Forbidden Truths About Forgiveness

Forgiveness is one of the most misunderstood subjects when it comes to the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the Bible. I believe that if you get forgiveness wrong, you can run the risk of getting everything else in your Christian life wrong as well. The sad thing is many people know the truth, but they don't live it. With that said, here are five forbidden truths about forgiveness.

1. The death of Jesus Christ doesn't save anybody.

If you ask many Christians, "What is your understanding of the Gospel?" they would respond by saying, "Jesus died for my sins so that I can go to heaven when I die." This isn't wrong, but it is incomplete. In 1 Corinthians 15:17, the apostle Paul writes, "And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins." To put it bluntly, the death of Jesus Christ doesn't save anybody. Salvation is the restoration of the life of God, lost when Adam sinned, to all who accept Jesus Christ by faith. Forgiveness is necessary for salvation, but it isn't salvation. If Jesus had walked up to the grave of Lazarus, as recorded in John 11, and shouted, "Lazarus, you're forgiven!" nothing would have happened. Lazarus would have remained in his grave dead. But, Jesus said, "Lazarus, come out!" Then we read that "The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face (John 11:44)." Forgiveness makes salvation possible and it is why we don't lose our salvation after we receive the life of God. However, without the resurrection, we are still in our sins; forgiven, but spiritually dead. 

2. Jesus Christ did not atone for our sins.

How often have we heard about the "atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ" or the Lord's "substitutionary atonement?" Atonement isn't forgiveness. Forgiveness takes away sins. Atonement remembers our sins. Hebrews 10:3-4 says, "Instead, those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins." The Jewish sacrificial system required the death of many animals. All they did was put off the debt of sin until later, sort of like paying an annual fee on a credit card or making a monthly payment on a loan. When it comes to the death of Jesus Christ, what did John the Baptist say? When he saw Jesus coming toward him, he said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29)!" Jesus took away our sins when He died. He didn't remember them. That is why the death of Jesus Christ is a propitiating sacrifice. Propitiation means satisfaction. God is satisfied with the death of Jesus Christ. Therefore, our sins no longer separate us from Him. To this point, John wrote, "In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins (1 John 4:10)." The Jews have a Day of Atonement. The fact that this occurred annually is proof their sins were not taken away but remembered. The death of Jesus Christ was once for all and for eternity. 

3. The whole world is forgiven.

People will freak out about this, but it is true. Everybody, including unbelievers, is forgiven. Earlier, I said that forgiveness doesn't save anybody and that dead people don't need forgiveness, but rather life. Unbelievers, often referred to as the lost, may not recognize their need for the forgiveness of God, but it doesn't mean they are not forgiven. When the lost stand before God and discover they are going to Hell, it will not be because of their sins. It will be because of their sin of unbelief in Jesus Christ. They will be spiritually dead. And like a friend of mine said, "What do you do with dead things? You burn them." It is through faith in Jesus Christ and receiving the resurrected life of God where a person experiences the benefit of forgiveness. That benefit is that they do not lose the life of God when they sin. Therefore, the life they have is eternal life. Why do I say the entire world is forgiven? The Bible tells me. 1 John 2:2 says, "He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world." In 2 Corinthians 5:19, it says "that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation." Notice the verses use "world" when discussing the ramifications of the death of Jesus Christ. John even clarifies that the Lord's death was not only for our sins, Christians but the entire world. Christians are to bring the "message of reconciliation," that your sins are forgiven and you need the life of Christ, not a "message of alienation" that requires one to get forgiven before they come to Jesus Christ.

4. Permissible doesn't mean permission.

Sin is terrible. It is so terrible that it required the death of God as payment. We are right in exposing and condemning it. Yet, there is one truth about forgiveness and sin that even I struggled with accepting. 1 Corinthians 6:12 says, "Everything is permissible for me,” but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible for me,” but I will not be mastered by anything." Everything is permissible. Everything is permissible for me. We have to be willing to admit that because we are forgiven, that there is no law, no command, forbidding us from engaging in sin. Now, this doesn't mean God is telling us to sin or giving us permission to sin. What it means is that we are free! Why did God put the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the Garden knowing the ramifications of Adam and Eve eating the forbidden fruit? He did so because God wants people to choose to come to Him and receive His love, grace, and mercy. Does it not mean more to us when someone chooses us because they want to be with us, spend time with us, and love us, rather than because they are forced to do so? When we are receiving the love, acceptance, meaning, and purpose to life that God created us to have in Himself, through faith in Jesus Christ, the attraction of sin diminishes. Yes, we still sin. Unfortunately, we will sin the rest of our lives.
And sin has consequences. But, the only way to see it diminish in our lives is when our heart changes and we decide to depend on and trust in our God. Thankfully, when we turn to sin and face its consequences, God is still there with us waiting for us with loving arms that are eager to pour out His grace and mercy.

