Tag Archives: Grace

Gospel Centrality, Growth/Pursuit

Good people don’t need grace

2 Comments

““A certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. When they could not pay, he cancelled the debt of both. Now which of them will love him more?” Simon answered, “The one, I suppose, for whom he cancelled the larger debt.” And he said to him, “You have judged rightly.” Then turning toward the woman he said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.” And he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” Then those who were at table with him began to say among themselves, “Who is this, who even forgives sins?” And he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.” (Luke 7:41–50 ESV)““A certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. When they could not pay, he cancelled the debt of both. Now which of them will love him more?” Simon answered, “The one, I suppose, for whom he cancelled the larger debt.” And he said to him, “You have judged rightly.” Then turning toward the woman he said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.” And he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” Then those who were at table with him began to say among themselves, “Who is this, who even forgives sins?” And he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.” (Luke 7:41–50 ESV)

I once had a friend tell me that the reason that a pastor of ours was so passionate about his pursuit of Christ was because he had lived such a dark life before he became a Christian.  He quoted Luke 7:47 to justify his thinking (“those who have been forgiven much, love much”).  I still recall that conversation because it is true.  We often times think that God’s grace covers the gap between what we have done right & His perfect standard.  The problem with this thinking is that we fail to understand that we have never done anything right before God – all of our affections, actions and motivations are stained by sin.  The bible describes us using phrases like:  dead (last time I checked, dead people don’t do stuff), enemies of God, objects of wrath, destined for destruction and that no one is good in His sight.

Isn’t that the point of this parable?  Isn’t Jesus trying to get us to see the absurdity of our morality based thinking.  This is the Creator of the Universe – do we really think that we have anything that we can bring before Him that makes Him say, “that guy is really killing it, I’m really glad he’s on my team?”  It is true that many people who were saved out of checkered pasts fraught with promiscuity, drugs, drunkenness & immorality have a passion that other Christians lack.  The reason for this is because they are more likely to realize their desperate need for the grace of God because they have such a good understanding of their own depravity.  But, the truth is that EVERYONE is in dire need of grace.

Think about the parable of the prodigal son that Jesus tells in Luke 15.  We love the idea of God’s amazing grace towards the “worst of sinners” like the younger brother.  Unfortunately, we are some times more like the older brother in the story – indignant that the Father would be so gracious to that undeserving rebel and not doting over us for our faithful obedience.  Do you see it?  The older brother (like many of us) had grown dependent on his own obedience as the reason that God should approve of him.  He was self righteous because he had followed the rules; he had lived obediently.  The problem is that we can never earn the approval of God (God’s approval of you was earned by Jesus on the cross, period).  This thinking causes us to believe that God now “owes us” us because we have so faithfully obeyed.  The God of this universe owes us nothing – except His just wrath.

We all slip into this thinking without intentionality in our lives.  We must regularly beg God to quicken our hearts and enlighten our eyes to see His perfect, holy & sovereign nature AND just how rebellious our hearts are towards Him.  The better we understand these things at a deep heart level, the more profoundly grateful (like the woman in the parable above) we are for the unearned approval of the Creator.  Good people don’t need grace, but you aren’t good (Romans 3:12) – only One was good.

Gospel Centrality, Growth/Pursuit

The firm foundation for all authentic spiritual growth & transformation

“I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 1:3–8 ESV)

Paul opens this letter with thankfulness and joy – an unusual response for a man who had suffered so much and was currently writing them from jail in Rome.  This is no superficial joy, his joy is rooted in their partnership with him in the gospel – they had received the grace of God personally and were also faithful supporters of Paul & the proclamation of the gospel.  He views both imprisonment and preaching the Gospel as God’s grace; it is interesting that a man who has been so persecuted for the faith and proclamation of the Gospel views imprisonment & preaching the Gospel as grace – if only we could see grace in our hardships.  Difficulties have a way of pushing us to dependance which is the ultimate act of grace.  Paul encourages them that this was God’s work that HE BEGAN in them and that HE WOULD COMPLETE (1:6).  All authentic spiritual growth and transformation finds its firm foundation on what God has done, what God is doing and what God promises to do; our focus should be on the faithfulness of God, not on our own faithfulness.  The good, sovereign, holy God that saved them would sustain them and would keep them to the end! (Philippians 2:16; 1 Thessalonians 5:2–11; 2 Pet. 3:10–13; Rev. 20:11–21:8).  The same is true of us – He who began the work is always faithful to complete it.

 

Gospel Centrality

Are you living under law or under grace?

“For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.” (Galatians 5:1 ESV)

In Galatians 4:21-28, Paul is making the argument that the Galatians are no longer under the law (subject to slavery), but under grace (free).  The church at Galatia had struggled with adding requirements, rules and regulations to the gospel.  They said Jesus + a list of things must be done in order to earn God’s acceptance and approval.  This is a dangerous, slippery slope that we all wrestle with.  Being accepted completely by God based solely on the work of Jesus seems too easy so we naturally want to add some qualifiers to it.  But, that distorts the beauty of the gospel and enslaves those who adhere to it!  You can tell if you are living with a law oriented faith if you believe that God’s approval, acceptance and affection is based on your behavior or performance.  Behavior modification does not set you free to pursue an intimate relationship with the Creator of the universe!

