The passionate intensity of cheap grace is seductively attractive to a weary, plodding soul. Like a blast of adrenaline to a dying heart, it infuses energy. Energy that is mistaken for life. The problem is a deadly one. Our hearts don't need to be kick-started by motivational speakers and charlatans hawking holy snake oil falsely labeled 'the gospel'. What we, all of us are in dire need of is a heart transplant. A heart of stone must be removed and replaced with a heart of flesh. God is the only surgeon capable of undertaking the procedure and the gospel of Christ is the only tool He uses to bypass the death our sins have earned us.
I believe one largest mission fields we have is assembled every Sunday morning. In fact, it assembles itself in church pews where cheap grace is spewed with wild abandon. Like sheep led to their slaughter the potential harvest comes in to partake of entertainment packages custom made to hold their attention. They watch the spectacle... waiting for their cues to laugh, sing, cry and nod their heads in agreement. Their fellowship is a critique of the show over coffee. Not how it will impact their lives but did it make them feel good for the time they were there? Did it captivate them? Did it recharge their stone cold hearts? Were they able to believe that all was well? Did they avoid feeling guilty? They build their lives on fluff and nonsense. They starve their souls and pretend they are not hungry for the milk and meat of God's Word. They are fragile and break easily under the weight of life's day to day troubles.
How do we compete? How do we snatch them from the enemy's hand? How do we make them see their need for the true gospel? We don't. Our God has no grandchildren. Souls are not won for Christ by anything within our means. Souls are won to Christ because they are drawn by the Father. Ours is to proclaim the gospel -unedited- as my friend James says. We are simply the tools of His hand; the results belong to Him. Sometimes I fear we worry more about strategies for foiling the enemy than we worry about understanding and being able to articulate the Gospel.
Cotton candy fluff is not where I want to place my anchor, nor do I want to be guilty of spreading a cheap grace gospel in order to make people feel good or add convert notches to my belt. I do not want to take the easy way out and avoid the ridicule that comes from telling people the truth they don't want to hear. Unbelievers are hostile to the truth. I know they want cheap grace, they are addicted to it. Their cravings drive them to hate the truth. Only Christ can detox their souls. May He provide me the courage to tell anyone who will listen to me of His Gospel.
Acts 4:11-12
11 "He is the stone which was rejected by you, the builders, {but} which became the very corner {stone.}
12 "And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men, by which we must be saved."
1 Corinthians 15:3-4
3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,
4 and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,
1 Peter 2:24-25
24 and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.
25 For you were continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls.
Ephesians 1:7
7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace,
I John 2:2
2 and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for {those of} the whole world.
Ephesians 5:2
2 and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you, and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.
I believe one largest mission fields we have is assembled every Sunday morning. In fact, it assembles itself in church pews where cheap grace is spewed with wild abandon. Like sheep led to their slaughter the potential harvest comes in to partake of entertainment packages custom made to hold their attention. They watch the spectacle... waiting for their cues to laugh, sing, cry and nod their heads in agreement. Their fellowship is a critique of the show over coffee. Not how it will impact their lives but did it make them feel good for the time they were there? Did it captivate them? Did it recharge their stone cold hearts? Were they able to believe that all was well? Did they avoid feeling guilty? They build their lives on fluff and nonsense. They starve their souls and pretend they are not hungry for the milk and meat of God's Word. They are fragile and break easily under the weight of life's day to day troubles.
How do we compete? How do we snatch them from the enemy's hand? How do we make them see their need for the true gospel? We don't. Our God has no grandchildren. Souls are not won for Christ by anything within our means. Souls are won to Christ because they are drawn by the Father. Ours is to proclaim the gospel -unedited- as my friend James says. We are simply the tools of His hand; the results belong to Him. Sometimes I fear we worry more about strategies for foiling the enemy than we worry about understanding and being able to articulate the Gospel.
Cotton candy fluff is not where I want to place my anchor, nor do I want to be guilty of spreading a cheap grace gospel in order to make people feel good or add convert notches to my belt. I do not want to take the easy way out and avoid the ridicule that comes from telling people the truth they don't want to hear. Unbelievers are hostile to the truth. I know they want cheap grace, they are addicted to it. Their cravings drive them to hate the truth. Only Christ can detox their souls. May He provide me the courage to tell anyone who will listen to me of His Gospel.
Acts 4:11-12
11 "He is the stone which was rejected by you, the builders, {but} which became the very corner {stone.}
12 "And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men, by which we must be saved."
1 Corinthians 15:3-4
3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,
4 and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,
1 Peter 2:24-25
24 and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.
25 For you were continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls.
Ephesians 1:7
7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace,
I John 2:2
2 and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for {those of} the whole world.
Ephesians 5:2
2 and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you, and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.
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