In this episode we explore the purpose of grace and by extension the purpose of salvation. Is the prime directive of the gospel that God fulfill our desires or that we meet His?
What is the purpose of Grace?
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What the purpose of grace is NOT for is for people to justify themselves based on their beliefs.
Romans 4:1-8 KJV
1) What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found?
2) For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God.
3) For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.
4) Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.
5) But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.
6) Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works,
7) Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.
8) Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.
Paul never wrote what he did for people to justify themselves with. Only God justifies. And only the self-righteous justify themselves...for ANY reason. It says GOD imputes righteousness....not the person.
And enter not into judgment with thy servant: for in thy sight shall no man living be justified. Ps 143:2
Romans 4:1-8 KJV
1) What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found?
2) For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God.
3) For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.
4) Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.
5) But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.
6) Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works,
7) Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.
8) Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.
Paul never wrote what he did for people to justify themselves with. Only God justifies. And only the self-righteous justify themselves...for ANY reason. It says GOD imputes righteousness....not the person.
And enter not into judgment with thy servant: for in thy sight shall no man living be justified. Ps 143:2
A lot of the errors we see in theology and doctrine today stem from a lack of understanding of what motivated Paul to write his letters.
Paul's concern was 2 fold...and many of his sayings reflect the 2 levels that I will describe by comparing like verses with like verses in order to rightly divide what he said.
1. On the one hand a LOT of Paul's writings were a defense against an encroaching Judaism that demanded that new believers also become Jews. This motivation is overlooked far too often. So we read about "the law" in this case as the law of Moses (aka Judaism).
2. And secondly, Paul wrote of a differentiation between the higher walk in holiness and righteousness AND what was commonly understood as being righteous according to God in the face of those who only knew of a human righteousness. The great error here is to think that Paul sought to abolish human righteousness. That's a great error indeed. No, he defended a higher walk because it gives eternal LIFE right now. The life of Christ overcomes sin. IN Him is no sin. As such Paul preached the higher form of the gospel. The curious thing is that he only alludes to the goodness of the lower form of righteousness with chapters like 1 Cor. 13 and the superiority of love over knowledge and beliefs. Knowledge puffs up but love edifies.
I will post here 2 verses that say the same thing....and show how they each relate to Paul's 2 prime directives.
For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. Rom. 8:2
On the first level the "law" of sin and death is the law of Moses. Under the old law if a man sinned greatly or ignored the law he was put to death.
Notice here...
He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: Heb 10:28
So this is the law of sin and death from a Jewish perspective. But the verse in Romans 8 goes deeper than that. It has a more universal application. We see this with a parallel verse that describes this other layer of meaning.
For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Rom 6:23
Sin in this case is against God's law not the law of Moses. Sin removes us from God's presence...not a death like being stoned to death under the Mosaic law..as in a physical death. No, in this case the death is a spiritual one.
So we can compare the 2 verses in Romans directly to glean a deeper understanding and insight into Paul's writings. But let me get breakfast first...
Paul's concern was 2 fold...and many of his sayings reflect the 2 levels that I will describe by comparing like verses with like verses in order to rightly divide what he said.
1. On the one hand a LOT of Paul's writings were a defense against an encroaching Judaism that demanded that new believers also become Jews. This motivation is overlooked far too often. So we read about "the law" in this case as the law of Moses (aka Judaism).
2. And secondly, Paul wrote of a differentiation between the higher walk in holiness and righteousness AND what was commonly understood as being righteous according to God in the face of those who only knew of a human righteousness. The great error here is to think that Paul sought to abolish human righteousness. That's a great error indeed. No, he defended a higher walk because it gives eternal LIFE right now. The life of Christ overcomes sin. IN Him is no sin. As such Paul preached the higher form of the gospel. The curious thing is that he only alludes to the goodness of the lower form of righteousness with chapters like 1 Cor. 13 and the superiority of love over knowledge and beliefs. Knowledge puffs up but love edifies.
I will post here 2 verses that say the same thing....and show how they each relate to Paul's 2 prime directives.
