rrobs
Well-Known Member
The devil makes liberal use of shame, guilt, and self condemnation in his relentless effort of spiritually incapacitating every son or daughter of God he can get his hands on. He’s been doing it for 6,000 years, ever since the day he made Adam and Eve aware of their heretofore unnoticed nakedness. There is a good reason he’s relied on our feelings of not measuring up; it works. It works extremely well. He can do that by making the believer think they have to follow law, that grace only goes so far, that it can not be relied upon as the only foundation of our walk with God. It is thought that somehow grace must be tempered by law, that it is sort of a hybrid walk, some grace and some law. Unfortunately that is what far too many Christians have been taught and therefore that is what the believe and endeavor to do.
But, the law is actually the power source, the enabler, of the devil's efforts.
Rom 7:11,
Occasion ἀφορμή aphorme (a-for-mee') n.
1. a starting-point.
2. (figuratively) an opportunity.
Without the law sin has no power. The stop sign on the corner provides the impetus for receiving that "failure to stop" ticket. The policeman can hardly accuse you of that if there was no stop sign. Sin is just like that. Where there is no law, there is no sin.
Rom 4:15,
In order to make someone worthy to be called His child, God, through the death and resurrection of His only begotten son, simply substituted grace for law. That way none of His children could be condemned like the unrepentant person. Does that mean we won't commit sins? No. No doubt all Christians continue to commit sins, but God simple overlooks them. He doesn't add them to some ledger with which he keeps track of our behavior after we get born again.
Rom 5:13,
The word imputed means a ledger entry, just like the financial reports all businesses keep to judge their health. This verse says sin is not entered into the ledger. That stands to reason since there is no ledger God keeps for those who have confessed Jesus as Lord and believe God raised him from the dead (Rom 10:9-10). Such an individual is judged righteous the moment they do that (Rom 4:11) and they will remain so until the end. Christ took the ledger out of the way, enabling us to have perfect fellowship with him and with his father.
1Cor 1:8,
What is it that will keep us blameless? Our success in following law? No! Jesus Christ will do that!
Few Christians have a problem with getting saved by grace, but too many think that after getting saved they must follow the law in order to stay in God's favor. That is nothing new. The Galatians thought that very thing some 4,000 years ago.
Gal 3:1-3,
1 O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?
2 This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?
3 Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?
Verse 3 is crystal clear. It is a rhetorical question which is of course answered in the negative. No, we are absolutely not made perfect by cajoling our flesh into somehow following the law of commandments. We began our Christian life by grace and we will grow up the same way. That will be true until the Lord returns to gather us up together in the clouds. We are made perfect the same way we got born again, by grace.
Am I saying that we can sin as much as we want since we are under grace? That is an often asked question. The short answer is, sure, if that's what someone wants to do. However, as it turns out, few actually subscribe to that way of walking. I've never met anyone like that, but I suppose they could be out there. The reality is that once a child of God really understands grace, committing sins is the last thing they want to do. Grace is the only way to take the power of sin, i.e. the law, and throw it away as far as the east is from the west. Paul was asked that very question. You can read his answer in Romans, chapter 7.
There is no need to be afraid of grace. Instead you should become afraid the moment you say to yourself something like, "OK. From now on I'm going to stop that sin that bothers me so much. I'll use every ounce of strength that lies within me to do that. I'll make this flesh conform to the righteousness of God if it's the last thing I do!"
You will commit acts of sin, no matter how hard you try. It's better to stop trying and to put your mind on what God has done for you, not on what you can do for God. John Kennedy had it backwards!
Do believe God? Then you should have no trouble moving on after you tell that lie, drink that whiskey, look at that scantly clad young woman, or whatever it is that you do on a somewhat regular basis.
