Transition to Grace

[Blake]

I'm starting to find myself transitioning into grace, and it's almost overwhelming. My entire Christian life was the type of life which was constantly bombarded with preaching and teaching on sin... and truthfully I let it wear me down to a point of self-loathing and self-hatred where everything I learned only made me feel more exceedingly wicked and hell bound than I was before. I put so much stock in my own works and my own failings. And truthfully, it seems the closer we get to Jesus Christ the more we realize the state of ourselves, we are able to stop playing games and putting on this holy facade and realize in His light that our own darkness is bigger than we may have given credit for originally. I have felt at times that I was the worst Christian in the entire world, and I still do sometimes, but up until recently I was in places both physically and mentally where I didn't truly know or understand what was truly finished and accomplished for my sake on the cross. No one taught me, nor was I willing to truly understand, that the beatings He took, the spit upon the face, the crucifixion, all of these things have granted us true and sincere propitiation. True and amazing grace.

I find that I really empathize and relate to Brennan Manning, some of you might know him, some of you might not (and if not may I please recommend the movie "Ragamuffin" on Netflix) -- he was a former Catholic priest who was properly ritualized but never truly evangelized, and went on to help thousands of people accept their brokenness, and the love of God despite it. I couldn't truly accept His love before, only His reproof, only the guilt and condemnation of Satan cleverly disguised as the conviction of the Holy Spirit. And convicted I still am of sin, I do not believe for a moment that we can abide in sin... but now I realize I can't let them introduce me to an idol of self-pity and loathing, totally forsaking the true gospel of Jesus Christ -- He loves the broken. He comforts the sinner. He truly loves us.

It's a liberating thing. I looked for it for such a long time, in monasteries chanting prayers with monks, in ascetic practices minding fast days and prayer rules, in holding every word the preacher said to such a high standard that I hated myself when I fell short, in suffering myself to think that my slip up would warrant me hell, in deluding myself into believing that my true destiny was not in Christ, having no faith in what Calvary accomplished, denying His passion as being an exclusive invitation for a few uber-righteous pew warmers with their noses upturned to the broken world around them.

And now I am so in love with God, more than I ever have been. I have a stronger reliance in His grace to be sufficient in my weaknesses, I can dust it off, give it up to Him as a sacrifice and quickly get my feet back on the straight and narrow, rather than slow-dancing with the devil in a whirlwind of condemning accusations and excluding myself from the finished work of Jesus Christ. Amen. Thank you Lord.

I am every bit of a ragamuffin. I am hopelessly dependent on the grace of God. God forbid it is ever left to my works to warrant me entry one day, I will be on the doors of the pearly gates gently knocking, with tears in my eyes, hoping and trusting in the love of Jesus to see me through, despite these dirty rags of good deeds and intentions, and despite my sins... because we are all sinners. None of us are where we need to be. But Jesus is where we are.

Can I have an "amen" for the abounding love of Jesus Christ? Thanks and God bless you.

 

[Malachi]

None of us are where we need to be. But Jesus is where we are. Can I have an "amen" for the abounding love of Jesus Christ? .

Brother Blake,
I will add my hearty "Amen" to that, and also remind you that while none of us is where we need to be, IN GOD'S EYES WE ARE PERFECT. That's the beauty of God's grace. He see the child of God as perfect. Why? Because we are IN CHRIST: But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: (1 Cor 1:30). This is our position in Christ right now.

 

[poetofparables]

I'm starting to find myself transitioning into grace, and it's almost overwhelming. My entire Christian life was the type of life which was constantly bombarded with preaching and teaching on sin... and truthfully I let it wear me down to a point of self-loathing and self-hatred where everything I learned only made me feel more exceedingly wicked and hell bound than I was before. I put so much stock in my own works and my own failings. And truthfully, it seems the closer we get to Jesus Christ the more we realize the state of ourselves, we are able to stop playing games and putting on this holy facade and realize in His light that our own darkness is bigger than we may have given credit for originally. I have felt at times that I was the worst Christian in the entire world, and I still do sometimes, but up until recently I was in places both physically and mentally where I didn't truly know or understand what was truly finished and accomplished for my sake on the cross. No one taught me, nor was I willing to truly understand, that the beatings He took, the spit upon the face, the crucifixion, all of these things have granted us true and sincere propitiation. True and amazing grace.

