Grace simply means undeserved or unmerited favour
Why RADICAL Grace?
I believe that believe in one's Eternal Salvation purely through faith in Jesus' completed work on the Cross, or in Christian circles summarized as Grace (God's undeserved favour).
Furthermore, I believe in Eternal Salvation, that the basis of Salvation is Jesus work not our own (Grace without Work), and that we do not have to maintain our Salvation.
Many churches in the world justify their righteousness with a mixture of Law and Grace. However, I firmly believe this to produced confusing and inconsistent doctrines, and confused and ignorent Christians. The differences in nearly all the denominations are because they pick and choose which law to follow and which ones to ignore.
However there is a mistaken assumption that we do not respect or honour the law. I do believe the law is Holy and Just, given by God. The difference is I believe the law is fulfilled by Jesus Christ, and since it has been fulfilled in full, no longer applies to us.
Romans 8:1-4 "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit."
Of course this always brings about accusations of "Cheap/Free Grace" which gives an implication that its worthless grace. Another common argument is that that it gives us a license to sin. I will quickly answer the criticisms below and explain why I believe in purely Grace without work or the Law.
Criticism 1: Free Grace
Actually, this first criticism is faulty from the start, because our if we believe Jesus died for our sins, then its not free is it? Jesus paid for our sins!
So this Grace is not free, but paid for by God Himself, using his son Jesus to pay for our sins. I don't believe that this Salvation is free, in fact it is the most expensive cost in existance, namely God's own son!
So we don't act as if its worthless because we didn't pay anything, but we act thankful because someone infinitely more valuable than us made the sacrifice for us.
Romans 3:27-31 states "Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith. Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law. Is he the God of the Jews only? is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also: Seeing it is one God, which shall justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith. Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law."
Thus, Paul concludes that Justification by Faith without the Law IS establishing the Law.
Criticism 2: License to sin
This is a straw man argument, because it presupposes that we would WANT to sin.
In fact, this "License to sin" accusation of preachers of Grace without works doctrine was an accusation thrown at Apostle Paul. And he responded in Romans 6 (Please read the whole chapter).
His argument is simple, just because he stated in the previous chapter in Romans 5 that the more sin abounds, the Grace of God much more abounds, it does not mean that we will sin more! But that does not negate the fact that regardless, God's Grace still much more abounds for your sins. In fact he concluded that before we were servants to sin, now after Jesus, we are servants to righteousness!
Lets follow this logically.
Step 1) Why do we sin?
Would you agree with me in saying that we sin because our nature is sinful since Adam and Eve took the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil?
Jeremiah 17:9 states "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?"
Step 2) What did Jesus' work on the cross do if we accept his work on the cross?
2 Corinthians 5:17 states "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."
Step 3) If we are a new creation, is our heart different?
Romans 6:14-18 states "For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness."
But the Bible says its the opposite, Jesus' work is more powerful than Adam's sin
Romans 5:19-20 "For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound"
Thus I conclude that Grace without the Law does not give us a License to sin, in fact it gives us freedom from sin from within, not using external laws forced upon you using fear and/or punishment.
Galatians 5:16-18 "This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law."
1 John3:7-10 is interesting. It states"Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother."
"Aha!" you might think. See! If you do righteous works, you are of God, and you sin you are of the devil! However, I think this should be thought of closely. Surely we all agree that sinners, will sin, and are of the devil, so lets leave them aside. How about Christians, where the real issue is?
Verse 9 states that "Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God". The verse states TWICE that if one is born of God, one cannot commit and does not commit sin. So how can one know that one is born of God?
Lets look at the chapter 5 for the answer, because it identifies who is born of God
1 John 5:4-5 states "For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?"
There you have it! One who is born of God cannot sin (in God's eyes). The same author John identifies one that is born of God as one who overcomes the world, and furthermore identifies one that overcomes the world as one that beleives that Jesus is the Son of God!
So I conclude, rather than your works and trying your best to maintain your righteousness, that for a believer sin is no longer an issue because of Jesus' completed work!
Why Do I Believe Salvation is Purely Grace Without Works?
There are many churches that preach we are saved through Jesus' sacrifice, but preach on that we have to do good works or follow God's laws (ie the Ten Commandments) on top of that to be saved, or to maintain our salvation.
However, I am convinced that the opposite is true. Here are my reasons. Note I will be posting more extensive posts about this, so the below are briefly some verses that justify this. Please read their whole context of each verse (read the chapter its in) to understand the extent that Paul writes these points.
1) Man is Justified and made Righteous by Grace without the Law
The Bible is clear that to be justified before the eyes of God, there is only one way, through Jesus without the Law.
Galatians 3:11 states that "But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, the just shall live by faith"
Romans 10:3-4 states "For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth"
Romans 3:21-28 "But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith. Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law."
Ephesians 2:8-9 "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast."
Titus 3:4-6 "But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;"
2) If you want to use the Law for your justification, ALL the Law must be fulfilled to PERFECTION
Regardless of whether you believe in dispensations or even that there is a difference between the Old and New Testament, there is one "Law" that is consistent in both Old and New Covenants.
If you keep the Law, if you fail in one, you fail in ALL of them and are subject to the curses of disobeying the Law.
James 2:10 states "For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all."
