8 Signs of Hypergrace Churches
Which churches are preaching the hypergrace message?
Charisma Magazine recently published an article entitled “8 signs of hyper-grace churches.” (Update: The article has been removed, but you can find it on the WayBack Machine.) Using words like “decline” and “distorted” and “sexually immoral” the article argued that churches built on the message of free grace are part of a dangerous trend that needs to be opposed and confronted.
What does a hyper-grace church look like?
According to that article’s author, a hyper-grace church is one where the pastor only preaches positive messages, doesn’t insist on tithes, and key members of the church are living in sin. Hyper-grace churches are also known for promoting immoral people into positions of leadership, and by refusing to engage in culture wars, they are effectively condoning abortion and the killing of babies.
Honestly, for spouting such nonsense it’s a wonder Charisma Magazine hasn’t been sued into bankruptcy! That they haven’t surely speaks to the good grace and patience of those they slander.
In the interests of balanced reporting, I thought I might offer eight more accurate signs of a hyper-grace church.
Eight signs of hypergrace churches
But first, what is hyper-grace? Those who attack it seldom say. The author of the above article makes no attempt to define it but acknowledges those who preach it place “strong emphasis on grace.” To this I respond, guilty as charged. Grace saves us, grace keeps us – it’s grace from start to finish! We preach the same radical, extreme, over-the-top grace the apostles preached.
So what’s the problem?
The problem, apparently, is we’re not preaching enough law. We’re antinomians with insufficient regard for the moral law of the Old Testament.
In the Charisma article, the word “grace” appears nine times but the word “law” appears thirty times, indicating a strong emphasis on the law.
The author writes, “The Law doesn’t save us, but it sanctifies us.” The grace of God gets us into the kingdom but it’s our observance of the Law – with a capital L – which keeps us there, or at least keeps us from upsetting a temperamental God who is intolerant of our sin.
Consequently, we may contrast the two perspectives as follows:
- Hyper-grace gospel – we are saved by grace and kept by grace
- Mixed-grace gospel – we are saved by grace but kept by law
With these distinctions in mind, we can identify eight characteristics of hyper-grace churches:
1. Hypergrace churches preach Jesus and nothing but Jesus
Hyper-grace churches agree with Spurgeon who said, “A sermon without Christ as its beginning, middle, and end is a mistake in conception and a crime in execution.” They understand that what this rule-obsessed world needs is not more rules but a revelation of the One who fulfilled the law on our behalf.
In a quest for holiness a mixed-grace church may preach a little law, a little self-help, or a little pop psychology, but it’s all just a flesh trip.
In contrast, a hyper-grace church preaches Christ alone. Whatever your need, whether it’s salvation or sanctification, your supply is found in the One who promises to meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus (Php 4:19).
You don’t need seven steps or fifteen keys or an intensive course of study. Your greatest need is for a revelation of Jesus Christ and what he has done on your behalf.
2. Hypergrace churches reveal a God who loves you like a Father
Hyper-grace churches understand that what an orphaned world most needs is a revelation of our heavenly Father who loves us and cares for us and desires for us to come home. They follow the lead of Jesus who spoke again and again of “Our Father in heaven” (Matt 6:9). They understand that everything good in life is built on the revelation that “My Father loves me more than I know,” and that this is the revelation that will change hearts and close abortion clinics and end culture wars.
A mixed-grace church, in contrast, seeks to balance this “teaching” with old covenant pictures of God as judge, jury, and executioner. They say, “Yes, he is a God of love but he is also a God of justice,” as though God were double-minded or that his justice could be understood apart from his love.
The best picture we have of God’s character is not found in a list of ancient laws handed down to a wandering tribe of ex-slaves. It is Jesus Christ.
“No one has ever seen God, but God the One and only, who is at the Father’s side, has made him known” (John 1:18).
3. Hypergrace churches esteem the words of Jesus
A common misperception is that hyper-grace churches disregard the teachings of Jesus. In truth, hyper-grace churches are the only ones taking Jesus seriously.
