justification – Page 7

How Condemnation Holds Us Back

June 14, 2021 by Sandra

Guilt and condemnation is such a trick of the devil, yet I lived buried under it for decades and I’ve spoken to so many friends on my grace journey this […]

How Condemnation Holds Us Back

June 14, 2021 by Sandra

Guilt and condemnation is such a trick of the devil, yet I lived buried under it for decades and I’ve spoken to so many friends on my grace journey this […]

How Condemnation Holds Us Back

June 14, 2021 by Sandra

Guilt and condemnation is such a trick of the devil, yet I lived buried under it for decades and I’ve spoken to so many friends on my grace journey this […]

How Condemnation Holds Us Back

June 14, 2021 by Sandra

Guilt and condemnation is such a trick of the devil, yet I lived buried under it for decades and I’ve spoken to so many friends on my grace journey this […]

How Condemnation Holds Us Back

June 14, 2021 by Sandra

Guilt and condemnation is such a trick of the devil, yet I lived buried under it for decades and I’ve spoken to so many friends on my grace journey this […]

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

May 9, 2021 by Mike Kapler and Joel Brueseke

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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797. Paul: “Work Out Your Salvation” – In Context

March 7, 2021 by Mike Kapler and Joel Brueseke

Those who prefer to smother others with their brand of self-imposed religion will do all they can to quote Bible verses out of context to fit their pre-assumed mindset that works must be added to faith and grace when it comes to justification and salvation. The goal appears to be to put the responsibility of our eternity back on us and what we do instead of Jesus and what He did. It results in fear and uncertainty instead of peace and assurance.

This week we’re in Paul’s letters known as Philippians and Colossians … where Paul continues to communicate a gospel of grace which was very different from the message of a works-based approach the people were needing to break free from.

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794. Paul: One Gospel for All – Don’t Set Aside Grace in Exchange for Works

February 14, 2021 by Mike Kapler and Joel Brueseke

When Paul came to the knowledge of Christ’s saving grace, he spent several years being taught the gospel message by God through revelation, and declared how he had not received this from men. He spent much of his time proclaiming this good news of grace to both Jews and Gentiles. Paul came down hard on those who were preaching “another gospel” and even went so far as to say that anyone who was teaching something different than the gospel of grace … let them be accursed. And what was that different gospel? Paul reveals to the Galatian churches it involved mixing law with grace.

Things haven’t changed much in the past 2,000 years. Although the rules and regulations are tweaked based upon religious brands and cultural changes, the Christian religious system often weakens the message by emphasizing a works-based message while putting grace on the shelf. Grace may be used as a selling point, but watch out for the fine print.

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793. Paul’s Proclamation: Justified by Believing (16th Anniversary Program)

February 7, 2021 by Mike Kapler and Joel Brueseke

We reminisce just a little bit as we look back on 16 years of doing the Growing in Grace podcast … And then we jump back into Paul’s declarations about the gospel of grace through faith. We’re in Romans 10 this week, where Paul continues his consistent flow of the message in his letter, pointing out how Christ became the end of the law (works) for all who believe. He compares how Moses wrote about righteousness through a law that required people to actually do it (but all fell short).

That is contrasted with righteousness which is based upon faith, not works—confessing a word of faith by mouthing Jesus as Lord and believing with the heart God raised Him from the dead, resulting in righteousness (or justification) and salvation. And over and over again, Paul reveals it works the same for both Jew and Greek: Whoever calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved. Be aware of a works-based message being thrown into the mix with requirements which are made to put the responsibility upon you regarding salvation or God’s acceptance.

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792. Paul’s Proclamation: Dead to the Law – No Condemnation

January 31, 2021 by Mike Kapler and Joel Brueseke

In Romans 7 and 8, Paul explains how the Jews had formerly been in a marriage relationship with the law of commandments, where Moses served as the best man at the ceremony. But they were made to die to the law through the body of Christ and became free to marry another (Jesus). The law of works never brought a reduction of sin, but resulted in the arousal of sinful passions, bearing fruit to death. Now having been freed from the law, they could begin serving in the newness of the Spirit and not through the old way of writings and letters. The end result would be no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus.

And yet, many Jewish believers struggled with grasping these truths, wrestling with letting go of a law which couldn’t bring life or righteousness, tempted to pursue the fleshly way of works through a stone tablet ministry which left them in condemnation. And what about Gentiles? How would these (formerly) unclean people fit into the message of Jesus … and would they be required to apply the law? Paul explains the Gentiles would receive righteousness without even pursuing it—because of faith. Whereas the Jews would fall short of righteousness because they were seeking it not by faith, but by works.

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791. Paul’s Proclamation: God Justifies the Ungodly – by Blood

January 24, 2021 by Mike Kapler and Joel Brueseke

Paul repeatedly makes the case in his letters for the gospel of grace, opposing a works-based gospel for justification. This week, we’re in Romans, where Paul explained that believers now have peace with God. Why? Because we’ve changed our behavior in order to make ourselves acceptable? No, that road will leave people disoriented and confused, unsure of where they stand with God. We have peace because we’ve been justified by faith through the Lord Jesus Christ—He is the only door by which we enter. Faith. Not works.

Christ died for people at their weakest point and demonstrated His love by dying for the ungodly, bringing justification by His blood and reconciling us to Himself, saved from His wrath and saved by His life. The good news of this grace is what motivated Paul to encourage believers with this hope … and went against nearly all of the other religious messages to which they had been exposed. Now that we’re under grace and not a works-based religious system, we have a new motivation and purpose for producing good works.

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790. Paul’s Proclamation: Justified by Faith, Apart From Works

January 17, 2021 by Mike Kapler and Joel Brueseke

Many of the early Jewish church leaders were teaching a different gospel than what the Apostle Paul would deliver after he was taught for several years—not by man—but by revelation from God. It seemed to be a natural assumption by many in the Jewish community of believers to “mix” the old law with faith in Jesus in order to attain a place of righteousness and justification. Paul would declare over and over that the old law of commands was brought to an end and replaced with faith (in Christ) apart from works.

We’ve recently spent many weeks in a series about Paul and James, highlighting the struggles in the early church and how Paul was battling to free people from a perverted gospel being communicated to both Jew and Gentile. Now we’ll be looking at some of Paul’s letters and passages which specifically make the case for salvation and right standing with God, received as a gift, apart from the works of the law inside of a new and better covenant. The “work” was performed by Jesus and His blood sealed the deal.