5. Bloodless sacrifices

What do most people, of all religions, not just Christianity, do when they sin? They perform a sacrifice. The Bible says that "the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness (Hebrews 9:22)." In the next chapter, it says, "Then he adds: “Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.” And where these have been forgiven, sacrifice for sin is no longer necessary (Hebrews 10:17-18)." God is not remembering our sins. There is no sacrifice for sin necessary. Yet, what do we do? We ask forgiveness from God. We keep short accounts. We confess to a priest and promise to make penance. We answer altar calls at church making false promises to do better next time. We take 1 John 1:9, a verse meant for unbelievers without the truth in them, and use it as a Christian "bar of soap" to keep ourselves "clean" before God. We are asking God to forgive us for sins that He is no longer remembering by engaging in bloodless sacrifices He no longer requires. Is that an act of faith? Are you exercising belief in God by doing this? No. If the blood of bulls and goats couldn't take away sins and you aren't even shedding blood of any kind, what does your sacrifice get you? Nothing. It only tells God that the death of Jesus Christ was not sufficient to take away your sins; that you are not forgiven and Jesus needs to do more. You are forgiven or you are not forgiven. You believe God or you don't believe Him. You have faith in your actions or faith in the actions of Jesus Christ. The choice is yours. 

I pray God can use this to lead you into a deeper understanding of forgiveness and the love He has for you. 

Avoiding the Yoke of Slavery

"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." Galatians 5:1

I recently heard a definition for sin that was new to me, but perfectly defines the religious. Sin is "the indulgence of the flesh through the pursuit of religion." The indulgence of the flesh is normally used to describe the ungodly and their violations of God's law. As Paul laid out in Galatians 5:19-21, "Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God." But, do we consider that the opposite of what Paul describes can be a form of indulging the flesh? Trying to live your life restraining yourself from engaging in these acts can be considered a sin because the focus is still on your flesh. In this case, a person needs to subject themselves to some form of law to guide them on how best to restrain their flesh. As usual, this can lead to a confrontation between those who do not believe Christians are under the law and those that do. What follows is a conversation between myself and a lady who believed we are under some form of law. 

To give this context, I had responded to another individual which is the first comment below. Then, the conversation begins with this lady's reply to my comment. 

Me:  Once we come to Jesus Christ by faith, the law has done its work. We can now live in a trusting and dependent relationship on the indwelling Holy Spirit instead of trusting and depending on laws designed to manage our flesh.

Her:  Is this what we see in how people in churches behave towards one another? Or is everyone merely trusting the Holy Spirit being freed from the laws of how to treat others regardless of how they actually do? Secondly, why did Peter warn us about lawless people in 2 Peter 3:17?

Me:  I don't know what others see, but what I have experienced with people in the church is that they are attempting to live lives of obedience and repentance to some form of law and failing. The idea of trusting in the Holy Spirit is foreign to them. To them, it is either law or licentiousness. They have no idea of the role of the Holy Spirit in their lives. And this leads to your second question. The people I am talking about are lawless. They are the ones trying to live under the law and thus, they are lawless because they are disobedient to its demands. The law demands perfection, not our best effort. The "error of the lawless" Peter warns against are the legalists, the ones focused on modifying their flesh through keeping the law. The "secure position" we are warned against falling from is going from a life of living by grace through faith to one of law through works. It is why we see Christians judging and condemning each other for their perceived "disobedience." The law was God's contribution to man's best effort to be like Him and is of no use without having somebody to compare ourselves to. All Christians focus on is each other's behavior (are you giving, going to church, overcoming sin, etc) and whether or not they will be blessed or cursed by God. It is as if the New Covenant doesn't exist. They measure their relationship with God by how well they are doing under the commands put on them by their church and other Christians, not from God. Grace and Peace.

Her: I think you have really changed what Peter said here to something quite different than his intension. In a verse or so before he writes, "Therefore, beloved, as you anticipate these things, make every effort to be found at peace—spotless and blameless in His sight." He writes make every effort. He does not write "live a life of grace with no effort on your part." The lawless ones are those who do not do the commandments of Christ which Jesus himself says are a light burden and an easy load. But it is not NO burden and NO load. The law, by the way, does not demand perfection. It is a guide for those who need a guide. That is, the law says treat others as you would like to be treated. The secure position of one of being in Christ and saved but always in danger of falling away from that secure position. The Bible actually says the Law of the Lord is good, converting the soul. David loved God's law. It changes the heart.

Me:  I believe making every effort is not evidence that we are under the law. It is making every effort not to fall prey to those demanding you live a life under the law. If we engage in law-keeping, then we will not be found spotless and blameless if God were to judge us by that standard. We are already spotless and blameless because of our faith in Christ (Colossians 1:22). Yes, the law does demand perfection (Deuteronomy 28:1; Joshua 1:8; Matthew 5:48, Galatians 3:10; James 2:10). One under the law would think that salvation can be lost because if it depends on our obedience and repentance to law, then we are all doomed and Christ's work on our behalf was pointless. The Law is for the lost not for Christians (1 Timothy 1:8-10). The law is to lead us to Christ (Galatians 3:24) not to lead us as Christians. Anyway, if you want to live under the law and by your works, please be my guest. We just have different views of Christian life. Pray for me if you disagree and I will pray for you. Grace and Peace.

Her: I don't think Jesus is exalted in legalism, as clever as that sounds.

