The True Message Of Grace
May 2015 |
Proverbs 28:13 – “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.”
THE TRUE MESSAGE OF grace is a message that must be heard by the modern church. For centuries an incorrect view of law and its purpose has placed the Protestant church in horrific bondage. We have mistakenly assumed that we could be saved by faith and then later, sanctified by religious efforts, by works, or by consecration to the things of God. Nothing could be more inaccurate.
The truth is, we are progressively sanctified in the same manner in which we are saved. With the object of our faith centered upon the person of Christ and the finished work of Christ, the Holy Spirit becomes free to maneuver, to change, to take out, and to add all that is needed relative to the heart of the believer. So, I applaud every voice and every Christian who proclaims loudly and clearly that the process of grace and faith is the proper process necessary for Christian growth.
However, I am saddened to have to say that in the last 10 years, several major platforms have been raised up for voices preaching a message of grace. They are moving the believer from faith in works to faith in Christ, and for this I am grateful to the Lord.
However, some very grievous doctrines have begun to surface in some of the platforms proclaiming grace. I am sure that this is Satan’s effort to belittle and besmirch the true message of grace, the Message of the Cross.
COVERING YOUR SIN
Sin is always the problem that faces humanity. It matters not whether you have been saved for 30 years or three minutes, sin is still the problem. The believer, not yet in a glorified state, has a sin nature remaining within him that contains the potential for dominating him if it is not addressed properly. Romans, Chapter 6, teaches us that the power of the sin nature remains dormant and will not affect the believer whose faith is in Christ and Him crucified.
However, even with the sin nature silenced, the capability for sinning, or missing the mark, still exists. If we ignore sin, either acts of sin or the sin nature, the results are disastrous. While it is true that justification is not reversed by an act of sin, it is also true that justification can be reversed if our faith fails. Unconfessed sin eats away at the fabric of our faith and weakens our relationship with God.
Some are teaching that there is no need to confess one’s sins unto the Lord. They teach that confessing something with which God has already dealt at Calvary is a sign of unbelief. How horribly wrong that is! An unwillingness to wash away your sin in the constant flow of Christ's intermediary work is an act of unbelief, not properly confessing your fault to God. I am 100 percent sure that when I take my sin to Jesus, He washes me white as snow. I do not move in and out of salvation every time I fail the Lord. Justification is a far more powerful truth than that.
However, if I fail to confess my sin, my relationship to the Lord is greatly impeded, much like a friend whom you have offended. If the situation isn't amended, it's very likely that the relationship will begin to fail.
Not only are we to repent of our sin unto the Lord, but we are also to forsake it. This always requires more power than any human can muster. The worst thing that we could do is attempt to ignore the problem based on a faulty doctrine.
Grace not only opens up the door for me to be forgiven, it is also the power by which I overcome the sin and weight that is presently coming against me. Once I have confessed, I also need to be granted the delivering power from God to overcome these issues. None of this is possible when I ignore my problems or push away the convicting power of the Holy Spirit. He guides me into all truth, both right and wrong!
FAILURE TO PROSPER
It is impossible to be blessed when we violate God's procedures or instructions. Believers should quickly realize that God will often hold back blessings from us when we fail to acknowledge or be honest about our current condition. If I view sin in a wrong way, or if I fail to correct my problems in the means outlined in Scripture, I can guarantee that spiritual prosperity, physical well-being, and financial gain will be hindered or even eliminated.
The Bible doesn’t teach that failing to prosper is a sin. However, many times, it does reveal to us that sin can cause the lack of prosperity. There is no hope of prospering biblically without adhering to all of the process regarding salvation.
Confession of our sins is not to be ignored, made fun of, or rejected. It is to be practiced. After confession of sin, we are to continually believe God for the delivering power needed to free us permanently from the act(s) of sin we have committed.
There are no exceptions!
|
|
