What it means to be under grace

Believers, the gospel isn't about karma or people doing their best to live by certain rules and regulations without which there will be evil consequences. Almost every other religion on earth has this. This is the law which cannot make any righteous in God's sight according to Romans 3:20. Galatians 5:4 says "For if you are trying to make yourselves right with God by keeping the law, you have been cut off from Christ! You have fallen away from God’s grace."

Believers, we are not under law but under grace. You can't mix both. Telling people that they need to keep the Ten Commandments in order to get right with God or enjoy His protection and blessings is akin to expecting a drowning man who cannot swim to rescue himself from shark-infested waters because you tossed him a heavy book on how to swim. The book cannot help him swim. It will even weigh him down some more! The letter kills. These waters represent all the ills that plague the world today - the power, pleasure and penalty of sin; addiction, sickness, lack, hate, death, etc.

The law says 'swim' or die when none can 'swim' (there is none righteous...) and because the law is righteous, holy, impartial and unbending, judgment must be exacted on all who live by it.

But Grace, God's amazing, wonderful Grace in the Person of our Lord Jesus Christ jumps into the waters to save us from all these ills, sets us on high, gives us access to every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, frees us from the clutches of sin and addiction and trains us to live right! Spiritual blessings here are blessings that have their origin in God and they manifest in our well-being and prosperity here on earth!

Titus 2:11-14 says "11 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, 12 teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, 13 looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 14 who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works."

Did you notice that it is the grace of God that teaches us to live right/look forward to the blessed hope (the Rapture) and not you or I?

Do you see that it is Christ who redeems us (saves, paid the price for our freedom) from every lawless deed and not human effort or threats of consequences of sin from the pulpit? Do you see that it is He who purifies us for Himself and makes us zealous for good works and not our own puny efforts at doing so?

Do you see that He came to save us from our sins as it is written in Matthew 1:21 "She will give birth to a Son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins."

But many in the church preach thus: "Jesus will not save you unless you stop sinning and keep the Ten Commandments. God will punish you when you sin." How can a Saviour who came to save us from our sins use the same sins that He came to save us from as an excuse for not saving us? This is akin to an oncologist father refusing to treat and even punishing his beloved child who has terminal cancer for having cancer and being unable to treat himself.

Christ saves from sin. Leaders, unveil the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ to all and He will teach His people to live right. In Christ, Grace is our Teacher, not you, I or the law. Tell about Christ's unmerited favour (Grace) and sin will lose its dominion, "For sin shall not have dominion over you for you are not under law but under grace."

Even when we sin and mess things up and the Accuser tries to get us to condemn ourselves so judgment can follow, God's love for us, manifested in His undeserved, unmerited favour, makes us stand boldly in the day of judgment; "Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world." 1 John 4:17. Bear in mind that this isn't just Judgment Day when Books are opened but any day that the Accuser tries to make you condemn yourself by reminding you of your guilt! 

There are some who try to use the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ as a cover to sin and do all sorts. Such are not under grace. Jude spoke of these people in Jude 1 and described them as spots in our love feasts. It came as no surprise to Jude so don't let it bother you. Continue to believe Christ and receive the abundance of grace and of His gift of righteousness. Jude said in Jude 1 that the Scriptures spoke of these people before they came along. Their comeuppance cometh.

Our Saviour's gift of no condemnation is what makes us go and sin no more. The one who is under Grace cannot continue to live in sin and not by human effort  but because we are transformed by the Holy Spirit, so we have nothing to boast about but Christ.

The Holy Spirit will teach you all things.

Believe Right and you will Live Right😊