The gospel of grace is such a matchless message that any time we preach something different, we are giving less than our best. “But Paul,” you may say. “There are so many needs.” Then preach the gospel! Need healing? Then let me tell you the good news of Christ. Are you facing financial difficulties? Here’s the gospel. Are you worried, frustrated, confused and lost? Then I have good news for you!

Good news agents

Paul said he was shameless about the gospel because it was the only message empowered by God to save those who believe it. We need to have the same attitude as Paul. We need to realize that we are called to be good news agents and nothing less. So let’s clear the shelves of old covenant clutter – all that stuff that says we have to jump through hoops to be accepted/blessed/holy/etc. – and make room for the new and better message of grace: Jesus has done it all!

To help you proclaim the gospel, I want to highlight the top 12 new covenant claims made in the Bible. You can use these claims in your advertising. Two-thousand years of market research has proven that they work. How did I choose these particular scriptures? Well, to be honest, some of them are simply my personal favorites. Others are those that have drawn a positive response from readers over at GraceQuotes.com. I’m not claiming that this list of verses is in any way definitive so feel free to add to it in the comments underneath.

The Top New Covenant Scriptures (in reverse order)

(12) I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. (Rom 1:16, NIV)

Salvation in the old covenant hinged on your perfect law-keeping performance; in the new, salvation is a work of God. This is why it’s called good news – it’s an announcement of a finished work. It is the declaration that God’s saving power is available to all who would receive it. And what power! It can literally turn a sinner into a saint, or a dead man into a living one…

(11) I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life. (Joh 5:24, NIV)

Prior to the cross we were subject to the law of sin and death but now there’s a new law in town! The law of the Spirit of life means we can live free from sin and all its fatal effects. Jesus didn’t merely save us from our sins; He gave us new life. How do we enjoy this new life? By trusting in the one called Mr. Grace…

(10) And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. (Joh 1:14, KJV)

If Jesus only brought truth, we would all be dead meat, but since He came full of “grace and truth” we have abounding life! Truth without grace (e.g., old covenant law) is a hammer; but truth with grace is good news for the poor and needy.

(9) I’ve never quit loving you and never will. Expect love, love, and more love! (Jer 31:3, MSG)

Most people are surprised to find this scripture in the Bible, but that’s what everlasting love is. It is love that never quits. As Paul said, “Love is patient, love endures.” That means God will never give up on you! He loved you into existence, He loved you when you were a sinner, and He will always love you. You cannot exaggerate the love of God. What does this have to do with the new covenant? Everything! The new covenant expresses the loving-kindness of our Father. Since God never changes, this explains why the new covenant is sometimes called “the eternal covenant” (Heb 13:20).

(8) “Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,” says the LORD, who has compassion on you. (Is 54:10, NIV)

See? I told you it was an eternal covenant. Unlike the old covenant which stands on the brittle promises of men, the new covenant is underwritten by the unshakeable oath of God. You can take His words to the bank! And that probably explains why Isaiah 54:10 is the most popular prophecy on GraceQuotes.com.

(7) God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Cor 5:21, NIV)

You’ve got to love the math of the new covenant: How many sins did Jesus commit before He was made sin? None. And how many righteous acts did we do before we were made righteous? None. God did it all! We are merely the grateful beneficiaries of His mighty work.

(6) If God is for us, who can be against us? Certainly not God, who did not even keep back his own Son, but offered him for us all! He gave us his Son—will he not also freely give us all things? Who will accuse God’s chosen people? God himself declares them not guilty! (Rom 8:31-33, GNB)

In the old covenant, the law stood against us but in the new, God is for us. God is for us! God is for us!

(5) How great is God’s love for all who worship him? Greater than the distance between heaven and earth! How far has the LORD taken our sins from us? Farther than the distance from east to west! (Psalm 103:11-12, CEV)

Preachers who are confused about what happened on the cross will look at this list and say, “You are not emphasizing sin enough!” That’s because it’s hard to talk about something that Jesus has done away with. Jesus is here; our sins are there. They have been removed as far as the east is from the west. This is what it means to be completely forgiven! In the old you examined yourself for sin, but in the new you examine the Lamb without blemish. You want to fix sin? Then preach grace. Grace is the cure for sin.

(4) I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (Gal 2:20, NIV)

That’s the key to Christian living right there. It’s not about sweating for Jesus or improving the flesh, but resting in His finished work. Reckon yourself dead to sin and alive to Christ and live!

(3) Praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! Through Christ, God has blessed us with every spiritual blessing that heaven has to offer. (Eph 1:3, GWT)

I have listed the top 12 blessings of the new covenant elsewhere. Rather than repeat them here, I’ll just echo Paul who says that we have been blessed with everything! If God has already given us His Son, what will He withhold from us? Nothing! (I love answering rhetorical questions raised by the gospel.)

(2) Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me–watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly. (Mt 11:28-30, MSG)

I’d rather be married to Mr. Grace than that old perfectionist Mr. Law. Incidentally, this paraphrase of Jesus’ words is one of the most popular scriptures on GraceQuotes.com. Nice work Eugene Peterson!

(1) The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor. (Luk 4:18-19, NIV)

And that year of favor will prove to be the longest year in history! It’s 2000 years long and counting. It will never end!

What did I miss?

There are so many great scriptures that are not on this list. (If you’re wondering what happened to John 3:16, wait for my next post!) If you think there is a scripture that definitely should be included in the Top 12, let us know in the comments below.
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Here’s something else Jesus never said to any individual: “I love you.” Jesus may not have said it but He sure showed it. His selfless sacrifice on the cross was the greatest demonstration of love the world has ever seen. On the cross He wrapped His arms around the world and gave us a big “I love you.” It is exactly like that with grace. He may not have said it, but He showed it big time. Here are just five of the ways that Jesus revealed the unmerited favor of a good and gracious God.

How did Jesus reveal grace?

1. By showing up!

Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord… Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.  (Lk 2:10-11, 14)

I have heard people preach this verse as though God was selective with His favor. “Maybe His favor rests on you, maybe it doesn’t. You’d better behave yourself and hope for the best.” But the angel brought good news of great joy that was for “all the people.” Are you people? Then God’s favor rests on you!

What does the favor of God look like? It looks exactly like Jesus. God’s favor and God’s Savior are synonymous. In every Old Testament mention of promised Savior, we get a hint of grace. Then on the night of His birth we get a mighty shout. “Peace has come to earth!” As Mary discovered and we’re still learning, we are highly favored. How so? Because the Lord is with us. He is not against us. He is for us and He is with us. You cannot have the Lord and be anything other than highly favored. He is a magnet to His own favor.

2. By proclaiming the acceptable year of the Lord

The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor. (Lk 4:18-19)

I used to think this verse was good news for handicapped people and those living below the poverty line. Then I realized that Jesus is describing all of us. Relative to God we are all poor and needy. Every one of us is bankrupt of life and righteousness. “The whole world is a prisoner of sin” (Gal 3:22). That’s why Jesus announced the Year of Jubilee. Because of Jesus, we have come home, our debts are cleared, and now we reap what we haven’t sown. In the Year of Jubilee all the slaves were freed. Again, that’s us. We were bound but knowing the Truth we are free indeed. That sounds like the good news of God’s grace to me!

3. By telling stories about grace

The kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for pearls of great price; it is like a treasure hidden in a field. (Mt 13:44-45)

Jesus preached law to the self-righteous, but ordinary folks typically got stories of grace. And what stories they were! These weren’t morality tales for there was no catch, no lesson to be learned. The lost coin did nothing to be found. The lost sheep did not rescue itself. The prodigal returned as a worker but was received as a son.

Without saying the word grace, Jesus left lasting impressions of unmerited favor. He came for us because in His eyes we are the treasure; we are the pearl of great price. He Himself said so! Jesus’ stories leave us, like the prodigal, speechless in the loving arms of their Father.

4. By showing (and preaching!) unconditional forgiveness

Some men brought to him a paralytic, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.” (Mat 9:2)

When preaching to those under the law, Jesus made forgiveness conditional. But on the street, Jesus revealed another forgiveness that is unconditional. The paralytic had forgiven no one yet he was forgiven. It was the same with the sinful woman (Luke 7). It was the same for the whole world when Jesus hung on the cross (Lk 23:34).

If this seems confusing to you, look at the cross. The cross is the dividing line of history and the crossroads of two covenants. Before the cross it was, “Forgive and you will be forgiven.” But speaking of what would happen as a result of the cross, Jesus also said, “every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men” (Mat 12:31). When was every sin and blasphemy forgiven? At the cross! Unconditional forgiveness is one of the most liberating manifestations of grace. When you know that you have been completely forgiven, you are free to forgive yourself and others.

5. By preaching faith over flesh

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (Joh 3:16)

Look carefully at the end of that verse. There is a full-stop, a period. Praise God for that period! It is the greatest period in the history of periods! That period declares the scandalous grace of God that will not share the stage with any man. The old covenant required about a hundred chapters to list all the things you need to do if you were to have any hope of impressing God, but here in the new, you just have to believe. Full-stop!

Jesus didn’t come with a list of commandments. We already had those from Moses. It’s true that Jesus preached law before the cross to those under the law but that wasn’t His main reason for coming. He came to open blind eyes, set the captives free, and give us new life. All that He asked was that we receive what He wanted to give us. This is the only thing Grace will ever ask of you. “Receive Me.”

Jesus = grace

Jesus may not have said “I love you” but those who met Him went away knowing they were dearly loved. Just ask John. For the rest of his life he went around telling people, “I’m the disciple Jesus loves.” So are you.

To know His love is to know His grace. They are inseparable. God is gracious because He is love. Why did Jesus come? Jesus came to reveal the grace of a good God who loves us like a Father. He came to bring us good news of great joy that is for all people.
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Here’s something that will fry your mind: Repentance is one of the most important things you’ll ever do but it’s not worth an entire sermon. How can you say such heresy Paul? I’ll answer that question in a moment. But first, let me ask you which of the following is the best definition of repentance:

1.    Repentance means to turn from sin
2.    Repentance means to change your mind

As we saw in the last post, repentance is a lot like football. It means different things to different people. But Biblical repentance simply means “change your mind.” You can change your mind about anything, but Jesus called us to change our mind and believe the good news (Mk 1:15).

Your definition of repentance will reveal whether you are living under grace or works. In the Old Testament, sinners repented by bringing a sacrifice of penance and confessing their sins (Num 5:7). But in the new we bring a sacrifice of praise and confess His name (Heb 13:15). We don’t do anything to deal with our sins for Jesus has done it all. Our part is to change our mind, believe the good news, and say thank you Jesus! If that’s not practical enough for you, then start praising Jesus who died to free us from sin and whose grace empowers us to sin no more. See yourself as dead to sin and alive to Christ.

