Hyper Grace

Lately I have heard a lot of messages on hyper grace, where only the aspects of God's love and grace are emphasized, and nothing else. Everyone loves to know that God extends grace on them, and then they don't think about anything more. They feel that they can do anything they choose to do, and God will still love them and give them grace. That there are no consequences. But is this the message God gives us in His Word?

 

God is holy and hates sin. He created us to be in His image. He knows we deal with sinful issues, and to restore our relationship as His children, He gave His Son Jesus as the Lamb of God, suffering and dying a brutal death. Christians are aware of this, as every year they are reminded through Good Friday and Easter. Yes, Jesus paid the price for our sins. But does this mean we can go on and willingly practice the very things God forbids in His Word? Are there any consequences to this, especially if a person is unrepentant? Yes, we all sin. But are we prayerfully and honestly asking God to help us not to sin? Do we feel any conviction?

 

Let us not give up meeting together,

as some are in the habit of doing,

but let us encourage one another -

and all the more as you see

the Day approaching.

If we deliberately keep on sinning

after we have received

the knowledge of the truth,

no sacrifice for sins is left,

but only a fearful expectation of judgment

and of raging fire that will

consume the enemies of God.

- Hebrews 10:25-27

 

God has given us His standards in His Word, and when we ignore them, to the reasoning that we can't help it because we all sin, it's foolishness. We are rewriting the Scriptures, whether we realize it or not. And the Bible warns against this. We are waging war now between our flesh and the spirit, thanks to Satan and his demons. The ways of the world are filtering in to our churches and it seems as if Christians aren't any different than nonChristians! This should not be! This reminds me of when God told Adam and Eve not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Satan arrived on the scene and convinced Eve that God didn't really mean what He said. In other words, he told her to go ahead...it would be okay. I see this happening now!

 

Our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit and we should not defile them. We are to be the salt and light of the world, and if we are truly born again, our lives will reflect this. If we struggle with certain sins, then we should know that by bringing them to our Lord in prayer and on our knees, He will help us to overcome them. Greater is He who is in us than he who is in the world. Does your life reflect this?

 

God wants so much more from us, as Christians. And when we commit our lives to Him, giving Him the glory He deserves, then we are truly blessed.

 

Heavenly Father-

With humility, we come before you now,

knowing that all of us struggle

to obey you completely.

But because of Your infinite love for us,

we know that by coming to You for help,

we can overcome these things.

Reveal to us our hidden sins

as well as known sins

so that we can confess them to You

and repent of them.

There is nothing impossible for You.

In our weakness, You are our strength.

We want to be Your obedient children,

and holy as You are holy.

We thank you, Dear Lord,

for hearing our prayers,

and for Your redeeming work in us.

In Jesus' Name we pray.

Amen