It has become a common occurrence in the modern church to expose and condemn legalism, with people trying (and failing) to reign in the flesh by some sort of list made up of "Thou shalts..." and "Thou shalt not's". And that is wonderful, for it is by grace that we are saved, not of works lest any man should boast.
But something has been bothering me for a while now. Is it just me, or do you think it is possible that is our effort to magnify grace, we may be missing something...... the part where we are all called to follow Him, and seek Him and obey Him with all our hearts...... fervently?
For every verse about grace, I suspect there are two that are urging us to a deeper intimacy with Jesus, or warning us to not give place to the devil for he is fixed on stealing from us.
Paul talks about running our race as if there is but one prize. He exhorts CHRISTIANS to make their calling and election sure..... by enduring to the end. He tells us that it is our reasonable service to present ourselves as living sacrifices. Whoa.
James tells us that friendship with the world is enmity against God. He says that a double minded man is unstable in all of His ways and likens it to adultery against God.
Peter tells us to sober and vigilant, for our enemy goes about seeking whom he may devour.
Jesus Himself said that if we lose our lives for His sake, we save them. He says that we are His friends if we do whatsoever He commands us. unfortunately the opposite of both is true as well.
The question is.... do we have ears to hear? Do we want more? Do we believe it is even possible? How can we come to such a place? Listen, We must first hate our carnal lower nature..... what we consider "the normal us". Ouch.
Our understanding of Christianity is out of balance, don't you think? Why would there be warnings and exhortations against willful sin, or worldliness, lukewarmness, or being double minded literally throughout the New Testament? Have they now become of not applicable to us enlightened ones?
Grace trumps all, right?
How small (and quiet) the crowd that says we still need to pay heed to all of God's words to us, the goodnesss AND the severity? And no wonder. the ones bold enough to question our lack of balance are immediately labeled and shamed as heretics and legalists. They are told this is the new gospel, a grace so deep there is no need for balance, or even obedience. Free means free of all those pesky rules!
Hmmmmmm. Have we come to such a deep revelation of grace that we think that we can (of course, we WON'T) sin any sin, and not even necessarily repent, and STILL our names are already etched into the Lamb's book of life and cannot be removed? We need to think again.
What we are witnessing, and for the majority a part of, satan's finest masterstrokes. Magnify grace. Minimize sin and its consequences. Do you know what God calls it?
Turning the grace of God into lasciviousness.
To all who read these words, I beseech you, get before the Lord and prayerfully seek Him. Examine yourselves whether you are "in the faith" with both sides of the gospel. We are promised that if we will judge ourselves, we will not be judged. Ask yourself if the fellowship you are a part of is balanced, and found encouraging you to go deeper, to learn how to actually abide in Christ, where He promises we will NOT fulfill the lusts of the flesh. Are you lulled into an ever deepening assurance that Heaven is yours or are you told that willful sin is death?
Listen guys. We have been given much. Lest we forget, to whom much is given, much is required. Amen?
*crickets*
blessings, Gids
(Now if you find such a commitment scares the heck out of you and that you fear you will fail or feel it too confining, may I promise you that He will move mountains in these last days to take us, change us, fill us and use us as lights leading others to Him?
The Bible does not call it "the glorious liberty of the children of God" for nothing. We are about to have our feet planted on the highway of holiness, but first we have to see that the road we are on is circular and our lives are passing, but we are getting nowhere, and worst of all, we have been brainwashed into thinking this is perfectly normal. May I humbly tell you.... it may appear normal. But if you stay on that path, it will lead you away from the light of life.
Time to wake up! Live, bones, live.
blessings, Gideon
