GRACE UNCOVERED 15

 

"Grace Motivates" 

 

June 15, 2008  EPC - Kevin Hale

 

My experience with Christianity has covered much territory searching for authentic faith.

We have asked why is it that so many Christians experience so little freedom/joy?

 

Do you feel free?

 

Many of you grew up the same way I did relying on what Jesus did for me and confessing my sins and receive forgiveness. That is true and believed but then I began to hear mixed messages.  I was so glad to have my salvation taken care of and I wanted to do whatever I could for God that rules were fine with me.  I was not aware that slowly I began to measure my acceptance to God as to how my peers in the ministry accepted me.

 

After several years I began to copy what had been outlined what a real Christian looked like and acted like.  Life was good for me and I was comfortable and well liked at the top of that group.

 

I began to see that everyone of these preachers lists differed but they could fellowship with others as long as they all agreed on a predetermined set of standards.

 

I witnessed a pride in living up to these agreed rules and that became the basis of our fellowship.  I then realized by watching outsiders trying come in that ended up just quitting that something was wrong.

 

I began to feel the pressure of bondage.

 

The gospel is that our acceptance with God is based on what he did for us not what we do for Him or what we promise Him.

 

It is by grace through faith in Christ alone that brings us into the presence of God.

 

In a golf cart one of my friends questioned me if I believed in the doctrine of separation.  That actually began my escape.  Hearing that he used various ministries to "keep the people busy".

 

I had a lady a few weeks ago ask me if this is true then what is the motivation or incentive for anyone to do right or just go and do what they want to do?

 

There is prominent pastor in Indy that has taken this grace to the point that it does not matter what you grace covers it all and now you do not repent of your sins anymore and he has a seemingly logical scriptural bases for it.

 

So what do you do to get people to live right or to follow decency etc?

 

You cannot just do whatever you want so how we answer this question is important, right?

 

Galatians 5:1-

Galatians 5

¹Stand^£ fast therefore in the liberty(freedom) by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage. ²Indeed I, Paul, say to you that if you become circumcised, Christ will profit you nothing (no value). ³And I testify again to every man who becomes circumcised that he is a debtor to keep the whole law. ⁴You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace (out of). ⁵For we through the Spirit eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. ⁶For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love.

⁷You ran well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth? ⁸This persuasion does not come from Him who calls you. ⁹A little leaven leavens the whole lump. 

 

Now real Christianity is being transformed from the inside out.  Behavior modification is not the same thing.

 

Ill.  Iron rod bent you can bend it back but it will be weaker or brittle.  If you heat it red hot then you can straighten it with strength.  Will power is like bending it without heating it up.

 

As we allow the spirit burn us then we will over time be straighten but there is sweetness and inner strength that makes you stronger but gentler.

 

CS Lewis "Mere Christianity" 1940's

"Nice people or new men" 

 

When the gospel transforms it makes you loving and gracious and godly person.  Life change from this process is different than from any other process.

 

How does it change us?  What is the motivation?  Ill:  Tiff in college starts getting c's etc. What is up with that?  Dad I am in chill out.  I am accepted and they do not care about my grade as long as I do not flunk.  Why try harder?  Because of love of learning and.

 

How is total acceptance an incentive for total surrender and sacrifice and unselfish living?

 

Now notice: ⁹A little leaven leavens the whole lump. 

What is the yeast is the question? 

 

Now free grace leads to slack living is the argument against Alone.  It is faith in Christ and obey, a faith without works is dead right?  All out of context in James.  God loves you no matter what so you need to balance it out.

 

You have to show them rules or principles and balance so they will live right.  You cannot trust them to do right without making them know all of the sins they need to avoid.

 

What is going on right here in Galatia.  They preached both faith and works and Paul said Grace and faith to be accepted or made right with God.

 

Paul tells people about the works of the flesh and instructs them to live to God.  It is not balance (leaven) but one leads to another.  The reason for your obedience is the key.

 

He never told pagans to live any way they wanted now.  Paul and the teachers spoke of faith and works but the reason was the difference.

 

Why do you go to church or read your bible or put off the old and on the new?

 

Here they are saying to these X pagans you need to trust Christ but then be circumcised and keep the law. Paul said NO.

 

Paul talked about good works and changed lives all of the time to put off and put on stuff?  It is not a balance issue or emphasis issue.

 

One leads to another faith leads to obedience. (7)  obey the truth he said.  Both Paul and the teachers spoke of faith and works but they reason was different.  Two different views obedience means different gospels.

 

WHAT motivates you to obey God?  Titus 2:11

¹¹For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, ¹²teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, ¹³looking (waiting) for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, ¹⁴who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.

 

Grace motivates period.  Why do we do right?   Either grace or fear.  The gospel changes us.

 

Christ has freed us verse 4:9 - 5:1.  "AGAIN"

 

They are being told they need to be circumcised and yoked to the law of Moses.  Back in Acts peter at that counsel to decide if it is grace or keeping the law.  You will lose God they taught.  Fear motivation.

The pagans never obeyed the law and how do we know that.  They had never been circumcised.  You cannot be circumcised again.

 

Paul is teaching that your slavery immoral paganism is no better than the laws morality.  Many think that Christianity is about making people moral and virtuous and NICE and kind but that is not Christianity.

 

Both are bondage see CS Lewis  God wants us to be new not nice only.  Moral religion / pagan idolatry.  They worshipped gods ie if you went to war then the god of war was worshiped if you needed fish then the fish god if you wanted children then the god of fertility and the sun rain etc.  they had transactional relationship with gods.  I will do this for you and you will do this for me and was fearful when they did not get what they wanted.

If you live for anything temporal you will live in fear.  Totally dominated by fear and anger and guilt or shame.

 

When you obey God for the wrong reason then you are as much a slave and before.

 

FAITH must work through LOVE. 

¹Stand^£ fast therefore in the liberty(freedom) by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage. ²Indeed I, Paul, say to you that if you become circumcised, Christ will profit you nothing(no value). ³And I testify again to every man who becomes circumcised that he is a debtor to keep the whole law. ⁴You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from (out of) grace. ⁵For we through the Spirit eagerly wait for the hope (not I hope so, it means certainty) of righteousness (future grace) by faith. ⁶For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love.  WE can never merit right standing with God.

⁷You ran well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth? ⁸This persuasion does not come from Him who calls you. ⁹A little leaven leavens the whole lump. 

 

If you live in a faith/works mode you will never know and will live in fear.  I receive grace now and will receive future grace and God will finish what he starts.

 

He is coming again and you need to be ready.

 

Application:

• 1. Receive grace based motivation. The Spirit will do it.
• 2. Reject fear based motivation
• 3. Rely on the Spirit to do that work in you. (5)

 

Now how?  Ask the Spirit to show what this grace is and to break your imprint that keeps you from freedom and knowing him.

 

He says to obey the truth not the law.

 

Kids spell love t.i.m.e  but God spells time l.i.f.e.  Dad's learn to live so you can pass life to your kids.