Grace - The Judgment Bandwagon

Ok, here's a guiding thought:

The word didn't become paper. The word became flesh!

Secondly, Why is that when you talk about God's judgment, people are like: "Yeah, it's gonna happen!", but when you talk about God's favor, they're like: "Hmm, I'm not so sure about that"?

Just wondering, 'cause it just seems that most people have great faith when it comes to the topic of God's wrath. Or especially when the topic of healing for today--people have great faith that God no longer heals. But my Bible says that now is the time of favor; today is the day of salvation (2 Cor. 6).

Folks, the word didn't become paper. The word became flesh! Did Jesus heal people 2,000 years ago? Well, He's still doing it!

Grace=Peace,


Jeremy

Grace - Paul Ellis on Forgiveness

Prior to the cross, God's forgiveness is almost always described as a verb. After the cross it is almost always a noun.

Do you see the significance of this? Prior to the cross God related to the Israelites on the basis of the law-keeping covenant. "If you do A, B, and C, then I will forgive your sins and heal your land, etc." This is called conditional forgiveness and it's what Jesus preached prior to the cross: "If you forgive others, God will forgive you." It's an eye for an eye and a verb for a verb.

But after the cross, everything changed. The law was fulfilled, grace was revealed and verbs became nouns. Forgiveness was no longer conditional on you doing A, B, and C. Forgiveness became a free gift paid for by the blood of the Lamb. Jesus Himself was the first to announce this:

He told them, "This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness (aphesis – a noun) of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem."  (Luk 24:46-47)

Now just take a moment to go and check that passage in your own Bible. What does it say? Does it read "repentance for forgiveness" or "repentance and forgiveness"? The difference is huge. Repentance for forgiveness is what John the Baptist preached prior to the cross. It's forgiveness conditional on you turning from sin. It's a verb for a verb.

But this is not what Jesus preached after the cross. In Luke 24 Jesus says, "From now on, forgiveness is a noun. Forgiveness is not something God does, it's something He's done."

This becomes clear when we read the verse in the King James: "Repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name among all nations." Forgiveness that has taken place is called remission. When were all our sins remitted? On the cross (see Mt. 26:28 and Heb. 9:22). This is what Jesus said we should preach – nouns, not verbs; gifts, not works.

Forgiveness is not something to sell but something to give. Jesus said the forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name and that's exactly what Peter (see Acts 5:31), Paul (see Acts 13:38), and the other apostles did. They proclaimed the good news of forgiveness – forgiveness as a noun, forgives as a done-deal – and invited people to believe in it. They encouraged people to receive the gift paid for by Jesus.

But John didn't. He said, If you confess, God will forgive. He went with the old style verb instead of a new covenant noun. Why? Was He not in the room when Jesus made His Luke 24 announcement? Did he not get the memo that a new and better covenant was in town and that God's forgiveness has been lavished upon us according to the riches of His grace? No, John uses the old verb for the same reason Paul does in Romans 4:7-8 – they were both quoting Old Testament scripture. Indeed, they were both quoting the same Old Testament scripture – Psalm 32. And that's as good a place as any for us to finish:

"Happy are those whose sins are forgiven, whose wrongs are pardoned." (Ps 32:1, GNB)

http://escapetoreality.org/2012/06/20/is-forgiveness-something-god-does-or-gives/

Grace - Freedom from Addiction 11

"The source of addiction is not found in the object of our addiction, but rather in our relationship to it--our use of the object.  We cling to our use, the idolization of a person or thing.  The loss of this use is something very real; it is physical.  We will resist this loss as long as we possibly can.  When withdrawal does happen, it will hurt.  And, after it is over, we will mourn.  Only then, when we have completed the grieving over our lost attachment, will we breathe the fresh air of freedom with appreciation and gratitude.  Grace is finally fully embraced and understood.  The question then, is not "Are you willing to give up the use of an addiction?", but rather "Are you willing to go through the pain when you give up the addiction?" - Gerald May

Addiction manifests itself in many ways.  We see it in the use of food, chemicals, relationships, sex, possessions, accomplishments, power, just to name a few.  In each case, we've attached meaning and significance to one or more of those things from which we derive comfort.  The problem for us, then, is not only that those objects of addiction have replaced something of true value in our lives, but also that we've become accustomed to the use of those objects.  It's difficult to turn away...

but this is the power of Grace.