Me: No, He taught the law to show us our sinfulness so we would recognize our need for the grace and mercy of God.

Her: Actually He wanted us to do justly towards others and gave details. Do not murder wasn’t given so we would understand ourselves better but to prevent murder.

Me: But, yet the Jews, whom the law was for, murdered people all the time (i.e. Stephen, Paul persecuted Christians, and giving false testimony to have Jesus crucified). Love is the fulfillment of the law (Romans 13:10) not obedience to it. When I am loving someone as Jesus is loving me, I won't be sinning against them, much less murdering them. Besides, Jesus said, "You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell (Matthew 5:21-22)." Have you ever been angry with a brother or sister? Have you ever called anyone a fool? If so, you are subject to judgment and in danger of the fire of hell. 

This is where it had ended. I hope this illustrates what it is like to stand for the grace of God with those who try to steal our liberty in Christ, try to make us fall from our secure standing in the Lord, and desire to put us under the bondage of the law. Stand firm in the freedom to which you have been called. 

We

If you are a fan of sports it is not usual to consider yourself part of your favorite team. When you are talking about your team it is common to include yourself when referring to them. "We need to win this game or the season is over." "We don't play well in poor weather conditions." While you are not affiliated with the team in any form, your loyalty to them makes you feel as though you are part of the organization. It is often the same when it comes to matters regarding the Christian faith. There is this assumption that all Christians believe the same things about the faith. Therefore, you will see Christians make statements similar to those used regarding sports teams as if the entire body of Christ believes the same way. For example, you may hear Christians say, "We believe that people who die pass out of existence and do not suffer in a fiery hell of torment." Others say, "We believe that where there are six or more regularly baptized members, one of whom is an elder, there the Church exists with full power of church extension when acting in harmony with the law of God." Now, I am a Christian, but I do not agree with these statements. Yet, there are people who would lump me and all Christians together as if everything we say or is said about us is true for all Christians. That brings me to one of the most debated verses in the Bible. That verse is 1 John 1:9. John writes:

"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."

There are Christians who read John's use of the word "we" as proof that John is writing a command to all Christians throughout history that we must confess our sins to God in order to receive His forgiveness. Aside from the fact that Christians are already forgiven and do not need to ask God for more forgiveness, was John including himself when he wrote this verse? If you read the surrounding verses, the answer will reveal itself. John is addressing the heresy of Gnosticism which taught that Jesus only appeared to have human form but that he was actually spirit only. This belief was beginning to infiltrate the church and therefore he decided to address it. John didn't believe this and you can see this at the beginning of his letter. In 1 John 1:1-3 we read:

"That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ."

His use of the word "we" is the same as saying "in as much as" or "in view of the fact that." He is not saying he believes this, but is clearly separating what he believes and teaches as opposed to what the Gnostics believe and teach. Furthermore, this is seen when he transitions from his experience as an apostle, who knew Jesus Christ personally, to those who claimed Jesus had not come in the flesh. John says "we proclaim to you" and "so that you also" to indicate that he is addressing a separate group of people within the context of the church he is writing to. It is as if he is saying, "The apostles and I have seen Jesus Christ in person and that is our evidence that he was here in the flesh and not in spirit form." Then there is the evidence of the verses on both sides of 1 John 1:9. Both 1 John 1:8 and 1 John 1:10 give clues as to who the audience is that John is directing this portion of his letter to. 

"If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us (1 John 1:8) ... If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us (1 John 1:10)."

Again, John says "if we claim" at the beginning of each verse. But, he is not saying that what is to follow is a belief he holds. Each verse says that if a person claims to "be without sin" and that they "have not sinned," then they are deceived, the truth is not in them, that they make Jesus Christ out to be a liar and His word is not in them. These verses, along with verse 9, are not referencing Christians. If someone says they are a Christian, like a Gnostic may profess, yet claims to be without sin or that they have not sinned, they are not a Christian. Then, it is they who must confess their sin to God. That sin is that they do not believe God and the truth about Jesus Christ and who He is. That sin is precisely what Jesus Christ is quoted as saying in the Gospel of John. John 16:8-9 says:

"When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: about sin, because people do not believe in me ..."

The sin of unbelief in Jesus Christ is what will prevent a person from entering into the Kingdom of God. If you believe in a Jesus that didn't come in the flesh and only came in spirit form, then you do not believe in the same Jesus Christ that the Bible proclaims. Therefore, you do not believe in Jesus Christ. This is what John was writing about in the first chapter of his letter. Jesus Christ did come in the flesh. He was seen, heard, looked at, and touched by people from His birth and all the way until He ascended into heaven after His resurrection from the dead. This is what we believe and confess.