No matter how much I preach on grace, some people just can’t see the cross for their sins. They write to tell me I’m under-selling repentance. What they really mean is, “Paul you’re not telling people to turn from their sin.” In many churches this is exactly the message you will hear. “God is holy and He won’t accept you unless you turn from sin.” It’s sold as a “message of repentance” and it appeals to our sense of right and wrong but it’s utterly false. It’s a lie from the pit of hell designed to promote the flesh and keep you from coming to Jesus. The truth is God is holy and He won’t accept you no matter what you do. His acceptance and favor come by grace alone. Got a sin-problem? Then come boldly to the throne of grace to receive mercy and find grace. His grace is your only hope.

Here are three reasons why you should reject any message that defines repentance as turning from sin:

1. It puts people under law

If you preach “turn from sin or you’re not saved” you are preaching pure law. You are prescribing sin-rejection as a means for salvation. This false gospel actually leaves sinners worse off because it empowers the sin that enslaves them while scorning the grace of God that might otherwise save them (1 Cor 15:56, Rm 11:6). The righteousness that God offers is not conditional on your ability to perform. Neither your good works nor your bad works enter the equation. The gospel of grace reveals the gift of righteousness that is received by faith from first to last (Rom 1:17).

2. It doesn’t lead people to salvation

Let me give you a picture to illustrate true repentance. Suppose I call you up and give you an invitation to come to my house. You’ve never been here before so you need directions. There are two ways I could direct you. I could give you my address and provide an accurate picture of where I live. Or I could say, “flee from your house – just drive from your house as fast as possible and don’t look back.” Do you see the difference? In both cases you’re going to leave your house. That’s guaranteed. But only by trusting my directions will you arrive at my house.  Repentance is just like that. It’s not fleeing from sin like a Pharisee. It’s turning to God in faith. In both cases you will leave your sin. But only by trusting God will you actually arrive someplace better than where you started.

To get people to repent (change their minds) Jesus preached the good news of the kingdom. He painted a picture of where God wanted them to be (with Him here and now) and He gave them clear directions on how to get there (have faith in God). It was the same with Paul. He didn’t walk into Corinth, one of the world’s most depraved cities, and preach “turn from sin.” Instead he resolved to know nothing but “Christ and Him crucified” (1 Cor 2:2). Sinners need to learn how much God loves them. They need to hear about His unconditional favor and grace. The best way to tell them is to reveal the finished work of the cross. When the Corinthian Christians later fell into sin, Paul still didn’t preach “turn from sin.” Instead he reminded them of their identity in Christ. He understood that grace, not works, is the cure for sin.

3. We’re called to preach the gospel, not repentance

Should you repent? Of course! I actually think there needs to be far more repentance, particularly from believers. Repentance should be our life-style. You cannot renew your mind without repenting for repenting means to change your mind. When I discover something new about the goodness of God, I repent – I change my way of thinking so that my life lines up with what is true. I repent every day and it’s wonderful. I’m not the same person I was even six months ago because I am in the habit of repenting.

Repentance is one of the most important things you’ll ever do but you don’t get people to repent simply by telling them to repent. You just give them a good reason to repent and they’ll repent. Paul said repentance comes as a consequence of learning about the goodness of God (Rom 2:4). So if you want people to repent, tell them how good God is! Preach the good news! Faith and repentance are two sides of the same coin. Repentance, like faith, is a positive response to something God has done.

Paul said, “the only thing that counts is faith expressed in love” (Gal 5:6). God loves you, He died for you and He offers you His righteousness. Do you believe it? God’s power for salvation – for your forgiveness, healing, deliverance and provision – is revealed in the good news of grace. Do you believe it? All the blessings of God come to us by grace alone. Do you believe it?

John doesn’t say one word about repentance but he talks about believing over and over. He said that he wrote his book so “that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name” (Joh 20:31). The key to life is not in turning from sin but trusting in Jesus.

You want others to repent? Then preach the gospel that reveals the goodness of God: Jesus has done it all!
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Fear is a very effective means for motivating fallen people who care for nothing more than their own self-interest and avoiding hurtful consequences. But it is a poor basis for sharing what is supposed to be good news. A far better way for revealing gospel is to demonstrate the love of God, just like Jesus did. His was a show-and-tell gospel. He preached good news to the poor, proclaimed freedom to the captives and the recovery of sight to the blind. He announced the year of the Lord’s favor.

There is no fear in love yet many Christians are trying to balance the two. They say you have to love God yet be afraid of Him at the same time. This leads to what Wayne Jacobsen, in his book He Loves Me: Learning to Live in the Father’s Affection, calls, Daisy Petal Christianity – Christians interpreting God’s love for them through their circumstances. “I got a raise. He loves me. I lost my job. He loves me not.” When things go well, they figure they’re walking in God’s favor. When things go not-so-well, they figure they’re walking in His displeasure. Since life is full of ups and downs they are permanently insecure and confused. It certainly doesn’t help that the Bible seems to paint two contradictory portraits of the living God: a terrible Judge and a loving Father. Wayne Jacobsen asks, “Which is it? Can he be both?… So what happened to God? Did he get ‘saved’ somewhere between Malachi and Matthew?” (19-20). As I have explained elsewhere, God doesn’t change, but we do.

The root problem is that most Christians are uncertain of their Father’s love for them. They look right past the cross into the old covenant and conclude that God will not love them unless they first please Him. Never mind that Jesus gave us greatest demonstration of unconditional love the world has ever seen. Never mind that He told story after story about lost things being restored even though they had done nothing to save themselves. Never mind that He went around healing and forgiving the sick and undeserving.

A classic sign that a believer has missed the Father’s heart is that he talks more about obedience than love. Doing the right thing – and being seen to be doing the right thing – is paramount. Live like this and you’ll make “serving God” your god and miss knowing the real God. Obedience is not the bottom line. God is far more interested in whether we will love and trust Him. You can obey without trusting, but you can’t trust without obeying. Cast your mind back to the Garden of Eden and that tree. As Jacobsen reads it, this was not primarily an obedience test, but a trust test:

If obedience had been God’s only issue, don’t you think he would have made the whole scenario far clearer? He told them not to eat from that tree or they would die. He didn’t describe that death in detail… If he had they might have been obedient, but not because they trusted him. They would have obeyed only because it served their self-interest. God would merely have become a tool for their own fulfillment. Self would still have been at the center of their choice, and self would prevent them from discovering the full vitality of life in him. No, God didn’t tell them because he wanted something far better. (p.92)

Adam and Eve chose independence over trust and we repeat their mistake whenever we rely on our own strength or understanding. Doing good is just as sinful as doing bad when our motive is to prove ourselves worthy and therefore in no need of grace.

He Loves Me is a book about learning to trust in the love of your heavenly Father. If you are uncertain about the Father’s love for you, read this book. In it, Wayne Jacobsen gives one of the best descriptions I have read of what really happened on the cross. He contrasts the appeasement-view of the cross (God’s demands for justice needed to be appeased by a human sacrifice) with the Biblical view (God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ). We’ve heard that Jesus was a lonely victim of divine vengeance taking God’s whippings on behalf of humanity. But as Jacobsen explains, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit were jointly executing a plan to redeem the world. This was no good cop/bad cop routine. It was a team effort.

I’ll leave you with an extended quote from the book that I recently posted over at GraceQuotes.com. This quote expresses the heart of Jacobsen’s message better than I ever could:

There are two ways to hide from God’s love – rebellion and religion. Rebellion, illustrated in the prodigal son, defies God’s love and seeks to cover up guilt and shame through the indulgence of sensual desires. Religion, on the other hand, is far more subtle. It seeks its cover-up through good works and obligation. However, like the prodigal’s older brother, it still denies the Father’s place in our lives and leads us no closer to knowing him for who he really is.

Simply, religion is keeping score – striving for acceptance through our own performance whether it be in our good works or in ritualistic activities. Those things put the focus squarely on us and what we can do to be accepted by God, thereby dooming us to failure.

Most of Paul’s letters were written because even the earliest believers found themselves trading relationship for religion. Instead of learning to live in the security of his love, they would go back to traditions, creeds, disciplines, and laws as an attempt to earn it themselves. He reminded them again and again that God’s love would take them further than their own efforts and achievements ever would…

What would you do today if you knew God absolutely loved you? God knows the answer to that question will lead you further into his life than the strivings of religion ever can. The key to a productive Christian life is not waking up every day trying to be loved by God, but waking up in the awareness that you are already His beloved. (137-8)

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“We died with Christ…” (Rm 6:8)
“You died with Christ…” (Col 2:20a)
“For you died…” (Col 3:3a)

Who died? You died! “How did this happen? I don’t remember the nails?” Well you’re going to have to take God’s word for it. Jesus died for the whole world right? Are you part of the whole world? Then His death included you:

“We judge thus: That if One died for all, then all died.” (2 Cor 5:15)

Good news for the whole world

Somehow we have bought into this idea that Christ died solely for Christians. But this is not the message of reconciliation that Paul preached. “God has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ” (2 Cor 5:18). Who is the “us” that Paul is referring to in this passage? In the next verse he tells us:

“God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself…” (2 Cor 5:19a)

Because of one man the entire world had a sin problem. But on the cross the whole world was delivered from that problem.

“For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive.” (1 Cor 15:22)

You might say, “I’m not too sure about this. This sounds like universalism.” It is not. You still gotta believe it to receive it. My point is this: If you believed that sin and death came to the whole world through one man, why is it so hard to accept that reconciliation came to the whole world through another? Just as you were in Adam when he sinned in the garden, so you were in Christ when He died on the cross.

“Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men.” (Rm 5:18)

Since Christ died on the cross as humanity’s representative, it is fair to say that when He died, we died. This does not mean that everyone is now counted righteous, for we must still respond to God’s grace with faith.

“For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.” (Rom 5:19)

And how do we receive the gift of God’s righteousness? Through faith, from first to last (Rm 1:17).

