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THE GOOD NEWS ABOUT UNMERITED FAVOR (Translation from: The Gospel of Grace - Gospel = good news and Grace = unmerited favor) March 10, 2006 |
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Matthew 7:13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: v14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. Hmm. Lets dissect that, shall we? "Enter ye in at the straight gate..." Our salvation is based upon us being straight or correct with God. "For wide is...the way...that leadeth to destruction, and many... go in thereat." Many people will go to hell. "Narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." Few will find heaven.
Blah blah blah... huh? You've heard it all before? Jesus said something here that doesn't apply to you? His words have no meaning? Wave them away like some gnat? "Of course not," you say, "but I know this already." Fine. Keep it in mind because I'm going to tie some verses together you won't like. Mark 4:3-9 - v3 Hearken; Behold, there went out a sower to sow: 4And it came to pass, as he sowed, some fell by the way side, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up. 5And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth: 6But when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away. 7And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit. 8And other fell on good ground, and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased; and brought forth, some thirty, and some sixty, and some an hundred. 9And he said unto them, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. Lemme start with verse 9. "He that hath ears to hear, let him hear." This doesn't sound like a topic you want to hear? I pray that you do because not all "Christians" are "straight" with God to enter in at the gate to life. In paraphrase, the parable of the sower that Jesus talks about is broken down thus: God sows the word. It falls on three types of ground. Why three? Specifically, it falls in four areas, but the fowls passage deals with those who are vessels of destruction and will not accept the word. The three types of ground that seed (word) falls on are stony, thorny, and good. These types of "ground" are believers. I'm only here at this time to talk about believers. Thorny ground: The cares of the world drown out the word. I'm not here to talk about them. Good ground: They receive the word and have good roots with God. They endure. This is what we all aspire (or think ourselves) to be. Stony ground: They receive the word with gladness. Don't we all? However, they have no roots with God. Persecution drowns out the word. v6But when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away. Scorched and withered away. Gone. Scorched... Getting the picture? This is the verse that I'll be referring back to, so remember it. Stony ground Christians. What is a stony ground Christian? Why did God use "stony" ground as a descriptive? Could it be that stone is hard, dense, and difficult to penetrate? God uses words for a purpose. Of particular importance is that stony ground Christians don't make it; they aren't considered the "good earth" Christians. Remember, Jesus said the stony ground "had no root." What does it take to have the proper "root" with God? What "root" will get us to that narrow and straight path to life that FEW reach? Right here I would like to ease your fears that I am about to launch into some damnable tirade about sin. No, not damnable. That's not harsh enough. Such a tirade is God-damnable. Those under sin will be damned by God. Romans 3:19 "Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God." Are we "under the law"? If we are, then we are to become "guilty" before God. That word guilty in the Greek is Hupodikos and means "under judgment" and liable to punishment from God. That is not where Christians want to be. The term "under the law" is specific to those who will suffer the wrath of God at Judgment. So where do we want to be? I'm going to be a little simple here, but this is very important. Let me illustrate with scripture. Continuing in Romans 3... v20 "Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin."
-By the deeds of the law (by your WORKS) -no flesh shall be justified (not even one man will be made "just like God" to be saved) -for by the law is the knowledge of sin. (the commandments and law were to serve only as an impossible goal.) And yet more in Romans 3... v23 "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; 24Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: 25Whom 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;" -For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God (all, everyone, all of us, YOU included, are sinners and cannot attain the justification of God. We are damned at birth by sin.)
-Being justified freely (meaning free - there is no cost. Free = free. NO COST. FREE.) -by his grace (God repeats the concept of "free" with the word "grace.") -through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. (the grace that came through the death of Jesus) -Whom God hath set to be a propitiation (a "propitiation" is a payment that completely, totally, and forever erases a debt, the debt considered completely paid in full.)
-through faith in his blood (that total payment on the debt of sin comes through believing and trusting that the death of Jesus erased all sin by being the final sacrifice.)
