Grace Life
C H U R C H
Proclaiming Jesus Christ and the Gospel of God's Grace
Grace Life Articles 1
"And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus."
Eph. 2:6-7
In order to live this abundant life, your faith must rest in a clear, biblical understanding of God's grace to you.
It is my joy and privilege to proclaim the riches of God's wonderful grace found in God's wonderful Word! God wants you to be free from the bondage and frustration of trying to live the Christian life based on how you perform.
Unfortunately, this is how many Christians live today as they follow the traditions, programs, and other performance-oriented systems that their churches or denominations promote, or they themselves devise, in order to please God.
Based on the authority of God's Word, I want to assure you that God has something far better for you! He wants you to experience the victorious life He freely gives you in His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.
"In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding." (Eph. 1:7-8)
"And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus." (Eph. 2:6-7)
"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade - kept in heaven for you..." (1 Peter. 1:3-4)
We stand in awe at what our heavenly Father has done for us through Jesus Christ!
Please read the following articles on this page and the next page to receive important information from God's infallible Word in order to help you better understand, appreciate, and rejoice in God's grace to us in His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.
Stephen J. Moll
Pastor
"For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace."
Rom. 6:14
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"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation;
the old has gone, the new has come!"
2 Cor. 5:17
Here are the amazing truths from God's Word that we focus on and teach at Grace Life Church that are the result of our wonderful identity in Christ:
In Christ we are totally forgiven of ALL our sins (Eph. 1:7, 4:32; Col. 1:13-14, 2:13, 3:13; Heb. 9:26-28, 10:13-14). Many believers haven't been taught this important truth, but it's true! As believers, ALL of our sins - past, present, and future sins - have been forgiven through Christ's death at the cross. We don't need to ask Him to forgive us over and over again. Tragically, many Christians have this kind of relationship with God. They're constantly asking Him to forgive them for the sins they commit (keeping short accounts with God) when He's already done that for them at the cross! Tragically, often because of bad teaching on this important subject, particularly on 1 John 1:9, many Christians have this kind of relationship with God. Be assured that God completely dealt with the sin issue once and for all at the cross! All of our sins have been totally forgiven and our fellowship with God is secure because we are in Christ! God now wants us to get on with letting Christ live His life in us and through us.
In Christ we have the perfect righteousness of the Son of God (Rom. 3:21-24). We can't be made more righteous than we already are! All of our good works will not make us any more righteous than we became at the moment we were saved, when God gave us the perfect righteousness of His Son. We were declared totally righteous by God, the act of God the Bible calls "our justification" (Rom. 4:25). Because we are in Christ, God sees us as just as perfectly righteous as His Son! We need to accept and embrace what God says is true about our perfect standing before Him and not base our standing on how we may feel from moment to moment and day to day.
Christ lives in us (Gal. 2:20; Col. 1:27). Christ lives in every believer! This is truly wonderful and amazing! Unfortunately, many Christians don't know this important truth. Christ is your life (Col. 3:3-4)! As you rest in God living in you, you'll increasingly experience the life of Christ in you and living out through you. This is the work and power of the Holy Spirit in you that God promises to do in all believers (Phil. 1:6). Growing in your appreciation of the amazing spiritual reality that Christ lives in you and is your very life frees you to experience a growing personal and intimate relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ. Christ gave his life for us, so He could give His life to us, in order to live His life through us.
"To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory." (Col. 1:27)
"For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory." (Col. 3:3-4)
"I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." (Gal. 2:20)
God has given you His life! Once dead in your sins, God has made you alive with Christ (Eph. 2:5)! What more do you really need if you have Jesus Christ, the Son of God, living in you and through you?
In Christ we are children of God (John 1:12-13). This is the wonderful reality of our intimate relationship with God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Unfortunately, because of bad teaching or a refusal to believe this truth, many Christians fear God and want to keep distant from Him. The great news for all of us is that God wants us to grow close to Him in a warm and loving personal relationship (Rom 8:15-16).
In Christ we are unconditionally accepted by God (Rom. 15:7). Many believers struggle with this. They find it very difficult to believe that with all of their faults, failures, and sins, God still accepts them. But He does! We are completely accepted by Him in Christ.
In Christ we have total access to God. As God's children we can approach Him freely and confidently:
"In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence." (Eph. 3:12)
In the Body of Christ we all have equal access to God. You don't need a bishop, priest, pastor, elder, etc. in order to have special access to Him. Since Christ is our great High Priest and we are in Him, we have all the access to God we need - and even more!
God wants you to rest in and enjoy a close personal relationship with Him. He wants you to know that you can turn to Him and talk to Him anytime (prayer). He's with you all the time as He's loving you perfectly all the time.
We have every spiritual blessing in Christ (Eph. 1:3). We don't have to pray for more spiritual blessings! The truth is that we already possess every spiritual blessing in Christ and we received them all at the moment we were saved. In fact, God even sees us as united with His Son in heaven! The riches of God's grace to us are truly incredible!
We are complete in Christ (Col. 2:9-10). When God says you're complete in His Son, then you are complete! God has given us everything we need in order to enjoy a close and growing relationship with Him. At the moment you and I were saved, we received everything we need in order to live a victorious Christian life.
Jesus Christ has set us free (John 8:36). He has freed us from sin and the law (Gal: 5:1).
In our freedom we are now free to live as the Holy Spirit guides and leads us. The Bible teaches that as a child of God you are not to live your Christian life by following the Mosaic Law, which God gave to the nation Israel, or any other works-based systems devised by men. Living that way does not produce victory over sin. It only produces confusion, frustration, bondage, and defeat as a believer eventually realizes, often painfully, that that way doesn't work.
Tragically, various forms of law living is what is taught in many churches today, leading many believers to live superficial Christian lives and miss out on the wonderful freedom that they have in Christ. However, God's Word is very clear on this matter:
"For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace." (Rom. 6:14)
"But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code." (Rom. 7:6)
"Before this faith came, we were held prisoners by the law, locked up until faith should be revealed. So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith. Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the law." (Gal. 3:23-25)
"Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, or New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ." (Col. 2:16-17)
"The former regulation is set aside because it was weak and useless (for the law made nothing perfect), and a better hope is introduced, by which we draw near to God." (Heb. 7:18-19)
Can the Word of God be any clearer? All throughout the New Testament after the beginning of the church, it's obvious that God does not want believers to live under any law systems in order to be accepted or blessed. Yet tragically, legalism has been the primary problem in Christ's church ever since it started nearly 2000 years ago! Many believers believe there is only one way to live a godly life - to carefully follow a list of laws or rules. For many Christians this involves getting involved in various programs or systems that are promoted by their church.
Legalism's mode of operation of mixing law and grace (or all law and no grace!), which are absolutely opposed to each other and can't be mixed (Rom. 11:6), has resulted in all kinds of errors and false teaching during the church age. It was the main problem the Apostle Paul vigorously confronted throughout his ministry. Countless believers today live in bondage and fear under the heavy yoke of legalism. They're missing out on the life of peace and joy that Jesus Christ has already given them. We thank God that He has given us the Bible, our sole source book of truth, to bring correction and teach us His way for us to live as His children.
