Wednesday, July 25, 2007

Scandalous Grace

I just got a clearer revelation of Romans 6:14 "For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace."

Paul doesn't say we're able to be free from sin because we find balance. He says the only thing that can cause you to have freedom is to live in pure grace. It is a shame we have to describe the gospel as the gospel of grace. The gospel itself should mean grace. We should not have to clarify ourselves. But now we do because law has saturated the church. People hang the Ten Commandments up like there is power in them. We even memorize them. But why? Yes, they are good and holy. But through us, they only inflame sin. Get law out of your head and put Jesus in it! If we live by the Spirit, let us walk by the Spirit. As you received Him, so walk in Him! From faith to faith, beginning and ending with faith. Defeat is the key to victory. Self quenches the Spirit. We need to die in order to live. Amazing isn't it? But it's the hardest thing in the world. It makes absolutely no sense to me if I try and rationalize it. The rational conclusion of this to the flesh is "That will just make me lazy". I say good! You could use some rest! Take some time to know God. You can't give love freely unless you receive it freely. Grace is grace. Grace is a scandal! We need to get over it! Quit worrying so much about fruit and start focusing on Jesus.

And if you automatically say "Then we can just do whatever we want!" Paul confronted the same idea in the verse directly below it. Paul, I think is saying "how can you when you're a new creation?" "How can we who died to sin still live in it?" How can we who are no longer sinners, but saints still live in sin!? Sure, we can choose to gratify the desires of the flesh. But we are not the flesh anymore. We are in the Spirit. (Romans 8:9)

I am not saying I've perfected this in the least. I'm just a baby to all of this. I do tend to have fears that I will preach it but not live it. I pray that isn't the case.

4 comments:

jul said...

Good preaching. I have that same fear, but I find the more preaching I do in faith, the more my faith to live it increases.

The Lewis Family said...

I guess that would be the true purpose of gathering together eh: to stir one another up in the faith. . . What a joy to be reminded of what Jesus did, how much God loves us and hence who we truly are now! I have a strong suspicion you love the grace of God (a.k.a. Jesus) and nothing else will or can satisfy. Ah, to feast on the life Christ has given us. . .

Mattityahu said...

Thanks guys,

I really feel like something inside is feeding off Christ's grace. It's amazing. Grace is like a filling, thick milk. It's so life giving and faith igniting. I am so much closer to God through grace. I don't even pray as much, but there is substance and power in it when I do now. I don't read the Bible as much, but I feel filled somehow. It's the Spirit. The meal, rather than the menu finally. =)

Joel Brueseke said...

Matthew,

I've read this post two or three times since you've posted it and I can't get away from the phrase "scandalous grace." :) I love it! It's such a shocker for much of the Christian world to see grace with nothing added to it or taken away from it! Grace is grace, as you say. You're right, it can't be rationalized! It doesn't make sense to the carnal or religious mind at all!