I find that I really empathize and relate to Brennan Manning, some of you might know him, some of you might not (and if not may I please recommend the movie "Ragamuffin" on Netflix) -- he was a former Catholic priest who was properly ritualized but never truly evangelized, and went on to help thousands of people accept their brokenness, and the love of God despite it. I couldn't truly accept His love before, only His reproof, only the guilt and condemnation of Satan cleverly disguised as the conviction of the Holy Spirit. And convicted I still am of sin, I do not believe for a moment that we can abide in sin... but now I realize I can't let them introduce me to an idol of self-pity and loathing, totally forsaking the true gospel of Jesus Christ -- He loves the broken. He comforts the sinner. He truly loves us.

It's a liberating thing. I looked for it for such a long time, in monasteries chanting prayers with monks, in ascetic practices minding fast days and prayer rules, in holding every word the preacher said to such a high standard that I hated myself when I fell short, in suffering myself to think that my slip up would warrant me hell, in deluding myself into believing that my true destiny was not in Christ, having no faith in what Calvary accomplished, denying His passion as being an exclusive invitation for a few uber-righteous pew warmers with their noses upturned to the broken world around them.

And now I am so in love with God, more than I ever have been. I have a stronger reliance in His grace to be sufficient in my weaknesses, I can dust it off, give it up to Him as a sacrifice and quickly get my feet back on the straight and narrow, rather than slow-dancing with the devil in a whirlwind of condemning accusations and excluding myself from the finished work of Jesus Christ. Amen. Thank you Lord.

I am every bit of a ragamuffin. I am hopelessly dependent on the grace of God. God forbid it is ever left to my works to warrant me entry one day, I will be on the doors of the pearly gates gently knocking, with tears in my eyes, hoping and trusting in the love of Jesus to see me through, despite these dirty rags of good deeds and intentions, and despite my sins... because we are all sinners. None of us are where we need to be. But Jesus is where we are.

Can I have an "amen" for the abounding love of Jesus Christ? Thanks and God bless you.

Blake, in the end it's our own love that betrays us all.

 

[Eugene]

My entire Christian life was the type of life which was constantly bombarded with preaching and teaching on sin... and truthfully I let it wear me down to a point of self-loathing and self-hatred where everything I learned only made me feel more exceedingly wicked and hell bound than I was before. I put so much stock in my own works and my own failings.

Brother Blake, you have discovered the exact purpose of the ministration of death written and engraven in stones we read of in 2 Cor 3:7.

Rom 7:7 What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.
Rom 7:9 For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died.
Rom 7:10 And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death.

 

[Willie T]

Yes, concentrating upon sin does make us more self-centered than God-centered. It's a trap many of us never realize.

 

[Jethro Bodine]

Love is the fulfillment of all things God.

Be filled with the fruit of the Spirit and everything else falls nicely into place.

 

[Jethro Bodine]

Brother Blake, you have discovered the exact purpose of the ministration of death written and engraven in stones we read of in 2 Cor 3:7.

Rom 7:7 What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.
Rom 7:9 For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died.
Rom 7:10 And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death.

When we walk by the Spirit the law gets fulfilled. It's impossible to walk in the Spirit and walk in the flesh at the same time. The Spirit is how we fulfill the law, not cast it away.

 

[poetofparables]

Yes, concentrating upon sin does make us more self-centered than God-centered. It's a trap many of us never realize.

I disagree Willie, concentrating on your sins is a very positive thing to do so long as you don't become negative about it.

 

[poetofparables]

When we walk by the Spirit the law gets fulfilled. It's impossible to walk in the Spirit and walk in the flesh at the same time. The Spirit is how we fulfill the law, not cast it away.

In the words of the late Christopher Hitchens " Show me one right moral action a non believer can't do, that a believer can"

 

[Willie T]

I disagree Willie, concentrating on your sins is a very positive thing to do so long as you don't become negative about it.

