24/10/2019
TRUE GRACE
For Apostle Paul, his TEACHING on grace was a healthy balance between New Creation Realities and New Creation Practices. New creation lifestyle is a direct result of a proper, balanced understanding and application of new creation realities.
Ephesians 5:8 KJV
"For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:"
This is a perfect example of how Paul made a connection between new creation realities and new creation practices. Something like,
"This is who you were, this is who you are now, therefore this is how you ought to behave."
Unfortunately, the application of new creation realities for many ministers is only in the areas of giving money, walking in divine health, business and career success, divine protection, etc. All earthly themes.
But in the realm of Christian moral conduct, which was Paul's main area of application, we are MIA (missing in action).
Matthew 1:21 KJV
"And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins."
That's what the name really means. Saviour from SINS. Other problems/issues are secondary.
All of us grace preachers use the Pauline Epistles as the basis for our message. Yet most of us ignore the fact that Paul made a practice of calling sin by name. He regularly made lists of sins that the believer must "put off", "mortify", or "put to death".
When it comes to preaching against sin, some grace teachers act like they understand the grace message better than the apostle of grace himself (i.e Apostle Paul).
May God give us understanding.