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The idea of walking with Jesus is not the loosing of self, or identity, but the discovery of life and love, the core of real expression and fulfillment in everything you do. Christ is life, he makes what we were designed to be, to be real.
Sin destroys the soul of man, and strips them of life, Jesus gives us our lives back.
Sin destroys the soul of man, and strips them of life, Jesus gives us our lives back.
Here is a great article about grace and sin...it's the typical straw-man argument which has no basis in truth...
Is Grace a License to Sin?
Grace-preachers attract sinners and that is a good thing. If you are a sinner – you have come to the right place! Sinners are welcome in the House of Grace. I wish our churches were magnets for sinners for that would be a sure sign we were preaching the true gospel of grace.
If this scandalizes you then you may want to avert your eyes from the One called the Friend of Sinners. Jesus didn’t wait for sinners to come to Him; He literally went into their homes and got Himself invited to their parties. That’s because grace is for sinners. It is not for those who think they are basically good and decent people. As Jesus said, “I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners” (Mt 9:13).
So I suppose I should be thrilled that I get a lot of correspondence from sinners – and I am. What is less thrilling is the correspondence I get from saints who think they are sinners and who want me to validate their choice to act like sinners.
Why do saints act like sinners?
Some may do it out of ignorance (“I am holy? I didn’t know!”) or out of a fatal belief that they can live by law and call it grace (“I’m just trying to live by the red letters of Jesus”). But a saint who acts like a sinner is a hypocrite – they are acting like someone they are not.
In a recent post I dealt with five questions I typically hear from hot-blooded young men. But today I want to answer the biggest question of all…
Is grace a license to sin?
No. It is true that grace brings freedom and that includes the freedom to make poor choices, but if you use your freedom to enslave yourself to sin, then you have missed the point of grace:
It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. (Gal 5:1)
The purpose of grace is to liberate the prisoner and give life to the dead. Grace is also good news for the poor (Lk 4:18-19). So if you use grace to enslave or impoverish yourself by making dumb decisions and indulging the flesh, then you are setting aside grace. You are not using it for its intended purpose.
Grace liberates, but if you use your freedom to discard your freedom, then what was the point? You are no better off than when you started.
Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound. (Rom 5:20)
Don’t ever fall for the lie that says “I can go on sinning so that grace may abound.” True, your sinning won’t affect God’s love for you, but it will surely affect you. It will enslave you and ultimately kill you. This is not God’s will for your life.
What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. (Rom 6:1)
Grace is no more a license to sin than electricity is a license to electrocute yourself. True, you can use electricity to electrocute yourself but God forbid that you would! That’s not what it’s for. God created electricity so you could enjoy light and warmth and ESPN’s SportsCenter. Grace, like electricity is meant to bring life not death and there is no life in sin.
We need to see sin for what it really is. It is not some benign activity like making coffee or hitting free-throws down the stretch. As God warned Cain, Sin is a crouching beast that desires to master you. Running after Sin is about as smart as poking a pit-bull with a stick.
They may take our lives, but they’ll never take our freedom!
The apostle of grace wrote much about how sin enslaves and he wasn’t just talking about sinners: “You are slaves to the one whom you obey” (Rom 6:16). Now please understand I am drawing a big fat line between a saint who occasionally sins and a sinner who runs after sin. There is a big difference. The former finds himself doing what he doesn’t want to do; the latter is doing exactly what he wants to do.
If you are troubled when you sin, relax – your discomfort is actually a sign of the new nature and new desires within you. Your heart is to please the Lord. But if you are untroubled when you sin – perhaps because you think grace is a license to sin – then wake up and smell the coffee. Something is very wrong.
For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age. (Tit 2:11-12)
I am aware that some use this scripture to promote behavior modification thus condemning those who are struggling to overcome sin. (If you are trying to overcome sin, check out the excellent links at the end of this post.) The point I want to make here is this: The grace of God that brings salvation teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness. So any grace that isn’t teaching you to say “No” is counterfeit grace. Is grace a license to sin? Only if it is fake grace.
So why do I still sin?
I suspect there are two reasons. Either you don’t know who you really are and you are still running on the operating system you had when you followed the way of the world. Or you are an unbeliever. The grace that teaches us to say no only comes through faith. If you don’t believe you can say no then, guess what, you won’t. This is why it is imperative to declare what the Bible says is true about you.
If you are a Christian you are a new creation. The new has come and the old has gone. When you came to Christ you did not sign up for a program of life-long reform and self-improvement. That way lies disaster and disappointment. Christ is your life. Learn to allow Him to express His flawless, sinless life through your earthen vessel.
