In spite of whatever ups and downs you've had on this planet ... whatever inconsistencies and broken promises you've lived or experienced from others ... no matter what the struggles ... we have a guarantee. It's Jesus. While the religions of the world (often including Christianity) will tend to focus on 'our' doing, our methods, our efforts and our good deeds to be seen by others—God made an oath with Himself that you and I can't invalidate. Therefore, neither can He—because He is the one true Promise Keeper.
Behavior improvements are beneficial for us and those around us. But you are not identified by performance and what you're "doing for God." Our eternal redemption is not established on improvements but is based on 'being' perfect through an act that a Savior did for us. God will not relate to you on the basis of good or bad performance. On the other side of that coin, true peace and freedom will be more fully experienced when we stop relating to Him on the basis of our performance and begin to embrace our righteous identity that has been gifted to us by grace.
1. Moses. Charlton Heston. The Ten Commandments. 603 other commandments. Mount Sinai. The Passover lamb. Many sacrifices. Works. Hearing and doing. Sins temporarily covered. Reminded of sins.
2. Jesus. The Lamb of God. Grace. The gift of salvation and righteousness. Faith. One sacrifice. Easter. The Resurrection. The Holy Spirit. Eternal forgiveness. Sins taken away. Sins remembered no more.
The above is a nutshell version relating some headlines to two very different covenants. How is it that the church culture has embraced combining various portions of these covenants that were never meant to be mingled? Perhaps it's because the Bible is often considered "one book," or wrongly assuming the New was meant to be some type of addendum to the Old. Let's take a look at how badly the target has been missed with such a mixture of law and grace. God's grace (apart from law) is the recipe for us to reign in life and teaches us to deny ungodliness ... not advocating for an old or revamped law that was fulfilled and abolished by Jesus.
"For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace."
In the financial world of investing, it is usually wise to diversify to reduce risk. This way, different asset classes or industries which may perform poorly for a time in one area can be offset by better performance somewhere else. In the religious world, even among Christian portfolios, there is often a concern that selling out fully into God's grace is risky business ... even dangerous. It has become part of the church culture.
Did Jesus really do everything necessary to connect people to God for eternity and make them alive in Him ... or do we need to do our part to complete what He started? Will it be fully by faith or will it require expanding into various works? Are we going to put all of our eggs into one basket by investing 100% into the Jesus stock or will we feel the need to "hedge our bets" for some other type of spiritual safety net? Will we depend upon blood or behavior? Counting the cost isn't about us trying to figure out how to pay a debt that we'll never be able to fulfill. It's about trusting in Another who fully invested Himself in order for us to experience the peace found in a covenant of a promised guarantee.
Chairs within church buildings are filled with people week after week who just want someone to tell them what they need to do to experience God's blessings and acceptance. They just want to know they are right with God.
In John chapter 6, after seeing Jesus perform some miracles, a group of people went looking for Him across the sea—who previously had their stomachs filled with what started out as a few loaves and a couple of fish. Jesus accused them of not seeking Him because they saw signs ... but because of their experience at the all-you-can-eat buffet. It led them to ask the question: "What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?" Jesus answered: "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent."
Their next question was even more significant. Why? Because it put the focus on the Savior and His work to reconcile people to God instead of us trying to do something to experience the fullness of God's life and blessings. Partaking of the Bread of Life will keep people from hungering and thirsting for God's righteousness.
When trapped within a religious maze, it gets confusing when the focus becomes about you and your dedication to God through your works and actions. Those from the "holy hierarchy" will be spouting grace and God's love one minute but in the next breath, they'll tell you to behave in a certain way to ensure you're right with God, justified, sanctified ... while on the journey to making faith perfect.
The way of the old unprofitable and expired covenant for the Jews before the cross was centered around their pursuit of righteousness and salvation based upon not just hearing the word (of law) – but actually doing it. As the Apostle Paul stated in his Romans letter, there never was nor has there ever been a successful doer in the works department. So where do we go from here? That's where the gospel comes in.
