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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1020. Written and Engraved on Stones: The Strength of Sin

Imagine seeking guidance from a trusted clergy or spiritual counselor who taught and instructed you to work hard at keeping a code of stone-tablet commandments in order to succeed at securing favor and blessings from God. Chances are good you won't have to imagine because you've experienced it firsthand. You were exposed to the two-headed monster known as law and grace.

What they didn't understand was that they were pouring gasoline on the fire. The law written and engraved on stones is a ministry that no longer has glory. It was a source of death and condemnation. It was the strength of sin and it resulted in sin increasing ... not being reduced. The very thing Jesus came to redeem Jewish people from (the law) is the same thing that religion often burdens people with today ... albeit their own condensed version of it. It leads to bearing fruit for death, not life.

The better way: Knowing your identity as one who has had their heart purified by faith, is declared righteous, holy, and perfected ... and is already like Jesus through an inheritance. Understanding that you are not identified any longer as a sinner will allow the Spirit of God to guide you into bearing His fruit for life.



   
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1019. A Ministry of Works That Was Not of Faith

We're continuing on the question as to why the Christian church world has largely mixed law and grace. Something that is often overlooked from the legalistic side of the fence is that the old Mosaic law of stone tablets was not rooted in or based upon faith. Think about that. The religious mixture emphasized so frequently has confused "doing" with faith—much like those who were under the law prior to the cross.

Most have failed to realize the law of rules and regulations was not given to reduce sin ... but rather it resulted in sin increasing under that ministry. Today, Christians tend to formulate their own modernized version of law/works that may include some trace elements from the law contained in the first covenant for the Jewish people. The goal is to make it more doable so that people can feel as though they have contributed to improve their position with God.

The law of works had a purpose ... but also had an expiration date for the Jewish people (until the Seed would come). Jesus came. Grace came with Him. This has overshadowed the shadow through a promise. Grace through faith is a guarantee found within the person of Jesus. It has no place being blended with something that was incapable of bringing life or righteousness.



   
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1011. The Lying, The Which and The Wardrobe (The Phony Ministry of Pick and Choose)

The mixed covenant message found within the majority of church buildings is one of great inconsistency and perhaps even hypocrisy. Traditions of men and false assumptions about the Bible have resulted in discounting the abundance of grace that came through Jesus Christ ... and advocating for an impossible law of obsolete rules and regulations—while focusing on a handful and ignoring the rest.

Therefore, why not make it possible for us to become "doers" by altering the package! For example, murder, stealing and lying may stay on the required list, but which ones out of hundreds of others get thrown out that are also right there in that same law and often the same passage? The truth is that nothing in the Mosaic law was able to bring life or righteousness to the (Jewish) people who were once under it—and we were never under it. God provided a better way inside of a covenant that cannot fail. Any empty religion can trumpet for a code of conduct based upon behavior in the futile attempt to make themselves presentable to God—including the clothes they wear.

Religious zealots who turn the gospel inside out with a works-based approach may suggest we're encouraging people to sin as much as they want because of God's infinite grace. The Apostle Paul was accused in the same way, but it is rooted in self-righteous deceit. Being under perfect grace through faith separates one from any kind of lifeless, religious rulebook, resulting in being made alive to God and dead to sin ... because of what Jesus did. It is rooted in His love.



   
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911. Does Grace Empower People to Keep the Mosaic Law?

A common teaching in the land of the legal is that the grace which brings salvation also enables believers to keep the commandments contained in the law. They will be careful to polish this so it sounds shiny and will make sense to the religious, works-based mindset. For example, they may say we're saved by grace and not by works ... but will then imply we're expected to embrace the Old Covenant law in our behavior.

So is this true? Are we meant to live by a ministry of condemnation which is contrary to us ... a ministry which strengthens sin and causes it to increase? It doesn't make sense that Jesus came to redeem Jews from the law—who then died to the law—and then have God resurrect the same law which couldn't give life and wasn't based on faith. When it comes to good works in our lives, God empowered us with something better ... not just Scriptures, not law-based commandments, but the power of His Spirit abiding in us.



