18 But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen. - 2 Peter 3:18
In Grace you can live as you want, you are free to be yourself ..even sin if you need to - get away with sin. That is the response you receive most of the time when you witness grace. The two sides have been at each others throat since salvation. One says sin and loose it..the other finds everything complete and you are ok! And the scriptures start flying.
We see it different; if you don't believe like our group - you can't be part of our group. There is no fellowship there for either, so rightfully so. There is plenty of groups around that you can participate in, just look else where.
Whatever a person wants to believe about scripture is their prerogative, convincing people you are right and they are wrong is not preaching the gospel (there is a place for that in blatant discrepancy). Preach what you know - the only way for you to present the gospel is the way you understand it. I'm determined to not convince anyone - what someone believes is their choice (not talking about sound doctrine). As a matter of fact..it is nobodies business what you believe. You answer to your father - my experience is; he can take care of his children. He doesn't need me to straighten out everyone's theology! Who would want to do that anyway..we all have a different idea about different things in scripture. I get debate - debate is fun. I like to debate. I don't do it as much but I have through the years. Reasoning the scriptures!
Debate keeps you sharp, keeps you scratching in the word and digging to see if these things are so! and we like to feel we are gaining in knowledge because after all that is the whole idea.
In grace you find a two edged sword:
First; you do understand freedom, but that freedom is not for living your life as you suppose (God forbid Paul would say). That is the thing about grace, you are free to live the life of another. Grace preached in full context is not widely accepted because it is an exchange from who you were - to who you are, you being one with Christ in you. 'In you' means there is two at work here.. Christ in you - scripture says 'the twain are one.' So identity crisis happens.
To those that are hungry do they move on in God when confronted with identity. Most reject the notion another can live in them as their only life. It is a natural reaction to the gospel. The gospel - the certified gospel Paul preached will cause identity crisis, Gal. 1:11-12. It destroys the old man, and a new man is born (the cross). That is spirit - the moment you believed you became a new man..a different person of expression. We just didn't know it. That is Paul's gospel - we live by the life of another, Gal. 2:20.
Another lives as you! The two become one. I dont know all the ends and outs of telling someone how to live Christ - but what you do know is the difference from when you started understanding grace, and what you understand now. I like to quote my old buddy Frank Stigall, one of the greatest writers on 'the cross' that I have ever read. The depth of his writing is unbelievable. He used to say "where brilliance ends - revelation begins."
Growing in grace and knowledge has to do with your identity. Proper identity - you received a new identity the moment you believed, and it may take a lifetime to learn that identity. Regardless it happened at the new birth.
Second; Your found freedom costs you your life. It is no longer I that lives Paul said. The blessing of knowing Christ lives in you, and now you have no escape for sin. There is no more remission of sin In grace, it is a completeness, but that completeness comes with a life that is not your own. It is a shared life - it is a joined into life..but it is not a life of your own. That is what makes grace two edged because you are free, but that freedom is for living by the life of another. The more you understand grace, the more you live grace. Christ in you is your life, and that life is to be lived as you are - in Christ. Grace by no means is a license for anything but him.
6 if they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame. - Hebrews 6:6.
Religion has distorted what the word grace even means! Scripture says when you know - there is no more remission of sin for you. You either understand it and live what you understand, or you don't. You choose to reject Christ as your life (to those that know), or you accept him as your life. We make the choice!
In Grace you can live as you want, you are free to be yourself ..even sin if you need to - get away with sin. That is the response you receive most of the time when you witness grace. The two sides have been at each others throat since salvation. One says sin and loose it..the other finds everything complete and you are ok! And the scriptures start flying.
We see it different; if you don't believe like our group - you can't be part of our group. There is no fellowship there for either, so rightfully so. There is plenty of groups around that you can participate in, just look else where.
Whatever a person wants to believe about scripture is their prerogative, convincing people you are right and they are wrong is not preaching the gospel (there is a place for that in blatant discrepancy). Preach what you know - the only way for you to present the gospel is the way you understand it. I'm determined to not convince anyone - what someone believes is their choice (not talking about sound doctrine). As a matter of fact..it is nobodies business what you believe. You answer to your father - my experience is; he can take care of his children. He doesn't need me to straighten out everyone's theology! Who would want to do that anyway..we all have a different idea about different things in scripture. I get debate - debate is fun. I like to debate. I don't do it as much but I have through the years. Reasoning the scriptures!
Debate keeps you sharp, keeps you scratching in the word and digging to see if these things are so! and we like to feel we are gaining in knowledge because after all that is the whole idea.
In grace you find a two edged sword:
First; you do understand freedom, but that freedom is not for living your life as you suppose (God forbid Paul would say). That is the thing about grace, you are free to live the life of another. Grace preached in full context is not widely accepted because it is an exchange from who you were - to who you are, you being one with Christ in you. 'In you' means there is two at work here.. Christ in you - scripture says 'the twain are one.' So identity crisis happens.
To those that are hungry do they move on in God when confronted with identity. Most reject the notion another can live in them as their only life. It is a natural reaction to the gospel. The gospel - the certified gospel Paul preached will cause identity crisis, Gal. 1:11-12. It destroys the old man, and a new man is born (the cross). That is spirit - the moment you believed you became a new man..a different person of expression. We just didn't know it. That is Paul's gospel - we live by the life of another, Gal. 2:20.
Another lives as you! The two become one. I dont know all the ends and outs of telling someone how to live Christ - but what you do know is the difference from when you started understanding grace, and what you understand now. I like to quote my old buddy Frank Stigall, one of the greatest writers on 'the cross' that I have ever read. The depth of his writing is unbelievable. He used to say "where brilliance ends - revelation begins."
Growing in grace and knowledge has to do with your identity. Proper identity - you received a new identity the moment you believed, and it may take a lifetime to learn that identity. Regardless it happened at the new birth.
Second; Your found freedom costs you your life. It is no longer I that lives Paul said. The blessing of knowing Christ lives in you, and now you have no escape for sin. There is no more remission of sin In grace, it is a completeness, but that completeness comes with a life that is not your own. It is a shared life - it is a joined into life..but it is not a life of your own. That is what makes grace two edged because you are free, but that freedom is for living by the life of another. The more you understand grace, the more you live grace. Christ in you is your life, and that life is to be lived as you are - in Christ. Grace by no means is a license for anything but him.
6 if they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame. - Hebrews 6:6.
Religion has distorted what the word grace even means! Scripture says when you know - there is no more remission of sin for you. You either understand it and live what you understand, or you don't. You choose to reject Christ as your life (to those that know), or you accept him as your life. We make the choice!