Showing posts with label exchanged life. Show all posts
Showing posts with label exchanged life. Show all posts

Sunday, April 26, 2026

1062. The Burdensome Process of 'Surrendering' Everything to God

Many of the things we've all heard in mixed-covenant church buildings can easily result in leftovers or at least trace elements within our mindsets that we attempt to apply to the message of the gospel of grace. The result becomes a rather murky hodgepodge of inconsistency. It leaves believers in Christ wondering if they they are right with God, resulting in fear, uncertainty ... and pecks away at people who are finding peace to be somewhat elusive in their minds. Of course, most who embrace grace are not intending for this to happen ... but it does ... partly because it may ultimately have similarities to the religious talking points people have been trying to escape.

There are many perspectives, angles, Bible teachings, and opinions that can be quite different—even within circles where grace dominates. But it is not unusual to see some of the messages sliding down a slippery slope which gradually manages to put the spotlight back on us and what we do—and how well we're doing it. Am I doing enough? How do I know? Am I out of touch with God compared to others who seem so spiritual?

The focus of faith should remain on the finished work of Jesus and God's Spirit who was sent to guide us. Your identity of righteousness is contained in Him. When legalistic venues insist on our need to surrender everything to God, it will usually lack specifics on what that looks like. Religion declares we need to put our belief on display for others to see, otherwise, it may indicate something isn't real and genuine. Walking by faith and not by sight is turned completely inside out. God lives in us. He wants to express His life through us. But His fruit should not be considered synonymous with works that are performed in order to get God to respond. His response to you is firmly anchored in a Savior who established a different and much better covenant. No pressure.



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Sunday, August 20, 2023

924. God's Grace Working Through Us Vs. Religious Rules

We like to tell people salvation is free, but then somewhere along the way—maybe right away—we feel the need to begin rolling out the rules to help make sure the new converts don't wander from what we believe to be the truth. This approach may actually hinder believers in Christ from experiencing the fullness of God in their lives.

It becomes a gospel of "doing" in order to become something that children of God think they need to work at in order to reach a higher level of spirituality or to make themselves more acceptable to God. Not to mention, the "rules" vary significantly from one corner church to the next. Maybe we should begin to trust Christ (who abides in us) to complete the work He began in each of us by His grace.



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Sunday, March 30, 2014

438. A Gospel of Change or EXchange?


The great exchange. It may be a phrase you've heard in Christian circles. But it's astonishing to find out how little is known about the exchanged life even by believers in Christ. Religion will gradually attempt to get the focus of the Christian life on you and your efforts for God. But we are reminded throughout scripture that your old life and sinful nature was replaced (exchanged) with His life and a nature of divine righteousness. Often change can be good, but the focus of the gospel for us should not be about our changed behavior, but the reconciliation that came as a gift.



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Sunday, May 10, 2009

190. Our Message To the World: God is Not Counting People's Sins Against Them

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This week we take a peek into the deeply rich passage of 2 Corinthians 5. Not only does it talk about us being New Creations in Christ (not simply "changed" or "improved," but made completely new), but it talks about the ministry that we have to the world as believers. Is our ministry to point out people's sins? Is our ministry to protest all the sinful behavior of the world?

What about the message in 2 Cor. 5 that "God was in Christ reconciling (exchanging sin for righteousness) the world to Himself, not counting people's sins against them?" The very same passage goes on to say that God has committed to us that ministry - the message of reconciliation. The message of reconciliation is our ministry to the world - that God was in Christ exchanging our sin for His righteousness!

Sunday, October 26, 2008

162. More on the Exchanged Life

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Our life exchanged for His life. Our sin exchanged for His righteousness. Christ in you, the hope of glory!

Sunday, October 19, 2008

161. Exchanged Life - Christ's Life In Us

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Our life exchanged for His life. Our sin exchanged for His righteousness. Christ in you, the hope of glory!