   
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828. Things Seldom Heard in Church: Law Fruit: Sin Abounded; Death & Condemnation

When the Christian religion campaigns that the stone tablet ministry should be put on display as a guide to live by, they have completely missed the vast differences between an expired covenant of works once established with Israel … and a new and better way which came by grace through Jesus.

Things rarely heard in church buildings: The law given to Moses resulted in sin increasing, not diminishing. It was described by the Apostle Paul as a ministry of death, condemnation, and no longer has any glory because a more glorious ministry of the Spirit has surpassed it.

More from Paul … the law bore fruit for death, it was the strength of sin, it was a ministry of bondage, it could not provide life or righteousness. He stated how the law is not of faith but was a guardian … until faith would come (Christ), resulting in no longer being under the old guard of the law. The law demanded it be kept perfectly but could make nothing perfect, therefore was considered weak and useless. Jesus came to redeem Jews from it, not bring Gentiles into it. A new and better covenant replaced that old, ineffective ministry, which nobody could ever live by.

   
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807. The 800 Club: Looking Back - Avoiding the Mixture of Two Different Covenants

As we reflect on surpassing 800 weekly podcasts, a primary theme over the years has been trying to help others to see the Bible in the context of two different covenants—the Old and the New. Being mindful of this as we turn the pages will help us to avoid getting confused about what the gospel is and what it is not. This can apply to the books of the law, the Psalms, prophets, the teachings of Jesus, and the writings from the apostles ... pretty much anything we read.

The New Covenant began after the death of Jesus. It was unlike the covenant God made with Israel when they came out of Egypt during the days of Moses. The Old way resulted with sin increasing, and brought guilt and reminded people of sins. It was weak and useless because forgiveness was never complete. The entire package needed to come to an end and be replaced with something new and better. While empty religion has tried to present a “revised” covenant where the Old and New are combined, Jesus fulfilled the law contained within the Old Covenant, and that finished work has brought to a place of grace and perfect love from God. Jesus became the guarantee, because He is the covenant.

   
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804. The 800 Club: Looking Back - Embracing Hyper-Grace

We’re celebrating over 800 podcasts, looking back at some of our key discussions from over the years. Several years ago, we were listed in a book, along with other grace ministries, and were accused of “running from the words of Jesus.” Of course, we’ve always embraced the red letters, but there is a context of two different covenants to consider. Hyper-grace accusers are established in a legalistic mindset which tries to combine two very different covenants into one as they tout the need for a “balance” between law and grace.

So just exactly what does hyper-grace mean? It’s not what the religious business is trying to sell you, and Paul actually provides an explanation of God’s unlimited and overflowing grace in the book of Romans—where he declared that grace is indeed hyper. Don’t buy into the myths and fables that grace gives a license to sin or is considered to be cheap grace when there is “too much” of it. It is actually a legalistic, mixed-covenant approach which cheapens the law and will “license” people to keep sinning … but sinful behavior is never sourced or encouraged by the grace of God—quite the opposite. 

During this episode we mentioned a past three-part series entitled The Dangers of Mixing Law and Grace.  You can listen to the series here:
Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3

   
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765. Under Law, Sin Increased - But Grace Abounded More

Hollow religion will try to make the gospel about you and your actions, whether good or bad. They will teach an inconsistent doctrine of abiding by a modernized version of the Mosaic law and other rules and obligations, while being pretty clueless about the details of what the old law says.

The good news is meant to be centered upon Jesus and His completed work, having fulfilled the law on our behalf. As Romans 5 explains, sin entered the world through Adam and it increased under the law given to Israel. But where sin increased, grace super-abounded all the more. Sin is not stronger than the blood of Jesus.



   
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714. Sin Increased Under Law - Grace Abounded More Through Jesus

Hollow religion says a written code of commandments is needed in order to reduce sin and increase morality. There is just one problem with this approach … it’s the precise opposite of what Scripture reveals to us.

The law came for a purpose - to increase the trespass … not to reduce it. It’s only by grace and the gift of righteousness found in Jesus Christ that will allow for us to reign in life.



   
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