When Jesus is preaching law, we say that’s serious law, and when Jesus is revealing grace, we bow in breathless gratitude. We would not dare to re-interpret his words with qualifiers and caveats.
In contrast, those who preach a mixture of grace plus law dismiss the hard words of Jesus as hyperbole and exaggeration. “Jesus didn’t mean what he said about chopping off limbs or being perfect.” Like the Pharisees of old, a mixed-up church picks and chooses those commands which are to be followed while disregarding others as metaphorical and not to be taken seriously.
4. Hypergrace churches esteem the law and the purpose for which it is given
Hyper-grace churches are often accused of being opposed to the law when, in fact, they esteem the law and agree with Paul who said “the law is good if one uses it properly” (1 Tim 1:8). They understand that the “law is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers … and those who oppose the glorious gospel of the blessed God” (1 Tim 1:9-11).
The law is for those who trust in themselves and their own righteousness rather than in Christ and his.
In contrast, a mixture church promotes the law as a guide and standard for righteous living. Under this perspective grace is reduced to little more than a lubricant for greasing the cogs of self-effort.
Ironically, those who live this way reveal their disregard for both law and grace – law, since they cannot keep it yet pretend to, and grace, since they would rather trust in their own efforts than in Christ’s finished work. Such a church is lukewarm. They are neither submitting to the cold and unbending demands of the law or the white-hot love of their Father.
5. Hypergrace churches understand that obedience is a fruit not a root
A mixed-grace church says you must obey God commands to prove your love but a hyper-grace church takes Jesus at his word: “If you love me, you will obey what I command” (John 14:15). They understand that obedience is not birthed out of fear but love.
Those who are resting in the unconditional love of their Father will trust him and do what he says without any conscious effort. They don’t need rules to tell them what to do for the Holy Spirit himself is their guide (John 16:13).
Jesus said, “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love” (John 15:9). The issue is not whether you will do what he says, but whether you will remain in the quiet place of trust, resting in his love.
If you don’t settle this in your heart you may run from your husband Mr. Grace back to your former husband Mr. Law (Rom 7:1-6). Someone who mixes law with grace is a spiritual adulterer. They’re cheating on Jesus. While they may appear to be religious on the outside, their hearts are full of unbelief.
6. Hypergrace churches empower people to overcome sin
If you sin, a hyper-grace church won’t throw stones or shame you. Instead they will point you to the living Grace of God who dealt with all your sins on the cross. They will say with the apostle John, “If anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One” (1 John 2:1).
Stumble and sin in a mixed-grace church and the message you get will be, “Look at what you did!” But a hyper-grace church will say, “Look at what Jesus did and what you can now do because of what he did!”
Mixed-grace churches are obsessed with sin – resisting it, fighting it, avoiding it. In contrast, hyper-grace churches are Son-focused, not sin-focused.
A mixed-grace church would have you turn from every sin until you’re a dizzy sinner. But a hyper-grace church will release the supernatural grace of God that empowers you to sin no more. They will do what Paul did with the sinning Corinthians and reveal your true identity in Christ. You are “sanctified in Christ Jesus… I always thank God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. In him you have been enriched in every way (and) he will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Cor 1:2-8).
We are not changed by our resolve and determination. We are changed by beholding Jesus who lives within us.
7. Hypergrace churches promote security and trust
Hyper-grace churches promote faith and confidence by proclaiming the promises of Jesus: “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them… no one can snatch them out of my hand” (John 10:26-27). We don’t stand on our promises to him, but on his many good and great promises to us. Rest, be at peace, for it is God who keeps you firm to the end.
The One who holds the universe in his hand, can surely hold you!
But in mixed-grace churches, your standing is based on your promises to God rather than his promises to you. Let God down and you will need to make new promises and work harder to keep them. Where is the security in this? There is none. No guarantees are offered or even desired for a measure of uncertainty is essential for keeping the sheep in line and under control. This way lies misery and despair.
