This week’s Quotable Grace post is a re-post from www.puregraceonline.com “The devil is delighted by all attempts to “perfect the flesh,” because he knows it is impossible, and the effort expended in the process leaves us tired and vulnerable to deception.” (Pure Grace – page 98). The “law leavened” gospel that is taught in most Read more
This week’s Quotable Grace post is a re-post from www.puregraceonline.com Sin, for the Christian, is a violation of friendship–relationship–not a violation of the law. Christians are not under the jurisdiction of the law.” (Pure Grace – page 21). One of our elders at Grace Church once shared that when her children were toddlers she did Read more
“Religion and legalistic Christianity are tools the enemy uses to limit the damage done to his kingdom by the finished work of Christ. He uses religion to keep people out of the Kingdom of God through the lie of works-based salvation. He uses legalistic Christianity to keep true Christians from being able to demonstrate and display to the world the glorious Gospel of grace, and thereby limiting the impact a transformed life should have on the world.” (Pure Grace, page 87-88)
The performance based approach in relating to God that is the hallmark of legalistic Christianity does not allow the glorious transformational work of the Holy Spirit to function properly. When one is always fearful that God is angry and disapproving, intimacy with Him is limited. Grace invites us to come boldly and without hesitation into God’s presence. It is there, in His presence, that we are transformed and matured. Legalism in all of its forms is a deadly deterrent to growing up in Christ and allowing love to regulate our lives. If I were the enemy, I would use the tactic of legalism too!
“Jesus kept the law and fulfilled its requirements for us. He did for me what I could not do for myself! This New Covenant is between God and His dear Son. Our part is to believe and receive what Jesus died to give.” (Pure Grace, page 77)
Since God’s grace is freely given, there are only two possible responses. One can reject grace or receive it. Grace cannot be earned; it is a gift. Therefore, to be possessed, it must be received. Receiving grace is impossible if one doesn’t believe it. Believe and receive! The New Covenant is massively important to all Believers but the practical benefits of this magnificent covenant are missed if one doesn’t believe it and receive it. I CANNOT EARN THE BENEFITS AND BLESSINGS OF THE NEW COVENANT!! Jesus “earned” the blessings for me and I honor Him by receiving what cost Him his life to give. When any Believer receives by faith what Jesus freely gives, he is blessed indeed!
All the hard work in preparation for our inaugural Pure Grace Conference was well worth it! Rave reviews are in from our registrants, as well as from our live stream audience.
We couldn’t be more proud of you, the Grace Church family, came together in hosting this event. Our volunteers were incredible. You served the registrants in a manner that beautifully exemplified the messages of Grace that were being taught.
The facility was kept spotless. The food was outstanding. The help behind product tables, and registration/information booths was second to none.
The Grace Church Staff put in untold hours in preparation for the conference. They deserve to be appreciated and applauded for their efforts.
I want to single out some folks that managed high levels of responsibility….
“Our union with Christ and our free access to our Heavenly Father begins to produce the fruit of the Holy Spirit in us. The New Covenant guarantees that God’s throne is a throne of grace and as we access His presence and continue to abide there, we are transformed into His image. If we will continue to “see” Him, we will become like Him. Human effort through law keeping will not produce Christ-likeness. The New Covenant will. ” (Pure Grace, page 75)
Maybe a better way to say it is that an understanding and belief that we (Believers) are recipients of the New Covenant by faith and that truth will produce Christ-likeness in us. Our understanding of the New Covenant is corrupted and made ineffective in our daily lives if the Old Covenant is mixed with it. THERE MUST BE NO MIXTURE OF THE OLD IN WITH THE NEW!! The New Covenant guarantees full and absolute access to our Heavenly Father and His presence is the dynamic that transforms us into His Image. “The letter kills but the Spirit brings life”.
“Jesus has perfected for all time those who have been made perfect. (Hebrews 10:14). Please don’t argue with God about this. Don’t allow the enemy and his agents to move you off this glorious truth regardless of how hard it is to believe. If you will accept the reality that you are fully sanctified and wholly acceptable to God without sin attached to you, a remarkable thing will slowly begin to happen. You begin to be transformed through the renewing of your mind into the image of God. Love begins to govern your life, love for God, love for yourself, and love for others. You begin to become who you were created to be. That is the power of the New Covenant at work in you. ” (Pure Grace, page 75)
“Jesus could offer Himself as a perfect sacrifice because He was perfect; and in the doing of that, we who believe have been perfected too!” (Pure Grace, pages 73-74)
One cannot be in union with a Holy God without being sanctified (made holy). Sanctification is not progressive as so many believe and teach. It is fully accomplished when one believes. Hebrews 10:14 clearly says “For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified”. The blood of bulls and goats could never “take away” sins but only cover them. Because Jesus’ sacrifice was perfect, He accomplished the great and glorious miracle of taking away our sins and bringing us (believers) into union with God. When a believer sins, the sin is not “taken into account”. (Romans 4:8). We all are more blessed than we can possibly imagine!
“There are some who think of themselves as priestly caretakers of God’s children, but Jesus is the only High Priest. We don’t have either right nor authority to add our fleshly requirements and idiotic rules to the gloriously designed and perfectly performed covenant Jesus shed His blood to provide for us all. Some may think they are doing a great service to God’s people by amending the New Covenant to reflect their legalistic prejudice, but they need to think again. They are, in actuality, performing a great service for the enemies of Christ and His people. Bottom line–the New Covenant is perfect as it is” (Pure Grace, pages 73-74)
God knows what He is doing. The transformation into the image of Christ in practical ways that impacts daily living begins not with behavior modification or sin management techniques, but with the knowledge that Jesus is the perfect mediator of a New Covenant that is based on His performance not ours. The truth is what sets Believers free to be what Jesus died to make them.
“Any attempt to add human performance to the New Covenant must always be confronted aggressively and resisted with determination.” (Pure Grace, page 73)
The New Covenant is to Believers what the constitution is to the USA but more so! It is the basis on which we stand before our Holy God. Believers are in union with God and the New Covenant is the guarantee that this remarkable truth will never change! To add human performance to the New Covenant is to disavow and cheapen this most holy and immutable reality. The primary method of religious attack against the New Covenant is adding mixture of human performance to this wholly God performed Covenant. The Old Covenant has “passed away” and must never be resurrected and mixed with the new. We must defend and proclaim the New without mixture of the old!
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