Thinking with grace rather than justice, part 8; John 15:18.

Title: Thinking with grace rather than justice, part 8; John 15:18.

 

 

Grace is the divine policy of God to freely give what His Son justified at Calvary, while mercy is the policy of God in action for those who are in need.

 

Need has a very broad range. You might be in need of comfort or you might be in need of humility because you are so arrogant. Grace is God’s policy to do all the work to correct both of these and all other problems with man based on the work of Christ and mercy could be used to describe that grace in action.

 

There is only one hindrance to both grace and mercy and that is the volition of man.

 

Grace in the scripture is associated with faith, but faith in what? Did you or I search out the gospel or was it brought right to our doorstep? When the gospel is brought the person has a choice to make and this choice he searches out and so it falls under the category of grace. Searching doesn’t imply works since faith is non-meritorious but the decision becomes clear, “Am I a sinner that needs a Savior?” and in grace the person must make that decision for himself.

 

So we would say that you receive the gospel by mercy and you have faith in the gospel by grace.

 

You can apply this same pattern to your spiritual life after salvation. But don’t wear yourself out trying to distinguish or categorize every instance or grace or mercy, these are terms that are very similar and exist together so closely that it is often difficult to distinguish them. Does it matter? Continue pursuing grace through the truth in the non meritorious system of faith.

 

LEV 16:14

Moreover, he shall take some of the blood of the bull and sprinkle it with his finger on the mercy seat on the east side; also in front of the mercy seat he shall sprinkle some of the blood with his finger seven times.

 

We receive salvation; we do not search for it.

 

Phil 3:9

and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith,

 

Therefore, every believer is righteous and justified before God, no exceptions.

 

Spiritual promotion: This aspect of justice is the believer’s notion that he should be promoted or is ready for promotion and he can react when he doesn’t realize the promotion in his timing rather than God’s timing.

 

Grace means that God has accomplished everything concerning blessing and promotion.

 

Logisitical grace blessing is for all believers. Super-grace blessings and promotion is based upon level of spiritual growth, mental attitude, and capacity.

 

James 4:6

But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, "God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble."

 

1 Peter 5:6-7

Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety upon Him, because He cares for you.

 

HEB 10:36

For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised.

 

What if you haven’t done the will of God? What if you took on a responsibility and didn’t do it? You will not be judged by God. You may be judged by people, but they are completely wrong and God will avenge that. Hopefully a grace oriented congregation won’t judge you either. So what to do? Step down from the responsibility and sit down in your chair and continue to listen to the word of God and the humility and the patience will come soon enough.

 

If God doesn’t promote you, you are not promoted. If God promotes you, no one can stop it.

 

So you think you should be promoted and you are not. The KOD finds a way to flame the fire of your seeming injustice. If you think you need to be recognized by another then you have brought justice back to bear on yourself rather than grace.

 

I may not recognize the need for the promotion of someone and I may promote someone I shouldn’t have, but if it were based upon me then we’re right back under justice again and I’m the judge on the bench. Under grace God will make all things known in their proper time.

 

Phil 3:15

Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, have this attitude; and if in anything you have a different attitude, God will reveal that also to you;

 

That’s grace and not justice.

 

Tabooism: Throughout the history of the Church certain taboos have come and gone and new ones always take their place. These taboos sneak into our own justice systems and they must be dealt with before we become so hard hearted that we cannot operate in grace.

 

Taboo: Any social prohibition or restriction that results from convention or tradition.

 

1. The president is the anti-Christ, especially if he is a democrat.

 

This is a fairly new thing for American Christianity from the last several decades, but it has been a part of ancient Christianity as well. Some believers in the first century were convinced that Nero was the anti-Christ. He certainly fit the bill in many ways, but as we will see, the apostle through God instructed believers to honor Nero as one who has his authority from God.

 

“I’ve been in politics long enough to expect criticism and hostility, but I was unprepared for the hatred I get from Christians. Why do Christians hate so much?” President Bill Clinton.

 

He who is without sin, let him cast the first stone.

 

ROM 13:1 Let every person be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God.

 

ROM 13:2 Therefore he who resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves.

 

ROM 13:3 For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same;

 

ROM 13:4 for it is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath upon the one who practices evil.

 

ROM 13:5 Wherefore it is necessary to be in subjection, not only because of wrath, but also for conscience' sake.

 

ROM 13:6 For because of this you also pay taxes, for rulers are servants of God, devoting themselves to this very thing.

 

ROM 13:7 Render to all what is due them: tax to whom tax is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor.

 

1 Peter 2:13

Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority,

 

The so called Christian right got involved in politics a few decades ago and they have done more damage to the public view of the Church as well as to themselves than any good they might have done. God has given us pulpits; we don’t need to be on the news.

 

2. Abortion has become one of the greatest distractions to Christianity in recent history.

 

Why am I doing this? It would be so much easier to pass this over, but as we are inclined by G/HS to study the kosmos that same Spirit inclined me to take up this topic.