The law that came to the Jewish people through Moses was considered to be a word that they believed was able to save their souls and result in attaining righteousness. The only requirement was for them to do it—all of it. After the cross, even Jews who came to believe in Jesus lacked an understanding about a new and better covenant ... as they continued to pursue a relationship with that law of works.
The difference in gaining life is found in Christ by faith. Under the law in Deuteronomy 30, "The word is very near you. It is in your mouth and in your heart, so that you can do it." It is referencing the word of the law. Paul quoted this reference in Romans 10 but brought a needed revealing of the gospel ... "The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved."
The word of law that demands doing vs. the word of faith that results in justification by believing ... the difference is as far as the east is from the west.
Many of us were indoctrinated with "popular and mainstream" church sermons which included many things straight out of the Bible ... but the Kool-Aid we were drinking left us thirsting for more. Works-based ideologies and concepts that suggest our eternity is going to be secured based upon what we do after coming to faith and getting saved will leave even the most dedicated of doers in a place of uncertainty and despair.
For those who manage to escape that kind of spiritual and emotional prison, we often hear from people who are euphoric over their newfound discovery of God's unchangeable love and perfect grace rooted in what Jesus did once for all. But it's not unusual to get the question of "what do I do now?" Those who have been mostly limited to having a relationship with religious duty and obligation are trying to figure out how to live the Christian life from a grace perspective.
We can't live it—not on our own. Our life is not our own, but it is the life of God through Christ in us that will lead and guide us by His Spirit. Does this mean we don't seek to do anything or perform actions that are profitable and helpful? Of course not. But a change of mind will change the motivation, and it's a place of rest, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
Maybe you've seen it in church buildings where it is declared one is saved by grace through faith, not by works ... and then comes the "but." It's what we call the dreaded and confusing Grace-But Ministries. One of the "buts" is that the faith that saves requires good works as proof or evidence that faith is alive and not dead. They will tout that without this outward evidence of works that are designed to be seen by others, then faith is dead (and maybe they were never really saved in the first place ... in spite of their belief and profession of faith in Jesus Christ).
Even the most passionate grace folks can also slip down a legalistic slope without realizing it. As is usually the case, it can be traced back to misunderstanding a few scattered Bible verses without the revelation of a New Covenant context. Watch out when it's grace one minute and "but" the next.
Let's talk about it…
Are works a requirement for faith to come to life or to remain alive? If so, you'll have something to boast about while God owes you a debt for something you've done.
In legalistic camps—and sometimes grace circles—specifics are almost always omitted, leaving you to guess which works are needed and how much.
Works and fruit are often mistaken for the same thing.
Jesus cautioned against performance for the purpose of being seen by others.
Faith is the evidence of what is not seen (that which is eternal). It's more than a mouthful, which is why two mouths are better than one!
As we read the pages of the Bible, it can be a very difficult thing to put ourselves in the shoes of the people living during the time of Jesus and those first decades after the cross. But becoming more aware of the historical aspects of that time as it relates to the gospel message may help us to understand some of the writings better. Otherwise, we may skim past significant information that has relevance for us today.
For example, Jewish people who had been working for generations under the burden of the Mosaic law and were coming to believe in Jesus ... might have struggled greatly with Gentiles (non-Jews) receiving the same Spirit of God by believing in Christ. After all, Gentiles had been viewed as outsiders, sinners, and unclean, and had no part of their previous covenant as the Jewish people who were considered exclusively set apart as God's people. It caused some division even among apostles and their companions, and would impact how the gospel would be spread and shared.
We've received some heartbreaking letters over the years from people living in fear and torment. Much of this is because of misinformation being communicated from those claiming to be educated Bible teachers. Some are leading a local church, while others are quite popular nationally, with books, big churches, and TV or radio ministries. Some even prefer to be called "doctor."
There are far too many people today who have been told that their salvation and justification is not guaranteed ... that it is up to them to do things to try and maintain an acceptable position with God. Let's take a closer look at the truly good news found within a better covenant that cannot fail because God swore by Himself with a promise—because He could swear by no one greater. It ushered in a permanent, eternal High Priest.
This assurance allows us to draw near to God through a better hope which is an anchor for the soul, sure and steadfast.