8. Hypergrace churches look like Jesus, smell like Jesus, walk like Jesus, and talk like Jesus
A hyper-grace church is attractive to sinners and unappealing to the self-righteous. It is a place where the prodigals come home and the zealots stay out. It is a family where the broken are made whole, the captives are freed, and all are loved.
A church that preaches grace the way the apostles did is heaven-on-earth and God’s best advertisement for the kingdom of his grace.
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More articles on hypergrace.
Escape to Reality 
Whoever you are Barry, I want you to know I quoted a large portion of your (April 16, 2014) comments and just reposted them on my facebook under your name. Awesomesauce 🙂 I love it when people “get” grace, and aren’t afraid of those who simply do not, but think they do. Gotta love internet storage, over a year later, still touching lives.
Thanks Connie. Whenever the church has separated a good biblical concept or a good redemptive blessing from the Person of Jesus HIMSELF the church has become divided over that very blessing. In fact this is the root and cause of every denomination. This historically has been the case with virtually every rediscovered redemptive blessing – including credited righteousness, healing, faith and the like. The church has separated these rediscovered redemptive blessings from Jesus Himself – who ALONE is righteousness, holiness, healing and faith. A year has past since I wrote these comments regarding the power and sufficiency of Jesus grace and I fear the rediscovered blessing of grace has begun to divide the church for this very same reason. The church has begun to speak of grace and faith as a doctrine, a truth or a blessing . Grace is a Person. Jesus Himself alone is grace. Just as Jesus Himself alone is righteousness, healing, power and faith. Jesus plus nothing equals everything. Jesus never divides the church but doctrines can divide and I am saddened to witness that the doctrine of grace is proving to do just that.
Let’s all keep grace in perspective- Grace is Jesus Himself alone. The doctrine of grace can divide but Jesus the gracious One can never can be divided nor does He ever divide.
love the way you express truth.
This is a great response by the author in reply to the article! I have always hated the comment “oh, free grace” in regard to my position on grace always said with a sneer in their voice. So what does this mean then, you paid for yours? How’s this for a mixed message? Either Jesus did it all or he lied and we try to take our salvation back by working on it, heaven forbid!
“However, the Law is not of faith; on the contrary, “H E WHO PRACTICES THEM SHALL LIVE BY THEM.”” Galatians 3:12 NASB. Here in is why the community that is obsessed with mission alone will fail – because they are not operating by faith -only faith (believing God for it) will produce a growing healthy spiritual church. I sense God is asking me, “who will BELIEVE ME for a healthy growing spiritual church?” “in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.” Galatians 3:14 NASB. Here God clearly tells us that The blessings of a healthy growing Spirit filled church are never WORKED for- they simply “come to ” those who BELIEVE. “Then he said to me, “This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel saying, ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the LORD of hosts. ‘What are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you will become a plain; and he will bring forth the top stone with shouts of “Grace, grace to it!”‘”” Zechariah 4:6-7 NASB
i would love to see the hyper grace teachers travel with Paul for 3 months. During this time your health and wealth theology would have broken down when you had nothing to eat often, your back got laid open, you were spit on, you only had the clothes on your back, you were run out of towns, you had rocks gash your head open. Yea, your God just wants me to prosper financially and be blessed would have been challenged. Most all these guys preaching this live in luxury and don’t suffer much of anything. Paul said we are the off scouring of the earth. I would like to see them lose everything and suffer severe persecution and see how much they praise God. When I see one of these guys suffer for the kingdom, and with their back stitched up and having the sentence of death on their lives then I would like to talk to them about their theology.
I am a hyper-grace preacher, Matt. Instead of casting stones generally, why not direct your accusations to me personally and let’s see if they stick.
There are always charlatans on TV pretending in order to bilk the redeemed. Differentiate between the biblically true and the fakes before you chuck any more stones. Just because is says it’s a duck do not accept that it’s duck until you hear the quack. Paul here sounds a lot like Jesus not like get rich quick schemers 😉
One thing to note is that some laws are capricious and insulting, made in our own fallen image, yet somehow there is always a corresponding grace. Even if Jesus’s own words are taken at face value to the chop-of-your-hand limit, you’ve written elsewhere what grace there is in Jesus, who preaching the truth, leaves no one without grace to escape. But for some years I couldn’t see it. It may be translation problems. Thank you for expressing Jesus.