"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. (Gal. 5:1)
We are eternally secure in Christ. We cannot lose our salvation (Rom. 8:31-39). All of our sins were forgiven and we were declared righteous at the moment we were saved. Jesus dealt with the sin issue once and for all at the cross when He paid the penalty for our sins. Because He paid the penalty, we don't have to.
Furthermore, we've been sealed by the Holy Spirit (Eph. 1:13-14). Those who believe that a person can lose his or her salvation do not really understand God's grace and power, and the secure identity all believers have in Christ. Once we've been born again of the Spirit we can't become unborn! The Bible says that nothing "will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Rom. 8:39). We are eternally secure in His perfect love!
You see, Jesus Christ has done it all for us! That's the beauty of grace. It makes it all about Him, not about us. He now invites us to rest in Him (Matt. 11:28-30) and the work He's done for us. We honor Him and obey Him when we rest in Him. As we trust in Christ living in us and rest in Him, we give Him the freedom to work in us and through us, producing good works that flow out of the "fruit of the spirit" (Gal. 5:22-23). These are real good works that have eternal value in God's sight (1 Cor. 3:11-14).
Are you sick and tired of the religion treadmill? Then get off it now and rest in God's amazing grace to you found exclusively in His Son, Jesus Christ! The grace life is the victorious Christian life that is lived and transformed the only way that works - under God's amazing grace (Rom. 6:14)! It's an exciting life that is experienced and enjoyed by resting in a wonderful and fulfilling relationship - a close and growing personal relationship with our great Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!
Having served as a pastor and elder at three churches, I'm convinced that the proclamation of Jesus Christ and the gospel of God's grace is needed in our community of DeKalb and Sycamore. Tragically, many Christians know very little about the incredible blessings they received by God's grace the moment they were saved. They don't know about their wonderful position in Christ and all that's theirs because they're in Him. If they did, I'm convinced that the church would be an even more dynamic force in the world today than it is.
If pastors and teachers spent as much time preaching and teaching on the incredible riches of God's grace as they do on evangelism, giving, service, and religious programs that often promote and emphasize what man can do for God, the church would be more strongly built up in Christ (Col. 2:6-7). Good works that have eternal value would naturally flow out of grateful and joyful hearts that have been moved by God's love and grace (2 Cor. 5:14; 1 Thes. 1:3).
As we rest in the truths from God's Word about who we are in Christ and all that we've received because we are in Christ, our focus is where it should be - on Jesus Christ! That's what's so wonderful about grace - it makes it all about Him! This is the key to living a victorious Christian life. As we keep our eyes on Christ (Heb. 12:2) and grow in our knowledge of all that He's done for us, we are able to "live a godly life in Christ Jesus" (2 Tim 3:12), "filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ" (Phil. 1:11). This is life at its very best! This is the abundant grace life God wants all of us to enjoy!
At Grace Life Church we proclaim Jesus Christ and the glorious gospel of God's grace. We want to help people live and experience the grace life (Gal. 2:20). This is a life of freedom and victory that is found in Christ alone that God wants all of His children to enjoy. It's a life of peace and joy even in the midst of life's difficult circumstances. It's a life that is increasingly transformed to be more and more like Christ (Phil. 1:6). It is not a life of self-effort, struggling, striving, and rule keeping in order to get closer to God, be accepted by Him, or be blessed by Him.
Do you want to grow in your understanding from God's Word the amazing freedom and standing you have in Christ? We invite you to visit our family of faith at Grace Life Church. The articles and information at this website are here to help you live the abundant grace life that is found in Jesus Christ.
We thank God for His amazing love and grace!
"For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority."
Col. 2:9-10
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"There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God's rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from his."
Heb. 4:9-10
Through the centuries, since the beginning of the church age, legalism has been a major problem in the church. The Apostle Paul battled legalists aggressively and his sternest warnings were in situations where believers were falling into legalism (Galatians). The false belief that our self-effort and good works is the way to get God to bless us and to experience a closer relationship with Him is at the heart of legalism.
Legalism finds its strength in the pride of people who believe that what Jesus Christ accomplished through His death and resurrection wasn't enough for us, though they will never admit to that. But in reality, that's what legalism promotes - there are things we must do in order to be more accepted by God, receive blessings from Him, grow spiritually, stay in fellowship with Him, etc. The misplaced emphasis is on what we're doing for God, not on what Christ has done for us.
By adding things to the gospel of grace, legalism diminshes the work of Jesus Christ and, in essence, leads believers to bring attention and glory to themselves as they live their Christian lives through self-effort. Instead of God getting the praise and glory He rightfully deserves for the wonderful completeness of His work for us, legalists find themselves sharing in the praise and glory as they make sure they and others are busy doing things for Him. In the end, what all this activity, often motivated by self, really produces is fatigue, anxiety, and frustration because it fails to deliver any true peace and joy for believers.
Please inderstand, the activities that flow out of legalism are not the problem, it's the wrong motivation for doing them that's the problem. God is not pleased with activities and works that flow out of self-focus and self-effort - relying on ourselves rather than Christ in us. They're not good works in God's eyes. That's not being led by the Spirit (Gal. 5:18). True good works are produced in believers through the life of Christ living out through us (Gal. 5:22-23). These are good works produced by the right source (Christ) and by the right motivation (God's love and grace).
Tragically, for nearly 2,000 years, God's children in the church have been manipulated, pressured, and harassed by the pride of men using legalism as their tool to "get things done for God." It is sad to think of the countless saints who have missed out on the joy, peace, and victory that was theirs in Christ because of the heavy burden of legalism.
God has a passionate desire for us to enjoy a personal, growing, and intimate relationship with our Savior, Jesus Christ. In order for this to happen, we need to understand from God's Word the truth of who He has made us in Christ and all that we've received because we are in Christ. God wants us to rest in His wonderful grace to us!
The Bible tells us that God loves us unconditionally and that we've received the riches of His grace (Eph. 2:6-7)! We possess all of these amazing grace riches because we are in Christ and have a new identity in Christ.
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" (2 Cor. 5:17)
We are new creations in Christ! At the moment we were saved, God gave us everything we need in order to live godly lives (2 Peter 1:3). Knowing who God has made you in Christ is foundational to your spiritual growth and is absolutely vital in order to live the abundant Christian life that Jesus came to give you (John 10:10). God wants you to understand, appreciate, enjoy, and embrace your true identity in Christ. This understanding and appreciation doesn't happen all at once but, rather, it's an ongoing work of the Holy Spirit in you during your entire life as your're "transformed by the renewing of your mind" (Rom. 12:2).
God has blessed us "with every spiritual blessing in Christ" (Eph. 1:3). How amazing is that! He wants you to know all that you possess because you are in Christ and grow in that knowledge. Therefore, please go to Your Wonderful Identity In Christ to see the amazing truths from God's Word about who you really are in Christ. This is what we clearly focus on and teach at Grace Life Church.