Grace carries us when we take the risk to leave behind what we've found so comforting for so long.  The idea of stopping the use of an object to which we've attached so much meaning and comfort brings us pain...

but this is the power of Grace.

In the quote above, Dr. May contrasts the willingness to stop the use of an object of attachment with the willingness to endure the pain of that withdrawal.  This is significant, because everyone I've known who suffered from addiction was already aware that they needed to stop.  Moreover, most, if not all, were more than willing to stop their addiction.  Dr. May is correct in his targeting of the true issue:  whether or not someone is willing to endure the loss of their object of attachment.

In dealing with their addictions, I've also found that most seek to manage their behavior by weening themselves off their addiction.  I don't drink as much as I used to, or I'm using less and less until I quit completely.  That sounds nice and well-intended, but there's one huge problem:

They still think they're in control and can manage the addiction.

Believing this, they don't realize that the addiction still has power over them.  What's worse is that they have completely missed grace...and grace is the only power which can sustain them and keep them permanently out from under the power of an addiction while still enjoying the true freedom God desires for us.  But here's the kicker:

Addiction is the manifestation of someone's attempt to manage their behavior.

Thus, a person who thinks they can manage the addictive behavior and reduce it to zero has played into the trap of addiction...

but this is the power of Grace.

The only way to manage an addiction is to stop trying to manage it and instead rest in the power of Grace.

If you're trying to reduce your use of an object you've become attached to, you are still under addiction's power and your reliance upon yourself gives you a false sense of freedom.  Be willing instead to go through the pain you'll experience when you can no longer rely on that object to bring you comfort.  Give up on yourself and instead rely upon grace.  It would be impossible for you in your limited strength to travel in a few hours from the east coast of the United States to the west coast.  But, if you're in an airplane, the airplane is quite capable to performing that task.  That's how Grace works...you're in its power and it is God's power to bring you wholeness, health, and healing.

Grace=Peace,

Jeremy

*May, Gerald G. Addiction and Grace: Love and Spirituality in the Healing of Addictions. San Francisco, CA: HarperOne, 2005. Print.  p. 96.  The above quote may have been edited for clarity and understanding outside its context.

Grace - A Look At True Humility

God is God, and you're not.

God is Holy and we must rise to His standard.

It's prideful and arrogant to say we're saints.

I've heard the above statements--and more--all said by believers with the purpose of convincing other believers to prostrate themselves before a God Who is infinitely greater and holier than themselves...lest God would get angry and make something bad happen to them.  While I do agree with the first statement, God is God, and you're not, with the others I must take exception.

Can we really rise to God's holy standard?  Is it arrogant and prideful to say we're saints, even when we occasionally sin?

The answer to these questions is patently NO!  So, why do we still lean toward this type of Christian walk?

We have been convinced that it's holiness to be preoccupied with our sins and failures and strive to better our behavior.  But this effort doesn't stop at behavior.  Even our thought-life is under surveillance and the Thought Police are ready to crash in at the slightest notion that we had a dirty thought.  We must constantly be on guard for our dirty thoughts...or so we think.

We are so sin-conscious.  So much so that, in fact, we are not Christ-conscious.  We continually view ourselves in terms of how well we're managing sin and we've lost sight and awareness of the truth and reality of who we are in Christ and who Christ is in us.

Here's a shocker for you:  What do you call it when we replace (substitute) the truth of our life in Christ with our performance?

It is anti-Christ!

"Anti" means "in lieu of", to replace or substitute, in place of, over against, or to exchange.