Having read much material from the hypergrace camp i can say most in this camp believe heresies such as:
Many of the Words of Christ are old covanant and dont apply
Laodicea was mixing law w grace which is why they were lukewarm
Confession for sin not necessary and 1 John ch 1 doesnt apply to us.
Once Saved always saved
Repentence is merely a change of mind towards sin
These things are false and are heretical
Hi Adam- your accusations may have some validity to them but have you considered this?
There was nothing in Gods law through MOSES or JESUS that commands us to serve and worship God because we fear him but there sure was given through both MOSES and JESUS the greatest commandment which says, “You shall LOVE the Lord your God with all your heart…”
If you have served and obeyed God perfectly because you fear Him and if you can rehearse all of His doctrines perfectly so that you have no “heresies” in them – yet you have done so out of fear and NOT out of love- you have obeyed niether MOSES or JESUS.
Your heart motive is everything before God my friend. Do you serve Him in perfect doctrine yet do so out of fear of losing His favor or blessing and not out of sincere love for Him? Then these “hyper grace heretics” who love God with all their hearts -whom you have condemned in this day -will condemn you in the last day.
All that glitters is not not gold my friend.
“But I tell you that every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment.”
Matthew 12:36 NASB
I have been a believer for 34 years. It’s only in the past four years that I have really come to a knowledge of what Grace really is. My terrible struggle as a person under mixed teaching could fill a book, as with many who share the same experience. Since finding “hyper grace” teaching we truly see a difference our lives!
We have recently moved to Tucson, AZ and we would like to find people who are on the same page, not just in the same Book. How do we find people who are like minded about God’s great Goodness?
Mary
Hi Mary, one way is to reach out to people on E2R’s Facebook page. Post your question there and you may get a response. Thanks.
Great Post Saint Paul.
I am removing my Charisma Mag link on my ipad today. Any subsequent articles by Charisma showing any degree of softening to the Hyper-Grace message that your aware of?
Blessings,
Warren (South Carolina, USA)
Just as God uses darkness to help define light (God is light and in Him there is no darkness at all), so he uses law to help define grace (there is no transgression where there is no law; sin in not imputed when there is no law, etc.). When churches mix law with grace, then law loses its ability to define grace, so the church has to come up with their own version of grace. Grace, rather than it be the full revelation of the extent God went to in order that we can be fully accepted in the beloved, becomes just God’s attitude towards us. They see grace as helping us, forgiving us, extending himself towards us, rather that the revelation of what he has already done in fully reconciling us through the lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
Hi. How can you explain Mathew 7: 20-23 which shows that Jesus expects us to “Do” his will (verse 21) and that even Christians who call him Lord, prophesy and cast out devils can still go to hell (verse 22). Even if you say that this was before the cross, what about COUNTLESS other scripture from Romans to Revelation that tell us that God expects us to actively pursue a righteous lifestyle by his power and grace? See especially, 2 Peter 1 :3-11 (NLT). Please explain how this scripture can be fulfilled in our lives without our participation.
Please check out the Archives > Scripture Index. Thanks.
Excellent post – though I don’t think we need accept the perjorative phrase hyper-grace, which means too much or excessive grace. We can just say ‘pure grace’.
The law camp think we make the same mistake they do. For them, army captains go into the general’s tent to receive their orders and they then go out to obey them, ie do them. They assume that we do the same, go into the tent, receive the word of forgiveness and freedom and go out and live how we want.
However the grace camp go into the tent and stay there; the army metaphor does not fit the grace camp. Jesus was happy that the crowds followed him to hang on every word. Maybe we should talk about sitting round the camp fire with Him.
Of course the law camp then describe this as a fatalistic ‘let go and let God’ such that we will sit at home all day reading our bible and making no difference in the world. But there is plenty in the bible to excite us and bring us to our feet to go out to proclaim Him, even to be Him or like Him in the world, willingly and not as a duty. The outside world finds one attractive and the other burdensome, moralistic and hypocritical too much of the time.