When you get up in the morning, look at yourself in the mirror and declare “I am the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. I am His dearly loved child.” When you’re about to click on a link that you should not click or when reaching for some substance that is killing you, say it again: “I am the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. I am His dearly loved child.” This is not the power of positive thinking. This is a frail human being tapping into the inexhaustible riches of His transforming grace through faith.
Have faith in God – His grace is powerful! It is the only thing on this earth that can give us freedom from sin and sinning. Live under the fountain of His grace and sin shall not be your master (Rom 6:14).
Here is the link to the article ..I find the comments at the bottom good as they can ask questions.
Is Grace a License to Sin? – Escape to Reality
Is Grace a License to Sin?
Grace-preachers attract sinners and that is a good thing. If you are a sinner – you have come to the right place! Sinners are welcome in the House of Grace. I wish our churches were magnets for sinners for that would be a sure sign we were preaching the true gospel of grace.
If this scandalizes you then you may want to avert your eyes from the One called the Friend of Sinners. Jesus didn’t wait for sinners to come to Him; He literally went into their homes and got Himself invited to their parties. That’s because grace is for sinners. It is not for those who think they are basically good and decent people. As Jesus said, “I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners” (Mt 9:13).
So I suppose I should be thrilled that I get a lot of correspondence from sinners – and I am. What is less thrilling is the correspondence I get from saints who think they are sinners and who want me to validate their choice to act like sinners.
Why do saints act like sinners?
Some may do it out of ignorance (“I am holy? I didn’t know!”) or out of a fatal belief that they can live by law and call it grace (“I’m just trying to live by the red letters of Jesus”). But a saint who acts like a sinner is a hypocrite – they are acting like someone they are not.
In a recent post I dealt with five questions I typically hear from hot-blooded young men. But today I want to answer the biggest question of all…
Is grace a license to sin?
No. It is true that grace brings freedom and that includes the freedom to make poor choices, but if you use your freedom to enslave yourself to sin, then you have missed the point of grace:
It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. (Gal 5:1)
The purpose of grace is to liberate the prisoner and give life to the dead. Grace is also good news for the poor (Lk 4:18-19). So if you use grace to enslave or impoverish yourself by making dumb decisions and indulging the flesh, then you are setting aside grace. You are not using it for its intended purpose.
Grace liberates, but if you use your freedom to discard your freedom, then what was the point? You are no better off than when you started.
Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound. (Rom 5:20)
Don’t ever fall for the lie that says “I can go on sinning so that grace may abound.” True, your sinning won’t affect God’s love for you, but it will surely affect you. It will enslave you and ultimately kill you. This is not God’s will for your life.
What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. (Rom 6:1)
Grace is no more a license to sin than electricity is a license to electrocute yourself. True, you can use electricity to electrocute yourself but God forbid that you would! That’s not what it’s for. God created electricity so you could enjoy light and warmth and ESPN’s SportsCenter. Grace, like electricity is meant to bring life not death and there is no life in sin.
We need to see sin for what it really is. It is not some benign activity like making coffee or hitting free-throws down the stretch. As God warned Cain, Sin is a crouching beast that desires to master you. Running after Sin is about as smart as poking a pit-bull with a stick.
They may take our lives, but they’ll never take our freedom!
The apostle of grace wrote much about how sin enslaves and he wasn’t just talking about sinners: “You are slaves to the one whom you obey” (Rom 6:16). Now please understand I am drawing a big fat line between a saint who occasionally sins and a sinner who runs after sin. There is a big difference. The former finds himself doing what he doesn’t want to do; the latter is doing exactly what he wants to do.
If you are troubled when you sin, relax – your discomfort is actually a sign of the new nature and new desires within you. Your heart is to please the Lord. But if you are untroubled when you sin – perhaps because you think grace is a license to sin – then wake up and smell the coffee. Something is very wrong.
For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age. (Tit 2:11-12)
I am aware that some use this scripture to promote behavior modification thus condemning those who are struggling to overcome sin. (If you are trying to overcome sin, check out the excellent links at the end of this post.) The point I want to make here is this: The grace of God that brings salvation teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness. So any grace that isn’t teaching you to say “No” is counterfeit grace. Is grace a license to sin? Only if it is fake grace.
So why do I still sin?
I suspect there are two reasons. Either you don’t know who you really are and you are still running on the operating system you had when you followed the way of the world. Or you are an unbeliever. The grace that teaches us to say no only comes through faith. If you don’t believe you can say no then, guess what, you won’t. This is why it is imperative to declare what the Bible says is true about you.
If you are a Christian you are a new creation. The new has come and the old has gone. When you came to Christ you did not sign up for a program of life-long reform and self-improvement. That way lies disaster and disappointment. Christ is your life. Learn to allow Him to express His flawless, sinless life through your earthen vessel.