We obey God when we rest in His Son and what He's done for us (Matt. 11:28-30). What an invitation!
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."
Matt. 11:28-40
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"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!"
2 Cor. 5:17
Many Christians today live under the bondage and frustration of trying to live the Christian life in a way that is not God's way. They believe that they can please God, receive His blessings, and grow spiritually based on their own good works.
This is not how God wants his children to live! God's Word, the Bible, tells us how we should live. Unfortunately, too many churches and ministries today do not follow the Bible as the one true source of sound doctrine that God has given to us. Instead, professing Christians and the churches they belong to have become victims to one of Satan's favorite ploys - that people find their spiritual comfort, satisfaction, and peace through church traditions, rituals, programs, and self-effort that emphasize what man can do, rather than rejoicing and resting in a personal and growing relationship with Jesus Christ. They have fallen into the trap of substituting religion for a fantastic relationship.
The Apostle Paul strongly rebuked the Galatians for this very thing. After being saved by grace through faith, they were turning away from grace and seeking to grow spiritually by self-effort and following the law.
"You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard? Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?" (Gal. 3:1-3)
The Galatians had been deceived by false teachers. They were trying to live the Christian life contrary to God's way. They were not living by grace.
Many believers today are being deceived in the same way. 
For them, the Christian life has produced more confusion and frustration than the peace and joy they believed was going to be theirs. Is this where you find yourself today? If you desire to experience the abundant life that God has provided for you in his Son, Jesus Christ, we want to help you.
We're not here to give you our opinions or the thoughts of religious scholars on this important subject. Rather, we want to give you information that you need to know in order to move forward confidently and joyfully in your walk with Christ. This information is found in the only place that you can trust in and rest in - the Bible.
The Apostle Paul, led and empowered by the Holy Spirit, gives us further insight on how to live the Christian life:
"So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness." (Col. 2:6-7)
"For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace." (Rom. 6:14)
The key to experiencing victory in your Christian life is having a biblical understanding of God's grace to you. Part of the thinking process involved in understanding and appreciating God's grace to us is knowing why you and I desperately need it. The Apostle Paul makes it clear in the book of Romans that all of us are sinners. It is only by God's grace that we can be declared righteous by our holy God.
"But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus." (Rom. 3:21-24)
"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast." (Eph. 2:8-9)
God's grace, expressed most fully in the cross-work and resurrection of His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, gives the believer complete forgiveness of all sins - past, present, and future sins. The righteousness we desperately need in order to stand before a perfectly holy God and declared "Not Guilty" of our sins is provided by God through Jesus Christ. The One who is perfectly righteous becomes our righteousness when we put our trust in Him. Once enemies of God, we now have peace with God.
"Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand." (Rom. 5:1-2)
We stand confidently in grace by faith. The only response grace will accept is faith. God's Word makes it clear that the only way a person can receive, experience, and rejoice in God's grace is through faith.
What is so wonderful about God's grace to us is that it not only gives us the only way, through faith in Jesus Christ, to have our sins forgiven and be saved, it also is God's way that we are to grow in holiness. Our salvation is accomplished by God's grace through faith in Christ and our sanctification is accomplished in the same way! Most Christians understand that they're saved by grace through faith, but don't understand that God's way for them to grow spiritually is by grace through faith. Understanding and resting in this truth is the key to experiencing victory in you Christian life.
Yes! It is vital that we understand these things as we're taught from God's Word and led by the Spirit. God's grace to us through His Son, Jesus Christ, is all that we need to live life - God's way. God's grace is not deficient in any way. Grace is God's wonderful system of operating whereby in Christ - because of His finished, all-sufficient work at the cross and His resurrection - God can graciously give us all things.
"He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all - how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things." (Rom. 8:32)
"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ." (Eph. 1:3)
All of these spiritual blessings are provided to us because we are in Christ. Every spiritual blessing you're ever going to need to live the Christian life, God has already given to you in His Son!
He gave you all these blessings the moment you trusted in Jesus Christ. Because you were put into Christ when you were saved, you possess all the blessings you'll ever need - right now!
How amazing is this grace that provides all these blessings! One amazing spiritual blessing a believer receives at the moment of salvation is a new identity.
Understanding that you have a new identity in Christ is foundational to living a victorious grace life.
"Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is a new creation." (Gal. 6:15)
Your old self has died. You are a new creation. You have a new life. You are in Christ and the life of Christ is in you. This spiritual reality in the believer is accomplished solely by God through the cross-work and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Words are inadequate to express how amazing this work of God is!
"Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life." (Rom. 6:3-4)
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" (2 Cor. 5:17)
"I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." (Gal. 2:20)
"For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God." (Col. 3:3)
These verses clearly state the new identity believers have in Christ. Because we're in Christ, we have died with Him at the cross, we were buried with Him, and we've been raised to new life with Him! Christ died for us and we died with Him!
"For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died." (2 Cor. 5:14)
The life we now live is Christ's life living in us and His life living through us in the details of our lives. We
experience victory in our lives as our faith rests in the knowledge of who we are in Christ because of what He has accomplished for us by His death at the cross and resurrection. This is the grace life God has provided for us through His Son, Jesus Christ!
"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead" (1 Peter. 1:3)
One thing that needs to be pointed out is the use of the word "baptism" in Rom. 6:3-4. Some people teach that when the word "baptism" is used in the Bible it is always referring to a water ritual. This is simply not true and is certainly not the case here. A careful reading of these verses makes it clear that the "baptism" mentioned by Paul here is a spiritual baptism. It is the work of God where we are put into Christ at the moment we put our trust in Him to save us from our sins.
The unfortunate misunderstanding many believers have about grace is that they have been led to believe that grace works best as they add their performance to it. For example, many believe they need to be water baptized in order to be saved. Obviously, an incorrect interpretation of the word "baptism" in the Bible can lead to that error. But the problem is far broader than that example. Many believers are convinced that there has to be something they have to do - some activity, ritual, experience, or work - in order to find acceptance before God and receive His blessings. However, the Bible makes it clear that grace is not earned by human performance, otherwise it wouldn't be grace.
"And if by grace, then it cannot be based on works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace." (Rom. 11:6)
Grace is not against good works. It simply does not bless us on the basis of good works. We receive blessings from God solely from being in His Son. These blessings are freely given to us in Christ and nowhere else. We are delivered from trying to "do good" and "do right" in order to be accepted by God. We are totally accepted by God because we are in Christ and He has totally accepted His Son!
In fact, the good works that the law demands, grace produces! The Apostle Paul declares that it is grace that teaches and motivates the believer to do good works.
"For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope - the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ..." (Titus 2:11-13)
One of the major impediments to spiritual growth is the idea that the successful Christian life consists simply of mastering certain principles or instructions. Many believers can't believe that obedience to God can be accomplished in any other way but by the law principle - following a set of external rules to please God. The result? Many Christians fail to experience the victory in their lives that God's grace provides.