Good news for Christians

Because they are confused about the cross, many Christians are trying to die to self. They’re striving so hard that they’re on the verge of shedding blood for Jesus. If this is you, put down that hammer! Jesus didn’t bleed for you just so you could bleed for Him. He died so that you might live and live abundantly (Jn 10:10). Every man-made religion preaches self-denial and dying to self but the Bible simply declares, You died! Your old man is dead already. What do you think you were doing when you got water baptized? You were re-enacting your co-crucifixion with Christ:

“Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?” (Rom 6:3)

You might say, “But I’m still a mess. I’m still battling with sin.” That may be so, but you will gain nothing by trying to do that which God has already done. The work of the cross is finished. Here’s Watchman Nee writing in The Normal Christian Life:

“Let me tell you, You have died! You are done with! You are ruled out! The self you loathe is on the Cross in Christ. And ‘he that is dead is freed from sin’ (Rom 6:7). This is the Gospel for Christians. Our crucifixion can never be made effective by will or by effort, but only by accepting what the Lord Jesus did on the Cross.” (p.52)

You did not die the first time you responded to God’s grace and you did not die when you were water baptized. You died 2000 years ago, long before you were born! Now this sounds like foolishness to those who are perishing, but to those of us who are being saved it is the power of God (1 Cor 1:18). Here’s Watchman Nee again:

“Must we ask God to crucify us? Never! When Christ was crucified we were crucified; and his crucifixion is past therefore ours cannot be future… That we have died in Christ is not merely a doctrinal position, it is an eternal and indisputable fact.” (pp.44-5)

Origin determines destination. If you think you are still in Adam, then the best you can hope for is to be a decent sinner. But when you know that you died with Christ, you will be empowered to live with Him here and now (2 Tim 2:11). To live the victorious life that Christ has called you to, it’ll help if you know the answer to three questions: (1) What did I lose at the cross? (2) What did I gain at the cross? (3) What did I retain after the cross? We’ll look at some answers to these questions in the next post.
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And yet despite these few passages that say otherwise (I will address these in my next post) I am 100% convinced that God loves us unconditionally. You need to be 100% convinced too. So let me give you seven reasons for concluding that God loves you unconditionally:

(1) Love, by definition, is unconditional

“God is love (agape).” (1 Jn 4:16)

You probably know about the different words for love in the Greek language. You might even know that agape-love refers to “unconditional, self-sacrificing, and active” love. But did you know that agape love is unique to God? It is not a human form of love. If your experience of love is limited to what you have received from people, chances are you have encountered frail love that sometimes comes with expectations and baggage. But God’s love is not like this. As we will see, His love is unlike anything found in this world.

(2) Jesus demonstrates unconditional love

“But God demonstrates His own (agape) love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Rom 5:8)

If you want to know what agape love looks like, consider Jesus. “For God so agapao-ed the world, that He gave His only Son…” (Jn 3:16). We did not deserve to be saved, yet He came for us regardless. That He died for us shows us that God loves us more than He loves His own life. We had done nothing to attract Him. We had not even repented. Yet our Creator hung on the cross that we put Him on and forgave us as we killed Him. The cross is the single greatest demonstration of unconditional love the world has ever known.

(3) God’s love is immeasurable

“And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the (agape) love of Christ, and to know this (agape) love that surpasses knowledge…” (Eph 3:17-19)

When Paul wrote these words he knew full well that he was asking us to do the impossible. You cannot grasp the extravagant dimensions of Christ’s love – they are ungraspable! Nevertheless Paul encouraged us to “Test its length! Plumb the depths! Rise to the heights!” as Eugene Petersen says, because if you had even the smallest glimpse of how much He loves you, you would be undone. Selfishness and dead religion would wither. Your accomplishments and qualifications you would cheerfully count as rubbish compared to the awesome privilege and surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus your Lord.

(4) God’s love keeps no record of wrongs

“(Agape-love) is not self-seeking; it is not touchy or fretful or resentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it…” (1 Cor 13:5, AMP)

Jesus knew the name of every soldier who beat Him, every person who mocked Him, and every Pharisee who thought He was the devil. Yet He still went to the cross so that they might be reconciled to God. It was as if God was not counting their sins against them! He wasn’t, and neither is He counting yours (2 Co 5:19). On the cross, justice had a meeting with unconditional love and your peace with God was secured. Your transgressions have been blotted out as if you’d never done them (Is 43:25). Because God the Son bled for you, both God the Father and God the Holy Spirit have gone on record saying they will remember your sins no more (He 8:12, 10:17).

(5) God’s love endures

“Love bears up under anything and everything that comes, is ever ready to believe the best of every person, its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances, and it endures everything. Love never fails [never fades out or becomes obsolete or comes to an end].” (1 Cor 13:5-8, AMP)

You can take the love of God and nail it to a cross and He will still love you enough to come back from the dead and hunt you down just to tell you that He’s forgiven you and loves you and wants to be with you forever. Who does that?! Only God.

(6) God’s love is everlasting

“The LORD appeared to us in the past, saying: ‘I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness.’” (Jer 31:3)

Now there’s a quote that should be on the wall of every believer! The Hebrew word hesed, which denotes steadfast love, warm-hearted generosity, and devotion, and which is usually translated as loving-kindness, appears 250 times in the Old Testament. As Malcolm Smith explains, this word captures God’s heart towards us and is revealed formally in the covenant He made with us through our representative Jesus. So even if it were possible for God to have a change of heart and stop loving you, He would be bound by covenant to continue loving you for as long Jesus lives.

(7) God loves the unlovely

Perhaps you think God can’t love you because of all the bad stuff you’ve done. If you’re still not convinced that He loves you with an unconditional love, then consider those He loved in the Bible. He loved an adulterer and murderer called David. He pursued a persecuting Pharisee named Saul. When He wanted to portray His love for Israel He told the prophet Hosea to marry and love an unfaithful woman. When He walked the earth in human form He developed a reputation as a friend of sinners and told stories about prodigals who were loved even though they had done nothing deserving of love. He loved lepers and Gentiles, thieving tax-collectors and stinkin’ Samaritans. At this point you really should stop and ask yourself why?

Why does God love us?

We have seen from scripture that His love for us has nothing to do with our loveliness nor our behavior, whether good or bad. He simply loves us because He is love and it’s His nature to love. And thank God this is so, for there is no hope except that He loves us. If He did not love us unconditionally, He would not have died for us and there would be no new covenant based on His grace. But He does and He did and there is!

This is the good news that the whole world needs to hear.
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Related posts:
- Good news! What’s so good about it?
- God is good but how good is He?
- Forsaking your first love: What was the Ephesians’ problem?

How does this happen? Usually someone tells them that God won’t accept them or bless them or be pleased with them unless they perform for Jesus. Dead religious works are sold with respectable labels like “responsibility,” “good works,” “mission,” “sowing,” and “investing.” I am not against these things! What I am opposed to is the diabolical lie that says God’s favor depends on me doing them.

Do you know that you are saved by grace and kept by grace?

“So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him.” (Col 2:6)

How did you receive Him? By faith. How should you continue to live in Him? By faith! It’s faith in God’s grace from start to finish. Are you living by the faith of the Son of God? Or have you taken out a little works insurance? As Watchman Nee put it, the choice is between trying and trusting. You can try or you can trust but you can’t do both. Are you a tryer or a truster?

I have proclaimed the true gospel elsewhere. I have also listed some of the common ways the gospel is perverted along with some signs that you might be living under self-imposed law. What I want to give you here is a simple test to help you determine whether the gospel message you’re trusting in is the same gospel that Jesus revealed and Paul preached. It’s a simple test. Just ask yourself the following four questions. If your answers are all yes, then rejoice, for you are living on pure, undiluted grace!

1.    Does this gospel cause me to fix my eyes exclusively on Jesus?

Does this message focus on me or does it cause me to fix my eyes on the Author and Finisher of my faith? Does it emphasize what I’m doing (or not doing), or does it emphasize His finished work on the cross? Does it make me introspective and anxious or Christ-conscious and grateful?

A true gospel preacher will always seek to reveal more and more of Jesus. It took me years to realize this. When I began preaching in the 1990s, I used to preach on the kingdom. I loved the kingdom and I still do. But I now realize that my love for the kingdom was really a love for the King. Now I just preach of this Great King who loves me and gave Himself for me. Now I just preach Jesus.

Preachers, do you need a message on healing? Then preach Jesus! Do you need a series on overcoming, giving, wisdom, holiness, faith, warfare, marriage, family life, outreach, helping the poor, deliverance, Leviticus, the Tabernacle, etc? Then preach Jesus!

Whatever your need, your answer is found in Jesus and His finished work. That’s why Paul resolved to know nothing but “Christ and Him crucified” (1 Co 2:2). Any message that doesn’t reveal Jesus will likely be powerless substitute, a flesh-trip, and a wasted opportunity. Jesus is the supreme manifestation of the character and purpose of God. Any message that diminishes Jesus, insults the Spirit of grace. Jesus is peerless and nothing compares to Him. He has become for us wisdom from God and I will boast (preach) of nothing else (1 Co 1:30-31).

2.    Does this gospel increase my dependence on Jesus?

Jesus said, “apart from me you can do nothing” (Jn 15:5). Sadly, much is being done apart from Jesus and most of it will amount to nothing! Instead of healing the sick, raising the dead and driving out demons – the very things Jesus said His followers would do – we’re doing other stuff. And because we’re so busy doing other stuff we’re worn out and missing opportunities to do the works and greater works of Jesus.

Let me put your mind at rest right now: I guarantee that in your own strength you cannot heal the sick and raise the dead. Don’t even try. But Christ in you can do these and greater things! Do you trust Him? Working out your salvation with fear and trembling describes the adventure of learning to do impossible things with Jesus. Here’s the test: The true gospel will always inspire you to take risks in His Name, but a false gospel promotes activity in your own name.

3.    Does this gospel empower me to overcome sin?

There are two ways to deal with sin; (1) preach law or (2) reveal grace. A law-based message will stir up the flesh in a human-powered quest for a change in behavior. This approach is inherently flawed for the purpose of the law is to inflame sin (Rm 7:5). Thus, any “success” with this approach will only lead to the graver sins of pride, self-righteousness, and the truly fatal sin of unbelief in the grace of a good God. Ultimately the law is powerless to deal with sin because it leaves the heart untouched (Col 2:23). Worse, it releases condemnation (which some mistake for conviction) and ministers death, just as it was designed to do (2 Co 3:7,9).

Grace declares that Jesus conquered all sin on the cross (He 9:26). You are not holy because of your behavior but His (1 Co 1:30). A preacher of grace will deal very practically with sin by seeking to reveal your true identity in Christ. You are a new creation with a new nature. Your old sin software has been nailed to the cross and you are no longer sin’s slave (Rm 6:6,20). Appetites are dealt with by recognizing who you are in Christ and reckoning your old self as dead. Again, the focus is on Jesus, not you. Jesus was tempted in every way yet was without sin. As you rest in Him, you will find grace to help you in your time of need (Heb 4:15-16).

The law does not provide useful guidelines for Christian living. We turn rules into idols when we put our faith in them instead of Christ. The Bible is very clear; the law empowers sin (1 Cor 15:56) and only a revelation of God’s grace can teach us to say no to ungodliness (Tit 2:12). Here’s the test: a false gospel will keep you sin-conscious, but the true gospel will make you Christ-conscious. Which describes you? Are you sin-conscious or Christ-conscious?