The working of grace into our being is the job of the Holy Spirit as we keep in step with Him. The law camp think that sin in a believer is the worst offence, but Jesus seemed to suggest it was hypocrisy. Even when, as a Christian, we sin because we want to (since sin is of course the exercise of our self-will), the Holy Spirit will leave us empty and miserable until, like the prodigal, we realise where life is again to be found
I like to take hyper as a good modifier for grace from the passage, “Where sin abounded, grace super-abounded.” Sounds hyper to me!
The hyper adjective is 100% Biblical. The Apostle Paul came up with it.
Good Job Paul!, I believe too that many churches and people have a different definition when it comes to Hyper-Grace. Most of them think we are saying- live how you want too your under grace and they miss the point. They have missed the real love God sent Jesus to pay for, If they only knew how finished it is!!!
Not my perspective on what hyper-grace means. I attest to all that and attend similarly but I know preacing grace/ mercy doctrine without the love of God in His Prescence that changes us will make no value in Holiness. If they/we teach Love without experiencing it then we have no value for it. Love+Holiness = a Bride identity.. mercy+false freedom = an adulterous church.
You may be interested in the Biblical roots of the word hypergrace.
All good until
“But a hyper-grace church will release the supernatural grace of God that empowers you to sin no more”.
“Sin no more”!? Has the author reached this stage and if not why not? Is God’s grace not sufficient after all?
No. This quote is a moralistic mixed-grace church message – by God’s power and your application of it, you can be good people, in fact sinless people.
A hyper-grace message is much more radical. It will even sound like anti-nomianism, but it is not because it is about making new people not cleaning up imperfect people..
Being defeated by sin is a common experience for those who lived under a message that mixed law with grace, but victory over sin is a common fruit of grace. You only need to read some of the comments on this blog to know this is true.
“Go and sin no more.” These were the empowering words of Jesus to a woman who was known for nothing but sin. Such words could not be true except that the supernatural grace of God turns sinners into saints. That’s not a threat, nor a law. Just a happy fact. “No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him” (1 John 3:6). More here.
I think this scripture sums it up as to the importance and emphasis grace should be given:
1Pe 1:13 Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;
So good!!! But I would suggest one thing. I believe the KJV of John 1:18 is the more correct version: “No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.”
Jesus as being the ‘only begotten’ of the Father reveals a truth that is mostly overlooked by the modern Church. Jesus as the only begotten Son of God had a relationship and knowledge of God that no one else had or could have. But with Him dying and being raised again as the ‘first begotten’ of many brethren, we now have been given everything that only He individually and uniquely had as God’s only begotten Son.
I like how you put that Jerry. INot to be redunadant but I might add that we have anything and everything that Jesus had/has because anything and everything that we heve has been given to us from everything and anything that belongs to Jesus alone and not a single smidgen of what we have is anything that we have not been given.
As Paul says, “What do you have that you were not given?”
JESUS + NOTHING = EVERYTHING
“If God did not spare his own Son, how will He not also along give you everything?” Another one by the apostle Paul.
Jesus said, “I know where I come from and where I am going. This is why I can command you trust me.”
The parable of the talents uses the exact wording at the end that Jesus used in the parable of the soils (i.e. Whosoever has more will be given and whoever has not even what he has will be taken away). I see these mixed grace adherents as ascribing grace only to their salvation experience. But that salvation came because we ‘heard the Word of our salvation’. What God gives us – the talent(s) is ‘ears to hear’, and we are suppose to keep on hearing and increase our ability to hear. The parable of the talents so clearly speaks of these mixed grace adherents because they are going to present to Jesus just what they initially received in order to be saved. And He is not going to be pleased.
I see the “one talent” people in the parable not as believers in a justification by faith but trusting a walk with God by works -but rather as representing the natural unredeemed life of a human. A person who has rejected the gospel entirely, lived a natural life in the flesh and then tries to present that life to God on judgement day to be justified.