So...those unbelieving believers who refuse to believe the truth of who they are in Christ and who Christ is in them have believed a spirit of antichrist!  Crazy, but true!

So then, what is true biblical humility?

Well, it's not real humility to consider who or what we are without Christ; true humility is to believe what He says about us now.

Neither is it holiness to muse upon our failures.  We have been set apart; we have been made whole; we have been sanctified.  And this next point is most important:  Pride can mask itself as humility.  To ponder and rehearse our former lives is to believe this following statement, an arrogance above all arrogance:  that the Father has not accepted the blood of Christ.

We are not evil sinners at heart, for we ARE new creations.  It is not our hearts that need to be changed (for they already have been), it is our minds that need to be renewed to the truth of who we are in Christ, not who we were in Adam.  The plowman must not look back.

For more on this, I encourage you to read a recent blog of mine:  http://jdkrider.blogspot.com/2013/08/grace-will-you-believe-heavenly-things.html

Grace=Peace,

Jeremy

Grace - Partners with Jesus

Dwell much upon this partnership with the Son of God, unto which you have been called: for all your hope lies there. You can never be poor while Jesus is rich, since you are in one firm with him. Want can never assail you, since you are joint-proprietor with him who is possessor of heaven and earth. You can never fail; for though one of the partners in the firm is as poor as a church mouse, and in himself an utter bankrupt, who could not pay even a small amount of his heavy debts, yet the other partner is inconceivably, inexhaustibly rich. In such partnership you are raised above the depression of the times, the changes of the future, and the shock of the end of all things. The Lord has called you into the fellowship of His Son Jesus Christ, and by that act and deed He has put you into the place of infallible safeguard.

Charles Spurgeon (1834-1892)

All of Grace, Trinity Press, 2011, 118.

Grace - No Perverts Allowed

The following article is from Chris Kratzer.  A link to his blog may be found at the end.

Grace=Peace,

Jeremy

"I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, 7 which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. 9 As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed." Galatians 1:6-9


We are no longer to live an "obedience of trying and striving" to follow the rules, but rather we are to live an "obedience of faith," clinging on to the loveliness of Jesus and His performance, not our own. For the Gospel of Jesus Christ is all about Jesus, not about us. The Law presupposed there is something you can do, the Gospel presupposes there is nothing you can do, but Someone you can believe who did it all, and does it all on your behalf!

It's all Jesus, all Him, all Grace, all His performance, all His work, all His faithfulness, all His mercy, favor, and blessing, received through faith alone, or it's not the Gospel.  If it's any other version, it's a perversion.

In the Bible passage above, Paul identifies the true perverts of the world. Not sex offenders, not homosexuals, not child porn viewers, as evil and terrible as they are. No, rather, he speaks of Christians who turn away from or turn the Gospel of God's Grace in Jesus Christ into another Gospel that is, in fact, not a Gospel.  At this point, you should either say, "Amen!" or "Ouch!"

The only documented places in scripture where Jesus gets mad or the Spirit is grieved is when Grace is not extended. Not rules, condemnation, religious activities, performance steps, or obedience speeches.  Paul echoes God's heart and view on the matter as he declares that those who turn the Gospel of Grace into any other version should be "accursed."

Right believing leads to right living. You can't live the Gospel day to day until you believe it all the way.  An obedience problem is at heart an identity problem. You will never know who you truly are until you believe in the true Gospel of Jesus Christ. Faith is what pleases God, not your performance. Faith is what makes His performance become your performance.  Faith is the root, obedience is the fruit. We walk by faith, not by sight, or might.