On the Basis of Love

"Therefore, although in Christ I could be bold and order you to do what you ought to do,  yet I prefer to appeal to you on the basis of love." Philemon 1:8-9

Have you ever done something because you wanted to do it instead of being forced to do it? Of course, you have. When it comes to something fun and exciting like a trip to an amusement park or some adventure, we do not have to be motivated to act. Even when it comes to acts of kindness or charity, we often feel compelled to get involved; especially during the holidays. However, when it comes to being a Christian, there is this idea put forth that everything we do in our lives is motivated by following a command to do so. It is as if we wouldn't want to do certain things if we weren't "commanded" by God to do them. There was a time, not long ago, where I all, but lost a friendship simply because I said that Christians don't have to go to church. The person I was speaking to could not believe what I said. To their ears, it was as if I said, "Don't go to church." What went unmentioned is the suggestion that if Christians aren't commanded to do something they wouldn't do anything at all. Yet, we are the ones that constantly talk about how Jesus Christ changed our hearts, but somehow don't feel we would be motivated to do anything without being given a command. If you asked your average Christian why they go to church, they would probably respond by saying something like they enjoy the teaching, the community of believers, the church programs, or something similar. Once in a while, someone may say they go to church because they are "supposed to." If we applied this same logic to our personal lives, you will understand the point I am trying to make. Do you love your spouse, children, family or friends because you're supposed to? When it comes to husbands, the Bible says, "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her (Ephesians 5:25) ..." Is not that a command for husbands to love your wives? I guess you could look at that way. But, consider this; if you're a wife and your husband told you that he loves you because the Bible told him to, how would you feel? You probably wouldn't feel loved at all. Yet, this is the message we can convey when we discuss the Christian life; that our motivation for living it comes from our responding to outward influences instead of from a heart changed by an encounter with the living God through faith in Jesus Christ. This entire subject can be summed up as the difference between law and grace.

When Paul wrote Philemon, we catch a glimpse of him trying to appeal to Philemon through grace rather than through law. He says he could "order" Philemon to act a certain way, but is hoping that Philemon would want to respond according to his own desire and will. That is the Christian life. It is a life of wanting to do something because God is changing your heart, which changes your desires, rather than simply be forced to do something regardless of if you want to or not. When I said Christians didn't have to go to church, the fact that I had been faithfully attending my church for over a decade was lost on my friend. There are different motivations for doing the things Christians believe we are to be doing. There is no "command" in the Bible that says a Christian must go to church. However, if a Christian has truly had an encounter with Jesus Christ, they will want to be around other believers. A husband won't love his wife because he is commanded, but because his heart has been changed by her and by God. Being commanded to do something keeps the focus on the individual's behavior. It is a life that says to God, "Look at what I'm doing for you." I am going to church. I am giving my money. I am confessing all my sins. I am loving my spouse. And on and on. Just the way the Law likes it. Being motivated by grace and what Jesus has done for you, keeps the focus on God and off yourself. It is looking at life as if Christ is saying, "Look at what I did for you." I made you the Church because I live inside of you. I gave My life for you. I took away your sins. You are My bride. And much more. When a person is experiencing the love of God that only He can provide, through faith in Jesus Christ, they become naturally motivated to do the things many people seem to believe can only come from being commanded to do. When people are motivated by the love of God, all the things others command them to do will come naturally. The question to ask is, "Are you willing to die to all self-effort and rest in the saving grace of Jesus Christ?" If the only reason you are motivated as a Christian is that you feel God is commanding you to behave in certain ways and do certain things, you need to reevaluate what it is you believe about the Gospel and the life of Christ. " Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law (Romans 13:10)." My prayer is that you do not need to be ordered on how to live your life as if you are under the law, but that you can be appealed to on the basis of love because you know and are getting to know your God, in Christ.

Believing in Vain

"Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain." 1 Corinthians 15:1-2

Every time the end of the year approaches, it initiates the moment when everyone promises that next year will be better than this current year. This is the year they will lose that weight. This is the year they will get in shape. This is the year they will find that dream job. This is the year they will find their soul mate. This is the year they will start that business. This is the year they will get out of debt. This is the year they will read the Bible. This is the year they will go back to church. This is the year! It is not long before they will realize that they said the same things last year about this time. Yet, it wasn't long into the new year before they realized they had fallen back into the same patterns they promised would change. The donuts tasted better than that salad, so the weight stayed on. That pulled muscle quickly ended the dreams of getting in shape. Receiving a few too many rejection letters halted the job search. Your online dating profile wasn't quite attracting the type of people you wanted to spend any time with, much less date.  The research, planning, finances, business structure, name registration and licensing were more than you were expecting in your effort to be an entrepreneur. The extra debt racked up during the holiday shopping season put those debt consolidation plans on hold. A few extra minutes of sleep outweighed getting up early to read passages from Genesis, the Psalms and Luke. When you discover that Sunday morning is your only chance to sleep in during the week, well, maybe I will go to church next week. How many years in a row has it been that you had made these plans for your life, only to see them fizzle out before Valentines Day? This is the definition of doing something in vain. To do something "in vain" means to do it without effect or unsuccessfully. No matter how many times we said we were going to accomplish something in our lives, we end up in the same place in life or worse. Ultimately, one must ask themselves, "Do I really want this change in my life?" or "Am I hoping by saying I want to accomplish something in my life, one day the will to do it will arrive?" The bottom line is that we really don't want to make the effort and sacrifice necessary to follow through on what we say we desire no matter what we say we want. The internal motivation is missing.