4.    Does this gospel release peace and joy?

The kingdom of heaven is righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit (Rm 14:17). If the gospel you’re listening to doesn’t reveal Jesus and the gift of His righteousness, then you will never experience the peace and joy that comes with it. It really is all about Jesus. He took our sin and gave us His righteousness (2 Co 5:21). This is what the gospel reveals – a righteousness from God that is received by faith from first to last (Rm 1:17). When you know that God has made you as righteous as Jesus, you will be empowered to reign in life (Rm 5:17).

This test is actually about righteousness: Are you resting in His or are you trying to impress Him with yours? A false gospel will seek to manufacture righteousness through works and holy living. By prescribing a course of action for you to take, it will instantly fail the above three tests. It will burden you with loads you cannot carry and expectations you cannot live up to. Before you know it, you will be as stressed and joyless as Martha.

Here’s the test. If you stopped doing the things you are doing for Jesus, would you feel guilty? What if you sinned, stopped giving, or skipped church? I’m not encouraging you to do any of these things – sin is stupid. But someone who knows they are clothed with His righteousness will never battle guilt and condemnation. Even when they sin they will sense the Holy Spirit convicting them of their continued righteousness in Christ (Jn 16:10). Conversely, one who’s bought into a false gospel will never know lasting peace. Even when they’ve performed there will always be a sense of “but have I done enough?”

Paul began every one of his letters with the phrase, “Grace and peace to you from God the Father.” It is only a revelation of God’s favor that brings true peace. Know grace, know peace. Worldly peace is temporary, but the peace of God – that sense that everything is coming together for good because you belong to Jesus and His favor rests on you – passes understanding (Php 4:7). It fortifies your heart and mind so that in all circumstances you find yourself overflowing with thankfulness (Col 2:7). No matter how severe your trial, you will be able to find rest – indeed, even joy – in His mighty, loving arms (Php 4:4).

So how did your gospel do? If you honestly answered no to any of these four questions, then I have Good News for you.
___
Related posts:
- Are you religious? Take the test
- Two religions: Works and blood
- Be earnest and repent (Rev 3:19)

Good Friday (Is 53)

1  Who believes what we’ve heard and seen? Who would have thought GOD’s saving power would look like this?
2  The servant grew up before God–a scrawny seedling, a scrubby plant in a parched field. There was nothing attractive about him, nothing to cause us to take a second look.
3  He was looked down on and passed over, a man who suffered, who knew pain firsthand. One look at him and people turned away. We looked down on him, thought he was scum.
4  But the fact is, it was our pains he carried– our disfigurements, all the things wrong with us. We thought he brought it on himself, that God was punishing him for his own failures.
5  But it was our sins that did that to him, that ripped and tore and crushed him–our sins! He took the punishment, and that made us whole. Through his bruises we get healed.
6  We’re all like sheep who’ve wandered off and gotten lost. We’ve all done our own thing, gone our own way. And GOD has piled all our sins, everything we’ve done wrong, on him, on him.
7  He was beaten, he was tortured, but he didn’t say a word. Like a lamb taken to be slaughtered and like a sheep being sheared, he took it all in silence.
8  Justice miscarried, and he was led off– and did anyone really know what was happening? He died without a thought for his own welfare, beaten bloody for the sins of my people.
9  They buried him with the wicked, threw him in a grave with a rich man, Even though he’d never hurt a soul or said one word that wasn’t true.
10  Still, it’s what GOD had in mind all along, to crush him with pain. The plan was that he give himself as an offering for sin so that he’d see life come from it–life, life, and more life. And GOD’s plan will deeply prosper through him.
11  Out of that terrible travail of soul, he’ll see that it’s worth it and be glad he did it. Through what he experienced, my righteous one, my servant, will make many “righteous ones,” as he himself carries the burden of their sins.
12  Therefore I’ll reward him extravagantly– the best of everything, the highest honors– Because he looked death in the face and didn’t flinch, because he embraced the company of the lowest. He took on his own shoulders the sin of the many, he took up the cause of all the black sheep.

Easter Sunday (Is 61)

1  The Spirit of GOD, the Master, is on me because GOD anointed me. He sent me to preach good news to the poor, heal the heartbroken, announce freedom to all captives, pardon all prisoners.
2  GOD sent me to announce the year of his grace– a celebration of God’s destruction of our enemies– and to comfort all who mourn,
3  To care for the needs of all who mourn in Zion, give them bouquets of roses instead of ashes, Messages of joy instead of news of doom, a praising heart instead of a languid spirit. Rename them “Oaks of Righteousness” planted by GOD to display his glory.
4  They’ll rebuild the old ruins, raise a new city out of the wreckage. They’ll start over on the ruined cities, take the rubble left behind and make it new.
5  You’ll hire outsiders to herd your flocks and foreigners to work your fields,
6  But you’ll have the title “Priests of GOD,” honored as ministers of our God. You’ll feast on the bounty of nations, you’ll bask in their glory.
7  Because you got a double dose of trouble and more than your share of contempt, Your inheritance in the land will be doubled and your joy go on forever.
8  “Because I, GOD, love fair dealing and hate thievery and crime, I’ll pay your wages on time and in full, and establish my eternal covenant with you.
9  Your descendants will become well-known all over. Your children in foreign countries Will be recognized at once as the people I have blessed.”
10  I will sing for joy in GOD, explode in praise from deep in my soul! He dressed me up in a suit of salvation, he outfitted me in a robe of righteousness, As a bridegroom who puts on a tuxedo and a bride a jeweled tiara.
11  For as the earth bursts with spring wildflowers, and as a garden cascades with blossoms, So the Master, GOD, brings righteousness into full bloom and puts praise on display before the nations.

At the airport we heard the announcement that all flights to Christchurch had been cancelled. On our way home we heard that there were likely to be many fatalities and injuries. We prayed for God’s peace to be on the city and for wisdom for the search and rescue teams. Already there have been a few stories of miraculous escapes and rescues. But as I write this, some six hours later, the number of dead is 65 and climbing.

This Sunday New Zealanders will go to church looking for answers. The pressure on pastors to deliver a message of hope in the face of disaster will be enormous. For some questions there will be no answers this side of eternity. We serve a God of mystery and we live in a time of uncertainty. But here are four questions that every Christian should be able to answer at a time of crisis such as this:

1.    Is God judging Christchurch?

No, no, and a thousand times no! After last year’s earthquake several Christians told me that God was judging Christchurch for its sins. The logic usually runs like this: There was a move of God in Christchurch in the late 1960s and 1970s that led to much fruit (including me!). But since then the church has withered and darkness has flourished. Connect the dots and it’s easy to see that God has had enough, that these earthquakes are His divine judgments for the sins of the city and the apathy of the church.

Only they’re not. How do I know? How can I be so sure of God’s purposes for Christchurch? Because I’ve seen Jesus! And because Isaiah 54:9 tells us that God is not angry with Christchurch or any other city. The three chapters of Isaiah 53-55 are a prophetic picture of the new covenant forged in the blood of Christ. At the heart of that new covenant is an oath made by God Himself, a promise never again to be angry with us. If there’s one thing we can stand on in this brittle world, it is the steadfast assurances of our Father. Read it, then take look at the next verse:

“Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed.” (Is 54:10)

Just look at the language God is using here. It’s as if He was anticipating that in times of shaking we would naturally think He had abandoned us. But He is saying, I have not!

It’s true, Christchurch did have a sin problem. But God dealt with it 2000 years ago at the cross. The cross – not earthquakes – is God’s remedy for sin. The sins of Christchurch were forgiven, done away with, and abolished long before the first settlers walked the Bridle Path over the foothills (Heb 9:26, AMP). If God were judging Christchurch for its sins, then heaven help us all, for it means the cross was not the one-time solution that the Bible says it was (Heb 10:12).

2.    Is this earthquake an “act of God”?

You might think so if you work for the Earthquake Commission. In the insurance industry, the phrase “act of God” is used in a legal sense to describe events that are outside of human control. In other words, you can’t sue anyone for an earthquake. But despite the phrase, it doesn’t follow that you can sue God. He’s no more responsible than you or I. If you were to take Him to court claiming He was at fault, your case would be thrown out for lack of evidence.

You might say, “But God made the planet and the tectonic plates. Surely He is the first cause of all things and therefore personally responsible for the death and destruction in Christchurch?” I disagree. God is on the throne and nothing will ever change that. But He is not in control of everything that happens here on Planet Earth.

Think about it. God is not willing that any should perish, yet people perish. The fact that Jesus raised people from the dead tells us that some people die prematurely. In the Old Testament when bad things happened, people like Job blamed God as a matter of course. But this was not the message Jesus preached (see Jn 10:10). Sickness is not from God. Death and destruction are not from God. We live in a world where God Himself occasionally has to rebuke storms (Lk 8:24). Sadly, stuff happens and people die. It’s a tragedy that is not helped by playing the blame game.

We live after the cross, so we have no excuse for being confused about these things. God is good and everything He does is good. He never gives us bad gifts and He is not the author of evil (Deut 32:4). If the earthquake were an act of God, then you’d be sinning by helping the hurting and the homeless. But it wasn’t and you’re not.

Does God use earthquakes? You bet. He used an earthquake to free Paul and Silas from prison (Acts 16:26). But don’t confuse bad stuff that happens with redemptive outcomes. And don’t buy into the “God is sovereign” mantra either. This is nothing more than old fashioned fatalism that leads to passivity. The last thing Christchurch needs right now is for Christians to be cloistered away wringing their hands wondering whodunnit?

3.    Doesn’t the Bible say there would be more earthquakes in the last days?

In Matthew 24 Jesus prophesied that “earthquakes in various places” would be associated with “the beginning of birth pains.” Earthquakes often followed major events in the Bible. When Jesus died there was an earthquake (Mt 27:54) and when He rose there was another one (Mt 28:2). About half a dozen earthquakes feature in the book of Revelations. You don’t have to be a theologian to see a connection between significant spiritual events and natural phenomena. But whatever your particular brand of eschatology, these scriptures should not be used, as they often are, to scare people into making decisions for Christ. Why not? Because fear is a poor basis for any relationship.

God is reaching out to Christchurch (and your city) with love. God is not a fear-monger. God is love. If we use fear to motivate people to turn to God, we are misrepresenting His true nature. There is a temptation to manipulate hurting people into making an emotion-charged decision for Christ. Don’t do it. Romans 2:4 tells us that the most effective means for leading people to repentance is a revelation of His goodness. How do we reveal that? By preaching the good news, healing the sick and comforting the broken-hearted. Dark times provide us with an opportunity for letting Christ shine through us.