It is for freedom that Christ has set you free!  What is freedom?  Freedom is doing exactly what you want to do and it being what God wills for you.  This is a condition of the heart – our behaviors are only symptomatic indicators to what is going on inside.  Rules and formulas have never liberated the heart to love and obey God.  Only grace sets our hearts free.  Let us reflect upon the greatness of how a holy, perfect & sovereign God would make a way for rebellious, wicked & weak creatures to be reconciled with Him.  We are justified (made right before God) and adopted as His children because of the atoning work of Jesus.  Dwell on the fact that you are not worthy, but He made the prevision for you and your heart will begin the be set free.

Gospel Centrality

Rule laden Christianity can’t produce worshippers

“Now even the first covenant had regulations for worship and an earthly place of holiness. For a tent was prepared, the first section, in which were the lampstand and the table and the bread of the Presence. It is called the Holy Place. Behind the second curtain was a second section called the Most Holy Place, having the golden altar of incense and the ark of the covenant covered on all sides with gold, in which was a golden urn holding the manna, and Aaron’s staff that budded, and the tablets of the covenant. Above it were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat. Of these things we cannot now speak in detail.
These preparations having thus been made, the priests go regularly into the first section, performing their ritual duties, but into the second only the high priest goes, and he but once a year, and not without taking blood, which he offers for himself and for the unintentional sins of the people. By this the Holy Spirit indicates that the way into the holy places is not yet opened as long as the first section is still standing (which is symbolic for the present age). According to this arrangement, gifts and sacrifices are offered that cannot perfect the conscience of the worshiper, but deal only with food and drink and various washings, regulations for the body imposed until the time of reformation.” (Hebrews 9:1–10 ESV)

The Most Holy place was only entered 1x per year on the Day of Atonement by the high priest and he always brought blood to atone for his sin and the sin of the people.  Under the old covenant, access to God in the holy place and the most holy place was restricted to Levitical priests.  People are too sinful to have direct access to God; this is still true today, we are too sinful to have direct access to God without Someone mediating on our behalf.  “According to this arrangement, gifts and sacrifices are offered that cannot perfect the conscience of the worshiper,” (Hebrews 9:9 ESV) under the old covenant the soul of the worshiper was not changed because he could not draw near to God’s mercy & peace.  However, the veil has now been removed and we have direct access to God and new hearts that worship (8:10–12; 9:14; 10:22; also 10:14; 11:40; 12:23).
This “outward,” law driven method of worship was powerless to transform the conscience, heart or life.  Just like then, a rule laden Christianity that is marked by what the worshiper needs to do, how the worshiper needs to act and what the worshiper needs to accomplish is equally powerless to transform the heart or conscience.  We are all built to worship, the only question remaining is what will be the object of our worship.  If you are trying to worship God by performing, then you will always come up short.  The call of scripture is to draw near to God and allow Him to change your heart – allow Him to right your worship.

Gospel Centrality

A better Hope

“For on the one hand, a former commandment is set aside because of its weakness and uselessness (for the law made nothing perfect); but on the other hand, a better hope is introduced, through which we draw near to God.” (Hebrews 7:18–19 ESV)

Jesus is not a priest of the Levitical line of Aaron, He is of a higher, eternal, preeminent priestly order:  Melchizedek.  He establishes the eternality of His priesthood by overcoming the grave (v16).  The former covenant of the Mosaic Law has been set aside “because of its weakness and uselessness (for the law made nothing perfect)” (7:18–19).  It is weak in that it is only able to diagnosis the problem of sin, but contains no power to heal the problem of sin.  But “a better hope is introduced, through which we draw near to God.” (7:19).  Through the sacrifice of Christ we can now draw near in authentic relationship to God, no other priest is required to intercede on our behalf, we have direct access to the Creator.  Jesus is the guarantor of this better hope, of this new covenant that God makes with those who believe (7:22); Our high priest is “holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens,” (7:26) and has no needs in and of himself.  He does not need to make offerings for His sins first, He is sinless – He did this once, for all.  Jesus, the perfect priest, is now reigning and interceding.  Draw near to God with confidence that His sacrifice has covered all of your sins, come and be renewed.

Growth/Pursuit

Priveleged People

“Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (Hebrews 4:14–16 ESV)

 

Because we have a sovereign, all powerful high priest who is seated in the place of all authority at God’s right hand let us not grow faint, let us persevere in today’s difficulties and hardships.  For Jesus is able to empathetically identify with our weakness and the brokenness of this world because He lived in it and experienced every type of trial and temptation that we experience and He never gave in to sin’s enticement.  He overcame!  Because He rules on high, understands our broken condition and overcame sin, we can confidently approach God by His grace and receive His mercy and grace when we are in need.  We are privileged people who can approach the Creator of the cosmos and speak plainly and honestly without fear of punishment or retribution.