Grace

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http://www.bible-researcher.com/grace.html -->worth reading.

[Janet Easson Martin]

Learning About Grace

There are a number of people I like to learn about the Bible from. My favorite is the Holy Spirit as I’m reading those blessed scriptures on my own. Then there are ones I’ve enjoyed listening to for years, some along the way I’ve added, and even some I’ve heard more recently. It makes me recall what Anne Graham Lotz (Billy Graham’s daughter) shared about Bible Teachers —that it’s not healthy to depend on just one source (or man) for biblical understanding. It’s good to get your input from multiple sources such as proverbs says:

“Where there is no [wise, intelligent] guidance, the people fall [and go off course
like a ship without a helm], But in the abundance of [wise and godly] counselors there is victory.”

Proverbs 11:14    Amplified

By the way, this verse DOES NOT AT ALL refer to many disciples under one man like GCx used to claim, including their insistence of excluding any outside them. That was blatant and abusive twisting of scripture for their control, not God’s.

One of the Bible Teachers I’m thankful for is Robert Morris because he is strong on grace; something that was nearly non-existent in GCx Churches. The lack of it made so many of us feel little hope and lots of shame. So a great provision of it was just what was needed by me. Taught properly it is THE GREATEST motivator to love God. It is really what Jesus’ offering is ALL about. I believe Pastor Morris is wise in claiming that without it, you cannot continue very long truly serving God.

Here is a message about how much we need his grace, and how very much he provides. Be blessed.



“He Provides” by Pastor Robert Morris, January 9, 2022

https://youtu.be/lP4-CdnUXH4

[Janet Easson Martin]

Understanding the Grace of God is paramount to living in Christ. We should remember that the Apostle Paul was accused of preaching too much on grace. It is one thing we heard little of in GCx Churches. I found a Workbook to help with understanding all that we been sacrificially forgiven and unconditionally given. Here is an excerpt from it, “The Grace Awakening” Workbook by Chuck Swindoll. The original book is what God used to set me free from the corruption of the practice of the gospel in GCx, and to finally leave it’s suffocating grip.


...grace killers undermine the message of grace by putting a price on the gift that God gives for free. They attach a price tag by emphasizing works over grace, by handing out lists of dos and don’ts, by leaving no room for any gray areas, or by judging those who may not agree or cooperate with their plan.

If you choose to follow another way of thinking, they’ll say you’re not a committed Christ-follower. They’d rather get you to pay for God’s grace (an impossibility, actually) than risk the possibility that you’ll use grace as a get-to-sin-for-free card. In their zeal to keep everyone from sin, they actually embrace evil by corrupting the gospel.

Responding to this false gospel of conditional grace, one famous preacher at London’s Westminster Chapel, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, challenged his fellow ministers not to underestimate how radical God’s grace is. The wise minister turned to the apostle Paul’s question at the beginning of Romans 6 (“Are we to continue in sin that grace may increase?”) and said that the fact that some use grace as an excuse to indulge their selfish desires shows that the message of grace is being rightly heralded.

- Chuck Swindoll, The Grace Awakening Workbook

[Janet Easson Martin]

He Never Condemns Those Who Belong to Him

Listening to this passage spoken (below) in it’s encouraging tone (which seems to be the intent of the biblical author) touchingly reminded my soul of my true and righteous identity. All of us once in GCx need desperately to here this more than a few times. A couple key phrases stood out to me. First, “I CANNOT DO the good I wish to do.” Second, “It is NO LONGER I who sin.” Whew!! God gets our struggle. God does NOT condemn us for it! And those are two of the reasons why he never condemns those who belong to Him.

If God doesn’t condemn us, why do we condemn ourselves? Could it be that we were condemned from the pulpit insidiously in the “name of God?” It seems we aren’t able to do those good things unless we are freed from condemnation and being under the law. I personally experience tangible freedom when I claim this forgiveness or righteous position!!