Are you a Christian pervert? Repent (change your mind) and believe in the Gospel.

http://chriskratzer.com/are-you-a-christian-pervert/

Grace - Freedom from Addiction 10

In my last post on addiction, I wrote the following:

Each of us, in some way, has at some point in our lives tried to find Life in something other than God.  We've defined goodness on our own terms.  We've believed that happiness is something we can find and provide for ourselves.  We have taken pride in our accomplishments, but we have also at times purposefully ignored the uneasy feeling that there still remains a lack which cannot be fulfilled through our insight, efforts, or activities.  I'm not saying that we can't be momentarily satisfied, because we can.  I'm not saying that it's wrong to look for happiness in friendships, fine dining, beautiful mountain ranges, a favorite pastime, or a job well-done.  But, if you'll be honest, you know it's never enough; those things can never impart a sense of contentment to us that will last beyond this lifetime.

That's precisely why we still sense that lack--because only the contentment that comes from an eternal source will satisfy us. It must come from a source greater than ourselves so we are not only filled up, but also overflowing with Life.  The weighty truth is simply this:  only through the life of Jesus Christ can this happen.  We experience Life when we experience His life.

With that context, I wanted to share with you another quote from Gerald May:

The spiritual significance of addiction is not just that we lose freedom through attachment to things, nor even that things so easily become our ultimate concerns.  Of much more importance is that we try to fulfill our longing for God through objects of attachment.  For example, God wants to be our perfect lover, but instead we seek perfection in human relationships and are disappointed when our lovers cannot love us perfectly.  God wants to provide our ultimate security, but we seek our safety in power and possessions and then find we must continually worry about them.  We seek satisfaction of our spiritual longing in a host of ways that may have very little to do with God.  And, sooner or later, we are disappointed.  The more we become accustomed to seeking spiritual satisfaction through things other than God, the more abnormal and stressful it becomes to look for God directly.*

Dr. May makes three significant points in the paragraph above:

1.  Loss of freedom

2.  We seek purpose in life through inferior means

3.  The following truth becomes obscured and difficult to believe:  only God meets our needs

In this post, I'd simply like to point out that because we've defined goodness and happiness and success on our own terms, we are left not only with the uneasy feeling that we haven't found an endless supply of goodness, happiness, and success, but also that because we have defined those on our own terms, we can have great difficulty believing God can fulfill those.  Our definitions have excluded God.

We have become accustomed to not trusting God because we haven't believed He's good.  It's difficult, if not impossible, to look to someone for help if you can't trust that they're good and will be good to you.  We have been mostly discontented with God.  Why?  Because we tend to suffer from low-grade condemnation.  Condemnation seeks to convince us that God will not provide, either because we don't deserve it or because there is a reason to fear God.  We think, Why would God be good to me when I've failed and disappointed Him?

As I'm writing this, I think about those who have turned away from God and chosen to walk down their own path.  In my heart, I ask myself how it is they can be content.  I know they experience a lack that only God can fulfill.  I know they are trying to cover it up.  They're still trusting in themselves; they're still defining happiness and satisfaction on their own terms.  Why?  Because we, as a church, have failed to demonstrate God's love to them.  They came to us and although we promised grace and life, ultimately we placed the heavy weight of condemnation on their shoulders.  At first, they believed and trusted us to show them life, but because we were also under condemnation, life and freedom was not ours to offer.

I share this because this is what happens when grace is not preached.  Addictions form.  People are encourage to strive for God's goodness.  In the end, they either give up and leave Christianity, or they stick with the machine, or they give up and discover grace.

In 1 Timothy, Paul briefly describes his former life before he understood grace:

 ...although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man; but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.  1 Timothy 1:13

For those of you who are ignorant of God's goodness or who have experienced condemnation from the Church, I pray that you will discover grace and the life and freedom that comes to you through Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God.  He's real and your decision for or against Him has great implications both in this life and the life to come.  Be reconciled to God and learn that He is good, good to you, and worthy of your trust.  In fact, he's been good to you even while you were against Him.

Grace=Peace,

Jeremy

*May, Gerald G. Addiction and Grace: Love and Spirituality in the Healing of Addictions. San Francisco, CA: HarperOne, 2005. Print.  p. 92f.  The above quote may have been edited for clarity and understanding outside its context.