become something they think they are not. The message of the gospel of grace is based on a very different and more solid foundation. Instead of working through steps and principles on how to become a better Christian ... more holy, more sanctified, forgiven, etc. we come to realize God has gifted us as heirs with these qualities as His child.

His divine power in us has given everything we need that pertains to life and godliness—apart from works. It's not about trying harder or a "how-to" but it's about "a Him" ... where our life and identity is found in a place of peace and perfection.



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829. Things Seldom Heard in Church: We Live By the Spirit – Not Written Commands

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The law from the Old Covenant was holy, righteous and good. In fact, it was so good, nobody could ever achieve the required standard. Because of being taught a phony mixture of law and grace, the majority of church attendees have assumed the written commandments—at least a small portion of them—are meant to lead and guide us into a state of righteousness and approval from God. When they hear us talk about living under grace … and not being under the ministry of the stone tablets, they automatically jump to the false conclusion that we’re telling people it’s okay to sin as much as they want.

Instead of trying to live by the written letter (which kills), the more effective approach will be for believers to come to a greater knowledge of the truth about their identity in Christ and who God already declares them to be as a righteous, holy and perfected person, having inherited the very nature of God through belief and spiritual birth. As one who is described as a partaker of the divine nature, believers can begin to live from this place, thereby allowing the Spirit of God to more effectively bear His fruit through us, apart from the law of works. He is the one who will lead, guide and teach us as we allow Him to do so. The goal is not to work at becoming someone we think we are not, but to live and rest from who God has already declared us to be.



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806. The 800 Club: Looking Back – Sanctification – It Is Finished

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Since our 800th program, we’ve been looking back at some of our most essential conversations when it comes to being established in the knowledge of the truth. One piece of good news that seems to elude religious folks is that our sanctification is not a work in progress, but was completed by Jesus Christ and gifted to us as a new creation in Him. Works-based religion yearns to try and make the gospel about what we do, thereby putting us in the spotlight instead of where it belongs—on the finished work of Jesus. They will dress it up to appear humble enough by saying salvation is an instant gift, but sanctification is a gradual process which we get to participate in through self-improvement while establishing some sort of moral high ground.

God makes it clear there is no boasting when it comes to our sanctification because it’s something Jesus already took care of for us, leaving no doubt that we’ve already been declared holy and set apart. Israel wasn’t able to achieve this by works and commandments … and we can’t either. We can rest from that effort and believe Jesus did enough to complete the job. Being sanctified isn’t something we’re trying to become, it’s who we are and part of our new identity in Him.



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724. Why Did Peter Cling to Law After it Ended with Jesus?

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Religious legalists will argue that Peter adhered to rules from the law of Moses for years after the resurrection of Jesus. They make the false assumption that because God moved through him in such miraculous ways—such as shadow healing—Peter must have had a perfect understanding of the gospel. But like the rest of us limited humans, Peter was “growing in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.”

Through a vision, God began to show Peter the change of law that occurred within a New Covenant which is based upon faith instead of a law of works … and he began to repent (have a change of mind). Later in the book of Acts, he would even argue the case before former Pharisees that Gentiles who were being saved and never had the law, should not be burdened with the futile attempt of trying to keep what they and their fathers were unable bear.



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709. Born Identity: You Are a Saint

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The world tends to view saints as people who are rewarded for good behavior. That’s not how God sees it.

While most believers in Christ are being told in no uncertain terms - week after week - that they are nothing but dirty, rotten sinners, we find God identifying you as something quite the opposite… holy. It’s part of the inheritance you have received.



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703. Born Identity: You Are Sanctified

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Hollow religious teaching will declare you’re saved by grace (justified), but being sanctified is a gradual, progressive, life-long process which must work at in order to become more set apart before they reach the finish line . It’s time to change our thinking. Consider that through the cross God has already gifted you with sanctification and this is the starting line. Whew! It’s the ultimate head-start, and now you can run from here.



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625. Justified Now! Sanctified Eventually?

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The religious business is well known for finding a way to put pressure on people to perform. The motivation to do so will vary by church denomination, but they all lead to robbing people of fully experiencing the grace and peace that God delivered to us through Jesus Christ. One script that is commonly found is the idea that believers are now justified through the cross, but being sanctified (set apart) is a lifelong process that gradually occurs through behavior improvement. It’s promoted in a way so that the responsibility falls upon us to seek self-improvement with God’s help, which will hopefully make us more holy, set apart, acceptable, etc. While improved behavior is a good thing, it shouldn’t be identified or confused with the work of sanctification, which God already provided by placing us in Christ Jesus.



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618. Mistaken Identity

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Some words and phrases that we find within many corners of Christianity can end up bringing a mindset that that leaves people needlessly hungering and thirsting, while they seek some sort of new wave or movement from God that will make things better. Some of these Christian vocabulary words will lead to a case of mistaken identity. “Revival,” “backslidden Christian,” “rededicating your life to God…” Phrases such as these do not define the true identity we have as believers in Christ and should not be part of our mindset, because we’re now defined as righteous, holy, perfected, sanctified, and much more. It’s not up to us! His life in us is more than what is needed. He is the head of the body; Jesus is alive and well, and so are you in Him!



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591. Separating True Sanctification from Behavioral Choices

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Religion without life, will seek to pursue a right-standing with God through attempts of self-improvement, and a variety of other works-based methods. Even within Christianity, belief systems will try to make this all about our ability to make ourselves progressively more sanctified and acceptable before a perfect and holy God. The problem with this? We can’t attain a more righteous position than what God has already brought to us through His Son. The standard God demanded was perfection, but not by giving it our best effort to keep certain commandments or other moral codes that will always fall short. Jesus is alive, accepted, perfect, holy, sanctified, righteous, and sinless… And as believers in Christ, “as He is, so also are we in this world.”



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590. Good News About Sanctification

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Throughout Christianity, the word “gospel” can mean many different things to different people. Ultimately, it boils down to “good news” that was first meant for the nation of Israel. The news they needed to hear was that a replacement of the law and commandments was about to occur. What would it take its place? Faith, righteousness, forgiveness, holiness and sanctification would be gifted to people apart from our own works. Where are these things found? Not through our efforts of obedience, but in the Person of Jesus Christ. He is the replacement and our destination. We have arrived “in Him” through belief in what He has completely finished on our behalf.



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589. The Sanctification Proclamation (It Is Finished)

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The past few weeks we’ve been discussing our identity in Christ and how God has already perfected us, made us complete in Him, and gifted us with His righteousness. Works-based religion will still try to find a way to put some sort of responsibility back on us, such as with the subject of sanctification. To be sanctified means to be set apart, and the gospel shows us it cannot be defined outside of what Jesus did for us on our behalf. As with justification and forgiveness, sanctification is not progressive, but was included in Christ’s finished work. We can rest in that assurance.

During the podcast, Joel mentioned this blog post of his: Instant and Permanent Sanctification.



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586. How to Be Righteous

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If we went into the vast majority of Christian churches and asked for a show of hands on how many in attendance consider themselves to be righteous and holy, typically very few hands would go up. Why? They haven’t been taught about their new identity as a child of God. They are ignorant on the subject of God’s righteousness, and much like the Israelites, they may even be trying to establish their own right standing with God through their works. It’s a good thing to behave in a way that reflects godliness and be an example to others. But this is the result of coming to a revelation of how God has provided us with His total acceptance. We aren’t meant to dedicate “our lives” to Him, He has fully committed His life to us. The gospel is not about our doing, but rather it’s about what Christ did. For us, it’s about “being,” while resting in His gift and living out of response to that.



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