Grace Wrongly Defined
What is the litmus test to determine if the message of grace is doctrinally sound? It is quite simple. When you are hearing a message about the law vs grace, who is exalted? The law is based on what WE do, how WE act, and how WE perform. The message of grace from the New Covenant is based on what GOD has done.
The message of grace reveals more about Jesus – His beauty, perfection, and His finished work on the cross.
So, the question is – when you listen to a message is it about what YOU must do or what GOD has already done for you? One message brings guilt and condemnation and the other brings freedom and joy.
What is Grace?
What is the effect of hearing Jesus and His finished work exalted? It leads to a life of rest and success because His yoke is easy and his burden light.
“And if by grace, then it is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace. But if it is of works, it is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work” Romans 11:6. NKJV
In the NLT version, it says: “And since it is through God’s kindness, then it is not by their good works. For, in that case, God’s grace would not be what it really is – free and underserved.”
We can do NOTHING to deserve it. It is not merited. It is given – freely. When you come to understand the impact of that scripture you will stop worrying about performing. His love and unmerited favor within you flush out the wrong thinking and believing because it is coming from your spirit and the Rhema (spoken) Word of God to your heart. This is where you get a clear understanding.
Some teach that the message of grace is ‘divine empowerment.’ Grace is not merely empowerment that dilutes the true message. Grace produces divine empowerment because it is undeserved, unmerited, and unearned favor. The times when you fail are when you are in your most underserved state.
Grace Is Undeserved Favor
Unmerited favor is when you have failed but you can receive Jesus’ favor, blessings, love, and acceptance because of what He has already done for you. This also brings healing and change.
Do not flip it around to make it about what you are doing – your work, your accomplishments, or your efforts. When your thoughts are centered on what Jesus has done, you will see that erroneous definition of grace as ‘empowerment.’ It is NOT about what you have done.
Remember – it is about His work, His doing, His performance, and His love in our lives. It never points back to you. Grace is God’s doing. Period.To gain an understanding of grace versus the law is to understand that God blesses you not because you are good but because HE IS GOOD.
When Jesus told the people that his burden was light and His yoke was easy, the people were already weary and worn out by the requirements of the law of Moses. (Matthew 11:28-29)
The yoke of the law is hard, heavy, and difficult. The yoke of grace is easy and light because it is none of ourselves and all of Jesus Christ. HE bore the burden of sin on our behalf
Under grace, our part is to believe in Jesus, and we are made righteous and blessed. It is because of what HE has done.
We Are Redeemed
The emphasis of the old covenant of the law was all about your love for God. The emphasis of the new covenant of grace is all about God’s love for you.
The sum of the law under the old covenant is “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength” Deuteronomy 6:5, Matthew 22:37, 40.
Have you ever met anyone who could love God this way? Of course not. It is a human impossibility. The law was designed to show us that we are incapable of loving God perfectly.
Knowing that man would not be able to fulfill His commandment to love Him that way, look what God did! He demonstrated how only He could love us with all His heart, all His soul, all His mind, and all His strength when He sent His beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to redeem us from all our sins with His blood.
Under grace, God does not want you to focus your thoughts on, “Do I really, truly love God?” That is not the focus of the new covenant.
Under grace, God wants you to focus on His love for you. Therefore, the questions you should be asking yourself are:
Do I know how much God loves me today?
Do I believe that God loves me right now?
Do I see God as my Father or my judge?
Do I expect to be punished if I sin?
Am I blessed because of my own doing?
Am I blessed because of my ability to keep the law?
Am I able to make myself righteous enough to receive God’s blessing?
His goodness towards you is not contingent on your performance but His UNDESERVED favor towards you.
The gospel the apostle Paul preached is not a man-pleasing gospel and was opposed by legalists everywhere he went. Today’s legalists are still doing the same thing. They are those who believe and depend on their efforts to achieve their sense of righteousness.
Make the concentrated decision to receive His abundant, undeserved, grace and you will begin to live life in victory. Receive the treasures that were purchased for you by His blood and begin reigning in every area of your life.