Many people might be wondering why I’m writing these series of articles on misconstrue of grace and the liberty it offers. I know many will think I’m too critical of the men of God; while some will see the point I’m trying to convey. The works of grace cannot be contained in a book; neither can one preacher gives an account of the benefits it offers. But the bottom line is this; grace offers us
- pardon and acquittal from the penalty of our previous sin/s
- liberation from the power of sin and its consequences
- declaration of believers as righteous
- a second chance
- a reunion with our Maker
- Beginning of a good relationship with God.
- preserving and preparing of believers to be with Christ in God’s kingdom
This I know that a well knowledgeable man of God who is spiritually sound, who is not after worldly gains should teach; also, this is the lesson that every believer needs to know and should know if what he/she professes is real. Ministers and believers alike have polluted, abused and turned grace to occasion to bring people into bondage of sin again. Those who are spiritual must not close their eyes and allow the devil to take over this world that Christ had come to redeem.
Situation with the church and society today is despicable. There is moral degeneration in our churches and society. Today’s modern civilized cities are like Sodom and Gomorrah; full of so many immoral and unethical behavior. The word ideology and technology has been abused; it is now being manipulated, misused and turned into a form of idolatry. Imagine the unimaginable; children’s minds are more inclined to the world of computer than any other thing; they don’t listen to parents anymore when instructed; instead, they spent more of their available time on face booking or tweeting or texting.
Unfortunately, this dilemma is very rampart in the churches. Instead of listening to the word of God, they pretend to be reading bible on-line on their Cell Phone, iPhone or iPad. Technology that supposed to enhance humanity has turned to be instrument of unrighteousness; a form of idolatry.
In order to understand grace and the liberty it offers, we must not be ignorant of these anomalies. What does it means to abound in grace?
Our fellowship with the father must be sand
If we are in grace and we continue in our old sinful practices, we have no fellowship with God. Have we then been washed clean of our sin by the precious blood of Jesus? God cannot compromise His holiness to accommodate sin and worldly lust. Though we live in the world but we are not of the world.
Under the grace, believers are to walk in God’s light – our fellowship with Him, which is primarily the reason for our justification. Another fact is this, our walking in God’s light reveals sin; thereby we quickly run undercover in Jesus to seek salvation. Why? God’s forgiveness of our sin will liberate us to begin anew on the path of righteousness that we have been declared. The scripture admonishes,
“Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace” (Rom. 6:12-14)
We are pardoned; and not to go back again into what we have been pardoned
We need to be on guard against sinful tendencies. Though occasional sin cannot be avoided; however, it is an abuse of the grace we received if we continue in a consistent lifestyle of sin; active rebellion against the law of God; habitual sinful conduct; and ungodly attitude.
How can we live as Christians without being conscious of the sin/s that causes our separation from God in the first place? When talking of grace, every believer must not be ignorant of the law because it helps to reveal sin; but grace empowers us to stay away from it. Though, awareness of the law does not make us justified but faith in Christ.
The fact that we are free from the curse of the law is not enough to say that we are at liberty to do what is contrary to the will of God. Can immorality go hand in hand with salvation? Whether the law bears curse or grace removes curse; sin will always remain sin, good will always be good and bad will always be bad. The scripture states, “…to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin (Jas. 4:12). Constantly deal with sin and be sin less
Let us quit blaming law for disobeying the law
“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Phi. 4:13). God’s purpose for the law is for love. The law is a guide to effecting this love. It is the failures of man to give love a chance that resulted to sin. Should we blame the law for revealing sin in our lives or we should be grateful that the law made us to be aware of it.
Apostle Paul says, “Do we then make void the law through faith? Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the law”. Where there is no law, there is no transgression; also, where there is no law, there is no orderliness. If God does not punish unrighteousness, there will be no day of judgment. God would not make law for man in order to make all guilty before Him; the law is meant to create atmosphere of love and belonging between man and God; and between one human being to another. If by the law is the knowledge of sin, then with grace abounding, let’s keep ourselves away from sin.
Our salvation must be genuine
Let us strive and work to obtain a genuine salvation, let us have this in mind that our salvation is not a one time event, it is more than an instantaneous experience; it is a journey of life time. It is the long process of becoming more and more like Jesus. This is what we know as sanctification; the process by which we are freed from the power of sin; this continuing process of salvation will eventually be completed in our glorification when we are saved from the presence of sin before the Almighty God.
Old things not found in the will of God must pass away
One of the ways by which grace may abound is for present-day believers to refuse to return to the attraction of this world and the pleasure of sin. They must be in subjection to God; allowing the Holy Spirit to empower them to serve God.
Grace was given to men and women of old who trusted in the Lord; likewise, grace is presently and permanently and forever available to all who believe in Christ. We are not to use our liberty as a cloak for vice, making up excuses as a cover up for wrong doing, but as bondservants of God whose main goal is to live and walk in the path of righteousness to please God.
We must not be ignorant of truth and sin
We need to be aware of false preachers who proclaim liberty but actually bring their church members into bondage. We need to be vigilant in the course of Christ because of wolves in sheep’s clothing (Matt. 7:15). Teaching or preaching of grace can be dangerous when perverted carnally by people who believe that all they need is justification and thereafter do what is not pleasing to the Lord: or things that can make other brethren to fall.
Some ministers promises spiritual growth but do not satisfy the hunger of God’s people for the truth. It is the truth that we gained from the word of our Lord Jesus Christ that sets us free and gives us our liberty.
Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him,
“If you abide in My word, you are My disci
ples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (Jn.8:31-32)
There is moral laxity in our churches today, misunderstanding Pauline doctrine as if it was written independent of the Old Testament and the teaching of our Lord Jesus Christ.
In order to abound and enjoy the grace given by God, Our ministers and leaders should be ambitious to teach the word of Christ than being filled with their personal ego – being drunk with power, material possessions, false worship and pride; or thrived on pleasure and pride. As if that is not enough, some assert their leadership authority against those who God wants to use as co-laborer to support their ministries; turning their church members to zombies.
Be a disciple; an example representing Jesus Christ.
The name of Jesus is blasphemed among unbelievers everyday because of the ungodly and dubious attitude of both ministers and their members. As redeemed believers, we should not compromise our faith and new life with evil or any ungodly attitude. As Christians, we need to understand grace and our liberty. Our liberty is freedom form sin; obtained and retained through the empowerment of the grace we received from our heavenly Father through our Lord Jesus Christ. We are dead to sin. But if we continue in sin, we are no more under grace.The Lord Jesus said,
“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing… “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples” (Jn. 15:5-8).
Without grace, we have no liberty; and without liberty, we are at the danger of being entrapped and captured again by the devil. We need to unload our sin in order to gain freedom that we inherited after justification; Jesus is our grace; through Him, the penalty of disobeying the law is nullified, if we remain in Him. The scripture say,
Jesus answered them,
“Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.” (Jn. 8:34-36)
If we play our own part faithfully by staying away from those things that separated us from Him in the first place, God is faithful to fulfill His own promises toward us; we shall be free indeed; and he will bless us with the benefits of grace.
Therefore, do not let us misinterpret or misconstrue grace and the liberty it offers as freedom to act independence of God law and His will. To be under grace is to stay away from sin so that our second chance can become a reality; and for one more time, we may have a meaningful relationship with God again for eternity.
By Lawrence Abitogun