One of the primary reasons for this is that many churches don't correctly teach the gospel of grace that the Apostle Paul clearly teaches in the Bible! They fail to teach what God is doing today in the dispensation of grace because they're not "correctly handling the word of truth" (2 Tim. 2:15).
Today, because of the finished work of Jesus Christ at Calvary, we live under the rule of grace! Grace sets us free from both sin and the law. God is not requiring us to live under the law system today. The Law was given to the nation of Israel and that system was operative for the nation of Israel from the time when God gave the Law to His people through Moses until the Holy Spirit came into the apostles at Pentecost.
Our understanding of God's amazing love and grace to us in Christ is what He uses to motivate and encourage us to live holy lives.
"For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died." (2 Cor. 5:14)
Our faith needs to rest in a correct understanding of God's Word to us. It is then that God's Word can work in us as the Holy Spirit in us uses that sound doctrine to transform our lives.
"And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is at work in you who believe." (1 Thes. 2:13)
God's Word is at work in those who believe! This is an amazing truth that should not be passed over quickly. The Bible is far more than a book of information about God. It is more than a book of information on living a life of faith and holiness. It is more than the history of God's dealings with man. It is the inerrant Word of God that work effectively in believers and transforms their lives!
God's Word tells us clearly that just as we were saved by grace through faith, we are to live by grace through faith. All of this is accomplished by God through the finished work of Jesus Christ.
Because of what Christ has done for you and me, we are new creations in Him, we are complete in Him, we have every spiritual blessing in Him, and we are seated with Him in heavenly places! This is who God says we are!
Furthermore, we have the Holy Spirit in us - permanently. Therefore, it is impossible for a believer to lose his salvation. Those who think a believer can somehow lose his or her salvation do not properly understand or appreciate God's grace to us in Christ.
God's Word also says that our old selves died with Jesus at the cross when we trusted in Him. Our lives are now His life living in us and through us, moment by moment, everyday.
Because we are in Christ, we are members of the church, the Body of Christ, a spiritual organism made up of all true believers!
There's more! We are God's children and we are saints! This is who God says we are! You are in Christ and Christ lives in you!
Trust Him. Don't live your Christian life by striving and struggling. Rest in Him. Let Him transform you!
Thank you Father, for who you have made us in your Son, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
"For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority."
Col. 2:9-10
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Grace sets us free from the bondage and frustration of trying to live the Christian life based on our performance. Unfortunately, many Christians today fall into this trap and fail to
experience the abundant life that God has already provided for them in Christ.
Even though we were once enemies of God, He provided a way for us to be reconciled to Him. By His grace, through faith in His Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, all of our sins have been forgiven, we are new creations, and we possess eternal life!
As wonderful and amazing as that is, God's grace doesn't stop there - it provides even more! Not only are we saved by grace (Eph. 2:8-9), we also grow in holiness (sanctification) by grace.
"For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say 'No' to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope - the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good." (Titus 2:11-14)
Grace doesn't give us license to sin and do as we want as some think it will do. Not at all! That's an erroneous understanding of God's grace and how it works. Rather, God's love and grace motivates and teaches us to live godly lives. The Bible makes it clear that God's grace, shown so wonderfully and perfectly through the substitutionary death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, sets us free to live life at its fullest!
Let's live how God wants us to live!
"Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is a new creation."
Gal. 6:15
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"But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code.
Rom. 7:6
Today, God is forming the church, the Body Christ. Understanding what this means for us today is fundamental to living a victorious Christian life. It is fundamental to experiencing a dynamic, personal, and growing relationship with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
"For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace." (Rom. 6:14)
"Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes." (Rom. 10:4)
These verses make it clear that law and grace are two separate ways God has dealt with man. They also indicate that at the time the Apostle Paul wrote this in his letter to the Romans, a change had taken place. People who put their trust in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins were now to live under a grace system, not a law system.
"For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ." (John 1:17)
In the Apostle John's gospel we see again that with the coming of Jesus Christ a change in the way God's people are to live in His kingdom had taken place. Christ had ushered in grace!
The two systems, law and grace, are two perfectly good systems God has used to direct, guide, and lead His people. Both are clearly found in the Bible, but they are very different. In fact, they're so different that they're totally incompatible with each other. Let's look at each system closely.
The law is a performance system. It's a system where the receiving of blessings is conditional and it is based on the proper adherence to certain standards and expectations. It is a system where the "if..... then" principle is the mode of operation. This is how God operated with the nation of Israel in the Old Testament.
"Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession." (Ex. 19:5)
"...if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land." (2 Chron. 7:14)
If Israel lived up to the mandates set by God, then the promised blessings would be received. However, if they failed to obey the mandates, then curses and judgment would follow (Deut. 28:15-68).
"However, if you do not obey the Lord your God and do not carefully follow all his commands and decrees I am giving you today, all these curses will come upon you and overtake you..." (Deut. 28:15)
The law system is a system of conditional blessings. If the nation Israel followed God's commands, blessings would follow. If the people did not, they would face curses.
Now, let’s look at grace and how it works.
"...for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus." (Rom. 3:23-24)
Grace is a free gift - it's an undeserved gift from God. Grace is a free gift system and it is just the opposite of the law system. It's a system of unconditional blessings. God's grace to us today operates solely as a result of the finished, all-sufficient work of our Lord Jesus Christ at the cross and by His resurrection.
"But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God's grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many!" (Rom. 5:15)
Romans 11:6 clearly states the impossibility of these two principles, law and grace, co-existing:
"And if by grace, then it cannot be based on works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace."
The Christian life will not operate properly if you're uninformed and it also won't work properly just because you or I want it to work a certain way. We experience the life God wants us to enjoy as we see ourselves as God sees us and understand what He is doing today in the age of grace. As believers, members of the church, the Body of Christ, we are not to live under the law or any other performance-based systems in order to get God to do something for us.
"Before this faith came, we were held prisoners by the law, locked up until faith should be revealed. So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith. Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the law." (Gal. 3:23-25)
As members of the church, the Body of Christ, "we are no longer under the supervision of the law" (Gal. 3:25). Can the Word of God be any clearer? How can this truth from the Apostle Paul be missed? One of the main purposes of the Law of Moses was to show people that they couldn't keep the law and, therefore, needed a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ! Now that faith in Christ has come, believers today are not under the law program God gave to Israel.
Paul makes it clear that God intended for the law program to be temporary. During this time period the law was in charge and had a disciplinary function in dealing with individual Israelites and the nation as a whole.
In Gal. 4:1-7 Paul continues his explanation as to why the law is not binding on Christians. He uses the example of a child who's an heir of an estate being no different than a slave because he is "subject to guardians and trustees until the time set by his father" (4:2). This child period represents the time of the law's control. During this time, people were in bondage, slaves to the "the basic principles of the world" (4:3). In this context, "the basic principles of the world" means the legalism of Judaism and may also mean all the other forms of law living found in man-made religious rules and observances in the gentile world that are not part of Judaism (also in 4:9). Then "when the time had fully come" (4:4), which indicates that the work of the law required a lengthy period of time, God sent His Son.
