An Undeserved Curse         

And, sadly, it may be possible to find a teacher who is so flippant regarding his or her teaching that this message is communicated. More likely, however, is the story of some grace teacher who is discovered in a sinful situation. No matter what he says after that, even if he speaks the truth about grace, it will sound like he is simply providing himself with a spiritual defense so that he can continue his ministry. Of course, he is already forgiven by grace. He is on the same standing with God after the offense as he was before. Nothing of that offense is on record with God. The Scriptures are clear about these things. But the message is compromised by actions that are contrary to the holiness of God.

You see, it really doesn’t matter how people abuse the message of grace or take advantage of it. The message is still true. The love of God is still active in the lives of His people. Positionally, we are as saved after we sin as before. Our relationship with God may feel troubled until we return to Him, but because of His love we are still His own. Sin, or lack of it, is not the focal point of our relationship with Him. His love is the foundation on which we stand.

I actually had someone warn me about teaching people simply to follow Jesus. Since I believe that Jesus is real and active, I teach that we are to come to Him for decisions and understanding in our lives. Yes, He speaks to us in His Word, but the Word is to be enjoyed within our relationship and regular communication with Him. In other words, if I want to know whether a certain action is right or wrong, I should ask Him. I then trust that He will lead me to His Word or remind me of something in His Word or that He will speak to my heart and reveal His will to me. When the activity is not something clearly addressed in the Bible, the answer He gives to me may be different from the one He gives to another.

For example, I may wonder whether it is appropriate for me to watch football on Sunday afternoon. This person who challenged me believed that no Christian should watch. This was clear to him on the basis of a conviction he believed was given to him by the Lord. He felt that he was told he should not watch football on Sunday and he then turned that conviction toward others.

But how should I handle the question? Well, I would first ask Jesus to reveal His will to me. As much as possible I would give up my will in the matter and wait for His answer. If I could not release my will, I would state that honestly in my prayer and trust Him to touch my heart in such a way that would overcome my will if it was different from His. He may send me to His Word and remind me or reveal to me something on the matter that stirs my heart. He may speak through some circumstance such as my wife having a similar conviction at the same time and independently of me. Or He may ask me to give to Him the right to pre-empt that television time in favor of something He desires from time to time. Perhaps a relative would visit and I would understand that it is better to share time with that person rather than watch football.

"But this is all subjective! You can’t trust yourself to discern the will of God!" The idea in this objection is that the believer is still sinful and still led by the flesh and is therefore unable to hear the voice of the Lord in any way. Those who make this objection are particularly grateful for the Scriptures and for those who interpret them "correctly". They grant that some are better able, by the gift of God, to understand the Scriptures and thus are trustworthy teachers (until they teach something contrary to tradition or other favorite teachers, of course).

Jesus made it very clear that He would be speaking to His people and His people would be able to discern His voice. (John 10:27) In fact, He said, "Everyone who is of the truth hears my voice". (John 18:37) It is the desire, the will, of God that He would be able to communicate with His people… and that is not limited to Scripture and not in contrast to the teaching of Scripture.

"But hearing His voice is very different from obeying it. Just because you hear Jesus saying something doesn’t mean that you will do it. Law is needed to provide motivation for doing His will." But knowing the Law is also no guarantee of obedience. The Scriptures make that abundantly clear to us. Pharisees and grace teachers alike are quite able to ignore what they know is the will of God. In fact, I would suggest that the Law provides the inferior motivation for obedience, based on the testimony of Scripture. The Law was given simply to lead us to Jesus, never to give us the ability to achieve or maintain holiness.

"Teaching people to follow Jesus is dangerous. They will just fall into sin." I actually had someone say this to me and I have to say that it is the most ridiculous objection I have heard. Does anyone actually believe that following Jesus will lead us into sin? Jesus taught us to pray for deliverance from evil and to be led "not into temptation". He is far more concerned about our avoidance of sin than we will ever be. You see, Jesus understands the real danger of sin in our lives, the cumulative and lasting damage it can produce. Because of His love, He will always lead us away from sin… always.

Why do some people object so strenuously to the message of grace? Probably because of simple jealousy. Christians who walk in relationship with Jesus and experience the leading and joy of His grace are free, peaceful, and happy. They laugh. They pick themselves up when they fall and go on without condemnation. They are able to love without judgment or repayment. It is a far better life than that offered by law and rules. I have met many people, by far the majority, who live under rules and despise their lives. They are unhappy and usually unkind. They have no personal peace and seem to try hard to destroy the peace of others.

What I just wrote may be harsh. I suppose there is another reason for them to object. They have had bad teaching, usually from those who feel under condemnation themselves or who want to control others. This is why I write and teach. The message has to be brought to these folks. They long for peace and forgiveness and acceptance. They should be enjoying these things in their relationship with Jesus, but they have been bound up by bad teaching. It is my constant prayer that somehow I might be used to help set them free and bring them to Jesus.

No one finds true grace who does not find it in his or her relationship with Jesus. The accusations against the grace message are truly "undeserved curses" and we must continue to be faithful. The message is not true sometimes and untrue other times. We cannot teach 90% grace and 10% law. The simple truth is that those who walk in grace hate sin and sin’s consequences even more because their relationship with Jesus moves them to love more. And listen: walking close to Jesus is the answer for sin. We do far more to help our brothers and sisters in Christ by teaching them to follow Jesus than we could ever do by reminding them of the Law. Ultimately, whether the accusers believe it or not, we are "not under law but under grace".