4.    What message does God have for Christchurch at this time?

There’s nothing like an earthquake to get people’s attention. Do you know that God has entrusted us with a special message for the people of Christchurch? It’s called His message of reconciliation. This is how He might say it at a time like this:

“Christchurch, I love you, I love you, I love you!

“I love you so much that I sent my Son to die on the cross to do away with sin. Through Him I have reconciled you to myself. I am not counting your sins against you and I am not judging you. You are weary but I am your rest. Take comfort in the arms of my everlasting love for you. I am your Rock, your Fortress and Deliverer. I am your eternally secure Stronghold.

“Cities will come and cities will go, but my love for you is everlasting. The mountains and the hills will be shaken and removed, but my unfailing love for you will never be shaken. Be comforted and rejoice! The covenant of my peace that I have made with my Son on your behalf will never be removed.”

Redeem the time. If you meet someone from Christchurch, don’t condemn them with a false “gospel” of judgment. Love on them. Reveal the Father to them. Cantabrians have had five straight months of bad news. They need to hear some good news and you have some. Tell them about God’s unshakable covenant of peace. Let them know that some of their questions have wonderful answers.
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Related posts:

What?! Anyone acquainted with Paul’s gospel of grace will do a double-take right there! Is Paul really preaching righteousness through the law? There must be something wrong with my translation. Let’s try King Jimmy:

“…the doers of the law shall be justified” (Rms 2:13, KJV)

Really?! At first glance this seems to contradict everything Paul says elsewhere about the law (it condemns, not justifies) and righteousness (it’s a gift and cannot be earned). Has Paul done an about-face and decided grace is no longer enough? If so, he would have to send a letter to the Galatians retracting what he earlier told them:

“Know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ.” (Gal 2:16)

“…if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!” (Gal 2:21)

Neither do we need fear that Paul is sending a different message to the Romans, for he goes on to conclude:

“…that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law.” (Rms 3:28)

How are we to interpret Romans 2:13?

Again, the key to rightly dividing any scripture is to ask two simple questions: (i) what does this mean in light of the finished work of the cross? and (ii) who is the writer addressing or talking about? It is through the cross – not the law – that God makes provision for our righteousness, and this gift is received by faith from first to last (Rms 1:17). Okay, so who is Paul talking about in Romans 2? Here he is describing two kinds of sinners:

(i)    Gentiles – who do not have the law but who, by nature, sometimes do the things in the law
(ii)    Jews – who do have the law

To put that in modern terms, we might define the first group as those who think, “I’m basically a good person,” and the second group as those who say, “I try to do the right thing.” Those in group 1 have clear consciences while those in group 2 are busy with religious activity. Paul’s point is that both groups are lost. The issue is not law-keeping at all, but sin…

“For as many as have sinned without law will also perish without law, and as many as have sinned in the law will be judged by the law.” (Rms 2:12)

It is human nature to compare ourselves with others (“I’m not perfect, but at least I’m better than that guy”), but God shows no partiality (Rms 2:11). Some people sin without the law, others sin under the law, but “all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God” (Rms 3:23).

Two interpretations for the price of one!

There are two ways to interpret Romans 2:13. The wrong way is, “if you do the law you will be justified.” This is an impossible challenge. Even if by some miracle you were able to keep the whole law from today onwards, how would you account for the sins of your past?

But you don’t have to worry about that because there is no chance you would be able to keep the law anyway. Try and you’re guaranteed to fail. This is because the law has been divinely engineered to stimulate sin (Rms 5:20). If you are a sinner, the law will tell you what not to do and then create a desire to do exactly that! God never gave us the law so that we might know how to behave. He gave it so that we might have knowledge of sin and be silenced by guilt (Rms 3:19-20).

The right way to interpret Paul in Romans 2:13 is, “having the law is not enough, you have to keep it – and none of you can!” It is impossible for imperfect man to deliver a lifetime of perfect performance. Paul is not calling us to attempt the impossible; he’s trying to get us to face reality and admit defeat. There is no hope for those who try to keep the law:

“Therefore, by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight…” (Rms 3:20)

Why is failure the inevitable consequence of trying to do the right thing? Because the law is perfect and we’re not! We’re born sinners on account of first Adam. We’re not sinners because we sin; we sin because we’re operating in unprofitable flesh and living in a corrupt and polluted world! The law doesn’t generate sin, it merely reveals that we have a problem bigger than we can solve.

“…the law came, so that the full power of sin could be seen.” (Rms 5:20 CEV)

But thank God for “last Adam”! Jesus, the man from heaven, is not part of Adam’s sinful race. Jesus was the only one who could keep the law and He did so on our behalf. This was the reason He came:

“Do not think that I came to destroy the Law and the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.” (Mt 5:17)

Jesus is the Doer of the Law

The Jews thought they were on the inside track because they had the law, but they weren’t keeping it. At their best, they were holding to a watered-down, humanistic version of the law. Jesus fixed that by preaching the pristine standard of the law. In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus explained that God requires perfection and nothing less:

“Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Mt 5:48)

To those under the law, Jesus preached the perfect law to accentuate imperfect humanity’s need for a perfect Savior. This is the exact same message that Paul preached. Like Jesus, Paul esteemed the law saying it was holy, righteous and good (Rms 7:12). But Paul never said we should try and live by it. If you try to earn favor with God by keeping the 10 Commandments, you’ve straight away broken the first one! No, the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ (Gal 2:24).  And if you are honest with your law-keeping religion, this is exactly where you will end up.

Jesus lived under the law, preached the law and ultimately fulfilled all the requirements of the law on our behalf.

“For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.” (Rms 8:3-4)

Jesus never broke the law and He never will. So guess what happens when you put your faith in Christ and allow Him to live through you? Without even trying you will find yourself keeping the law. Before you were born again (of the spirit) you sowed to the flesh and reaped corruption. No matter how hard you tried, you could not consistently live right.Your old man just couldn’t do it. But now you have new life – His life – complete with new desires – His desires. You’re no longer trying to become righteous; you have received Him and His righteousness. As you allow Him to express His life through yours, you will find everything you do is righteous because He is the vine and you are bearing His righteous fruit.

Paul said, “the doers of the law shall be justified” knowing full well that no one – except those who are already justified – can do the law. How can imperfect man attain the perfect standard that God demands? He can’t. But Jesus can and has. He became for us wisdom from God – our righteousness, holiness and redemption. And by His perfect sacrifice this High Priest has made us “perfect forever” (Heb 10:14).

Let him who boasts boast in the Lord!

—

Related posts:
- What is the key to James?
- James 2:24
- Does God give bad gifts?

“..his epistle shows no trace of the larger revelations of the church and the distinctive doctrines of grace made through the apostle Paul…”

The implication being that James was not on the same page as Paul when it came to the gospel of grace. Their letters do not line up because James did not get it.

I can understand how a superficial glance at one or two verses in James might give you this impression. But do you really believe that 26 books in the New Testament preach the same gospel message while James preaches another? Paul said if anyone preached a gospel different to his, that person should be condemned to hell (Gal 1:9). If James is preaching something fundamentally different from Paul, then the NT writers are a house divided. And if the writers of the Bible do not agree with each other, then the Bible cannot be trusted.

I take a different view.

In this series on James, I have maintained that Paul and James were very much on the same team. I have dropped a few clues here and there, but now it’s time to lay all my cards on the table. To do that I’m going to present some scriptures side-by-side to show that not only were Paul and James on the same wavelength, but they preached the good news exactly as Jesus modeled it. Grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. It is His gospel that the New Testament writers proclaimed.

To give you a quick example, take a look at what Jesus, Paul and James have to say to people who do not perceive their need for God’s grace:

Jesus: “You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.” (Rev 3:17)
Paul: “Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God…” (1 Tim 6:17)
James: “Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming upon you.” (Jas 5:1)

If wealth is the source of your identity and security, that’s a three-way blast of truth right there. Boom, boom, boom! If you only read the red letters of the Bible, you’re going to get the message. If you only read Paul’s letters, you’re going to get the message. If you only read James’s epistle, you’re going to get the message. You can’t miss it.

And that’s just the beginning.

As we will see in this little safari through scripture, things that were important to Jesus, were also important to Paul and James. Below is a list of 12 statements that you might hear from any grace preacher. Under each statement I have pasted sound bites from Jesus, Paul and James showing their complete agreement on the essential elements of the gospel. They may say things a little differently, but they are saying the same things.

1.    The law is good and demands perfect obedience

Jesus: “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them… Be perfect…” (Mt 5:17,48)
Paul: “It is written: ‘Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.’” (Gal 3:10)
James: “Whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at one point is guilty of breaking all of it.” (1:10)

2.    The law (which enslaves) reveals our need for Jesus (who frees us)

Jesus: “You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me… Abide in me…” (Jn 5:39, 15:4)
Paul: “Through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.” (Rms 8:2), “and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” (2 Co 3:17)
James: “But he that fixes his view on the perfect law, that of liberty, and abides in it … shall be blessed.” (1:25, Darby)

3.    Your choice: the world or His kingdom

Jesus: “What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul?” (Mt 16:26)
Paul: “Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?…Therefore come out from them and be separate….” (2 Cor 6:14,17)
James: “You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God?” (4:4)

4.    The good news: God offers you His unmerited favor!

Jesus: “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor…  to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” (Lk 4:18-19)
Paul: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith…” (Eph 2:8)
James: “But He gives us more grace… God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” (4:6)

5.    So trust in the gospel…

Jesus: “Repent and believe the good news!” (Mk 1:15)
Paul: “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes…” (Rms 1:16)
James: “Humbly accept the word planted in you which can save you.” (1:21)

6.    …and repent – change the way you think and live.

Jesus: “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.” (Mt 7:24)
Paul: “I preached that they should repent and turn to God and prove their repentance by their deeds.” (Acts 26:20)
James: “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says… Faith without works is dead… Submit to God… Come near to God.” (Jas 1:22, 2:17, 4:7-8)

7.    It is not about you – it is God who makes us acceptable…

Jesus: “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” (Jn 3:17)
Paul: “Giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints.” (Col 1:12)
James: “Humble yourselves before the Lord and He will lift you up.” (4:10)

8.    …but don’t delay; there are consequences for rejecting God’s grace.

Jesus: “If you do not believe that I am the one I claim to be, you will indeed die in your sins.” (Jn 8:24)
Paul: “For God has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed.” (Acts 17:31)
James: “For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant… In the same way, the rich man will fade away…” (1:11)

9.    He wants to live His abundant life through you…

Jesus: “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” (Jn 10:10)
Paul: “… how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.” (Rms 5:17)
James: “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights” (1:17).

