Over the last several days we have been discussing four mindsets regarding the Bible which hinder people from developing fruitful relationships with God.

If you missed any portion of our previous discussion it can be found in:

PART 1

PART 2

PART 3

OR PART 4

Today we begin discussing the third destructive mindset in our series

The next attitude or mindset that is prevalent in the world and in the church today is,

 

• I live under grace not the law so I don’t have to obey God I just have to receive the mercy of God.

 

This  mindset is found in  the person who comes to Jesus, hears preaching about His death on the cross and comes to the altar to say the sinner’s prayer and then thinks they are saved because they said a bunch of words. The problem is they miss a step. They never repent.

This is the person who goes on living in their sin, living in violation of the Word of God and who refuses to even try to change.

This is the person who when confronted with their sin says, “You have no right to judge me because I am not under law but under grace.”

This is the person who says, “That’s Old Testament teaching. Law teaching. I don’t have to obey the law because Jesus died so I don’t have to.”

“I don’t have to tithe.”

“I don’t have to quit getting drunk.”

“I don’t have to quit watching pornography.”

“I don’t have to stop sleeping with my girlfriend.”

“I’m saved by grace.”

This is a misunderstanding of the New Covenant, the new binding agreement, we have with God.

To people who believe this lying mindset the Prophet Jeremiah and the writer to the Hebrews say the same thing.

“This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel

after that time,” declares the Lord.

“I will put my law in their minds

and write it on their hearts.” Jeremiah  31:33

When we receive grace, God writes His word on our minds and hearts. The law gets inside of us. It is not just in a book we read anymore. It becomes woven into the very fabric of our being. That is why when a true Christian sins it is so painful, because now the Word of God the law is written on our hearts. When we violate it, it causes us greater discomfort than we ever had before. That is what we call conviction of sin.

Paul the apostle said it this way in his letter to the Romans,

“Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of his wonderful grace? 2Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it? 3Or have you forgotten that when we were joined with Christ Jesus in baptism, we joined him in his death? 4For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives.

5Since we have been united with him in his death, we will also be raised to life as he was. 6We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. 7For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin. 8And since we died with Christ, we know we will also live with him. 9We are sure of this because Christ was raised from the dead, and he will never die again. Death no longer has any power over him. 10When he died, he died once to break the power of sin. But now that he lives, he lives for the glory of God. 11So you also should consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus.

12Do not let sin control the way you live;^a do not give in to sinful desires. 13Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God. 14Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace.

Romans 6:1-13

Christian there is a law in the grace. There is a way that grace must be applied and there is a way grace will demand we live. When we violate the Word of God and try to say “It’s OK” because we are under grace we do so at our own peril and to our own hurt.

Grace requires more holiness of us than the law ever could. Don’t you know that the law is God’s minimum standard?

The Law says “Do not kill. Do not commit adultery.”

Grace says, “Don’t even hate anybody. Don’t even think lustfully.”

Then it says, “and  by the way God will now pour the power to achieve that higher level into you.”

 By yourself you can’t even achieve the minimum standard with grace you can achieve even more.

Christians who cut pieces of the Bible out and  who say “I don’t have to obey that part because I am not under law but under grace” short change themselves from ever achieving the part of grace that is miraculous.

Tell me what you think.