Believers in Christ have now received "the full rights of sons" (4:5) and are no longer slaves. Paul is describing Christians as adult sons living in a new age. Now that we have full sonship status in Christ, the authority of guardians and trustees (the Mosaic Law) has ended. We no longer need the law to guide us, lead us, or discipline us. The law's guardianship ended when "God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts" (4:6). Our slavery to the law has ended! We have been set free from the authority of the law and Christ is now our teacher. Christ now teaches us about grace!
Because our relationship to God radically changed when we believed in Christ, we have the great joy and privilege to live under a new and better program through Jesus Christ - grace!
"For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace." (Rom. 6:14)
"When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross." (Col. 2:13-14)
The law code that God gave to Israel is not for believers in Christ! It is not for the church! God canceled the written code, took it away, and nailed it to the cross! We have died to the law (Rom. 7:4) and all the commands that are part of the law.
"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. (Gal. 5:1)
The "yoke of slavery" Paul is referring to is the law. The law was put in charge to lead us to Christ. Now that Christ has set us free from the law, why go back and live by it again? Just as we are saved by grace through faith, we are to live by grace through faith!
God's Word tells us we have died to the law and are now alive with Christ. What a wonderful thing - to have Christ living in us and to be alive with Him! Trusting and resting in all that Christ accomplished for us at the cross and the work of the Spirit of Christ living in us gives the Holy Spirit the freedom to produce the Christian character in us and good works we have been created for."So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature." (Gal. 5:16)
The godly character God wants to build in your life is produced by the Holy Spirit, not self-effort. Just as, by faith, we trusted in Christ for our justification, we are to, by faith, trust in Christ for our progressive sanctification. God wants us to trust Him to do the things in us He says in His Word He will do.
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control. Against such things there is no law." (Gal. 5:22-23)
"...filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ - to the glory and praise of God." (Phil. 1:11)
We must understand and rest in the fact that we died to the law and any other kind of law system when we died with Christ at the cross. Only God's grace through the life of Christ in us can form in us the increasing godliness that we desire.
"So, my brothers, YOU ALSO DIED TO THE LAW through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit to God."
Rom. 7:4
"For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."
Eph. 2:10
When we read the Old Testament and see how God led and directed his chosen people, Israel, it's hard to miss that God is definitely doing something new today in the lives of believers as He builds His church, the Body of Christ. We see that God has a new program in place today and that plan has been in operation for nearly 2000 years! "Surely you have heard about the administration of God's grace that was given to me for you, that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly. In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to men in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God's holy apostles and prophets. This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus." (Eph. 3:2-6)
This new program started at Pentecost, shortly after our risen Lord ascended to heaven. On that incredible day, God began forming His church, the Body of Christ, when the Holy Spirit came to indwell the apostles. Now God would indwell people of faith permanently and join them to a new spiritual organism - the Body of Christ!
The Apostle Paul called this new program, the church, a "mystery" hidden from past generations:
"Although I am less than the least of all God's people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things." (Eph. 3:8-9)
God instituted this new grace program, not because the law program was bad or didn't work, but because it was time for His wonderful, eternal plan of grace, through His Son, Jesus Christ, to come on the world scene. It was all according to God's perfect plan in God's perfect timing! Paul tells us the purpose of this "mystery" now revealed:
"His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, according to his eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Eph. 3:10-11)
It is clear from Paul that God's calling out of the church was a heavenly calling with heavenly purposes. Just as God has a plan on the earth through the nation Israel, he has a plan in the heavenly realms through the church, the Body of Christ.
Is God through with national Israel? No! Paul, writing about Israel in his epistle to the Romans, tells us that God's program for Israel has been temporarily set aside while He is forming the church:
"Again I ask: Did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? Not at all! Rather, because of their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel envious. But if their transgression means riches for the world, and their loss means riches for the Gentiles, how much greater riches will their fullness bring!" (Rom. 11:11-12)
Later, Paul further drives home the point that God is not done with national Israel:
"I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in. And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: 'The deliverer will come from Zion; he will turn godlessness away from Jacob. And this is my covenant with them when I take away their sins.'" (Rom. 11:25-27)
It's hard to miss from these verses that Israel has a future - and a very bright one! When Jesus returns to rule on the earth, Israel will not reject Him again. Instead, when Jesus returns to set up his kingdom, national Israel will repent, turn to Him, and be saved. The kingdom prophecies in the Old Testament will all be fulfilled as the King rules from David's throne on the earth.
It's clear that the God's program for Israel and His program for the church are two distinct programs in the outworking of His purposes that are all for His glory. Understanding the difference between God's program and purpose for the nation Israel and His program and purpose for the church is critical to understanding your Bible. It is also critical for correctly understanding and appreciating what God is doing today in the dispensation of grace as He forms the church. Furthermore, it is foundational in avoiding confusion and frustration in your walk with Christ. That's why our ministry emphasizes the importance of properly understanding the Bible (2 Tim. 2:15) and believe that dispensational Bible study is the key to accomplishing this.
The Bible shows us that God has progressively revealed himself to humanity through different dispensations, or administrations, which also involved God establishing relationships with people through covenants. God's wonderful grace is evident throughout the entire Bible - both in the Old and New Testaments. However, His grace is so majestic and radiant through the earthly appearance, ministry, cross-work, and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, that it is accurate to designate the age in which we now live as a special and unique outpouring of God's grace to us.
What amazing grace! Praise our Lord Jesus Christ forever!
"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ." (Eph. 1:3)
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"We know that the law is good if one uses it properly. We also know that law is not made for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious; for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers, for adulterers and perverts, for slave traders and liars and perjurers - and for whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine that conforms to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which he entrusted to me."
1 Tim. 1:8-11
If you really think about it, this shouldn't come as a surprise. Since believers still have a sin nature and live in a sinful world, we have a natural bent to trust in what we can do to please God rather than in what God has done for us and promises to do. This is legalism.
When Christians try to live the Christian life by following the Mosaic law or any other performance-based system, they are basically saying that what Jesus Christ accomplished through His death and resurrection wasn't enough. They are saying that Christ alone is not sufficient. They are saying that the Holy Spirit needs help. The source of power in legalism is the sinful pride of man.
The Apostle Paul aggresively opposed legalism throughout his ministry. Why? Because he knew that legalism diminished the work of Christ and was not the way God wants His children to live.
Please read the above verses from 1 Timothy again. Can God's Word be any clearer? The law is not for the righteous. Who are the righteous? Believers in Jesus Christ are the righteous! They have the perfect righteousness of the Son of God because He is in us and we are in Him. Therefore, the law is not for members of the church, the Body of Christ!
"It is because of him (God) that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God - that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption ." (1 Cor. 1:30)
"For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit." (Rom. 8:3-4)
The righteous requirements of the law have been completely met in believers today. Since believers have the perfect righteousness of Christ, the law is not for them.