10.    …giving you victory in all things…

Jesus: “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (Jn 16:33)
Paul: “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.” (Rms 8:37)
James: “Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray… The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.” (5:13,16)

11.    …and enabling you to do the mighty works of God.

Jesus: “I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these.” (Jn 14:12)
Paul: “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Eph 2:10)
James: “You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did.” (2:22)

12. Now go and tell others the good news of God’s grace!

Jesus: “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.” (Mk 16:15)
Paul: “Do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.” (2 Tim 4:5)
James: “Remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins.” (5:20)

As you can see, James was not marching to the beat of a different drummer. He only wrote two letters that we know about (the other one is in Acts 15), but his message was essentially the same message that Jesus lived and Paul preached.

One last thing: Theologians have long noted that James never quotes Jesus. Except that he did – he just didn’t do it in his letters. In the years just prior to the Roman destruction of Jerusalem, many Jews put their faith in Christ swelling the ranks of the early church. This did not go down well with the Pharisees and scribes, so they seized James and took him to the top of the temple where they threatened to throw him down if he did not declare that Jesus was not the Messiah. When James cried out that Jesus was the Son of God, they cast him down. James didn’t die straight away, so they began to stone him. James died on his knees praying for those who were killing him. His last words were, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”

Now who does that remind you of?

I have heard it said that a head injury will turn a decent man into a profane man. There is something about pain which shatters religious masks revealing our true character. So what is it that moves a man to pray for his enemies even as they are stoning him to death? Is it not the supernatural grace of God? Don’t tell me that James didn’t “get it” when it comes to grace, or that his letter is misleading. Read James through the finished work of the cross and you can’t help but see Jesus.

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Related posts:
- What about James? (Are we really justified by works?)
- Two religions: Works and blood
- The gospel comes to Laodicea

Paul: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.” (Eph 2:8-9)

James: “What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him?” (Jas 2:14)

Paul says “faith, not works,” but James says “I will show you my faith by my works” (Jas 2:18). That’s a little confusing. Paul declares that righteousness “comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe” (Rms 3:22). But James says that merely believing is not enough:

“You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble!” (Jas 2:19)

And just so we wouldn’t be in any doubt about where he stands on this issue of works, James ends with this:

“You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.” (Jas 2:24, NKJV)

Paul or James? Who’s right?

How are we to reconcile Paul with James? They seem to disagree with one another. One says “faith alone” while the other says “faith plus works.” This inconsistency has caused many believers to scratch their heads and none moreso than Martin Luther. Luther was famously disgusted with the book of James. His solution to the faith versus works problem was to cut James out of the New Testament! In his own translation of the Bible, Luther put James in an Appendix. No James, no problem!

It’s never a good idea to ignore or remove a scripture that we do not understand – let alone an entire book! But what are we to make of James in light of the finished work of the cross? Clearly both Paul and James are preaching good stuff, otherwise they would not be in the Bible together. So any apparent conflict between their messages must arise from a poor understanding on our part.

As we will see in this short study, both James and Paul were preaching pure, undiluted grace. James does not “go further” than Paul. Neither does he detract from the message of grace. Yet there is no doubt that he is calling for our faith to be seen in what we do.

What are the works James is referring to?

James 2 is possibly the most abused chapter in the entire Bible. Those who preach works will use this chapter to tell you that “you must balance grace with works.” Of course they won’t come out and say it in so few words. Instead, they will say things like, “Christ has done his part, now we must do our part.” Or they might say, “you were saved to do good works” before quoting Ephesians 2:10:

“For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

At this point everybody in the meeting will be nodding their heads because the preacher just quoted something Paul wrote that supports what James wrote, so it must be works after all. I knew this unmerited favor thing was too good to be true. I knew there had to be a catch. Well that’s okay, because I’m more than happy to work for Christ.

And before you know it the whole church will be running back to the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, feasting on the forbidden fruit and trying to impress Jesus with their good works! Instead of resting in Him, they will be working hard for Him.

But before you start trying to out-work Martha, just pause for a second and think this through. Yes, good works are a normal part of the Christian life. But if you believe you must perform for God to be justified or made righteous or acceptable, then you have set aside grace and come back under law. And you know that’s bad right?

Under grace or under law?

There is a lot of confusion today about what it means to live under grace and what it means to live under law. But 50 years ago, in his classic book The Normal Christian Life, Watchman Nee gave this brilliantly simple explanation:

“Grace means that God does something for me; law means that I do something for God.”

The essence of the law is that God requires something from me. The essence of grace is that God provides that which is required. Before the cross people lived under the strict demands of the law. Only one person ever succeeded in fulfilling all these requirements, and He did it all on our behalf. On the cross, Jesus paid the full and complete penalty for our sin setting us free from the curse of the law. Now we live under a new covenant of grace underwritten by God’s own precious blood.

The great tragedy of our time is that while most people know they are cursed if they try to live under the law, many are trying to do exactly that! With sincere hearts they have bought into a lie that says we must perform for Jesus or die trying. They pray, “God help me do the things you want me to do” as if relationship could be reduced to a list of tasks God wants done. People who live like this have put their faith in a perverted gospel and are in danger of setting aside grace. Their identity is not in Christ, but in the things they do for Christ.

Grace and works don’t mix

The truth is that you can’t balance God’s grace with anything we do. Grace is unbalanceable. Jesus went through unimaginable suffering on the cross in order that we might be redeemed from the condemnation of the law. To act as if we could somehow make ourselves righteous in our own strength is to reject as insufficient His perfect sacrifice and insult the Spirit of grace. As Jesus warned the Laodiceans, when you try to earn what He freely offers, it doesn’t please Him, it makes Him sick. Let’s be clear – the works of the flesh nullify grace. They do not mix:

“And if by grace, then it is no longer by works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace.” (Rms 11:6)

So the wrong way to read James is to think that we must work for God and generally do stuff to make ourselves righteous. Yes, we were created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. But when we abide in Christ, He is the one who does them.

“It is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.” (Php 2:13)

Under law, good works become a struggle and a burden. We do them because we love Jesus but in the end we’ll crash and burn because failure is the inevitable result of living under law. Under grace, good works are easy and the burden is light because He is the One doing the heavy lifting. What is our part in this? Resting in Him, trusting Him, abiding in Him.

Justified by works?

Now that we begin to have a good sense of what “work” looks like in the new covenant, we are ready to unpackage James 2:24:

“You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone.” (NIV)

This is not a vague call for miscellaneous works of faith. I believe James had something very specific in mind – something that we do that determines whether or not we are saved, justified, and accepted. And we will find out what that is in Part 2 of our study when we look at what Jesus referred to as “the works of Abraham.”

Related posts:
- James 2:24
- Two religions: Works and blood
- The gospel comes to Laodicea

In the Charisma article, Prince recounts a life-changing experience he had back in 2000. He was visiting Canada when he turned on the TV and saw a minister preaching hellfire and brimstone. He asked God, “Why do you allow ministers like that on television?” He heard the Lord reply, “It is because ministers like you don’t want to be on television.” Seven years later and Joseph Prince Ministries started beaming onto our TV screens.

If you haven’t heard him preach, you’re missing out. Joseph Prince is an amazing preacher of the gospel of grace. Listen to him and you will come away with a fresh revelation of the goodness of God, the majesty of Jesus, and the perfectly complete work of the cross. I have heard him preach (on TV) numerous times. Perhaps this just reflects where I’m at with my walk with God, but my usual reaction is one of appreciation, both for his gift and the One who gave it.

I posted some of my favorite Joseph Prince quotes here a few months ago, but below are 20 of his all-time best exclusively on the subject of grace. None of these have appeared on E2R before. I’ve taken these 20 pearls of wisdom from three sources; Prince’s two books Destined to Reign (DTR) and Unmerited Favor (UF), plus the Charisma article mentioned earlier. Enjoy!

Joseph Prince: Top 20 Grace Quotes

1.    “Grace is not a theology. It is not a subject matter. It is not a doctrine. It is a person, and his name is Jesus.” (DTR, p.24)

2.    “The central tenet of the new covenant … is the complete forgiveness of sins!” (UF, p.171)

3.    “God’s forgiveness is not given in installments.” (UF, p.194)

4.    “Old Testament prophets call your sin to remembrance, while New Testament preachers call your righteousness to remembrance. Old Testament preachers tell you what’s wrong with you, while New Testament preachers tell you what is right with you because of what Jesus has done, in spite of what is wrong with you.” (DTR, p.220)

5.    “What man calls ‘balance,’ God calls ‘mixture’.” (UF, p.103)

6.    “The moment you accepted Jesus, God have you an eternal ‘A+’ for your right standing with Him.” (UF, p.313)

7.    “For the believer, God’s throne is not a throne of judgment. It is a throne of grace, a throne of unmerited favor.” (UF, p.298)

8.    “It is the gift of no condemnation that gives people the power to sin no more. Unfortunately, many have flipped the order. They say, ‘Go and sin no more, then we will not condemn you.’ There is no power in that. Experiencing the grace of our Lord Jesus gives people the power to stop sinning.” (Charisma)

9.    “The Bible says that sin shall not have dominion over you when you are not under law but under grace. So if you are living in sin, you are definitely not under grace.” (DTR, p.167)

10.    “Grace brings about a restraint that is supernatural.” (UF, p.147)

11.    “When you fall in love with Jesus, you will fall out of love with sin.” (Charisma)

12.    “Let me teach you how to discern if the grace teaching that you are hearing is doctrinally sound. When you hear the new covenant of grace preached, it is always Christ-exalting. It always reveals more and more of Jesus… There is no grace without Jesus.” (DTR, p.32)

13.    “It’s actually very easy to identify the difference between the old and new covenant teachings. Just ask yourself if the teaching is putting the emphasis on what you have to do or what Jesus has done. Does it make you introspective, always looking to yourself and how you fared or failed? Or does it turn your eyes away from yourself to look upon Jesus?” (UF, p.148-9)

14.    “Our part in the new covenant of grace is to simply believe!… We are to believe in Jesus!… In the new covenant, there is nothing for us to do but to believe!” (UF, pp.167,169)

15.    “In the end times people will not be anti-God, but they will be anti-Christ… That is why, in these last days, we need more preaching about Jesus, His finished work and the new covenant of His unmerited favor.” (UF, p.170)

16.    “The gospel is simple, and it takes theologians to complicate it.” (UF, p.13)

17.    “God sent His Son to die for you while you were still a sinner. Obviously, He does not love you only when you are perfect in your behavior and thoughts. His love for you is unconditional.” (UF, p.138)

18.    “God will not punish the believer again, not because He has gone soft on sin, but because all our sins have already been punished in the body of Jesus.” (UF, p.151)

19.    “Once you receive Christ, you are standing on favor ground. You are no longer on condemnation ground… In His eyes we are all His favorites.” (UF, p.315)

20.    “People sometimes ask me, ‘Pastor Prince, if you don’t teach the Ten Commandments to your church, what is going to govern them?’ My friend, the Lord Himself will govern them!” (UF, p.37)

Related posts:

In Part 1 of this study we asked the question, by which gospel are you saved? The answer is the gospel of God’s grace. Contrary to what you may have heard, this is the only gospel message found in the Bible. What does the gospel of God’s grace look like? It looks like Jesus. Jesus is grace personified. To preach the gospel of grace is to preach the exceeding riches of God’s unmerited favor revealed to us through Jesus Christ (Eph 2:7).