When the Apostle Paul wrote his first letter to the church in Corinth, he was concerned that the Gospel message he preached was believed in vain by the church. You almost get the sense that what he is afraid of is that they gave a verbal acknowledgment that they believed what he had said, but in reality, they either didn't understand it or just said they did knowing they would continue on the way they had always believed and lived. That is why he went on to reiterate that the Gospel is the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. But, giving an acknowledgement of those facts and truly understanding them to the point you live a life of faith in them are two totally different things. What does believing in vain look like?  A person may say they believe in the death of Jesus Christ as meaning that all their sins are forgiven. However, when they sin, this same person will ask God to forgive them of that sin through the performance of some religious sacrifice; confession booths, keeping short accounts, etc. That is believing in vain; saying you are forgiven, but then asking God to forgive you when you sin. A person may say they believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. But, do they know and believe that salvation is the restoration of the life of God made possible by Christ's resurrection? You can tell they are believing in vain because they are living a life of works; trying to produce the fruit of the Spirit instead of bearing the fruit of the Spirit. This is harder to detect, but one way it shows itself is when people say that a Christian should, must or has to do something. You should, must, have to go to church. You should, must, have to give (i.e. tithe) to your church. You should, must, have to read your Bible. You should, must, have to preach the Gospel. However, what they fail to realize is that when God is living His life in and through you, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, your heart changes. When your heart changes, your behavior will soon follow. You naturally begin to want to do those things. Instead of having to go to church, you want to fellowship with like-minded believers. Instead of having to give a percentage of your income to your church, you cheerfully give of your time, treasure and talent to ministries advancing the Gospel. Instead of having to read your Bible, you want to open God's love letter to you, read it and learn everything about our Lord and His love for you. Instead of having to preach the Gospel, you make yourself available to God to be used when, where and to whatever capacity He deems necessary to use you. In short, rather than believing something in vain, what you believe will become profitable because you learn to trust and depend on the truth of what God has said and you will begin to bear His fruit in the process. The internal motivation will be found.

Cheap Grace

Q: What is "cheap grace"?

A:  Cheap grace has many definitions. Some credit German theologian, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, with coming up with the phrase. In his 1937 book, The Cost of Discipleship, Bonhoeffer defines "cheap grace" as “the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline. Communion without confession. Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ.” The conclusion reached by those who agree with this definition is that "cheap grace" puts an emphasis "on the benefits of Christianity without the costs involved." However, when I hear the term "cheap grace" used it is as, basically, a derogatory term aimed at people who believe in the finished work of Jesus Christ. The assumption made by those using it is that there will be no "works," no "change" in our lives, no "acts of obedience" if we don't submit to some form of law. Those are the "costs" described earlier. They assume that people who are believing in the finished work of Jesus Christ will use the grace of God as a license to sin, etc. But, I am of the opinion that it is those that throw this term out, who are guilty of "cheap grace." They are the ones that think that only through submission to some form of law or works can a Christian grow in Christ. It is saying that we submit ourselves to a life of work and then fall back on the grace of God when we fall short of living that way. I call it, "The Heavenly Reset Button." Just like playing a video game. When you mess up at the game, you just start over; hit reset. That is true "cheap grace." In James 2:14, he asked, "What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him?" To James, the answer is, "No," because "faith without works is dead." However, the answer to his question is, "Yes," faith does save him. That is why Paul said, "Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law (Romans 3:28)." This is in direct opposition to what James wrote and why the two had a conflict as described in Galatians 2 when Paul was speaking about the hypocrisy of Peter. Paul wrote, "Now when Peter had come to Antioch, I withstood him to his face, because he was to be blamed; for before certain men came from James, he would eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing those who were of the circumcision. And the rest of the Jews also played the hypocrite with him, so that even Barnabas was carried away with their hypocrisy (Galatians 2:11-13)." The "men from James" were from the church in Jerusalem. These individuals were obviously of the belief that observing the law, at least in some form, was essential to the Christian life.