For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. Rom. 8:2
On the first level the "law" of sin and death is the law of Moses. Under the old law if a man sinned greatly or ignored the law he was put to death.
Notice here...
He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: Heb 10:28
So this is the law of sin and death from a Jewish perspective. But the verse in Romans 8 goes deeper than that. It has a more universal application. We see this with a parallel verse that describes this other layer of meaning.
For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Rom 6:23
Sin in this case is against God's law not the law of Moses. Sin removes us from God's presence...not a death like being stoned to death under the Mosaic law..as in a physical death. No, in this case the death is a spiritual one.
So we can compare the 2 verses in Romans directly to glean a deeper understanding and insight into Paul's writings. But let me get breakfast first...
Let's dare to compare 2 verses from Paul that are saying the same thing but on 2 different levels.
For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. Rom. 8:2
For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Rom 6:23
Do you see the contrast between life and death in both verses? Paul is championing an overcoming life that conquers death that is found in Christ. Whether it be the Mosaic law that was all about death...or else the law of God that condemned us to death....there is another living way in Christ that conquers both sin and the death associated with it. There is a higher walk by grace through faith that gives us victory over sin...to walk as Jesus walked. This is Paul's witness of Christ. It is also mine!
For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. Rom. 8:2
For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Rom 6:23
Do you see the contrast between life and death in both verses? Paul is championing an overcoming life that conquers death that is found in Christ. Whether it be the Mosaic law that was all about death...or else the law of God that condemned us to death....there is another living way in Christ that conquers both sin and the death associated with it. There is a higher walk by grace through faith that gives us victory over sin...to walk as Jesus walked. This is Paul's witness of Christ. It is also mine!
The bible draws a distinction between a heavenly visitation and a translation or relocation from one realm to the other. To be seated in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.
There is a big difference between a visitation from God to us and our translation to be where He is...in His keeping power. The translation KEEPS us in God for as long as we don't sin unto death. The keeping power of God is like a fridge magnet whereby we remain in close proximity to Him in intimacy until the cares of this world overcomes the magnetic power that keeps us stuck fast (or cleaving to) to the fridge. Like when we try putting too many papers or photos between the magnet and the fridge. When we do that, we fall out of the Spirit. A fall from grace. A fall from the FULL measure of grace....(not a fall from the initial sample of grace).
When I say a fall from grace people who have never been translated into the kingdom will react because they have only received a sample of grace, so often (or not even), and so they can't accept a falling away from a free gift. What people don't understand is that what they are doing by NOT seeking God for the full measure of grace that gets us translated into the kingdom realm in victory over sin....is that they are frustrating grace...frustrating the PURPOSE of grace....and burying their sample as something that comforts them in their own estimation...mistaking the gift for intimacy and approval from God. They love the gift but not the Giver. (He is seen as too demanding)
The free sample of grace is merely a calling, an invitation, to draw nearer to God.
Many are called but few are chosen.
Maran atha <><
There is a big difference between a visitation from God to us and our translation to be where He is...in His keeping power. The translation KEEPS us in God for as long as we don't sin unto death. The keeping power of God is like a fridge magnet whereby we remain in close proximity to Him in intimacy until the cares of this world overcomes the magnetic power that keeps us stuck fast (or cleaving to) to the fridge. Like when we try putting too many papers or photos between the magnet and the fridge. When we do that, we fall out of the Spirit. A fall from grace. A fall from the FULL measure of grace....(not a fall from the initial sample of grace).
When I say a fall from grace people who have never been translated into the kingdom will react because they have only received a sample of grace, so often (or not even), and so they can't accept a falling away from a free gift. What people don't understand is that what they are doing by NOT seeking God for the full measure of grace that gets us translated into the kingdom realm in victory over sin....is that they are frustrating grace...frustrating the PURPOSE of grace....and burying their sample as something that comforts them in their own estimation...mistaking the gift for intimacy and approval from God. They love the gift but not the Giver. (He is seen as too demanding)
The free sample of grace is merely a calling, an invitation, to draw nearer to God.
Many are called but few are chosen.
Maran atha <><
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