The turned-around gospel

Tragically, the gospel of grace is not always preached in its pure form. The result is that sincere believers get confused about their standing before God. In their confusion, they may even abandon God’s grace for inferior alternatives. That’s like swapping the life preserver for an anchor. It’s not a smart move. If you see someone doing that you really ought to speak out, like Paul did with the Galatians:

“I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel — which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ.” (Gal 1:6-7)

What does it mean to “pervert the gospel of Christ”? The Greek word for the verb “pervert” can be translated “turn around.” A perverted gospel is a turned-around gospel. It is a gospel which turns the focus away from Jesus onto something else. If the gospel of grace reveals Christ alone, then a perverted gospel is Christ plus something. It’s the somethings that’ll sink you.

Ten ways to set aside grace

The Bible lists many things that can distract you from sincere and pure devotion to Christ. Here are some of them:

1.    Human effort (Gal 3:3): think performance-oriented Christianity. “Gotta get busy for Jesus. Gotta work for my salvation. Gotta start producing fruit or he’s going to lop me.” Except that you don’t and he won’t.

2.    Traditions (Col 2:8). “That’s just the way we do things around here; if you’re going to be a part of us, you’d better get used to it.” So you’re saying Jesus is the gate into the kingdom, but right behind him is this other gate that you have added.

3.    Hollow and deceptive philosophy (Col 2:8), like karma: you do good, you get good. “God won’t judge me, I basically a good person. At least I’m better than that guy.” Indeed, there are good sinners and bad sinners, but they are sinners alike. Your goodness still falls catastrophically short of God’s goodness. What matters is whose righteousness you’re wearing – yours or his?

4.    Angel worship (Col 2:18). God told you the name of the angel watching over this church? Cool! Now let’s get back to Jesus.

5.   Rules and regulations (Col 2:21-23). Smoking will kill you, but it won’t send you to hell like unbelief does. Working on the Sabbath may wear you out, but Jesus still loves you.

6.    Self-denial, abstinence (Col 2:23). God gave us taste buds and appetites to enjoy life! Keep your monkish asceticism away from my chocolate stash!

7.    Endless genealogies (1 Ti 1:4). So you think you broke your leg because your grandfather was a mason? But weren’t you adopted into a new family when you believed? Didn’t Christ redeem us from the curse so that we might inherit the blessings of Father Abraham?

8.    Myths (1 Ti 1:4). Did Adam have a second wife? Were the Nephilim really angel-spawn? Is this stuff going to be on the test? I think not.

9.    Sin consciousness (Heb 10:2,22). God’s grace is greater than your sin. If you are more conscious of your sin than you are of his righteousness, it’s like saying that the payment of Jesus Christ was insufficient. His worth is greater than your unworthiness!

10.    The 10 Commandments, a.k.a. the ministry that brought death (2 Cor 3:7). God hid these inside the ark under the blood-stained mercy seat and now you want to hang them on the wall? In the Sunday School?!

What’s wrong with all these things? Very simply, they diminish your life-saving faith in Christ. The more you trust in your own works, for example, the less trust you’ll place in His finished work. Trusting in your works is like filling your life preserver with cast iron.

I call these things anchors because they have no life in them. They can’t save you because they are based on “worldly principles rather than Christ” (Col 2:8). We have died to such things (Col 2:20). They have no value for us. “The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love” (Gal 5:6).
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Related posts:
- Incomplete deeds: The zombie church of Sardis
- Mixing grace with works
- Seven signs that you might be living under law

For example, the very first words of the New Testament in the King James Bible are, “The Gospel According to Matthew.” Read on and you will also find the gospels according to Mark, Luke and John. Keep reading and you will come across Paul telling the Romans about “my gospel” before warning the Corinthians to hold firm to the gospel that “I preached to you.” Read all the way to the end and you will also encounter the “gospel of your salvation” (Eph 1:13), the “gospel of peace” (Eph 6:15), the “glorious gospel of the blessed God” (1 Tim 1:11), before finally reaching the “eternal gospel” proclaimed by the angel (Rev 14:6).

Of course, these are all labels for one and the same gospel. There is only one gospel in the Bible and that is the gospel which was known to Paul as the gospel of grace:

“I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace.” (Acts 20:24)

The One and Only gospel

The gospel of grace is the gospel and there is no other. This gospel is built, not on a doctrine or a theology, but on Jesus Christ himself:

“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth … From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” (Jn 1:14, 16-17)

Whenever you read the word “grace” in the Bible, you can substitute the name “Jesus.” Jesus is grace personified. What does the grace of God look like? It looks like Jesus. What does the grace of God sound like? It sounds like Jesus. How do we know that God is gracious? He gave us Jesus who is full of grace and truth. So when Paul refers to the gospel of grace in Acts 20, he means exactly the same thing as when he and others refer to the gospel of Christ or the gospel of God or the gospel of his Son or the gospel of peace in other places. All of these gospels reveal the One who is called Grace, who was given to us out of the fullness of the Father’s grace, and through whom we have received grace upon grace.

What about when Jesus refers to the gospel of the kingdom (Mt 24:14)? Is this a different gospel?

Whenever you hear Jesus talking about the “kingdom” you can substitute the word “king” because the kingdom is nothing without the king. Who is the King? His name is Jesus. When Jesus says we are to “seek first his kingdom and his righteousness,” he is essentially saying “seek me and my righteousness.” And where do we find his righteousness? In the gospel!

“For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: ‘The righteous will live by faith.’” (Rms 1:17)

To sum up, the gospel of the kingdom is the gospel of Christ which is the gospel of God which is the gospel of grace. They are different labels for the exact same gospel message.

What is the gospel of grace?

Paul summarized the gospel of grace in his letter to the Corinthians:

“Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time… (1 Cor 15:1-6)

What are the four most important bits of the gospel message according to its most prolific preacher? They are that; (i) Christ died for our sins as foretold in the Scriptures, (ii) he was buried, (iii) he was raised as the prophets foretold, and (iv) he appeared in resurrection to many.

The gospel is 100% good news!

On the cross Jesus became our sin offering, taking our punishment and securing our eternal forgiveness. He died so that we might live, he was wounded that we might be healed, and he was cursed so that we might be blessed. Jesus forged a new covenant in his blood, exchanging our sinfulness for his righteousness. His miraculous return from death confirmed that Jesus was God’s Son, just as he said he was. It also showed that the demands of justice had been fully satisfied and that no further payment was necessary. As Derek Prince famously preached in The Divine Exchange, Jesus’ death on the cross was “perfectly perfect and completely complete.” There is nothing more that needs to be done.

Do you believe it?

The gospel is good news whether you believe it or not, but it will only save you if you believe it. As Paul declared to the Corinthians, “by this gospel are you saved.” Again, by which gospel are you saved? By the gospel of God’s grace:

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.” (Eph 2:8-9)

The gospel is not just for sinners

The gospel is no mere message. It is heaven’s cure for the world’s woes. And we can be fully confident that God’s cures are effective! Those who put their faith in his goodness and grace experience salvation power in all its fullness – victory over sin, healing from sickness, freedom from oppression.

“I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes…” (Rms 1:16)

The gospel is not just good news for the sinner. It is good news for the sick, the prisoner and the poor. It’s even good news for Christians. Today many sincere Christians are bound up in the dead works of performance-oriented religion. Their joylessness and lack of fruit testifies that they have forgotten the good news of God’s grace.

What are the works of grace?

Someone once asked Jesus, “What must we do to do the works God requires?”

“Jesus answered, ‘The work of God is this: to believe in the One he has sent.’” (Jn 6:29)

The greatest thing you can do is believe the good news of God’s grace revealed in the One he has sent. Believe that because of what Jesus has done, you are forgiven, you have been clothed with his righteousness, and you have been adopted into his family. When you say “Yes!” to Jesus, he moves into your life and you become one with him in spirit. On the inside, you now look exactly like Jesus and your status before God is “perfect forever” (Heb 10:14).

But your outside still needs work. Your mind needs to be renewed. Your body may need fixing. Your relationships may need mending. Your neighbors and workmates probably need saving. And God’s plan is to bring heaven to your corner of the world through you.

God has empowered you through his Spirit and the precious promises of his word to fulfill the gospel mandate. We do not need to hunker down and ask God to give us things. We just need to believe that through Christ we already have everything we need to get the job done (Eph 1:3, 2 Pet 1:3).

“Working out your salvation” means discovering who you are in Christ, taking risks for Jesus, and ministering in his power and authority. It means representing Jesus and his cross-wrought victory in areas where sins’ effects are still being felt. When you shine with Jesus-light, darkness flees and the dominion of the king is enlarged. Sin, sickness and poverty are put under his feet when you put them under your feet. We complete the mission the same way we started – by trusting in God’s amazing grace:

“But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.” (1 Cor 15:10, NKJV)

Which gospel are you listening to?

Take care that the gospel you are listening to is the gospel of grace. As Paul warned the Galatians, anything which adds to or detracts from the good news of God’s grace, is a distortion or perversion of the true gospel (Gal 1:6-7). In Part 2 of this study, we will look at some of the ways the gospel of grace gets distorted.

Related posts:
- Two religions: Works and blood
- The gospel comes to Laodicea
- Top 12 blessings in the new covenant

“But here is how God has shown his love for us. While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Rms 5:8)

Why did he do it? He didn’t need to and we didn’t deserve it. Yet he did it anyway because it pleases him to love on us. And the result is a love mismatch of cosmic proportions. Are you aware how unbalanced this relationship is?

On one side of the relationship you have a perfect Savior. On the other side you have a born sinner. Jesus is the source of all beauty, truth and love, while we were idolatrous, murdering rebels. The Lover of our souls reached out to us, we killed him for it, and with his dying breath he forgave us. What can we do in response to such amazing love but repent and say “thank you Jesus!”

