Hi JGIG,
Thanks for your reply. You're "guessing the tone [Rob Rufus takes] ... is similarly misrepresented by [me]"? JGIG, it's wonderful that you have experienced as much of the amazing grace of God as you clearly have. Couldn't you have extended a little of it to me until you had the opportunity to read his words, giving me the benefit of the doubt in the meantime? Now I'm feeling misrepresented!
I read the chapter again just now and have to say I agree with the overwhelming majority of what Rob Rufus writes in it. But for the bit at the beginning of the chapter, he's right!
The words I quoted come in the introduction, three self-contained passages forming a whole, so to quote them in full is also to provide the context. Let me say again that I endorse what he goes on to say in the rest of the chapter. And he provides examples of people who are lost today having experienced legalism in the past. I know of cases where this has happened, too. Anyway, let me quote those three paragraphs.
I cannot teach on the grace of God without addressing those who oppose grace. Grace is awesome in its power to change lives. But radical change encounters radical opposition. It is therefore not surprising that we have to deal with the grace haters.
Grace haters are the legalists who will try to intimidate, manipulate and dominate people with a spirit of witchcraft. The religious spirit in them wants everyone stereotyped and conformed to their own bondage. They are parrots and puppets, no longer voices for God, but echoes, not pursuing God but pursuing opportunities for position and prestige. They are cloned to act the same, dress the same and speak in the same religious tones. You know, where everyone looks the same you can be sure a religious spirit is operating!
If you try to live in the grace of God, I guarantee Satan will send his agent across your path to try to intimidate you and insinuate that you ought not to be living the way you are, that your freedom is not freedom at all but licentiousness. If you haven't experienced this sort of thing it's probably because you have never lived in grace.
So as I don't share the views of my hyper-grace brothers and sisters, the moment I express my opinion I hate grace, intimidate, manipulate and dominate the people I am discussing things with with a spirit of witchcraft. I'm evidently not pursuing God either, but pursuing prestige and power. JGIG, this is so not the case.
It is hard to imagine less gracious words. You asked Phil36 "WHAT preachers? NAME them. SHOW EXAMPLES of their lack of grace." Well, I think we have examples here.