-for the remission of sins (further reinforcement that sin is paid in full and no debt exists.) -that are past, (the Greek word translated "past" is proginomai. It's primary meaning is "to arise or come before." English slang would best describe this as "what crops up." "Sins that are past" should more accurately be translated as "sins as they occur." Ask yourself if God would allow himself to be crucified as a "total all-time" payment for only some of the sin... A propitiation is a total satisfaction of debt, not some of it. God is consistent. Also in Romans 3... v28 "Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law." God said what? Oh, I know you know the verse. But do you really believe it? Don't almost all churches in America tell you that Jesus saves, but you must mind your sin? Sin hurts God, therefore do not sin? Control your sin? Fight your sin? So if Jesus died and saved us, BUT we must strive against our sin, then the death of Jesus was pretty cheap, wasn't it? Does the death of Jesus, or does it not, constitute a total payment of the sin debt? Let's look a little more at the inspired word of God. Romans 4... v4 "Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. 5But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness." Let's dissect this, shall we? -Now to him that worketh (to anyone that attempts to keep ANY part of the 10 commandments and/or biblical law) -is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. (God is obligated to reward you for your choice. Do you choose grace, or law? He rewards your for your choice. If you WORK, you are under the law and God rewards you as a debt for your efforts. Grace is free, so there's nothing to work for. IF you work, then you are choosing not grace, but the law. Choosing works EARNS you a reward: the debt of the law.)
-But to him that worketh not (to anyone who doesn't perform the works of the law - to the one who doesn't even try) -but believeth (has faith that the death of Jesus paid for all sin) -on Him that justifieth the ungodly (God saves those who are .... godly? NOPE. God saves the ungodly. How can one be "ungodly" while trying to keep the commandments and eliminate sin from their lives? Sinners are ungodly. Those who do the works of the law and eliminate sin from their lives are not sinners, even though they were born into sin and cannot remove the stain on their own.)
-his faith is counted for righteousness. (Glory to God! To the one who doesn't even TRY to keep the law, his faith is counted for righteousness! Me, a dirty sinner, is as clean as Jesus! I am righteous before God.) Lets look at more Romans 4... v14 "For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect: 15Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression." Yes, I'm going to dissect it. -For if they which are of the law be heirs, (if those that work and produce the "debt" of God owing them for their works) -faith is made void, (if you can be saved by the law by keeping the commandments, faith is worthless.) -and the promise made of none effect. (Jesus died for nothing.) -Because the law worketh wrath: (NOTE! God says the law works wrath! Judgment! Damnation! The LAW is there to show man is a sinner - nothing more! Only God himself could keep the law.) -for where no law is, there is no transgression. (Law = transgression. But the sacrifice of Jesus fulfilled the law and paid the debt of the law. The law is paid in full and completely satisfied. Under faith, and the free gift of GRACE [unmerited favor], the law is removed as we are justified for salvation in his sight.) Understand this simple concept, as alien as it sounds to our way of thinking. As UNGODLY as I am, and as much as I sin, my faith has removed the law through grace and where there is no law, there is no transgression! Here's some more. Some might say, "yes, but, we should sin no more." Paul said in Romans 7:17 in regards to the sins of the flesh: "Now then it is no more I that do it (sin), but sin that dwelleth in me." The sins that overtake us are dead - crucified with Christ. But as soon as we attempt to work, we are under the debt of the law. We must avoid this at all costs. Note the following: Romans 8... v5 "For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. 6For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. 7Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. 8So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God." Verse 5 tells us that to be mindful of the flesh is to be dwelling in the flesh. If we make our attempts at keeping the commandments, we are of the flesh. But if we have faith and concentrate on God and our purpose for God, then we're of the spirit.
-For to be carnally minded is death; (to be focused on works and commandments and sin, we are under the curse of the law and the penalty is wrath, damnation, and death.) -but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. (God rewards faith with grace, justification, and salvation. To be spiritually minded fulfills the law and the law is removed. There is no transgression. We are thus at peace with God. Peace means "cessation of againstness." God no longer views us with wrath, but with grace. However, as soon as we try to keep a commandment, we are under the law and transgression abounds, damning us with death.
Sin will not leave us until we are taken to be with God. Until our physical self dies, we must live with sin. Paul said in Romans 7:25, "So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God (faith fulfills the law); but with the flesh the law of sin (because the flesh still sins)."