It’s the greatest love story ever told and the entire story is captured in the 222-word letter that Jesus sent to the Laodiceans.

Think about this. They were rebellious, proud and vomit-worthy, yet Jesus comes to them in love to warn and win them back to himself. The Laodiceans were doing stuff that made Jesus nauseous, so he counsels them to exchange what they have for what he offers. And what does he offer that is better than himself, standing just outside, waiting to be invited in?

What does Jesus want?

What does Jesus hope to get from the Laodiceans? In a word: relationship, or friendship, or intimacy. He certainly does not want their offerings or sacrifices. He wants them, just as he wants us. Christianity is not about doing stuff for God, it’s knowing him. Jesus did not pray that we would be busy working, but that we would be with him:

“Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.” (Jn 17:24)

Rob Rufus has said, “God wants to impress us far more than he wants us to impress him.” He wants to take the lead. It’s his nature to lead – just look at the cross. That was all his doing. He wants to perform and he wants us to participate in his performance rather than try and impress him with our own.

Jesus wants us to see his glory. With that in mind, let’s look at the last thing Jesus says in his letter to the Laodiceans:

“To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne.” (Rev 3:21)

No losers in heaven

The word “overcomes” can be translated “is victorious.” Eternity is a place for victors and conquerors, not the vanquished and defeated. There are no losers in heaven. The question we should ask is, “how do I become counted among the overcomers?”

Let me answer that question with a question. Do you believe that Jesus is an overcomer? Are you sure? Are you absolutely certain Jesus Christ is an overcomer? He is! He says so to the Laodiceans – “just as I overcame” – and he also said so to the disciples:

“In this world you will have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” (Jn 16:33)

How do we know Jesus is an overcomer? Because the devil couldn’t tempt him, the law-lovers couldn’t silence him, Pilate couldn’t fault him, death couldn’t keep him, and the grave couldn’t hold him. Jesus is the very model of an overcomer. Indeed, he is the Overcomer. Look up “overcomer” in the dictionary and there’s a picture of Jesus. (Well there should be.)

You might say, that’s all very fine for Jesus. But what about us? How do we overcome? John gives us the answer:

“You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.” (1 Jn 4:4)

Overcoming is not about jumping through hoops and satisfying the expectations of men. It’s about depending on The Overcomer who lives in you.

“For everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.” (1 Jn 5:4-5)

Are you born of God? Do you believe Jesus is the Son of God? If yes, then the Overcomer lives in you and you can’t help but be an overcomer. That’s why Jesus told the disciples to be encouraged during times of tribulation; because he – not they – had overcome the world and because they would carry his overcoming Spirit within them.

Are you an elephant or a turtle?

Think of it like this. If your mother was an elephant, and your father was an elephant, then you can’t help but be an elephant. You may act like a turtle but you will be acting against your elephantine nature. The whole world may try and tell you that you are a turtle, and you may even speak turtle, but at best you will only ever be an elephant doing impressions. (He who has an ear, let him hear!)

When you came to Christ he made you a new creation. He gave you his overcoming DNA and his mighty overcoming Spirit. You are now an overcomer by nature. It’s in your genes. You may not feel like an overcomer. You may feel like a turtle. But you are an overcomer nonetheless. If you act like a victim or a loser or anything other than an overcomer, then you are acting in a manner that is contrary to your Christ-given nature.

Just as an elephant is not an elephant merely because he acts like one, neither are you an overcomer merely because you overcome from time to time. That’s back to front. No, you act like an overcomer because you are an overcomer. God’s word says so:

“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? … No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.” (Rom 8:35,37)

From a worldly point of view you may not look like an overcomer. You may be a worn out, beat up, raggedy ol’ Christian with problems left and right. The circumstances of your life may be trying to tell you that “you are not an overcomer.” Just ignore them. They are speaking from a worldly point of view. We are from God and he says we are more than conquerors through Christ who loved us. Believe what your Father says about you.

Quick quiz

Just to check that you’ve been paying attention, I’m going to give you two alternative interpretations for Revelations 3:21. One of them will make you feel like a loser, the other will inspire you to praise Jesus. One of them will get you to focus on your self and your efforts, while the other will prompt you to focus on Jesus and the finished work of the cross.

See if you can discern which of the following interpretations best captures the heart of the one who promised to share his throne with overcomers:

1. Only those who have victory in every area of their lives, who never stumble, who never put a foot wrong, who pass every single test and never sin – just like Jesus – will earn the right to sit on his throne.

2. As Christ is (he’s an overcomer), so are we in this world (which makes us overcomers too). Just as Christ is our righteousness, holiness and redemption, he is also our victory in all things. We have a right to the throne not because of victories we have won, but because of the glorious victory he has won. This right is based on God’s grace, not our efforts. It is by grace we have been saved, by grace we have been raised up, and by the incomparable riches of his grace that God has seated us with himself in heavenly realms in Christ Jesus.

(I hope you picked #2. If not, go back to the top and start over.)

When Jesus tells the Laodiceans that only overcomers have a right to his throne, he is not threatening them or bringing them under condemnation. He is giving them a wonderful affirmation of their position in Christ. Contrary to what you may have heard, he’s not trying to keep people out of his kingdom, he’s trying to get them to come in! Yes, the Laodiceans needed to repent and exchange what they had (their nauseating self-righteousness) for what he freely offered (the white clothes of his righteousness). But if they did that, if they put their trust in him, then they would reign with him both in this life (Rms 5:17) and in eternity (2 Tim 2:12).

The takeaway…

Now go find a mirror and tell yourself, I am an overcomer because Christ, the Overcomer, lives in me. Then have a little conversation with all your problems and tell them about Jesus who is victorious in all things. When the enemy tries to knock you down by pointing out your shortcomings, remind yourself of your God-given right to sit with Christ on his heavenly throne and then plant your boot on the enemy’s lying head.

Because of what Jesus has done you have a divine right to rule and reign with him. True, you don’t deserve it. You never have and never will. And yet there you sit like a king, a joyful testimony of the incomparable riches of his grace!

Perhaps the Laodiceans were sitting there on Sunday morning listening in terror as their letter was being read out and wondering, “Why is Jesus rebuking us?” Anticipating this, Jesus provides the answer: “Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline” (v.19). He rebuked the sinning Laodiceans because he loved them. True, in their godless state they’re wretched and pitiful. But red and yellow, black and white, they’re still precious in his sight.

The Bible tells me so

We must never lose sight of the fact that Jesus loves us. Don’t believe it just because I said so. Believe it because of what Jesus has done. It was aggressive, militant agape love that sent Jesus to the cross on your behalf. Amazing love, how can it be, that you my King should die for me. Never question that. We can go off the rails when we forget that we are his beloved.

Even though their self-righteousness made him nauseous, Jesus loved the Laodiceans. Because he loved them he warned them and challenged them to repent. Then in verse 20 Jesus paints a beautiful word picture:

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock: If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and dine with him, and he with Me.”

The image we get is of Jesus waiting to be gracious. He has called out to the sinner and now he waits for a response.

I’ve heard sinners say, “show me Jesus, then I will believe.” Well here’s the thing – you can’t see him while the door of your unbelieving heart is shut. If you want to know him, you’ve got to open the door and invite him in. Do that, and he will come in and be with you. He promised.

I recall something Camilla said after she got saved. “Once you see Jesus, he’s irresistible.” And he is! He is Grace and Beauty personified. He is the Treasure of the universe and after nearly 40 years of walking with him he still amazes me with his love.

Jesus Doesn’t Play Hard to Get

No doubt you are familiar with the well-known painting that goes with Revelations 3:20. It shows a feminine Jesus in a glowing bathrobe tapping on an old door and looking sad.

There is something wrong with this picture. Jesus did not suffer the indignities of the cross just so he could put on a bathrobe and walk around looking glum. No, he did it because he passionately loves us. And for 2000 years unworthy sinners and prostitutes and tax collectors  and people like Camilla and me have been throwing the door open and saying “come in Jesus!”

We need to look at this badly painted scripture with fresh eyes and old memories. A proper response is one of amazement. We ought to be amazed that Jesus is knocking on the Laodicean’s door. Afterall, they’re scum and he’s altogether lovely. They’re faithless and false and yet, right outside their unworthy door, stands the one called Faithful and True.

Someone needs to paint another picture of this doorway scene, one that captures Jesus the instant before he amazes yet another undeserving sinner.

The Reason for the Laodicean Letter

Jesus always says what he means and means what he says. So there is little danger of us stretching the metaphor when we say that the most significant moment in any person’s life involves a door.

On one side is a hopeless and filthy wretch. On the other side is a mighty Savior. The wretch is blind and lost, but the Savior is knocking. The wretch wonders, “What’s the point? Why am I here?” But the Holy Spirit is prompting, “Open the door.” The wretch reaches for the door handle and in one holy moment, everything changes.

A talented hymn-writer once captured this moment with the following lyric:

“How precious did that grace appear, the hour I first believed.”

Grace is not only precious and amazing the hour we first believed, but every hour we believe. In fact, the state of being amazed is a normal for a follower of Jesus. The disciples who spent every day with Jesus were often amazed at the things he said and did because Jesus is inherently amazing. He just does what is normal for him and our little human minds are overwhelmed with wonder.

He heals all the sick. That’s amazing. He stops a storm in its tracks. That’s amazing. He resurrects a little dead girl. That’s amazing. He says nothing while being falsely accused and scourged because he plans to ransom us with his death. That’s amazing. He rises from the dead and now sits at the right hand of the Father interceding for us because he wants us to reign in life. That’s amazing!

Grace only stops being amazing if we start thinking we don’t need it or if we take our eyes off the One who daily supplies it.

Jesus the Wonder-King

Here’s my point: Jesus is amazing; we read the Bible to discover Jesus; if we read the Bible and come away unamazed, we’ve missed him.

If someone preaches Revelations 3:14-21 and says you need to do more stuff for Jesus, that’s not amazing. But if they read it and say:

“Look who’s standing outside the Laodiceans door! They’re wretched and self-righteous, yet he’s come to be with them anyway. They’re unlovely, yet Jesus says he loves them.”

…then that’s amazing. Because if Jesus loved the Laodiceans, he surely loves you!

If you’re reading this and you don’t know Jesus, understand that even now he’s knocking on the door of your heart waiting for your invitation. Why is that amazing? Because even though you’re a godless little wretch doing what is right in your own eyes, the true Ruler of creation has come to visit you. And even though he could atomize your little door with a mere thought, he knocks and waits for you to respond. That’s amazing! Now don’t leave him standing there. Open the door! Invite him in.

And if you’re reading this and you already know this Jesus, and this wonder-working King of kings calls you his friend, well that’s amazing too!

Aren’t you amazed?