922. Sharing the Good News of Justification by Faith - Not Behavior Modification

When sharing the good news of eternal life in Jesus Christ, Christians will often have the end game of bringing their prospective disciple into a school of lifestyle and behavioral changes. The person on the receiving end begins to interpret the gospel as one of needing to change what they do in order to identify as a saved believer in Christ. Do the "right" things, and they'll receive God's blessings and approval. Do the "wrong" things, and they risk the opposite.

Our discussion this week is meant to be an exhortation for us who abide in grace to stay focused on the true message of God's love and the gift of salvation apart from works. When we can do this, it will be much more beneficial for hearers of the good news to recognize their need for a Savior ... believing freely in what Jesus provided for them, without fearing that they need to change who they are to become like other religious robots who think their right-standing with God is based upon behavior. Good changes in their life can happen without us needing to give them a religious code of conduct that they should be expected to follow in order to stay in God's grace.



   
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921. The Gospel: Passing From Death to Life - Not Bad Behavior to Good

Following up from last week's program defining the gospel as a revelation of God's righteousness gifted to us ... another important foundational truth contained within the message of the gospel is how believers in Christ have passed from death to life. This is the good news at its core.

God has freely imparted His life to us which we have inherited as children. This brings peace, knowing it's not by works that we have done.


   
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920. What Is It Exactly? "The Gospel" Defined

"The Gospel." We probably hear these words used frequently. Many of us have understood it to mean good news, which is accurate, but just what is the good news specifically? We may think of the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John ... but there is very little gospel in there when compared to the writings of Paul. There can be much to discuss in a broad sense, even from a grace perspective. But this week, we'll go back to some simple basics of what we first talked about when our podcast started many years ago ... answering the question of "what is the gospel?"

   
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860. The Law Abolished (and Gentiles Were Never Under It)

Our fourth program in the series brings us to a conversation which challenges the idea that the law of commandments from Mount Sinai is still meant to be ministered to people after the cross as a tool to bring them to Christ. There is an effective way to look back on this obsolete law package from the Old Covenant … and the writer of the book of Hebrews shows an example of explaining how it was once the way that Jews attempted to attain righteousness by works—and that it couldn’t be done.

It’s not hard for we grace folks to fall into a similar trap that the legalists have been stuck in—picking and choosing selective bits and pieces of that old law while ignoring other parts that seem more obsolete or abolished. The law only spoke to Jewish people before the cross. It never spoke to Gentiles. So let’s consider a radical idea: stop trying to use the law of sin and death to persuade people and just start sharing the good news of Jesus. He did what the law never could—He fulfilled it in us.

 


   
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816. Law Keepers: None Righteous; Believers in Faith: Gifted With Righteousness

Anyone can separate and pluck-out Bible verses, miss the context, and then wonder what in the world they mean. One of many examples is found in the first three chapters of the book of Romans. Paul was taking chapters to explain how the entire world had fallen short of God’s glory because of sin—whether Jew or Gentile. But in these passages, he also reveals the good news of God’s righteousness and acceptance being made available as a gift by a source known as faith, which occurs apart from the works of the law of commandments which came through Moses.

So whether one was a Jew under law or a Gentile without the law, all fell short, and all now have the same access to God by faith in Jesus Christ. But right-standing with God has never been attained or based upon what one does.

   
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813. The 800 Club: Looking Back - What Is the Gospel? Righteousness Gifted!

One of the things we started talking about more than 16 years ago as we launched the Growing in Grace podcast … is the question of “What is the gospel?” Ask a room full of believers as to what they think the gospel is and you’ll usually get many different answers—with many of them steeped in legalism. And yet this is a foundational question when it comes to faith and believing in Jesus. How can one believe in the gospel—as Jesus called people to do—if they don’t know what it is?

We examine Paul’s revelation of the good news from Romans chapter 1, where we discover that right-standing with God isn’t something people work for as the Jewish people attempted to do under the law. Righteousness pursued us, and came as a gift in the Person of Jesus for those who believe. Another reason why the New Covenant is better than the first one.

   
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796. Paul: Jesus Broke Down the Wall of Separation (The Law of Commandments)

This week we’re in the second chapter of Ephesians. Paul keeps pounding away for each group of churches he is writing to regarding the good news message of salvation coming by grace through faith, and not of works. There is nothing left for any of us to boast in what we do.

In this passage, he reveals how the barrier or dividing wall which had kept Israel in bondage and Gentiles without a covenant — that wall was broken down by Jesus so these two groups of people could become one in Christ.

What was that wall of separation? It was the law of commandments contained in ordinances … and Jesus brought down this enmity in order to reconcile the world to God.

   
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795. Paul: One Gospel, One Covenant - There Is No Longer Jew and Gentile

Continuing to review nuggets of grace from the Apostle Paul, we’re in the book of Galatians and the first part of Ephesians. Paul emphasizes grace over works as he refers to an (unearned) inheritance received in Christ, where believers are no longer viewed as Jews and Gentile, slave or free, male or female. We are all one in Christ, where there is one gospel message of grace for all. The previous covenant from Mt. Sinai brought spiritual bondage but we’ve all been brought into a new and different covenant, where we’ve been sealed with the Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance—resulting in freedom in Christ.

   
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794. Paul: One Gospel for All - Don’t Set Aside Grace in Exchange for Works

When Paul came to the knowledge of Christ’s saving grace, he spent several years being taught the gospel message by God through revelation, and declared how he had not received this from men. He spent much of his time proclaiming this good news of grace to both Jews and Gentiles. Paul came down hard on those who were preaching “another gospel” and even went so far as to say that anyone who was teaching something different than the gospel of grace … let them be accursed. And what was that different gospel? Paul reveals to the Galatian churches it involved mixing law with grace.

Things haven’t changed much in the past 2,000 years. Although the rules and regulations are tweaked based upon religious brands and cultural changes, the Christian religious system often weakens the message by emphasizing a works-based message while putting grace on the shelf. Grace may be used as a selling point, but watch out for the fine print.

   
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744. Hebrews 6: A Sure Anchor of Hope: Jesus the Forerunner Entered the Veil for Us

In our series from the book of Hebrews, it’s important to realize the writer is bringing good news and seeks to communicate a message of assurance—not fear. Everything here revolves around a certain guarantee we receive from the person of Jesus Christ. He is the one where our hope is found … not through our behavior, religious efforts and dedication.

Some Bible verses can appear to be scary on the surface when taken out of context, so keep reading and look for the refuge of assurance found only in Christ. Abraham is a great example of faith in action as he depended upon God to fulfill a promise … which ultimately would lead to a great High Priest, appointed through an oath—not the law.



   
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