God’s Grace

Have you turned the grace of God into lasciviousness as Jude spoke of in the book of Jude?  Do you just fluff off the sin in your life and not take it seriously or are you just ignoring the truth.  Read Jude 1:4, “For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.”

It is sad to say but there are teachers today that are teaching things that should not to be taught and some have large congregations that drink in every word. The big problem is that people believe everything they hear instead of studying for themselves and that can be very dangerous.  Read what it says in 2 Timothy 2:14-16, “Of these things put them in remembrance, charging them before the Lord that they strive not about words to no profit, but to the subverting of the hearers. Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness.”

Do you believe the comforting gospel that says God loves you so much that all you have to do is come to Him and everything will be fine, but nothing is said about godly sorrow or repentance?  Do you still love your sin and make excuses for it or do you hate your sin?  

I talked to a man not long ago that knew he had a bad problem with alcohol and he wanted out, but would not receive the One that could deliver him at the time.  This same guy was told not long ago that he could die because of his liver problems caused by his alcoholism, then at a later date I was told by someone that I could trust that this same guy wanted to be able to drink on occasion but stop when he wanted to; this man was just kidding himself.

If you are in bondage to sin of any kind and you truly want to be set free, I believe that God can set you free of anything, but God knows the thoughts and intents and desires of the heart so why would He set you free if all you want to do is go right back to the sin and bondage that He set you free of?  When you are truly sorry for your sin and choose to turn away from it, which is called repentance, I believe He will deliver you from all unrighteousness; the problem is, some people want to be able to control their sin which they can’t, but if they truly want to get set free God can do that!!  When the Son sets you free you are free indeed!!

It is the same with some people that pray that they will be healed, but in some cases they don’t want to be healed because they like being waited on and they don’t like the idea of having to go back to work and fending for themselves, but God knows the heart and that is what He is interested in.  So many times when you hear sermons you hear nothing about the wrath of God, and how many times do you hear of the fear of God outside of the verse that says that the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom?  God’s Word says that if we fear God we will keep His commandments.  Read Ecclesiastes 12:13-14, “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.”

As far as I know Solomon was the wisest man that ever lived and he wrote the book of Ecclesiastes and this was the way he concluded the whole matter, “fear God and keep His commandments for this is the whole duty of man.”  According to the footnotes in my Bible, we will all stand before God and be judged for the things we did in this life.  At that time we will not have an excuse for not living properly.  

This is not an easy Tidbit to type out because I am just as responsible as you are to try my best to keep God’s commandments also and I know I fail the test far too many times.  Thank God that when we fail we can repent and ask Him for His forgiveness and receive it, that is also called God’s grace, His unmerited favor, because He loves us and seeks the humble and contrite heart.

Read about God’s anger at sin in Romans 1:18, “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;”        

God is a just God and He knows what sin does to us, so He hates the sin but He loves the sinner.  I believe sin is a very serious matter with God and I think we need to take it very seriously also.  He didn’t send His Son into the world to suffer and die a horrible death for nothing; taking our shame and our pain, no, He did it because He loved us and He knew without the shedding of blood from a perfect sacrifice there could be no forgiveness of sins.  Jesus was that perfect sacrifice, like John said when he saw Jesus coming when he was baptizing in the Jordan River, “The Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.”

Now read Titus 2:11-15, “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee.”

This is what the grace of God is; it is the power to live a righteous life in this world.  If anyone wants to live a victorious, righteous life they will first have to have a personal relationship with the Lord, enough said.  May the good Lord bless you and yours and may you all have a super, super day!!