We still see James versus Paul today. The people that use the phrase "cheap grace" are the modern "men from James" that Paul spoke against. They will spin James' words to mean that works will emanate from a person saved by grace. While this is true, that is not what James meant. Secondly, whatever works that a Christian performs is between them and the Lord, since scripture tells us that, "we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them (Ephesians 2:10)." God creates the works we are to do. Those works are not subject to the approval of the James' of the Christian world. "Cheap grace" is for those who think that the inheritance we have been given by faith in Jesus Christ is somehow maintained through submitting ourselves to the works of the law and then performing bloodless and unacceptable sacrifices to restore our good standing with God when we fall short of being obedient. In fairness, those that accuse others of believing in "cheap grace" will deny that they believe that Christians are subject to the law. However, while they may not believe in being in subjection to the Mosaic Law, in practice they show that they believe being subject to some form of religious law. The teaching of sacraments, ordinances, commands and tying them to things like obedience and repentance are proof of their belief in living under law. Furthermore, when an individual falls short of living up to these laws, sacrifices for sins are reinstated. These sacrifices will take the form of actions like confession booths, altar calls, short accounts, asking forgiveness, repetitive prayers and so on. Hebrews 10:17-18, addresses this; "Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.”And where these have been forgiven, sacrifice for sin is no longer necessary." There are no sacrifices for sin because God is no longer remembering our sins. And if our sins are not being remembered, being obedient to laws, whatever form they take, is not necessary. Therefore, the ones practicing "cheap grace," are those who believe there are "costs" we can "afford," when the bill has already been paid. The Bible says, "The righteous will live by faith (Romans 1:17).” Living by faith is recognizing that Jesus paid all the costs and there is none left for us. It is preaching that the sin issue is finished between man and God. Baptism is the receiving of the Holy Spirit at salvation. Discipline is the Lord teaching us how to love others in the midst of them sinning against us. Communion is recognizing that forgiveness of sins is a present possession of every born again Christian and the Holy Spirit indwells each believer for all eternity. Grace is acknowledging that you have been given everything you need for life and godliness and have every spiritual blessing in Christ Jesus because He paid all the costs. Anybody teaching otherwise is the one teaching "cheap grace," because the cost to purchase it was so expensive that only God, in Christ, could pay for it.  Paul encouraged us to, "Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage (Galatians 5:1)." Don't let those who desire to put you back in bondage take away your freedom because they are still slaves to the law and don't understand grace.

Speaking to a Friend

"The LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend. Then Moses would return to the camp, but his young aide Joshua son of Nun did not leave the tent." Exodus 33:11

Imagine for a moment that someone came up to you and said, "I want to be your friend." Assuming you were open to developing a friendship, how would you feel if they followed this up with, "Here is my list of what I expect of you in this friendship and how I will respond to you based on your ability to meet these demands"? I would not be surprised if you told this person to take a hike and move on. In order for a true friendship to develop between two individuals, there cannot be any predetermined rules or circumstances in place. Each individual must be accountable to themselves individually and not to each other based on any preset rules or conditions. When this is the case, any friendship that develops will be a natural byproduct of things like shared interests, mutual love for each other, trust and respect. The Bible doesn't really tell us why God chose Moses to lead the people of Israel out of captivity in Egypt. But, one reason the Lord may have chosen Moses is their shared love of justice. Regarding God, the Bible says, "Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you; therefore he will rise up to show you compassion. For the LORD is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him (Isaiah 30:18)!" When it comes to Moses, one of his obvious qualities was his passion for justice. When we are first introduced to Moses as an adult we see that he as a passion for defending the oppressed when he comes to the aid of a Hebrew slave being beaten by an Egyptian. "One day, after Moses had grown up, he went out to where his own people were and watched them at their hard labor. He saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his own people.  Looking this way and that and seeing no one, he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand (Exodus 2:11-12)." The very next day we see this quality for justice again when he does what is right, even if it meant criticizing his own own people. "The next day he went out and saw two Hebrews fighting. He asked the one in the wrong, “Why are you hitting your fellow Hebrew (Exodus 2:13)?” A third example of Moses seeking justice is when he comes to the aid of seven sisters who are being harassed by a group of shepherds. Although he is a stranger to them, and in a foreign land, he still found the courage to seek justice. "Now a priest of Midian had seven daughters, and they came to draw water and fill the troughs to water their father’s flock. Some shepherds came along and drove them away, but Moses got up and came to their rescue and watered their flock (Exodus 2:16-17)." As one Jewish scholar writes, "Moses’s three acts of justice are what lead God to choose him to lead the people from slavery to freedom. God could have chosen someone else. But God knew this impassioned fighter for justice would not give up until His people were free."

If this is why God chose Moses to lead the people of Israel out of slavery it is good evidence as to why God would later speak to Moses, "face to face, as one speaks to a friend." When Moses had went up Mount Sinai to speak to God and receive the Ten Commandments, the people grew impatient of his return. They had gone so far as to build and worship a golden calf; calling it the Lord. Later, God said to Moses, "Go up to the land flowing with milk and honey. But I will not go with you, because you are a stiff-necked people and I might destroy you on the way (Exodus 33:3).” God had promised to, effectively, abandon the people of Israel because they were "a stiff-necked people" and He might destroy them on the way. In other words, God said the Jews were stubborn and He may have to destroy them for being disobedient. He said as much in Exodus 32:8, where we read, "They have been quick to turn away from what I commanded them and have made themselves an idol cast in the shape of a calf." The people of Israel were "quick to turn away" from what God had commanded. God and His people were not friends because their relationship was built around commands; a list of what was expected of the Jews and how God would respond based off their obedience to them. And because of their disobedience God was tempted to move on from them. There was no possibility of being friends. It has been said, "You cannot have true friends in religion. You can only have true friendship in freedom." The reason you cannot have true friends in religion is because religion is grounded in obedience to rules. Rules that none of us ever truly master. Therefore, by default, you cannot have a relationship based off of one's ability to do the impossible; be perfect in everything we do. God and Moses had a friendship based off a shared interests and a common purpose, not one necessarily built off of Moses' obedience to everything God commanded. Jesus said, "I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you (John 15:15)." We are friends of God, not because of our obedience to His commands, but because of our faith in the obedience of Jesus Christ on our behalf. As a born again Christian, I am a friend of God because of my faith in Jesus Christ not because of my faith in my ability to obey the commands of religion. Religion, by definition, means a "return to bondage." If you are in bondage, you are not free. Ask yourself, "How can I be friends with someone who keeps me in bondage?" Fact is, you cannot. "For freedom did Christ set us free: stand fast therefore, and be not entangled again in a yoke of bondage (Galatians 5:1)." Amen!

