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GRACE BLOGS COLLECTION

834. Things Seldom Heard in Church: Faith Has Nothing to Do With a Law of Works

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Sometimes when people discuss faith, if you listen carefully, you’ll begin to hear them vocalize something that is more based upon their works, lifestyle choices, and what they perceive to be an improvement in moral character. If we’re not careful, it can become about us and what we do or don’t do, instead of placing a complete trust and faith in what God has done for us through His Son. Depending upon our abilities to attain right-standing with God—instead of choosing to believe in God’s ability—is not based upon faith.

When the Jewish people were pursuing righteousness through a law of works, it was not a righteousness of faith, but it was based on their inconsistent works, which did not bring peace with God. For those who were described as having lived by faith or done great things because of faith, it had nothing to do with the law or their own works. Do we need those old rules and commandments to lead, teach and guide us as believers in Christ? No, we have Someone who lives in us who will fill that role much better.



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812. The 800 Club: Looking Back – Repentance and What It Means Under Grace

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We grace renegades often get accused of not talking about repentance enough. That’s really not accurate, but what comes to mind when you hear the word repent? If you’ve spent at least a few weeks in a church building, most likely you’ve been under the assumption that to repent means to stop sinning and start living a better and improved moral standard. That’s great advice, but is this the core of what repentance is supposed to be about? We revisit the meaning of repentance in the Greek and how this ties into what Jesus was trying to get the Jewish people to do when He told them to “repent and believe the good news.”

The gospel isn’t about attaining right-standing with God through what we do … or what the Jewish people were attempting to do by the works of the law. Repentance involves a change of mind by realizing the more excellent ministry of the New Covenant—which ended a religious merit system—and to begin trusting in what Jesus did to bring us to a place of righteousness and perfection.



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664. Successful Christian Living: What Must I Do to Achieve it?

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Churches are known for pushing an agenda containing a variety of principles and moral standards for the members to work at trying to live up to in order to attain a higher level of dedication and perhaps even a greater degree of blessing and acceptance from God. It sounds right and it will preach good on Sundays. But this has led many parishioners or former church-goers to a place of frustration and guilt… even unworthiness, as they struggle to live up to the standard they have been taught by others who haven’t been able to live up to the standard they teach themselves. A question should be asked… what specifically do we need to do in order to achieve the status of successfully “living the Christian life?” Rest assured, the list provided by religion will change and evolve, and usually without the specifics. Our program this week encourages believers in Christ to stop chasing the imaginary carrot that religion will dangle in front of them but will never bring the satisfaction they are seeking.



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Negotiating With God

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Our Certain Hope

Since our forebears ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, humanity has been trying to negotiate with God by using goodness as currency. The lie perpetrated by the Serpent is that the human individual can determine what is good and bad, and that he or she can achieve that moral standard by their own determination. What an illusion!

In a recent blog, Wade Trimmer refers to a survey revealing that 74% of Americans believe they are going to heaven based on their moral record. About the same percentage don't think their neighbors will make it. Wow! We are willing to give ourselves a break, but not our neighbors.

We somehow believe we can negotiate with God based on our concept of goodness. "Sure, we have done some sinful things, but we have also done some good. We have turned our lives around lately. Surely God will give us a break based on our intentions. We aren't in the category of Hitler or the Boston Strangler."

It’s Not About Mere Moralism

God doesn't negotiate based on our goodness or badness. The Father made a covenant with his Son who represents us. He fulfilled every aspect of righteousness, and the Father declared his sacrifice for our sins: Sufficient!  The currency of the kingdom of God is not goodness, but faith. We believe in Jesus accepting his work as our own, and embracing his mission as our calling. The prophet Isaiah spoke of this hundreds of years before Jesus was born.

Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.

Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy?

Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food. -- Isaiah 55:1-2

Christianity is About Trusting in Jesus

It is difficult for us to get away from the belief that God is primarily wanting us to be good. Of course, he is not trying to make us bad, but our concept of good is flawed. We tend to define it totally in terms of not practicing bad behavior. Sadly, much of the religion that is identified as Christian is mere moralism, rather than life with Christ.

Put your moral currency away. It is not legal tender in God's kingdom.

Some people were reared to be polite, gentle and mannerly, but their hearts are filled with selfish intent. Others were not given such privilege in training and are rough around the edges, yet they have been captured by the unconditional love of God through Jesus. The issue is trusting Jesus as our goodness.

All of us try to manage transactions with God until we are struck with a true vision of who he is and what he has already done. Even after initial conversion, we tend toward a transactional relationship with God. We look for levers to pull, formulas to follow, and principles to practice in hopes of unlocking his treasure of blessings. The great transaction is done! God has acted in our behalf by forgiving our sins and granting us the blessings due to Jesus. When that truth becomes more than a meme, or a stanza in a song, we will begin living as the sons and daughters we are by virtue of his grace.

Put your moral currency away. It is not legal tender in God's kingdom.

Miracles of Healing

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Among the varied ways in which miracles are manifested, I must include the many records of miracles involving the healing of the physical body. Like other miracles, healing originates from within. "If [since] the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will [...]

The post Miracles of Healing appeared first on Peter Wade.

Miracles of Healing

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Among the varied ways in which miracles are manifested, I must include the many records of miracles involving the healing of the physical body. Like other miracles, healing originates from within. "If [since] the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will [...]

The post Miracles of Healing appeared first on Peter Wade.

Miracles of Healing

by

Among the varied ways in which miracles are manifested, I must include the many records of miracles involving the healing of the physical body. Like other miracles, healing originates from within. "If [since] the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will [...]

The post Miracles of Healing appeared first on Peter Wade.

509. Engraved on Stones: The End of the Ten

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Traditional Bible teaching has led Christians to believe the Ten Commandments were separate from the rest of the Mosaic Law given to Israel. Some will even declare they were not part of the Old Covenant, and since they were letters engraved on stones, they were meant to be applied forever. Yet scripture clearly states they were considered part of the law and were called tablets of the covenant.

It’s a man-made doctrine that says that the Law is broken up into sections (moral, civil, ceremonial, etc.), and that part of it was done away with but yet in the New Covenant we’re supposed to keep a certain part of it. The scriptures do not declare such a separation or distinction in the law of God. The Law of God is a package deal. The Apostle Paul called the law the ministry of death that brought condemnation. Paul also explained why they no longer have glory and came to an end, to be replaced with a more glorious and permanent ministry of the Spirit.



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