Truthfully this is just the opposite of what God intends. Just look at how you have let one of Satan's best ploys, shame, eat at you about that homeless girl.

Read my signature. Those are God's words... that He has forgotten our sins. Who the heck are we to go looking for them again?

 

[poetofparables]

Truthfully this is just the opposite of what God intends. Just look at how you have let one of Satan's best ploys, shame, eat at you about that homeless girl.

Read my signature. Those are God's words... that He has forgotten our sins. Who the heck are we to go looking for them again?

Forgetting your sins is like forgetting to turn the stove off and going to sleep. Maybe if you're real lucky your house won't go up in flames.

 

[Willie T]

I think you are mistaking "forgetting" with "not doing". I've killed more people than I ever want to even think about. Should I do like those Spanish pilgrims, and flail and cut myself (mentally) over those times? Or should I try to live a life where I will never again hurt anyone deliberately?

 

[poetofparables]

I think you are mistaking "forgetting" with "not doing". I've killed more people than I ever want to even think about. Should I do like those Spanish pilgrims, and flail and cut myself (mentally) over those times? Or should I try to live a life where I will never again hurt anyone deliberately?

Willie is that what I'm saying mate.

 

[Blake]

I'm more sin aware than I ever have been, but I don't allow missing the mark to destroy my mental state, or my fortitude. I finally understand that discipleship is a process, and not to have a right now, hasty attitude about perfection. I dust myself off and wash my face and offer up my brokenness to God and I press forward, humbled and contrite yes, but not to the point of disgust.

 

[Willie T]

I dunno, PoP. You try hard not to say much... that's why I learn so much about you. I spent a couple of decades listening to people telling me volumes, hardly ever saying the words they really meant.

 

[Willie T]

I disagree Willie, concentrating on your sins is a very positive thing to do so long as you don't become negative about it.

Yet, PoP, you entitle a post, "I stand ashamed."

 

[Blake]

Yet, you entitle a post, "I stand ashamed."

Its amazing how quickly the light comes on sometimes. In the blink of an eye.

Did I just loosely quote Aerosmith?

 

[Eugene]

When we walk by the Spirit the law gets fulfilled. It's impossible to walk in the Spirit and walk in the flesh at the same time. The Spirit is how we fulfill the law, not cast it away.

Brother Jethro, the slightest twist of scripture can cast doubt upon God’s work in us.

Rom 8:3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
Rom 8:4 says “That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us (not by us), who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”

The purpose of the law?
Rom 3:20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
Rom 3:21 But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;
Rom 3:20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
Rom 3:21 But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;

I’m personally of the opinion that the law was the tree of knowledge. Gen 2:17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

Galatians 3:23 But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.
Galatians 3:24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
Galatians 3::25 But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. (the law)
Galatians 3:26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. And even the measure of faith was given us (Rom 12:3).
Great Grace indeed.

 

[Jethro Bodine]

Brother Jethro, the slightest twist of scripture can cast doubt upon God’s work in us.

What are you talking about? Doubt about what?

Rom 8:3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
Rom 8:4 says “That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us (not by us), who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”

The purpose of the law?
Rom 3:20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
Rom 3:21 But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;
Rom 3:20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
Rom 3:21 But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;

I’m personally of the opinion that the law was the tree of knowledge. Gen 2:17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

Galatians 3:23 But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.
Galatians 3:24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
Galatians 3::25 But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. (the law)
Galatians 3:26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. And even the measure of faith was given us (Rom 12:3).
Great Grace indeed.

It's interesting to see James use the law to teach the church to love others. Love is the why--the motivation of obedience. The law helps us know how to love. For example, he explains to the church how we must 'love your neighbor as yourself', then reminds them the law says not to show favoritism--which they were doing. Sadly, most in the Protestant church see this consulting of the law that James does to instruct the church in the way of love as a damnable work of the flesh.

 

[Jethro Bodine]

In the words of the late Christopher Hitchens " Show me one right moral action a non believer can't do, that a believer can"

Die by crucifixion on a cross for your enemies.