Afraid of Grace

Are you afraid of grace? Many Christians understand grace when it comes to salvation. They all understand that you cannot earn your salvation. This is where Ephesians 2:8-9 is often quoted, "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast." Yet, how many people understand that a Christian lives by grace as well? I have found that one way you can tell that someone is afraid of grace, as far as living the Christian life is concerned, is by their reaction to a different take on commonly held beliefs. For example, if I say, "Christians are not obligated to tithe," one may reply, "How then will a church find support?" or "We aren't supposed to 'rob' God." If I say, "We don't have to continually ask God to forgive our sins," someone might say, "You're giving a license to sin" or "We can't just live any old way we want to." If I say, "Water baptism is not a required act for a Christian," one will say, "Baptism by immersion is commanded by God," or "Water baptism is the 'first act of obedience.'" My point in mentioning all of this is to give brief examples of how when people hear that there is something, long thought to be a Christian duty, that is not required, they immediately believe you are promoting the opposite of what they believe. When I say Christians don't have to tithe, ask forgiveness for their sins or get water baptized, those who don't understand the grace of God immediately assume that you have to do something or else you are being "disobedient" and "sinful." That is the definition of being under the law; not living by the grace of God. I say this because the hallmark of grace is freedom. And freedom means you have a choice.

In Galatians 5:1, Paul writes, "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." Christ has set us free. Free to do what? We have been set free to receive the unconditional love of God, His complete forgiveness of sins and rest from our works of trying to please a God who is already pleased by our faith in Jesus Christ. Our life as Christians then becomes one of getting to do things, not having to do things. Instead of having to give ten percent of our income, the freedom of grace says, "Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver (2 Corinthians 9:7)." Rather than having to be trapped in the endless cycle of sin, confess, sin, confess, etc., we get to be reconciled to God as Paul begged us to be; "We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God (2 Corinthians 5:20)." When you understand that there is only one baptism ("one Lord, one faith, one baptism (Ephesians 4:5)"), the baptism of the Holy Spirit, which occurs when you accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior, you then get to choose whether or not you want to symbolize that moment by being water baptized.  When you are allowing the Lord, through the indwelling Holy Spirit, to live His life in and through you, the result will be the desire to support others with your treasure, serve others in love instead of indulging your flesh (Galatians 5:13), forgiving as you have been forgiven (Colossians 3:13) and making a public confession of your faith (1 Timothy 6:12). I admit some people may take God's grace as a license to sin, to be stingy with their money or keep their faith silent (if they have faith in Christ at all). But, that is a risk worth taking in order for other people to live free; getting to know their God and bear the fruit He is producing for them. Do not be afraid of God's grace, embrace it and be free!!!

Is Everyone Forgiven?

A popular grace teacher puts a video to a 45-minute teaching of his on his social media account. He teases the video with the following; "Is Everyone Okay? Is Everyone Forgiven? Does Everyone Have the Spirit?" Being somewhat familiar with his teaching, I was interested in what he had to say in answer to the question, "Is Everyone Forgiven?" One quickly learns his answer to that question is, "No. Not everyone is forgiven." To support his belief he starts to ramble off some scriptures and comes to one in 2 Corinthians 5. He says, " Next we see 2 Corinthians 5, it says, 'God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself ...'" He stops there and continues with, "That sounds really good. God has reconciled the world, so apparently they don't need to decide anything, right? The whole world is reconciled. Well, all you have to do is keep reading to the next verse and it says, 'We beg you on behalf of Christ be reconciled to God." Do you see what he did? The verse he originally quotes is 2 Corinthians 5:19, but he only reads half of the sentence. The full sentence reads, "God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them." He completely omits where it says, "not counting men's sins against them." I can only conclude that he does this on purpose because to include this part of the sentence would severely damage his position that the whole world is not forgiven. Yet, the passage clearly says God reconciled the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them." It doesn't say "not counting saved men's sins." It doesn't say, "not counting the sins of men who are alive to God." It says men's sins which when coupled with the world means everybody's sins are forgiven. Now, I believe the teacher and those who agree with his position are worried that to say that the world's sins are forgiven, both those who believe in Jesus Christ and those who don't is to teach a form of universalism. That would be true if you believe that Jesus Christ dying on the cross saved anybody. If salvation was just Jesus dying on the cross then you could make that argument.