When you get up in the morning, look at yourself in the mirror and declare “I am the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. I am His dearly loved child.” When you’re about to click on a link that you should not click or when reaching for some substance that is killing you, say it again: “I am the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. I am His dearly loved child.” This is not the power of positive thinking. This is a frail human being tapping into the inexhaustible riches of His transforming grace through faith.
Have faith in God – His grace is powerful! It is the only thing on this earth that can give us freedom from sin and sinning. Live under the fountain of His grace and sin shall not be your master (Rom 6:14).
Here is the link to the article ..I find the comments at the bottom good as they can ask questions.
Is Grace a License to Sin? – Escape to Reality
Amen..... we need to reckon ( consider it as a fact ) that we are dead now- that is the old man that was in Adam.
We are dead ( the old man ) having been crucified with Christ but the new us ( the inner man created in Christ in righteousness and holiness ) is alive in Him. We are one with Him now. It's all Him and we live now because He lives.
Colossians 3:3 (NASB)
[SUP]3 [/SUP] For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
Galatians 2:20-21 (KJV)
[SUP]20 [/SUP] I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
[SUP]21 [/SUP] I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law ( which is self-effort/righteousness/holiness ) , then Christ is dead in vain.
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R
Amen! Some Scripture to ponder(Rom chapter 6)-
1What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?
2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?
3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:
6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
7 For he that is dead is freed from sin.
8 Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:
9 Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.
10 For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.
11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
1What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?
2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?
3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:
6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
7 For he that is dead is freed from sin.
8 Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:
9 Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.
10 For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.
11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
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“We should do everything Jesus said,” is one of the most dangerous and thoughtless doctrines you’ll ever hear.
This is a denial of your Lords instructions. Jesus spent 3 years with his disciples, and they collected all his most pertinent teachings and observations of those around him and put this in the gosples.
But grace7x77 wants you to disregard Jesus.
And you guys call this man is Christ like, a glowing example of what Christ did and meant. Odd for a man who denies His Lords words. Now Jesus's words are eternal, will never pass away, not minor issues to ignore. Everything hangs off every word Jesus spoke. Jesus is "the way, the truth and the life"
Yes buried among these long words from Paul Ellis is denial of Christ, the gospel and truth. I think I should take it more seriously than just accept it as obvious error because you guys take it like it is the Lord speaking.
This is a denial of your Lords instructions. Jesus spent 3 years with his disciples, and they collected all his most pertinent teachings and observations of those around him and put this in the gosples.
But grace7x77 wants you to disregard Jesus.
And you guys call this man is Christ like, a glowing example of what Christ did and meant. Odd for a man who denies His Lords words. Now Jesus's words are eternal, will never pass away, not minor issues to ignore. Everything hangs off every word Jesus spoke. Jesus is "the way, the truth and the life"
Yes buried among these long words from Paul Ellis is denial of Christ, the gospel and truth. I think I should take it more seriously than just accept it as obvious error because you guys take it like it is the Lord speaking.
Grace-believers love all the words of Jesus! Don't take someone else's medicine!
Jesus was the greatest law preacher to those that are self-righteous and think they can "do" things apart from Him.
Jesus was the greatest grace preacher to those that know they can do nothing and need His life.
Here is a series of articles of what grace believers in Christ believe about the words of Jesus. I like to use this website because the author has tackled a lot of the obscure scriptures and the false accusations about grace as well and people can ask questions at the bottom of the articles too.
Here is the link if any one wants to see what is really being said about the beautiful words of our Lord.
Search Results words Jesus – Escape to Reality
Jesus was the greatest law preacher to those that are self-righteous and think they can "do" things apart from Him.
Jesus was the greatest grace preacher to those that know they can do nothing and need His life.
Here is a series of articles of what grace believers in Christ believe about the words of Jesus. I like to use this website because the author has tackled a lot of the obscure scriptures and the false accusations about grace as well and people can ask questions at the bottom of the articles too.
Here is the link if any one wants to see what is really being said about the beautiful words of our Lord.
Search Results words Jesus – Escape to Reality
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L
There is some awesome teaching going on here. Wouldn't it be wonderful to be in an actual Bible study together in real time with each other!!? Pray for me that I find a church with people like you guys in it. I'm trusting God for it and know it is His will so it will happen. Blessings roaringkitten.
Here is a simple contradiction.
If some says this
“We should do everything Jesus said,” is one of the most dangerous and thoughtless doctrines you’ll ever hear.
Then says this
Grace-believers love all the words of Jesus!
They are not being honest.
Likewise to say:
So why do I still sin?
I suspect there are two reasons. Either you don’t know who you really are and you are still running on the operating system you had when you followed the way of the world.
This person believes they can walk in righteousness, victory and purity. Amen.