Hope you are built up and encouraged especially by the passage of scripture that comes alive as it is delivered here:


No Condemnation - Daily Devotional  from InTouch Ministries

https://youtu.be/-i9lW51ny_M

[Janet Easson Martin]

This first time I picked this book I just skimmed it. (I may have purchased it in a Goodwill store.) Now I’m reading “In the Grip of Grace” by Max Lucado from cover to cover. There are so many ‘life gems’ between those covers. For some, it seems a regular reading would give a needed bathing in healthy biblical Christianity. Just reading the introduction you will be blessed by the surprisingly honest illustration of grace. It is in healthy contrast to what we in GCx saw modeled. The following is from Lucado’s site (with my emphasis).


Get caught!

Life is full of fumbles and stumbles. Fraught with opportunities to make mistakes, occasions to feel guilty, and the drive to “do it yourself.” The pressure to be self-sufficient is high, but it isn’t the life God offers.

The way of the world will direct you to try harder and work smarter so that you can take care of yourself and even make yourself successful. But the way of the cross will point toward the place where you stop striving . . . stop pushing . . . stop every self-initiated effort—so that you can fall into the boundless, liberating, refreshing grace of God!

Just imagine being love-driven instead of self-propelled. Imagine abandoning your life to Jesus instead of trying to save yourself. Can you imagine exchanging your fears for that peace that passes understanding? Being relaxed and free instead of stressed-out and anxious? If you can imagine enjoying God instead of trying to repay him, then you can imagine grace.

So go ahead! Jump off the cliff of self-sufficiency. Leap out of legalism. Walk off the pier of guilt and condemnation. That’s the only way you’ll land in the strong arms of the Father who loves you . . . the Father who catches you—every time—in the grip of his grace.

-Max Lucado



From Link:
https://maxlucado.com/products/in-the-grip-of-grace-your-father-always-caught-you-he-still-does/


Book:
https://maxlucado.christianbook.com/in-the-grip-of-grace/max-lucado/9781400224654/pd/22465X?event=ESRCG

[Janet Easson Martin]

GRACE

It Changes Your Perspective on Everything

I honestly experienced this once I started intentionally claiming (or repeatedly reminding myself) of my true identity in Christ, and where my real righteousness comes from. Lists of claims or affirmations can be found here under HEALING - Essential Affirmations. It delightfully changed my view of myself, others, the world around me; and my relationship with God.

It is not “natural” thinking because we humanly seek to justify ourselves. In that process we criticize and judge others. But, under the truth and operation of Grace, all we can do is bow gratefully to the one who made us clean & righteous. Thus, finding ourselves compelled to see others just like us and being filled with compassion toward them (like God is toward us). It’s always a win-win. Without that covenant filtering our perspective, it seems to be a continual lose-lose.

Here is a message that helps understand this a bit more:



Amazing Grace - Amazing Righteousness - Pastor Robert Morris

https://youtu.be/vPsX13TZFB0



ESSENTIAL AFFIRMATIONS

http://forum.gcmwarning.com/the-healing-forum/essential-affirmations-building-up-what-was-torn-down/

[Janet Easson Martin]

Freedom from Condemnation

We Are Declared Righteous By God Almighty

The following is from a course on the Grace of the Gospel titled, “Sonship” by Jack Miller. This study on God’s view of us as his sons and daughters has drastically changed many a believer’s faith from a joyless slave to the ‘law of men’ to a happy freed man under the compelling ‘Grace of God’. The author would sometimes refer to himself as a Recovering Pharisee. Here is a small portion of Lesson Two: The Righteousness Which Comes Through Faith. (All emphasis is mine.)


