Unfettered Grace.
To properly interpret the Bible it is essential to understand that every passage should be viewed through the lens of Jesus Christ..in other words through the framework of GRACE.
The mixing of law and grace proponents believe that salvation is by grace but the maintaing of that salvation needs salvation's grace to be balanced with something. The question is what should grace be balanced with?
The common suggested counterbalance is obedience to the law. Does the bible teach that grace should be balanced with obedience?
My take on grace plus something is not grace at all, therefore grace cannot be balanced with something. I believe unfettered grace is the correct biblical concept to embrace.
The fearers of radical grace maintain that that grace only people make light of the sin problem that plagues the community of humanity. But in actual fact, grace only is the only remedy for the forgiveness of sin and for overcoming the devastation, seriousness and pervasiveness of sin. Thus, grace should not be polluted or weakened by balancing it with anything.
I acknowledge that submission and obedience is biblical...not to the rules and regulations of religion, but to Jesus! Living a life of disobedience is not a grace teaching.
The balancing act put on by grace plus-ers is the means they use to live in obedience by their trying to live above sin. The fact is we do not have, in and of ourselves, the ability not to sin or to be obedient. In fact, in our own natural ability, we are just as incapable of obeying as we were before we became a member of the community of the redeemed. What we were in our natural selves (our flesh) did not change one iota once we were saved.
The fact is...The way to live in obedience is to rest in God's grace.
Grace is the overwhelming pattern of the Epistles. In fact, the word grace is the most emphasized word in the New Testament.
The introductions to Paul’s epistles, there is an interesting pattern in his use of the word grace, which is not surprising being that Paul was the recipient of the grace gospel of Jesus Christ.
Romans: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
I Corinthians: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
II Corinthians: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Galatians: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Ephesians: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Philippians: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Colossians: Grace to you and peace from God our Father.
I Thessalonians: Grace to you and peace.
II Thessalonians: Grace to you and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
I Timothy: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
II Timothy: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
Titus: Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior.
Philemon: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
The pattern is obvious; Paul begins every epistle with Grace and peace; so what is he emphasizing?
Notice the same pattern in the closing to Paul’s epistles, as follows:
Romans: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.
I Corinthians: The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you.
II Corinthians: The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of Holy Spirit, be with you all.
Galatians: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brethren. Amen.
Ephesians: Grace be with all those who love our Lord Jesus Christ with incorruptible love.
Philippians: The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.
Colossians: Grace be with you.
I Thessalonians: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
II Thessalonians: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.
I Timothy: Grace be with you.
II Timothy: Grace be with you.
Titus: Grace be with you all.
Philemon: The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.
What Paul is emphasizing...grace in every greeting and in every closing.
Peter also stressed grace:
I Peter introduction: May grace and peace be yours in the fullest measure.
II Peter introduction: Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.
II Peter closing: Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
The writings of both Paul and Peter were not only sandwiched between grace...the content between the grace beginning and ending also emphasized grace!
People in the community of the redeemed at Corinth demonstrated the grossest kind of immorality. And in Galatia, there were professing members of the community of the redeemed who were in danger of abandoning Jesus' grace message and going back to the religion of Judaism. Would you not agree that such activity was an abuse of grace? But, does Paul judge and condemn them? No...He gives them more grace!
The grace plus-ers of today would say..."it is unbalanced grace that caused these people to sin, they needed to laws and rules to obey." Yet Paul emphasized grace all the more.
Jesus is the vine, we are the branches, the sap that runs through the vine is grace, and we will only bear fruit if we allow that grace sap to flow through us the branches, then we will yield the fruit of obedience.
"Where sin abounded...grace did much more abound."
Grace, Grace God's Grace..Grace that is Greater than ALL our SIN.
GRACE is the believers GREAT ENABLER to LIVE HOLY!
The mixing of law and grace proponents believe that salvation is by grace but the maintaing of that salvation needs salvation's grace to be balanced with something. The question is what should grace be balanced with?
The common suggested counterbalance is obedience to the law. Does the bible teach that grace should be balanced with obedience?
My take on grace plus something is not grace at all, therefore grace cannot be balanced with something. I believe unfettered grace is the correct biblical concept to embrace.
The fearers of radical grace maintain that that grace only people make light of the sin problem that plagues the community of humanity. But in actual fact, grace only is the only remedy for the forgiveness of sin and for overcoming the devastation, seriousness and pervasiveness of sin. Thus, grace should not be polluted or weakened by balancing it with anything.
I acknowledge that submission and obedience is biblical...not to the rules and regulations of religion, but to Jesus! Living a life of disobedience is not a grace teaching.
The balancing act put on by grace plus-ers is the means they use to live in obedience by their trying to live above sin. The fact is we do not have, in and of ourselves, the ability not to sin or to be obedient. In fact, in our own natural ability, we are just as incapable of obeying as we were before we became a member of the community of the redeemed. What we were in our natural selves (our flesh) did not change one iota once we were saved.
The fact is...The way to live in obedience is to rest in God's grace.
Grace is the overwhelming pattern of the Epistles. In fact, the word grace is the most emphasized word in the New Testament.
The introductions to Paul’s epistles, there is an interesting pattern in his use of the word grace, which is not surprising being that Paul was the recipient of the grace gospel of Jesus Christ.
Romans: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
I Corinthians: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
II Corinthians: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Galatians: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Ephesians: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Philippians: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Colossians: Grace to you and peace from God our Father.
I Thessalonians: Grace to you and peace.
II Thessalonians: Grace to you and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
I Timothy: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
II Timothy: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
Titus: Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior.
Philemon: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
The pattern is obvious; Paul begins every epistle with Grace and peace; so what is he emphasizing?
Notice the same pattern in the closing to Paul’s epistles, as follows:
Romans: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.
I Corinthians: The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you.
II Corinthians: The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of Holy Spirit, be with you all.
Galatians: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brethren. Amen.
Ephesians: Grace be with all those who love our Lord Jesus Christ with incorruptible love.
Philippians: The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.
Colossians: Grace be with you.
I Thessalonians: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
II Thessalonians: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.
I Timothy: Grace be with you.
II Timothy: Grace be with you.
Titus: Grace be with you all.
Philemon: The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.
What Paul is emphasizing...grace in every greeting and in every closing.
Peter also stressed grace:
I Peter introduction: May grace and peace be yours in the fullest measure.
II Peter introduction: Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.
II Peter closing: Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
The writings of both Paul and Peter were not only sandwiched between grace...the content between the grace beginning and ending also emphasized grace!
People in the community of the redeemed at Corinth demonstrated the grossest kind of immorality. And in Galatia, there were professing members of the community of the redeemed who were in danger of abandoning Jesus' grace message and going back to the religion of Judaism. Would you not agree that such activity was an abuse of grace? But, does Paul judge and condemn them? No...He gives them more grace!
The grace plus-ers of today would say..."it is unbalanced grace that caused these people to sin, they needed to laws and rules to obey." Yet Paul emphasized grace all the more.
Jesus is the vine, we are the branches, the sap that runs through the vine is grace, and we will only bear fruit if we allow that grace sap to flow through us the branches, then we will yield the fruit of obedience.
"Where sin abounded...grace did much more abound."
Grace, Grace God's Grace..Grace that is Greater than ALL our SIN.
GRACE is the believers GREAT ENABLER to LIVE HOLY!
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