Godliness Without Religious Ruling.
When
believers focus on obeying rules to be accepted by God so religion
will accept them, rather than focusing on God's Amazing Grace, it
tells people that what they do or don't do is more important to God
that who they are.
The
fact of the matter is rules are not what a relationship with God is
about! God has done all that is required to gain and maintain a
relationship with Him through the finished work of Jesus...God is
interested in a relationship based on what Jesus has done...not on
what man can do.
I
wonder does God ever get frustrated at His children for taking His
grace-based loving relationship and building a wall of baseless rules
around it? Religion quantifies, codifies and classifies grace until
it is more about us and the do's and don'ts than about God.
When
people establish rules because they are fearful that people will sin,
they end up adding to grace which nullifies grace completely. No
amount of rules made because of the fear people will sin can redeem
people, in fact, the fear of failure adds fuel to the vehicle of
self-fulfilling prophecy and feeds people's appetite to sin. We focus
on what we want to avoid so much that it draws us into doing what we
do not want to do like a magnet draws iron filings.
In
trying to obey rules to avoid sinning, we bypass the only means of
power to enable us to avoid sin...Grace. It is the Love and Grace of
God that motivates us to live a godly life because grace draws us
close to Jesus. As we grow in our relationship with Him we become
more like Him and want Him to do His work through us for the
extension of His kingdom.
Once
you smell the aroma and taste the delicacy of God's Amazing Grace and
Love, sin holds no drawing card to sinning!
Rules
will stop us from associating with, making friends with and eating
with out-and-out sinners...Grace on the other hand risks the frontal
attack of the law-keepers...Grace sacrifices its schedule to help
hurting people and doesn't allow the self-righteous luxury of
spiritual aloofness...Grace does not so focus on the doing of good
deeds to the degree that it causes one to judge or condemn
people...people are the most important thing to God.
I noticed that there are no Scriptures in this post. That`s because there are no Scriptures to support it. Since all Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for correction and reprove can I as a brother to brother provide a little correction?
ReplyDeleteYou say and I quote, We focus on what we want to avoid so much that it draws us into doing what we do not want to do like a magnet draws iron filings.
Paul says in Rom 7:20,21 20 Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
21 I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.
I quess if modern day grace preachers were around in Paul`s day they would tell him, Paul you are too sin conscious you are focusing too much on what you want to avoid.
Then Paul would come back and say such things as we are to purge ourselves and flee youthful lust, but we are to follow righteousness, faith, charity, and peace with a pure heart. (2 Tim. 2:21,22) Then the grace teachers would answer back and say no Paul there is no do`s and don`s. Don`t you know that you are under grace. It is what Christ as done not what you do.
Then Paul would say I have to cast down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;(2Cor.10:5)
I got a feeling that Paul would also say I have to walk to please God and abound more and more and I have to abstain from fornication:(1Thes 4:1-3)
1 Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more.
2 For ye know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus.
3 For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication:
But some would tell Paul you cannot do anything to please God it is not what you do but what Christ has done or has I read where one modern day grace preacher said, It is high time the church gets delivered from God pleasing.(Crowder in his book Mystical Union)
Probably I should use one more of Paul`s answers. I can see Paul saying I`m not suppose to let sin reign in my mortal body, that I should obey it in the lusts thereof. But Paul you should accept the grace message and everything would be taken care of.
Hubert I have indicated with brackets and capital letters what is biblical for you because for you to say that it is not biblical is indicative of your ignorance of scripture. If you cannot see in the scripture that the keeping of rules is the way to be accepted by God instead of by His Grace and His Grace alone, as well as the others I have indicated...then you need to change the book you uses as a Bible for the written word of God, or repent of your blindness so the scales can fall from your eyes so you can see Jesus the grace-giver.
ReplyDeleteWhen believers focus on obeying rules to be accepted by God so religion will accept them, rather than focusing on God's Amazing Grace...{BIBLICAL) it tells people that what they do or don't do is more important to God that who they are.
The fact of the matter is rules are not what a relationship with God is about!...{BIBLICAL} God has done all that is required to gain and maintain a relationship with Him through the finished work of Jesus...{BIBLICAL} God is interested in a relationship based on what Jesus has done...not on what man can do....BIBLICAL}
I wonder does God ever get frustrated at His children for taking His grace-based loving relationship and building a wall of baseless rules around it? Religion quantifies, codifies and classifies grace until it is more about us and the do's and don'ts than about God.
When people establish rules because they are fearful that people will sin, they end up adding to grace which nullifies grace completely...{BIBLICAL} No amount of rules made because of the fear people will sin can redeem people,...{BIBLICAL} in fact, the fear of failure adds fuel to the vehicle of self-fulfilling prophecy and feeds people's appetite to sin. We focus on what we want to avoid so much that it draws us into doing what we do not want to do...{BIBLICAL} like a magnet draws iron filings.
In trying to obey rules to avoid sinning, we bypass the only means of power to enable us to avoid sin...Grace....{BIBLICAL} It is the Love and Grace of God that motivates us to live a godly life because grace draws us close to Jesus....{BIBLICAL} As we grow in our relationship with Him we become more like Him...{BIBLICAL} and want Him to do His work through us for the extension of His kingdom.
Once you smell the aroma and taste the delicacy of God's Amazing Grace and Love, sin holds no drawing card to sinning!...{BIBLICAL}
Rules will stop us from associating with, making friends with and eating with out-and-out sinners...{BIBLICAL} Grace on the other hand risks the frontal attack of the law-keepers...{BIBLICAL} Grace sacrifices its schedule to help hurting people and doesn't allow the self-righteous luxury of spiritual aloofness...{BIBLICAL} Grace does not so focus on the doing of good deeds to the degree that it causes one to judge or condemn people...{BIBLICAL} people are the most important thing to God....{BIBLICAL}