Who is the law for? The lost. They are the unrighteous. They're not righteous because they've not received the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ.
The law is designed to convict the unbeliever, through the ministry of the Holy Spirit, that he or she has a sin problem, is an enemy of God, and is destined to experience eternal separation from God in hell. This work of the Spirit is also designed to lead unbelievers to the humble realization that there is only one solution to their sin problem - receiving Jesus Christ as personal Savior for the forgiveness of their sins.
The Bible is very clear. Our heavenly Father does not want His children to live under the Law of Moses. He gave the Law to Israel, not the church (Rom. 9:4)! Unfortunately, most Christians don't live totally free from the law or some other performance system. As a result, they fail to experience the abundant grace life that God has already given to them in His Son.
The Mosaic Law was just one of several law codes God has given people throughout human history. Adam and Eve lived under a law code in the Garden of Eden. Noah had to follow the laws of God in his age, so there was a code he lived under. Later, Abraham was required to obey certain commands and laws (Gen. 26:5). He lived under what is sometimes called the Abrahamic code.
As members of the church, the Body of Christ, we don't live under any of these law codes or any other law codes.
"For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace." (Rom. 6:14)
This verse makes it clear that law and grace are two separate ways God has dealt with man. It also indicates that at the time the Apostle Paul wrote this in his letter to the Romans that a change had taken place. People who put their trust in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins were now under a grace system, not a law system.
The two systems, law and grace, are two perfectly good systems. Both are clearly found in the Bible, but they are very different. In fact, they're so different that they're totally incompatible with each other. Let's look at each system closely.
The law is a performance system. It's a system where the receiving of blessings is conditional and it is based on the proper adherence to certain standards and expectations. It is a system where the "if..... then" principle is the mode of operation. This is how God operated with the nation of Israel in the Old Testament.
"Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession." (Ex. 19:5)
"...if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land." (2 Chron. 7:14)
If Israel lived up to the mandates set by God, then the promised blessings would be received. However, if they failed to obey the mandates, then curses and judgment would follow (Deut. 28:15-68).
"However, if you do not obey the Lord your God and do not carefully follow all his commands and decrees I am giving you today, all these curses will come upon you and overtake you..." (Deut. 28:15)
The law system is a system of conditional blessings. If the nation Israel followed God's commands, blessings would follow. If the people did not, they would face curses.
The law is good and holy. The problem is not with the law but the fact that we can't keep it. The law can't produce holiness in us. Rather, God gave the law to Israel to show the Israelites that they had a major sin problem and no amount of animal sacrifices would be enough to effectively and finally deal with sin. The law exposes sin for what it is and was given by God to lead people to look to Him for a solution. The law is designed to lead people to Jesus Christ.
Now, let’s look at grace and how it works.
"...for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus." (Rom. 3:23-24)
Grace is a free gift - it's an undeserved gift from God. Grace is a free gift system and it is just the opposite of the law system. It is a system of unconditional blessings. God's grace to us today operates solely as a result of the finished, all-sufficient work of our Lord Jesus Christ at the cross and by His resurrection.
"But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God's grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many!" (Rom. 5:15)
Romans 11:6 clearly states the impossibility of these two principles, law and grace, co-existing:
"And if by grace, then it cannot be based on works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace."
The Christian life will not operate properly on the basis of being uninformed and it also won't work properly just because you or I want it to work a certain way. We experience the life God wants us to enjoy as we see ourselves as God sees us and understand what He is doing today in the dispensation of grace. As believers, members of the church, the Body of Christ, we are not to live under the law or any other performance-based system.
"Before this faith came, we were held prisoners by the law, locked up until faith should be revealed. So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith. Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the law." (Gal. 3:23-25)
As members of the church, the Body of Christ, "we are no longer under the supervision of the law" (Gal. 3:25). Can the Word of God be any clearer? How can this truth from the Apostle Paul be missed? One of the main purposes of the Law of Moses was to show people that they couldn't keep the law and, therefore, needed a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ! Now that faith in Christ has come, believers today are not under the law program God gave to Israel.
Paul makes it clear that God intended for the law program to be temporary. During this time period the law was in charge and had a disciplinary function in dealing with individual Israelites and the nation as a whole.
In Gal. 4:1-7 Paul continues his explanation as to why the law is not binding on Christians. He uses the example of a child who's an heir of an estate being no different than a slave because he is "subject to guardians and trustees until the time set by his father" (4:2). This child period represents the time of the law's control. During this time, people were in bondage, slaves to the "the basic principles of the world" (4:3). In this context, "the basic principles of the world" means the legalism of Judaism and may also mean all the other forms of law living found in man-made religious rules and observances in the gentile world that are not part of Judaism (also in 4:9). Then "when the time had fully come" (4:4), which indicates that the work of the law required a lengthy period of time, God sent His Son.
Believers in Christ have now received "the full rights of sons" (4:5) and are no longer slaves. Paul is describing Christians as adult sons living in a new age. Now that we have full sonship status in Christ, the authority of guardians and trustees (the Mosaic Law) has ended. We no longer need the law to guide us, lead us, or discipline us. The law's guardianship ended when "God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts" (4:6). Our slavery to the law has ended! We have been set free from the authority of the law and Christ is now our teacher. Christ now teaches us about grace!
Because our relationship to God radically changed when we believed in Christ, we have the great joy and privilege to live under a new and better program through Jesus Christ - grace!
"For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace." (Rom. 6:14)
"When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross." (Col. 2:13-14)
The law code that God gave to Israel is not for people in Christ! It is not for the church! God canceled the written code, took it away, and nailed it to the cross! We have died to the law (Rom. 7:4) and all the commands that are part of the law.
"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. (Gal. 5:1)
The "yoke of slavery" Paul is referring to is the law. The law was put in charge to lead us to Christ. Now that Christ has set us free from the law, why go back and live by it again? Just as we are saved by grace through faith, we are to live by grace through faith!
The law is holy and good - but it's not for believers today. The law is for unbelievers - to expose their sinfulness and lead them to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
God's Word tells us we have died to the law and are now alive with Christ. What a wonderful thing - to have Christ living in us and to be alive with Him! Trusting and resting in all that Christ accomplished for us at the cross and the work of the Spirit of Christ living in us gives the Holy Spirit the freedom to produce the Christian character in us and good works we have been created for.
"So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature." (Gal. 5:16)
The godly character God wants to build in your life is produced by the Holy Spirit, not self-effort. Just as, by faith, we trusted in Christ for our justification, we are to, by faith, trust in Christ for our progressive sanctification. God wants us to trust Him to do the things in us He says in His Word He will do.
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control. Against such things there is no law." (Gal. 5:22-23)
"...filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ - to the glory and praise of God." (Phil. 1:11)
We must understand and trust in the fact that we died to the law and any other kind of law system when we died with Christ at the cross. We must rest in this spiritual truth from God's word. Only God's grace, through the life of Christ in us, can form in us the increasing godliness that we desire and have been created for (Eph. 2:10).
