"Reconciling Grace" - JR Everhart

I’m a big fan of Brennan Manning’s book The Ragamuffin Gospel.  It’s basically the blueprint of the modern grace movement.  That being said, most have taken it way further than I believe Mr. Manning ever intended.  The notion of hyper-extended grace is a real issue in the modern church.  This is the notion of teaching that Jesus did all the heavylifting, hence, we need not take any personal responsibility therein.  This is a false gospel, and it stands in direct conflict with the principles of holiness.  As Christ-followers, we are all called to holiness, therefore grace can only be taught correctly when taught in parallel with God's commands to obedience.  It’s both in tandem… not either or… 

Having said all that, it's important that I disclose that I was brought up in a church culture that taught “turn or burn” theology (your personal responsibility towards obedience).  I can remember, as a child, hearing my pastor talk about - this person or that person - going to hell because they smoked cigarettes or drank alcohol!  I can't count the number of times I heard the phrase “Beer Joint” talked about within my family’s church circles.  All the while, these parishioners being some of the most corrupt church people I've ever run across in my life.  They lied, cheated people in dirty business deals, and cheated on their wives.  All the while standing in critical judgement of everyone around them.  As a result, I ended up an atheist by my late teens. 

 

1)No wonder the Scriptures say, “The Gentiles blaspheme the name of God because of you.” Romans 2:24 | NLT

I must admit to experiencing "God moments" during my childhood.  I was saved as a boy, and thereby filled with the Holy Spirit - with the evidence of speaking in tongues - by age 12.  But by my late teens, atheism became a safe place to escape from the aforementioned church nonsense.

After a number of rebellious years, I finally hit rock bottom at the age of 22.  From there, I surrendered wholeheartedly to Jesus, and that began the 28-year rollercoaster of JR's Christian journey.  It’s been a long rough road, but I’m still here, wanting very much to be a man that God's glory can shine through. 

There has to be balance in all this, and simultaneously, how can we reconcile God's law with God's grace?  I grew up hearing scripture being used to preach all manner of people into hell every week.  How can we stand and proclaim freedom in Christ's work on the cross - for all our sins - without going to hell for the habitual sin we all struggle with?  The Bible clearly says we ALL struggle with sin even after becoming believers. 

"8)If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth.  9)But if we confess our sins to Him, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.  10)If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that His word has no place in our hearts." 1 John 1:8-10 | NLT

The key to this is verse 9.  Repentance is what separates us from the unbelieving world.  Every time the Bible states that - this sin or that sin - is going to condemn us to permanent separation from God, we should remind ourselves that such judgement is reserved for the prideful and unrepentant.  When we focus our hearts on true repentance and our motives on living out as much holiness as we can, anything that we fall short on will be covered by God's grace.  But this is not a license to sin freely!  Paul said God forbids such a mindset.  We are called to denial ourselves, dig in our heels, take up our cross of daily crucifixion, and follow Jesus.  There's nothing easy about that.  But at the end of the day, if there’s failure laying on the battlefield of the human experience, God has nothing but grace and mercy for us.  For we're instructed to boldly come before his throne of grace and humbly relinquish all that failure to him.  This is the true good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

 

1) So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. 2) And because you belong to Him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death. 

Romans 8:1-2 | NLT

When we walk in the power of God's grace, grace that we receive through Jesus Christ, our sin-natured wills will no longer lead to death.  This is foundational to the testimony that Jesus will take what was meant for evil and use it for good.  As such, our failures become a growth opportunity, and God reveals through the ramifications (fallout) of our sin, almost as a gauge or compass relative to obedience's call.  More & more, the sin in our lives works to wake-us-up to change when it’s framed around repentance.  All the while, sin has lost its sting, and death is no longer a pendulum-like threat to our lives.  

And this is where things get sticky.  As Christ-followers, the enemy is constantly enticing us to step over the line.  In my life, I usually just barrel right through my boundaries and into the land of selfish indulgence without so much as a second thought.  I despise this approach, but it’s the truth.  That being said, there’s never a time that I don’t respond with heartfelt repentance, finding myself having to take a spiritual bath afterwards.  It’s a very uncomfortable process and for good reason.  But, if I had no sin (& the ramifications of said sin) within my life, it would likely only lead to - high horse Christianity and therein a tedious judgement of the struggles of others around me.  Sin (& the ramifications therein) keeps me humble and compassionate towards others' struggles.  Sinful behavior, as a "category", will never feel normal to a true believer.  This is because it’s not part of our transformed nature.  But it is very much part of the fallen human experience here on earth.  I just keep reminding myself that earth is not my home.  As such, I try hard to live in the culture of my true home (heaven), and not within the culture of this temporary home.  A home run by none other than our enemy, Satan.  

The next time those accusatory thoughts of condemnation come into your mind, ask yourself this simple question:  ”Is this the culture of heaven, or the culture of hell?”  The culture of heaven is repentance and restoration.  The culture of hell is guilt and shame.  Shame leading to a dark pit of self-hatred that only ends in death.  A repentant heart is the key to all this.  Without a heart that desires holiness, we are no different than the unbelieving world.  A world driven by selfish pride and fleshly desires that openly murder to get its way.