However, the death of Jesus Christ, while necessary for salvation is not salvation. Romans 5:10 says, "For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!" We are reconciled by the death of Jesus Christ, but we are saved by His life; through the resurrection! Now, an unbeliever may not know they are forgiven and many of them probably don't even believe they are sinners in need of forgiveness, but they are still forgiven. The problem between man and God is not that we are sinners in need of forgiveness. The problem is that we are spiritually dead to God and need His life restored to us. Until a person accepts Jesus Christ as their savior, they are still forgiven, but have not experienced the benefit of that forgiveness. The benefit of forgiveness is that once they come alive to God by being born again of the Spirit of God through faith in Jesus Christ, there is no sin that can cause the life of God to leave them again. That is why the life a born again Christian has is an eternal life; it carries you from the moment of salvation on through eternity and will never leave you. It is also important to not only know the fullness of the Gospel, but also to know the fullness of God's Word so you can spot when people are misquoting and misusing God's Word in order to defend beliefs and deceive the masses. When an unbeliever, who did not accept Jesus Christ as their savior, stands before God, he will be cast into hell not because his sins were unforgiven, but because he is dead to God in unbelief! In John 16:8-9, Jesus was talking about the Holy Spirit when He said, "When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: in regard to sin, because men do not believe in me." The sins of the world are forgiven. The sin of unbelief in Jesus Christ is not. 

Meaningless Repetition: The Lord's Prayer

When you say things that you believe are biblically sound, but go against the traditions being taught by many Christian churches you can be guilty of, what my friend calls, "slaying Holy Cows." In other words, the truth can be offensive to people who would rather hold on to their church traditions then question them. Case in point is the following post I wrote regarding the so-called "Lord's Prayer." 

“And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words (Matthew 6:7).” How often is this verse, written just prior to the so called Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13), mentioned when people say that prayer? The verse is Jesus Christ telling people not be like the Gentiles and continuously use meaningless repetition as you pray. Yet, what do we Gentiles (non-Jews) do? According to one Christian website, “Pray the Lord’s Prayer. You might like to use the whole prayer EVERY DAY - or you may like to focus on one section EACH DAY.” Therefore, rather than read the passage in context and heed the Lord’s instruction, we ignore what Jesus said and repeat the prayer every day or, at the very least, incorporated it as part of our weekly worship services.  Thus, the passage of scripture becomes a part of what we do as we go through the motions of our Christian experience. No attention is paid to the context or the meaning of the entire passage. The result is that something we do in an effort to honor the Lord and increase our faith is actually something He told us to avoid doing!

Furthermore, the actual prayer talks of things that actually do not apply to us as Christians today. For instance, Matthew 6:12 reads, “And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.” Our debts have already been forgiven because of the death of Jesus Christ. There is no longer a need to ask Him to forgive us. Instead we are told to “Forgive as the Lord forgave you (Colossians 3:13).” We do not forgive others in order for God to forgive us; we forgive others because God has forgiven us. Then there is Matthew 6:13; “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.”  Christians don’t ask God to deliver us from the evil one because “He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love (Colossians 1:13).” Satan may try to deceive us, but he cannot have us. We are safe from him because God “has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee (2 Corinthians 1:22).” We must learn what the New Covenant says about who we are in Christ, so as not to participate in rituals that take away from our walk with the Lord rather than enhance it."

A friend of mine responded with the following:

Matter of opinion there brother ... everyone prays in their own way and to say that it is "meaningless" is unfair and a little myopic ... example, if you think of the Lord's Prayer in the context of the Rosary you will know that in that context it allows you to go through the suffering that Jesus Christ went through for us and is a testament to His sacrifice. In reality, it is not "meaningless" at all but a way to honor Him and contemplate on how you can be a better human being in light of His sacrifice ... different strokes for different folks I always say, but please be careful in how you convey your "interpretations" of prayer ... hasta!! ;0)"

My response was short:

We will have to agree to disagree. I believe scripture is clear as I tried to point out. Jesus is the one that used the word "meaningless," it is not my opinion. I was raised Catholic, so I know all about the Rosary, etc. None of that is scriptural. If my "interpretation" gets people to test what they believe, then I can thank God for that. But, I thank you for your thoughts. If we can't have agreement, we can at least have clarity. God Bless.

As you can see, her objection and not so subtle warning to me, did not once address the scriptures I posted. Nor did she use any scriptures to support her own belief. In fact, she included another tradition of her church, the Rosary, as if that somehow legitimizes saying the "Lord's Prayer" repeatedly. Her entire response is based on church experiences and what she feels about saying the "Lord's Prayer." Sadly, she is not unlike a lot of people who see scripture through the prism of their denominations teachings instead of seeing those teachings through the prism of Scripture. "The Pharisees and the Scribes asked Him, "Why do your disciples not walk according to the traditions of the elders, but eat their bread with impure hands?” And He said to them, “Rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: ‘This people honors Me with their lips, But their heart is far away from Me. ‘But in vain do they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the precepts of men.’ Neglecting the commandment of God, you hold to the tradition of men. He was also saying to them, “You are experts at setting aside the commandment of God in order to keep your tradition. (Mark 7:5-9).” If it feels good, do it, right? Is not that the general idea behind holding on to tradition at the expense of truth? When you question traditions, what you risk is more than the loss of those traditions. You risk losing respect, friends and even a way of life because nobody likes finding out their wrong. The cost may be too high for them to bear.