1John 1:9,
How long does it take to say to God, "I messed up again father. But thank you so much for forgiving me and for cleansing me from the penalty of my actions?" It shouldn't take but a second or two. After that, forget about it and move ahead praising God for His mercy and grace. It sure beats stewing day after day about your inability to stop whatever sin it is that so easily besets you. The more you think of God's grace, the more closely you will walk the walk that Jesus walked. It may be counter intuitive, but isn't that so very typical of God?
Isa 55:9,
But, the law is actually the power source, the enabler, of the devil's efforts.
Rom 7:11,
For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew [me].
Occasion ἀφορμή aphorme (a-for-mee') n.
1. a starting-point.
2. (figuratively) an opportunity.
Without the law sin has no power. The stop sign on the corner provides the impetus for receiving that "failure to stop" ticket. The policeman can hardly accuse you of that if there was no stop sign. Sin is just like that. Where there is no law, there is no sin.
Rom 4:15,
Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, [there is] no transgression.
In order to make someone worthy to be called His child, God, through the death and resurrection of His only begotten son, simply substituted grace for law. That way none of His children could be condemned like the unrepentant person. Does that mean we won't commit sins? No. No doubt all Christians continue to commit sins, but God simple overlooks them. He doesn't add them to some ledger with which he keeps track of our behavior after we get born again.
Rom 5:13,
For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law.
The word imputed means a ledger entry, just like the financial reports all businesses keep to judge their health. This verse says sin is not entered into the ledger. That stands to reason since there is no ledger God keeps for those who have confessed Jesus as Lord and believe God raised him from the dead (Rom 10:9-10). Such an individual is judged righteous the moment they do that (Rom 4:11) and they will remain so until the end. Christ took the ledger out of the way, enabling us to have perfect fellowship with him and with his father.
1Cor 1:8,
Who (Jesus) shall also confirm you unto the end, [that ye may be] blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
What is it that will keep us blameless? Our success in following law? No! Jesus Christ will do that!
Few Christians have a problem with getting saved by grace, but too many think that after getting saved they must follow the law in order to stay in God's favor. That is nothing new. The Galatians thought that very thing some 4,000 years ago.
Gal 3:1-3,
1 O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?
2 This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?
3 Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?
Verse 3 is crystal clear. It is a rhetorical question which is of course answered in the negative. No, we are absolutely not made perfect by cajoling our flesh into somehow following the law of commandments. We began our Christian life by grace and we will grow up the same way. That will be true until the Lord returns to gather us up together in the clouds. We are made perfect the same way we got born again, by grace.
Am I saying that we can sin as much as we want since we are under grace? That is an often asked question. The short answer is, sure, if that's what someone wants to do. However, as it turns out, few actually subscribe to that way of walking. I've never met anyone like that, but I suppose they could be out there. The reality is that once a child of God really understands grace, committing sins is the last thing they want to do. Grace is the only way to take the power of sin, i.e. the law, and throw it away as far as the east is from the west. Paul was asked that very question. You can read his answer in Romans, chapter 7.
There is no need to be afraid of grace. Instead you should become afraid the moment you say to yourself something like, "OK. From now on I'm going to stop that sin that bothers me so much. I'll use every ounce of strength that lies within me to do that. I'll make this flesh conform to the righteousness of God if it's the last thing I do!"
You will commit acts of sin, no matter how hard you try. It's better to stop trying and to put your mind on what God has done for you, not on what you can do for God. John Kennedy had it backwards!
Do believe God? Then you should have no trouble moving on after you tell that lie, drink that whiskey, look at that scantly clad young woman, or whatever it is that you do on a somewhat regular basis.
1John 1:9,
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us [our] sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
How long does it take to say to God, "I messed up again father. But thank you so much for forgiving me and for cleansing me from the penalty of my actions?" It shouldn't take but a second or two. After that, forget about it and move ahead praising God for His mercy and grace. It sure beats stewing day after day about your inability to stop whatever sin it is that so easily besets you. The more you think of God's grace, the more closely you will walk the walk that Jesus walked. It may be counter intuitive, but isn't that so very typical of God?
Isa 55:9,
For [as] the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