-Because the carnal mind is enmity against God (as soon as you determine to fight your sin and place yourself under the curse of the law, you are God's ENEMY.) -for it is not subject to the law of God (the carnal mind dwells on the sinning flesh. Being born into sin, it has failed the law.) -neither indeed can be. (all man has sinned. No man can ever keep the law.) -So then they which are in the flesh cannot please God. (Those who feel the need to fight their sin cannot EVER please God. Those that feel the need to fight their sin are under the curse of the law. Those that feel the need to fight their sin are transgressors. Those that feel the need to fight their sin have voided their faith. Those that feel the need to fight their sin bring wrath to themselves. Those that feel the need to fight their sin are damned.) So, shall we sin? Paul says God forbid. What does he mean? If we choose to be mindful of the flesh, we are sinners under the curse of the law. If we are mindful of the spirit, it is not us that sin, but our flesh that sins, and no transgression is present. The more we are mindful of the spirit, the stronger the spirit grows. Much like radioactive materials, we may not see the change, but our bodies will change gradually to the effect of radioactive materials. Likewise with the spirit. While we will not be rid of sin until our deaths, the spirit will gradually reduce the sin in us. More Romans. Chapter 8, v10 "And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. 12Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. 13For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live." -And if Christ be in you (faith and grace) -the body is dead because of sin; (we were crucified with him, but we will also be raised like him. The body is thus crucified due to the transgression of sin)
-but the spirit is life because of righteousness (faith puts us in the spirit and we are thus justified and made righteous, granting us life eternal.)
-But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, (because of your faith) - he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. (that's the spirit working through your faith to change - "quicken" - you. But as soon as we attempt to fight our sin, we are out of the spirit and into the flesh and damnation.)
-Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. (Our purpose is to trust God with faith. We are not to be "mindful" of the flesh by attempting to fight sin.)
-For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: (God keeps repeating himself. If you attempt to fight your sin, you are living after the flesh. God says you will die.)
-but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. (If you relate to God through faith, and stop trying to fight your sin, the spirit will change you and you will have salvation.) Still, the tradition of self-responsibility is high. We take responsibility for our own actions. This tradition invades and infects many churches, today. "Yes, Jesus saves, BUT..." The message is almost always the same: combat sin! God has something to say about that also. Remember the stony ground Christian? That's still coming. Let's look at Galatians 3, first. Verse 1"O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you? 2This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? 3Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?" Dissection...
-O foolish Galatians, (you dumb idiots...) -who hath bewitched you, (cast a spell to befuddle and blind you) -that ye should not obey the truth (the word of God) -before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you? (about the means of salvation) -This only would I learn of you, (lemme ask you a simple question any simpleton can answer) -Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, (did you get saved by keeping the commandments) -or by the hearing of faith? (or did you get saved by grace?) -Are ye so foolish? (Are you really that stupid?) -having begun in the Spirit, (being saved by faith and the free salvation God gives you) -are ye now made perfect by the flesh? (does your salvation now depend on keeping the commandments and law?) God inspires Paul to call the Galatians "fools." The Greek word there can in fact be translated as fools, but implies unintelligent, unwise, not understanding, unintelligible. We might also say "idiot." God is apparently insulted that His free gift was discarded and the Galatians placed themselves back under the law by trying to keep it. Such a Christian cannot get over that he must try to win God's approval through works. He cannot get it through his thick skull that any attempt at works places him under the curse of the law and damned. That skull is as hard as rock. Jesus said that the word will also fall on stony ground. The ground will be too hard for the word to take hold. There will be no root with God. That Christian will be scorched and die. Stony ground Christians continually insult God by attempting to fight their sin. They place themselves back under the law and God calls them "fools." These are the ones that follow that wide path to destruction. Fighting your sin will get you death. GRACE is unmerited favor. Christ died for us while we were still sinners. He justifies the ungodly - those who do NOT work. GRACE - that free gift we have to do nothing for - saves us. GRACE brings us to God and the law is forgotten - paid in full. THAT IS THE "GOOD NEWS" OF THE GOSPEL. "If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed." John 8:36 Are you a stony-ground Christian, an idiot? I started as one. We all do, I think. Glory to God that I am no longer a slave to my sin! Consider your "root" with God. All of us need to be very careful; our salvation depends on it. Only with the proper spiritual root - like those "good earth" Christians - will we be among those "few" who find the gate to life. |
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