"The former regulation is set aside because it was weak and useless (for the law made nothing perfect), and a better hope is introduced, by which we draw near to God."
Heb. 7:18-19
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"I want you to know, brothers, that the gospel I preached is not something that man made up. I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ."
Gal. 1:11-12
Why did the risen Lord Jesus Christ reach down from heaven to save His primary human adversary, Saul of Tarsus, and then make him Paul the Apostle who would go on to author 13 out of the 27 New Testament Books?
The answer to this question provides us with great insight into God's wonderful salvation plan in operation today in God's program for us today. The following verses help us find the answer:
"I am talking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch as I am the apostle to the Gentiles, I make much of my ministry in the hope that I may somehow arouse my own people to envy and save some of them." (Rom. 11:13)
"I want you to know, brothers, that the gospel I preached is not something that man made up. I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ." (Gal. 1:11-12)
"Surely you have heard about the administration of God's grace that was given to me for you, that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly. In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to men in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God's holy apostles and prophets. This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus." (Eph. 3:2-6)
The Apostle Paul was the only apostle called from the glory of heaven by the risen Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord also gave him a different commission than the one given to the other apostles. He was sent to preach the gospel of God's grace to the Gentiles (Gal. 2:1-9). That's us!
Furthermore, it is important to know that it's primarily in Paul's letters that the believer can most fully learn the "the riches of God's grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding" (Eph. 1:7-8). It is in Paul's epistles that we can understand exactly what God is doing today in the dispensation of grace, or the Church Age. It is the Apostle Paul, who calls himself a servant of the church, who tells us in wonderful detail about our true identity in Christ and the rich spiritual blessings we possess as members of the church, the Body of Christ.
"I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness - the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints. To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory." (Col. 1:25-27)
Since the day of Pentecost and right up to today, God has been forming the church, the Body of Christ, a spiritual organism that all believers are joined to! Paul received this revelation directly from the risen Christ and in Eph. 3:3 refers to this as "the mystery of Christ" now revealed. In fact, Paul makes it clear that the gospel he preached was not given to him from any person and that he wasn't taught it.
"I want you to know, brothers, that the gospel I preached is not something that man made up. I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ." (Gal. 1:11-12)
Paul was a unique apostle. He didn't even qualify as an apostle according the clear qualifications found in Acts 1:21-22! God gave him a new gospel to preach. God commissioned Paul to proclaim Jesus Christ "according to the revelation of the mystery hidden for long ages past, but now revealed and made known..." (Rom. 16:25-25).
One aspect of "the mystery" that God revealed to the Apostle Paul is that God's program for His chosen people, Israel, had been set aside. It had been interrupted by a new program that was part of God's wonderful salvation plan for the world from eternity past. God’s program for the nation of Israel is separate and distinct from the program in effect today in the dispensation of grace.
This new "mystery program started at Pentecost, after Jesus had ascended into heaven, when the Holy Spirit came and filled the Apostles (Acts 2). This was the beginning of the church, the Body of Christ. It was the first time God, through the Person of the Holy Spirit, would come to live permanently inside people. This is the amazing indwelling ministry of the Holy Spirit! The spirit of Christ lives in all believers through the Person and presence of the Holy Spirit!
Understanding this fundamental dispensational issue is the key to experiencing victory in your Christian life. It's fundamental to correctly understanding your Bible. God's wonderful grace program that was instituted through the all-sufficient work of His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, is the program and rule of life for the believer today. We live in the age of amazing grace! God’s grace has set us free!
"For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace." (Rom. 6:14)
"In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence." (Eph. 3:12)
It's in Paul's letters that we learn in great detail the amazing truths about what God provides for His children, through His Son, Jesus Christ. Paul wonderfully teaches us about the riches of God's grace to us!
"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ." (Eph. 1:3)
"I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." (Gal. 2:20)
"For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority." (Col. 2:9-10)
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" (2 Cor. 5:17)
You need to know the fantastic news that in Christ God has given you a new identity! The moment you trusted the Lord Jesus Christ and his work at the cross for the forgiveness of your sins, you became a new creation. The Bible also says we are complete in Christ. All that God is able to give us He has already given to us who are in Christ! We don’t have to work and strive to receive spiritual blessings from God our Father. He has already given to us all the spiritual blessings He can give us because we are in His Son!
God wants us to rest in a clear understanding of our new identity in His Son. He wants us to rest in His Word to us. His Word tells us exactly how He sees us.
"To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory." (Col. 1:27)
Rather than seeing yourself inaccurately as you may often do based on your fleeting feelings that are unreliable, or how others wrongly see you, why not see yourself as God sees you? Why not rest and rejoice in your new identity in Christ? Seeing yourself as God sees you will radically change your life. Understanding that, as a believer, you possess perfect righteousness because you have the perfect righteousness of the Son of God, sets you free to live the abundant life God wants you to live.
The Apostle Paul was saved completely by God's grace. After his salvation, his apostolic ministry of proclaiming the gospel of grace to the Gentiles as the apostle to the Gentiles, was motivated by God's love and grace to him (2 Cor. 5:14). What a change from the man who, prior to his salavation, agressively worked to destroy the church! He's a wonderful example to us today of the transforming power of God's incredible grace! Paul's life shows the world that God's grace can reach, save, and transform even the worst of us.
Praise God forever for his love and wisdom!
"Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life."
Rom. 6:3-4
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"See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ."
Col. 2:8
Did you know that God actually wants you to enjoy your Christian life? Christ invites us to a close and joyful relationship with Him (Matt. 11:28-30). This may surprise you, but living the Christian life is really not as complicated as many people make it out to be. Unfortunately, the sad reality is that for many believers it is just that - complicated, frustrating, and burdensome.
How has this happened to so a many of God's children in His church today? I believe the primary reason for this problem is that many Christians have been taught the wrong way to live the Christian life! Many churches today are leading God's children into bondage by teaching various forms of law and rule living. They are taught that this is God's way for them to be accepted and blessed by Him. They are taught that this the way to be obedient to God. However, nothing could be further from the truth!
This false teaching, commonly known as legalism, leads many believers astray. It can be direct, but it's often subtle. However it's promoted, it effectively sucks the joy out of being a child of God and puts believers on a path of confusion and frustration.
Legalism emphasizes and promotes what man can do for God in order to get something from Him, which can include God's favor, more blessings, and even added salvation security. The foundation of legalism is found in the sinful pride of man and the belief that we need to do things for God in order for God to do things for us. The tragic result of this kind of teaching is that it diminishes all that our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, has done for us.
Legalism says that though God has done a lot for us through Jesus Christ, it wasn't enough. There are things we now need to do and accomplish for God. Though legalists will never admit to this, law living, in its essence, promotes the idea that the cross work and resurrection of Jesus Christ aren't enough for people to be saved and/or live godly lives! What results is that in churches all over the world today, many believers, who earnestly want to serve the Lord well, find themselves under the yoke of performance-based systems in order to be accepted and blessed by God. This is not God's way to live the Christian life!
