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.



   
Get the book

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.



   
Get the book

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.

   
Get the book

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.

   
Get the book

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.



   
Get the book

713. The Dangers of Mixing Law and Grace (Part 3)

Legalists who believe God’s grace needs to be balanced with a law of works will instinctively jump to the misguided conclusion that we grace renegades are encouraging people to break commandments from the Old Covenant and that sinning doesn’t matter. They are stuck in a religious trap which assumes law decreases sin and that grace inspires people to sin. It’s the precise opposite of what Scripture has revealed through the gospel. There is a reason why sin has no dominion over us in Christ, and the law has nothing to do with it.

“For some men, straying from these things, have turned aside to fruitless discussion, wanting to be teachers of the Law, even though they do not understand either what they are saying or the matters about which they make confident assertions” (1 Timothy 1:6-7).



   
Get the book

712. The Dangers of Mixing Law and Grace (Part 2)

If you’ve ever attended church for any length of time, it’s likely you’ve been taught to buy into a belief system that has blended law and grace together. Your mindset has been trained to filter the Bible through this perspective.

This approach to the gospel is an insult to the blood of Jesus and the finished work of the cross. It sprouts self-righteousness and does not lead to a greater knowledge of the truth.



   
Get the book

711. The Dangers of Mixing Law and Grace (Part 1)

The majority of Sunday sermons have established a mindset within believers that the gospel is based upon old covenant law being merged together with new covenant grace. Some things are not compatible and just don’t mix well together. The wrong combination of various liquids will either resist each other and refuse to blend or could even create toxicity. Law and grace are not compatible with each other and were never meant to be commingled.

“For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace” (Romans 6:14).



   
Get the book

670. The Letter of the Law Vs. the Spirit of Life

When believers fall into the trap of getting focused on improving behavior, it often leads them back into a place of bondage rather than the freedom Jesus came to give us. Your behavior will never reach the perfect standard God required under the law of commandments given to Israel. Trying to follow those rules and statutes only caused sin to increase. The letter of the law killed, but we now live in a New Covenant of the Spirit, which gives life. The power of grace found within the Spirit of God who lives in us is a very different ministry than what Israel went through under a system of works which did not lead to righteousness within their hearts. On this week’s program, our encouragement is to abandon the attempt to mix Old Covenant commands with New Covenant grace … because in spite of what the religious world has been teaching, they are not compatible.



   

649. Does "Hyper-Grace" Give People a License to Sin? (Part 2)

Many of us have viewed grace as something that we fall back on whenever we sin or make a mistake. Grace is often seen as something we call upon when we need forgiveness. But the Bible declares the finished work of Jesus Christ removed sin and that it was taken away. The good news has revealed that forgiveness is a finished work and is received by all who believe. We can now begin to see grace as something more than a trigger we pull when we need to have sin covered or forgiven, since Jesus has already dealt with that issue once and for all. After all, Jesus never sinned but Scripture states He was filled with grace and truth.

Grace isn’t just for sinners, but for us who have been gifted with righteousness and holiness in Christ Jesus. Grace empowers us to live in a way that abides in the supernatural life of God Himself, and causes us to realize truth. Grace is the Person of Jesus - He is our purpose and destination, and this free grace was given to us in Christ before time began. Beware of modern-day Pharisees who will sound a false alarm at the dangers of having too much grace, or you may both end up heading down a dead end street, where the ditch will become your destination.



   

648. Does "Hyper-Grace" Give People a License to Sin? (Part 1)

The wolves who dress as sheep have issued a warning to their flock: Grace can become a dangerous doctrine and lead people into more sin. The red flags should be flying high whenever a believer hears such misguided teaching that would suggest grace encourages people to sin unless balanced with portions of the law and commandments. It’s a myth and a fable to think that grace will encourage sin, while a modernized version of the Mosaic law will decrease sin. Those who make such proclamations are providing church folks with teaching for their “itching ears.” The gospel teaches us quite the opposite… the law and commandments brought an increase in sin - and sin ABOUNDED under a system of works. But grace ABOUNDED all the more and it’s through grace that we reign through righteousness.

The word "abounded" in the Greek is where we get our English word for hyper and it means to overflow beyond measure, exceeding what is needed. Jesus was grace manifested. He never encourages people to sin. Grace teaches and trains us to live godly in Christ Jesus - it empowers us to live in righteousness. Can we have too much of Jesus? Of course not. But this is what hyper-legalists are implying, and that’s the dangerous teaching we should be running from.