Galations 3:10 states "For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them."
Deut 27:26 states "Cursed be he that confirmeth not all the words of this law to do them"
You cannot pick and choose which one is a big sin, which one is a minor sin. Sin is sin. You cannot even mix Law and Grace because if you fail one Law, you are guilty of failing ALL the Laws. Do you know what is the most common but failed Laws in the Bible? That you fear not, and not believing in God's word.
Fear and unbelief are not "minor" sins. Lets look at how God treats them
Revelations 21:8 states "But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death."
Fear and unbelief is classified with abominable acts, murder, whoremongering, sorcery, idolatry and liars!
The Law is not only the Ten Commandments, but also all the other requirements of the Jews in the Old Testament.
How many of you are circumcised? How many churches have an altar to sacrifice bulls and lambs if you sin? How many still follow the different Feasts?
Lets say we agree that the Law only talks about the 10 Commandments (it doesn't as many Christians who argue against pure Grace doctrine says "Law" in the New Testament actually refers to the old Jewish law), lets look at purely the 10 Commandments.
Even Paul himself could not do it!
He writes in Romans 7 (please read) that he tried to fulfill the Law, but instead the Law against coveting got him. The Law made him do the things he knows he shouldn't and not do the things he knows he should.
Thus if the requirement is perfect obedience of the law, one that even Paul himself could not fulfill, what do you think your chances are?
3) The Law itself causes you to sin
1 Cor 15:56 states "The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law."
Romans 7:7-11" What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet. But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence (NIV: covetous desire). For without the law sin was dead. For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died. And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death. For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me."
This is the reason why so many preachers are cought with their pants down. Those that preach aggressively against adultary are instead cought for adultary. Those that preach against this sin, or that sin, are often cought committing those sins.
Do you know that the name Satan comes from the Hebrew word Hasatan meaning the "Adversary"? If one looks at the context in Zechariah 4:1-10 the context in a common law system would mean that he is the prosecution or accuser, while the High Priest is the defence. Guess what a prosecutor does? He uses the Law to accuse the believer! Speaking of "accuser" doesn't that sound familiar?
Revelations 12:10 "And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night."
Speaking of Accusers on one side and High Priest on the other, doesn't it give you the image of Satan accusing on one side, while Jesus being our High Priest (Jesus our High Priest is covered in Hebrews extensively) is defending us on the other? Or in other words, the Law accusing us, while Grace is our defense?
Hebrews 9:11-15 "But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.
4) Suppose we could attain righteousness by our works/obeying the law, we are rejecting Jesus' work
Pretend someone paid for your lunch and already left, but when your bill comes and you find out its already paid, if you insist and pay anyway does this not make you ungrateful for the treat?
Galatians 2:21 states "I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain"
Galatians 5:4 states "Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law, ye are fallen from grace"
Romans 11:6 states "And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work."
5) The reason for the Law's existance is no longer valid the moment we accept Jesus Christ
Galatians 3:23-25 "But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster."
Clearly it says that the Law was given before Christ came to be our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ. But after Jesus came ("faith" is Righteousness by faith, as this is used throughout the book of Galatians in this manner) we are no longer under the law!
Why Do I Don't Believe In The Need Maintain Our Salvation
I would like to go into this in detail, but as this post is getting too long to read, I will do so in a future post. Here are several things to ponder:
1) If our salvation is purely by Jesus' work, shouldn't it be Jesus' work that must be corrupted or negated for us to lose our salvation?
2) If we don't get saved with good works when we were unsaved, why can a sin completely reverse our salvation by Jesus?
3) If the justification of our Salvation through Jesus' sacrifice can be negated by our sins, wouldn't the sacrifices of bulls and goats in the Old Testament be better? After all those sacrifices guarantee God's forgiveness for one year even if you sin!
4) If God truly gave his own son as a sacrifice and exchange for you, and because of that you become his child, do you think he will forsake you if you sin? Do you abandon your children if they are naughty (even adopted ones)?
5) "Eternal" life doesn't seem eternal at all if it relies upon your performance, don't you think? After all, God's standard is perfection. So if you fear, worry or even have an unpure thought, you blew it! All of us won't last several hours if that was so.
Here are my thoughts on this, maybe you may conclude the same:
Romans 8:38-39 "For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord"
Conclusion
To summarise:
1) Man is Justified by Grace without Law
2) If we want to follow the Law, we MUST follow ALL the Law (not pick and choose)
3) But it is impossible, in fact the Law itself causes you to sin
4) If we think we are following the Law, we negate Jesus' work
5) The reason for the Law became obsolete the moment Jesus completed his finished work
Not only does following the Law not work in practice, Biblically they are predicted to fail so that there is a need for a saviour. If we can do it ourselves, we don't need a saviour.
Don't you think its cruel to tell believers to do the impossible?
Without the law, Jesus' sacrifice is truly a free gift. I believe its free for your salvation as well as maintaining your salvation.
It makes no sense for Jesus to pay for your past sins, then you have to maintain it with your own works. Thats like giving a "free gift" but you have to pay for later, and on a lifetime contract too!
I won a "free" mobile phone like that once in a raffle. I paid two years for that "free gift".
I hope our Gospel isn't as dodgy as some of those deals.
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