Gregg has graciously asked me to contribute to the blog at his peril.
Anyone who knows me knows that I am a bit of a rebel.
I am hoping that my experiences and testimonies will be of some value in their sharing though!
Anyone who knows me knows that I am a bit of a rebel.
I am hoping that my experiences and testimonies will be of some value in their sharing though!
God has impacted my life through the gospel of grace in the most phenomenal ways.
Along with the freedom of knowing your right-standing with God comes a whole lot of wrestling, which deserves as much illumination as the liberty and joy.
As I have experienced a deeper revelation of the grace of God, I have seen the outworking of this in my life and the lives of others who are in transition.
Along with the freedom of knowing your right-standing with God comes a whole lot of wrestling, which deserves as much illumination as the liberty and joy.
As I have experienced a deeper revelation of the grace of God, I have seen the outworking of this in my life and the lives of others who are in transition.
When we see people saved out of darkness and a life of sinful behaviour, the change is so evident and beautiful.
We see the lights come on as they experience the grace of God in the most beautiful ways.
Seeing this always moves me to tears and my chest just feels like it will explode!
Unfortunately in my short walk with God (3 years )… I have experienced and seen many people (including myself), fall into a different kind of bondage within the church.
I don't need to elaborate here.
We see the lights come on as they experience the grace of God in the most beautiful ways.
Seeing this always moves me to tears and my chest just feels like it will explode!
Unfortunately in my short walk with God (3 years )… I have experienced and seen many people (including myself), fall into a different kind of bondage within the church.
I don't need to elaborate here.
I am starting to see something else that is quite paradoxical happening around me.
Please bear with me..I am sure you have all had thoughts or revelation that you battle to put into words.. anyway..here goes..
Please bear with me..I am sure you have all had thoughts or revelation that you battle to put into words.. anyway..here goes..
I'm convinced that one of the main reasons churches are so terrified of the grace message is because the freedom that God brings through it often doesn't look good from the outside initially.
All around me, I am seeing people coming out from under law …they look divisive and rebellious.
They used to look respectable, upstanding?
To all intents and purposes, it looks like they are actually backsliding!
As all the dross that they've been clinging to (and fellowshipping with) rises to the surface, it is put out of their control and into the father's hands, it looks like they're out of control. (which they are?)
In this attitude, God is able to deal with besetting sins and issues either by way of a process or dynamic and radical deliverance because the heartspace is one of truth and transparency.
They used to look respectable, upstanding?
To all intents and purposes, it looks like they are actually backsliding!
As all the dross that they've been clinging to (and fellowshipping with) rises to the surface, it is put out of their control and into the father's hands, it looks like they're out of control. (which they are?)
In this attitude, God is able to deal with besetting sins and issues either by way of a process or dynamic and radical deliverance because the heartspace is one of truth and transparency.
There has been much laughter amidst the tears as I realise that temptations that held such allure in my thought realm, when actually confronted with a grace-filled heart….turned out to be nothing but demonically constructed houses of cards that fell at one breath from the living God!
Hebrews 2 v 1-4 – (emphasis mine)nkjv
"Therefore we must give the more earnest heed (all the more careful attention) to the things we have heard, lest we drift away.
For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward…how shall we escape if we neglect SUCH A GREAT SALVATION, which began at first to be spoken by the Lord and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him".
"God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will"? -
"Therefore we must give the more earnest heed (all the more careful attention) to the things we have heard, lest we drift away.
For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward…how shall we escape if we neglect SUCH A GREAT SALVATION, which began at first to be spoken by the Lord and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him".
"God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will"? -
Lots of love
Roy
3 comments:
Hi Roy, thanks for sharing your heart...I tend to like rebels, since I am one myself:)
I think you made a great point about coming out of law into grace, my pastor's wife said to me "yeah, legalism works.." (she meant the result you get looks good to us!)
Bring on the messy people!!!! Yeah, it's so much better to let God deal with our yuck, isn't it...I loved your post......!!!! Thanks, Lydia
Roy my Man, written like the culinary delights you blessed us with while you with us ;-)
I love the fact that you are ... have a "Grace Filled" heart.
I know 'Our' challenge is keeping positive and not critical of the law bound church community we find our selves in. Remember when you first brought some 'revelation' on Romans years back and we never 'really' saw the light.
My prayer for you, me and every one is that our 'Grace filled' hearts would overflow in so much joy and liberty that nothing with suppress it. No earthly preaching or misguided zeal, that we would seriously over come in the truest sense.
Man I am excited .... so much
Grace like a river ...oh flood my sole.
Chris
"I'm convinced that one of the main reasons churches are so terrified of the grace message is because the freedom that God brings through it often doesn't look good from the outside initially."
Amen to that! People are so intent on seeing outward appearances change that they don't give hearts time to work through and wrestle with the truth of God's grace. Indeed, from all appearances, some people who come into a deeper revelation of grace do seem to take some steps backward behaviorally, but if the church will simply trust that God is doing a work on the inside that can't necessarily be seen on the outside, then they wouldn't have this foolish need and insistence on rules, regulations and immediate visible outward change.
To take this even further, over ten years ago my pastor (at the time) would often say that the gospel is not a gospel of change, but a gospel of exchange. God doesn't change us, He kills us (crucifies us with Christ) and exchanges our old life for a brand new life. He doesn't change our life, He gives us a completely new one! :)
When a person has been steeped in legalism for any amount of time, and their only understanding of the Christian life is that it's one of change, change, change in order to please God more and more, but then they come to a realization that they are FREE in Christ and not bound by fleshly rules and regulations, it's natural for them to rebel a little (or a lot) as they begin to figure out what all this freedom is really all about.
We really need to step back, encourage them in their freedom and trust that in time God will show them His truth in deeper ways that will naturally cause their actions to line up with who they really are!
I've been growing in grace for over a dozen years and my mind still has a lot of catching up to do in regards to fully realizing who I am in Christ!
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