Oddly I am not told, yes brother we both believe this is possible. But this is the message he is bringing.
The reality other than Grace7x77 no one else appears to be walking in this victory, rather the opposite.
It is possible a work in you has been done through the revelation of Gods infinite love and overwhelming desire to heal and accept and work with sinners desiring truth and reality. I doubt unfortunately you understand the vast array of emotional responses to the words and interpretations which are taken which simply make the ideas meaningless.
Obedience matters. Working things through is part of discipleship, and legalism or setting goals which cannot be attained other than through a change in ones heart, makeup, emotions destroys peoples faith into hypocracy. Blanket simple solutions do not resolve this problem. Confession, seeking fellowship, honesty, openness, prayer, healing does. Walking in the light with each other, speaking from the heart. This is what the apostles are simply saying.
If some says this
“We should do everything Jesus said,” is one of the most dangerous and thoughtless doctrines you’ll ever hear.
Then says this
Grace-believers love all the words of Jesus!
They are not being honest.
Likewise to say:
So why do I still sin?
I suspect there are two reasons. Either you don’t know who you really are and you are still running on the operating system you had when you followed the way of the world.
This person believes they can walk in righteousness, victory and purity. Amen.
Oddly I am not told, yes brother we both believe this is possible. But this is the message he is bringing.
The reality other than Grace7x77 no one else appears to be walking in this victory, rather the opposite.
It is possible a work in you has been done through the revelation of Gods infinite love and overwhelming desire to heal and accept and work with sinners desiring truth and reality. I doubt unfortunately you understand the vast array of emotional responses to the words and interpretations which are taken which simply make the ideas meaningless.
Obedience matters. Working things through is part of discipleship, and legalism or setting goals which cannot be attained other than through a change in ones heart, makeup, emotions destroys peoples faith into hypocracy. Blanket simple solutions do not resolve this problem. Confession, seeking fellowship, honesty, openness, prayer, healing does. Walking in the light with each other, speaking from the heart. This is what the apostles are simply saying.
F
This is my last response to you, because you are obviously only looking for a platform for yourself, and because I seriously think you have a thought disorder that you need to seek help for. And I am totally serious about that. If you really believed that you should do everything that Jesus said then you would have long ago plucked out both of your eyes. And that would just be for starters.
It's not any kind of obedience that God desires for us, it's a certain kind of obedience. It's obedience born out of our love for Him as a response to His love for us. He is not interested in obedience born out of some legalistic sense of duty or fear. That kind of “obedience” is merely external compliance, while the heart remains unchanged and defiant. If God only wanted external compliance then the Pharisee's would have been His guys, but they weren't, they were the Enemies guys. Something you should think long and hard about.
It's not any kind of obedience that God desires for us, it's a certain kind of obedience. It's obedience born out of our love for Him as a response to His love for us. He is not interested in obedience born out of some legalistic sense of duty or fear. That kind of “obedience” is merely external compliance, while the heart remains unchanged and defiant. If God only wanted external compliance then the Pharisee's would have been His guys, but they weren't, they were the Enemies guys. Something you should think long and hard about.
E
BEFORE THE CROSS:
No one could come near God, the only person who could even get close to God was the high priest, and him, only once a year, and he had to go through major ceremonial cleansing, and even then, When he entered the most holy place. He could not know if he would survive being in the presence of God or not. They had to tie a rope to him, so if he died, they could pull his body out before it defiled the most holy place.
AFTER THE CROSS:
every child of God can come boldly to the throne room of God with confidence, The veil was torn in two. Jesus is our high priest, having given himself as the sacrifice to forgive all sin. God is approachable, the barrier which separated God and man was removed forever.
No one could come near God, the only person who could even get close to God was the high priest, and him, only once a year, and he had to go through major ceremonial cleansing, and even then, When he entered the most holy place. He could not know if he would survive being in the presence of God or not. They had to tie a rope to him, so if he died, they could pull his body out before it defiled the most holy place.
AFTER THE CROSS:
every child of God can come boldly to the throne room of God with confidence, The veil was torn in two. Jesus is our high priest, having given himself as the sacrifice to forgive all sin. God is approachable, the barrier which separated God and man was removed forever.
Try going through that over 50x times....if we all included the times we said things that were mis-construed..it would be over 200x times as I have seen many try to speak truth here.....and still things are said the complete opposite of what is being said...there is some sort of deception going on here.....or a refusal to see what is being said...I just leave it with the Lord.......
.we are in one of these again....
[video=youtube;KP6LBYoqBl0]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KP6LBYoqBl0[/video]
.we are in one of these again....
[video=youtube;KP6LBYoqBl0]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KP6LBYoqBl0[/video]
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