1067. Is There Such a Thing as a License to Sin?

Within varying degrees of legalism found in a mixed-covenant church culture, it has been said that grace can result in a license to sin if it isn't balanced with a message of religious law and works. The concerns that grace alone will cause people to be disobedient and choose a sinful lifestyle is the equivalent of blaming Jesus for the choices people make.

Avoiding sin is good advice, we've said this for years. The foundation of the gospel is God's unchanging grace and love. It's important for us to grow in our understanding of such an abundance of this unending grace from God. It is grace that teaches us in producing a more fruitful and godly way of life by His Spirit. This is rooted in knowing we have a new heart ... and have already been declared righteous, holy, sanctified and perfected in Him.

Not everyone will instantly grasp the freedom they have in grace, and yes, some will choose to follow their own fleshly desires and make poor choices. It can result in hurting ourselves and those around us. We've seen more people go this direction due to legalistic ideologies—realizing they can't keep up with the demands, thereby giving up. But as a new creation in Christ, our heart really doesn't want to run towards sin. As Paul said, all things may be lawful, but not all things will be profitable or beneficial. Thankfully, we can live the life God desires for us in the Spirit, realizing Jesus conquered and took sin away ... and nothing will ever come between us and God. When we catch onto this, it inspires a motivation that religious activity can't match.




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690. Christian Catch Phrase Alert: Identifying Ourselves as Followers of Jesus

One of the things that we often focus on here at Growing in Grace is built around helping believers in Christ to understand the identity we now have in Him as a new creation. Sadly, people are seldom taught they are righteous, holy, complete, forgiven, perfected, saints, etc.

But a catch phrase that is often used to identify us as believers: We are “followers of Jesus.” Just exactly what is a follower of Jesus today? Get ready for a wide variety of different answers because it’s one of those talking points within Christianity which people don’t think too much about. Typically, we might think it has to do with following the teachings of Jesus. But as previous programs have revealed, Jesus often taught things related to the Old Covenant which targeted Jewish people who were under the law - impossible demands - now made obsolete since the cross.

Almost all references to those who were followers of Jesus are found in the four books of the gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John)… people who literally and physically followed Jesus from one place to the next. But their following ceased at the cross as they were relocated to a New Covenant where they would be led by God’s Spirit. You’re not merely a follower, you are a child of God, living in union with Him.



   
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689. Guaranteed to Fail: Working at Becoming More Like Jesus

Anyone who has spent much time in the church world has probably heard that the primary goal for the Christian is to work at becoming more like Jesus. It sounds logical, doesn’t it? Sermons tend to shine from such a message with a typical backdrop of people shouting “Amen!” But seldom will you find a consistent model on exactly what it means to become more like Jesus through what we do, although most will have their preconceived ideas or assumptions. The general idea religion presents is that we gradually and progressively improve by our works and lifestyle choices. We’re told that improved morality will make us more like Christ. This approach has believers turning the gospel inside out as we work to achieve the impossible. It will benefit us to realize we’ve been born of God and have received an inheritance that has already made us like Jesus - completely righteous and holy just as He is - even while we’re in this world. These qualities we have inherited as children are gifts provided by grace, not our attempts to improve the flesh through human effort.



   
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646. Summarizing the Scripture (Part 17): Summarizing the Series: Adam Fell; Jesus Rose

Our final program in the Summarizing the Scripture series takes a quick look back at the past 16 weeks of conversation. There is no reason to be afraid of God’s goodness and grace. Religious rules or a modernized version of the Mosaic law will only slow you down. Jesus came to deliver people from that type of bondage and has gifted us with righteousness and life in a new and better covenant. The ministry of the Spirit within us and upon us will lead and guide into all truth, and He can change your desires because of a new heart which came by believing — grace through faith has made us into new creations — and it is now God working in and through us. Adam fell and sin entered the world… Jesus rose and took sin away.



   

437. Crossing the (220) Line: Connecting to His Life in You

Electricians install 220 lines to connect to the source of power. As believers we have a 220 line that summarizes the Christian life for us in just a few words. Galatians 2:20: "It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me." Paul also stated in verses 19 and 21 that we died to the law that we might live to God... And if right-standing with God comes through the works of the law then Christ died for nothing. Enjoying the benefits of this new life means not only knowing what you've been delivered from but what you were delivered into.

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