This error has been a significant problem in the church ever since it began nearly 2000 years ago. The Apostle Paul addressed the seriousness of this error in his letter to the Galatians and constantly confronted it throughout his ministry (Gal. 3:1-3; 5:1,18). In fact, a primary focus of Paul's ministry was to help believers avoid the error of following the Mosaic Law or any other rule systems devised by men in order to live their Christian lives. Paul hated legalism. He wanted believers to clearly understand, appreciate, and rejoice in all that Jesus Christ had done for them. He wanted them to know their new identity in Christ. Paul wanted believers to rest in the wonderful grace of God and enjoy a wonderful relationship with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Our church wants to help people avoid the plethora of false teaching connected with legalism. We want to help you experience the abundant life (John 10:10) that Christ has provided for you and wants you to enjoy as you rest in God's amazing grace. Christ has set you free from the Law and the power of sin. Now, you can live a confident and joyful Christian life!
Therefore, choosing the right church to help you grow spiritually in your relationship with Jesus Christ is a very important decision. It must be made carefully. Of course, we'd love for you to become part of our church family here at Grace Life Church, where we clearly proclaim Jesus Christ and the gospel of God's grace. However, since we minister to people all over the world through this website, we recognize that many people are just too far away to join us. Therefore, we want to provide you with some important information that can help you find a good church to belong to - a church where the focus is on Jesus Christ and what He's done, and where living the grace life is clearly proclaimed.
Below is a general comparison between what a law-oriented, or legalistic church, looks like and what a grace church looks like. Of course, there are degrees and nuances for both kinds of churches. If you're looking for a church, this is a general guide to help you avoid legalistic churches and find one that focuses on grace. However, let me warn you - many pastors today promote legalism in one form or another.
If you discover that you're in a legalistic church, I strongly encourage you to leave and find another fellowship. It may not be easy, particularly if you've been part of one for a long time, but it needs to be done. A close and growing relationship with Jesus Christ, as well as your spiritual growth (and your family's), are at stake. You don't want to compromise on that.
LAW CHURCH - GRACE CHURCH COMPARISON
A law church teaches that all your past sins were forgiven by God when you were saved, but in order to have the sins you commit today and in the future forgiven you must confess them to God and then He will forgive you. A law church may also teach that all your sins were forgiven by God when you were saved, but you still need to confess your sins to God in order to stay in fellowship with Him. Law churches that are even more extreme believe that you never reach a point of being completely saved. They teach that you need to regularly confess your sins to a priest or God in order to be forgiven and you must do good works in order to improve your spiritual position before God.
A grace church teaches that all your sins - past, present, and future - were forgiven by God when you were saved (Eph. 1:7; Col. 2:13). You're always in fellowship with God because you are in Christ.
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A law church teaches or subtlely implies that even though you are now saved, it is possible for you to lose your salvation by committing a certain sin or sins, or living some type of sinful lifestyle. A law church does not clearly teach that believers are eternally secure in Christ.
A grace church clearly teaches that believers are eternally secure in Christ (Rom. 8:35-39; Eph. 1:13-14). A believer cannot lose his salvation because he is in Christ and cannot lose that wonderful position.
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A law church teaches that in order for you to be more accepted and/or more blessed by God you must do things for Him. This can include more praying, doing more things in the church (join a committee, join a small group, work in the nursery, etc.), tithe (give at least 10% of your gross or net income), and the list goes on.
A grace church teaches that you already are completely accepted by God and fully blessed by Him because you are in Jesus Christ (Rom. 15:7; Eph. 1:3).
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A law church will focus a lot of it's preaching and teaching based on people and events in the Old Testament. This will lead people to more likely live their Christian lives based on the Law of Moses that God gave to the nation Israel, a law system that does not apply to believers today as members of the church, the Body of Christ. Furthermore, a lot of the New Testament teaching will be based on the gospels where the Law is still God's program for Israel. The age of grace and the unique, detailed teaching involved with living under grace do not begin until after the resurrection of Jesus.
A grace church spends a lot of time in the New Testament, particularly in Paul's epistles, where we learn all the unique and wonderful information about what God is doing today in the age of grace, or the church age, as He forms the Body of Christ. Since believers today are "not under law, but under grace" (Rom. 6:14), a good grace church will focus much of its preaching and teaching on what God is doing today, not on what He was doing through Israel before the cross. A good grace church will teach out of the Old Testament, but will do its best to make clear what parts have application for believers today and what parts do not.
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A law church is usually very busy and proud of it. There tends to be a strong focus on all the things that are being done for God.
A grace church may or may not be busy, but the focus is clearly on Jesus Christ and all that He's done and what He is doing today in and through believers as He forms the church, the Body of Christ.
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A law church often leads its people to feel like they're not doing enough for God. This often results in them also feeling beat up and guilty because they're constantly being told (directly or subtlely) that they need to do more.
A grace church leads its people to understand and appreciate all that God has done for them. They are taught to trust that the life of Christ in them and living out through them will produce true good works as they walk by faith (Eph. 1:3; 2:10; Col. 2:6-7). People are encouraged to get involved in various ministry opportunities as the Spirit leads them.
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In a law church attending services regularly is not enough. There is something more you need to do regularly in order to be "following the program" (attend Sunday school, join a small group, clean the church, etc.). Again, the attitude and motivation is the problem, not the activites themselves. Rather than trusting in the Spirit to guide and lead people to serve and get involved in various ways, a law church uses subtle forms of coercion, which often stir up feelings of guilt, to get people to do things. The leaders usually fear that if they don't use these approaches, ministries may fail and things won't get done. Things must be done!
In a grace church the people are taught and encouraged to rely on the Spirit in them to lead them to how they may want to serve in the body. The ministries and activites that exist are a result of people having an inner desire to be involved with them - no pressure involved. Opportunites to serve will be communicated to the people, but in a way that won't leave people feeling that they have to do them in order to be accepted and considered a good member of the church. Grace-filled communication is the key.
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A law church will tend to develop ministries and devise programs in order to attract people to the church and/or keep people from leaving. There tends to be a focus and on how to grow the church numerically.
A grace church rests in the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ and the ministry of the Holy Spirit in believers to attract people to the church and to grow them spiritually. No strategies or programs are used to accomplish this. The size of the church is a work of God and He will grow it as the Spirit guides and leads.
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In a law church some people get upset and complain when things aren't done a certain way or things are changed. This is not surprising because of the focus that is put on doing things for God.
In a grace church it is much less likely that people will get upset when things are changed or not done a certain way because the focus is on what Christ has done and what He's doing.
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I hope this information helpful. There are many wonderful churches out there that understand God's grace, teach it clearly, and build up the saints on the foundation of God's love and grace. It is my hope and prayer that you are part of one - a church that boldly proclaims Jesus Christ and the wonderful gospel of grace. Remember, Christ is your life (Col. 3:3-4) and He is all that you need!
"Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ."
Col. 2:16-17