... This standing before God as a gift is meant to give us freedom and confidence to know that God completely accepts us into his family, despite our past, present or future struggles with sin. We are reconciled, forgiven and profoundly, declared to be righteous in his sight. He now takes absolute delight in us and loves us and will never condemn us, even when we struggle with sin, because our standing is one of secured acceptance. Our guilty consciences are now free. We are righteous, because Christ is righteous, and we are in him and nothing can separate us from his love [Romans 7:25-8:4; Romans 8:31ff]

Because this acceptance and standing is not based on any righteousness of our own that we bring to God, but is based exclusively on Christ’s righteousness being credited to us as a gift, it is something that we can never lose and will never be taken away. When we put our faith in Christ, he binds himself and the fulfillment of his righteousness to us -- we are united with Christ

We are confronted with the need for the confidence that we are indeed accepted and that God will indeed bring his blessings of righteousness to us and through us to this world, both because of the opposition of the world [Habbakuk 2:4], the opposition of our own remaining sin [Gal 5:16-18; Romans 6:12-14], and the opposition of Satan [Revelation 12:10-11]

This standing of righteousness in Christ is the basis of our confidence to freely ask for the presence and the power of the Spirit to do God’s will [Gal 3:1-5; Romans 6; Gal 5]

This standing of righteousness gives us the freedom to see others as “righteous” and live with hope for them, and completely accept them into the family as equal members of the body [II Corinthians 5:16 ff] ...



Sonship by Jack Miller (Lesson Two - Page 11)

https://storage.snappages.site/B7M7DD/assets/files/Sonship.pdf

[Janet Easson Martin]

Active love and compassion is demonstrated by leaders in my church toward longtime members as well as people new to the church. Reaching out to hurting individuals and families they humbly accept as part of their calling as God's Church. Members give and serve behind the scenes. There is not really any blowing of one's own trumpet from the pew or the pulpit. There doesn't seem to be a competition for the spotlight. It is so refreshing. Sincerity is generally regular fruits in their company. They are definitely not too busy or important to get in other people's mess to help lift them out. And they have genuine success! They see real gen-u-ine change in people's lives. In other words, they see compassion, patience and healing as part of practicing God's plan along with outright evangelism to share God's Good News to their community.

As I was reading through this wonderful study on our 'Sonship Relationship with God' by Jack Miller, I recognized that we GCx members were indeed heavily persuaded to keep and flaunt keeping external requirements WHILE very often overlooking and even ignoring the real needs of widows, orphans, and  hungry among our own members. These sad neglects were repeatedly 'self-justified' to GCx's shame.

Here is a portion from the above mentioned book.:


3. Freedom because we are Sons by grace -- not by works of the Law

  ● Freedom from a guilty conscience and condemnation in our present struggle with sin

      One of the most basic points of wrestle and insecurity in the Christian life can be self-condemnation
      because of the ongoing presence of sin (I John 3:19-24); and it is one of the greatest areas of attack from Satan,
      the “accuser of the brothers” (Rev 12:10).

     The remedy is to not falsely judge, measure and condemn ourselves by a standard of perfection in keeping some
     external guidelines of the law we attach central importance to. Instead, we need to freely recognize we are sinners
     who never have been able to keep the heart of the law based on our own efforts, and the only hope for us is for
     God to freely work in us, through faith in Christ and the gift of the Spirit what we could never produce on our own
     (Romans 8:1-4).

The “works of the law” were not caring for the poor; helping the widow and orphan; feeding the hungry; taking in the
 stranger; loving your enemies – but a simplistic externalizing of the law that left sinful injustice intact and self-justified.

[Janet Easson Martin]

Food Network Star Aarti Sequiera Talks about Her Encounter with Jesus

My husband is a big fan of the Food Network. A frequently casted star chef is Aarti Sequiera who comes across as a happy, kind and friendly woman. Hearing her back story including her encounter and relationship with Jesus, especially of his Grace and Truth, is remarkable and endears me to her even more. I have copied the link to it below.


Let’s talk about giving with Aarti Sequiera - The Candace Cameron Podcast

https://youtu.be/groGS-M2sFY?si=9C8cf-5NJbrbTXYc