Jesus said, “He who believes in Me has eternal life and will not be condemned” He never once suggested levels of faith in Jesus nor does he demand a perfect (no “mixture “) faith as the means to be saved. When we demand a perfect “no mixture” faith to secure salvation we are promoting a mixture message and have made perfect faith adjust another work! No -we are not saved nor kept by our pure and unmixed faith – we are saved by our faith in Jesus- period! Even a faltering, immature, mustard seed and mixture belief in Jesus is enough to be credited with the righteousness that alone secures eternal life.
Abraham’s faith that justified and saved him was still a “mixture” faith when God credited Abraham with righteousness (otherwise he wouldn’t have attempted to produce the self effort works of Ishmael to fulfill the promise)- yet God credited Abraham with the righteousness that secures every divine blessing including eternal security.
Amen sounds just like my church Healing Grace in Tulsa, OK.
This is so good. There was a season of my life (I was saved) and I was doing everything I knew I was supposed to do – praying, worshiping, reading my Bible every day, and loving people through doing outreach in our city. It was a great time but I struggled with wondering if I was doing enough for Him. One day I was thinking about it and I clearly felt Him speak to me that if I never did another thing for Him, He’d still love me unconditionally and everything would be fine because we had a relationship and that was the most important thing. Of course the natural desire when you have relationship with him is to love and serve others. My feeling is that if you let service pull you away from Him, it’s necessary to do whatever needs to be done, even quitting all serving if need be to reestablish that relationship. My former pastor’s wife shared about the concern they had because of pastors in their denomination either “falling from grace” or simply leaving their positions as pastors. I suggested that maybe they needed to in order to focus on their relationship with Him and I could tell she didn’t understand. For her it’s about obedience to that call. Apparently even if they’re struggling.
You’re absolutely right, Jamie. If we’re finding ourselves distracted by service or ministry or anything that is wearing us out, the most important thing is to draw aside and reconnect with the love of God. His love is like air for us.
The Gift of God is freely received and freely given;
Love the words of a hymn ” Jesus paid it all, all to Him I owe , sin had left a crimson stain but He washed me white as snow ” Free Grace, but
Not cheap; the Life of my Jesus given so I can be free.
“But a hyper-grace church will say, “Look at what he did and what you can now do because of what he did!
No, it just says ‘Look at what He did’. Any attempt to smuggle works back in by an appeal to gratitude, to higher-level thinking or power” undermines the gospel. The gospel is not a new way to become holy; it is a release from being holy because God is holy’ for us. That ‘release is the ‘scandal
“But a hyper-grace church will release the supernatural grace of God that empowers you to sin no more”.
This is gobbldigook!! Unless you are a Methodist Perfectionist
“But a hyper-grace church will release the supernatural grace of God that empowers you to sin no more” I am unfamiliar with Methodist teachings so I’m not sure what spurred the “gobbldigook” accusation.
What the article means is that by releasing real bible grace from the chains humans have put it in you can embrace the truth that grace is what gives us the power to say “No!” to sin. Grace according to Romans 6 is what gives us the power to resist sin.
Thank you for your comments about hyper grace but I don’t call this hyper grace it’s God Grace given to all receive it .As to those who are mixed up in their preaching they need to search with a prayerful heart and righty divide the Word of God.
And a hyper-grace worship leader can sing any song their team wants to, but the lyrics must align with grace before you introduce it to your congregation.
For example, don’t sing blessed be your name by matt redman, trade it in for unmerited favor by new creation worship.
Yes amen- sing the songs of grace! “To the praise of His glorious grace.” (Ephesians 1:6) It’s WHY He gives us this glorious grace! There is a lost treasure of grace based hymns in the many of the old hymn books that the modern mixture churches have abandoned; replaced by mixture based songs glorifying the frenzied religious devotion of the mixture gospel.
May God raid up a new generation of grace based songs, hymns and spiritual songs. Grace based songs are really the only truly “spiritual songs” there are!
Outstanding breakdown and rebuttal to the myths “Hypergrace”! Its grace, grace and grace