Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. (Ephesians 4:29)
Grace, in the above sense, would be defined as the saving Life and Presence of the Lord Jesus brought to people when the saint avoids words that are not wholesome but instead, uses his speech to build up and encourage those to whom he is speaking.
For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; (Titus 2:11,12)
The grace of God teaches us that we should live righteously. To seek to balance an emphasis on holy living with an appeal to mercy and grace makes no sense if grace itself teaches us to live righteously!
For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into immorality, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ. (Jude 1:4)
"Turning the grace of our God into a license for immorality." It appears that in the first century some of the churchgoers were attempting to use the forgiveness aspect of Divine grace to excuse immoral behavior. This is what always will happen when we dilute the necessity for godliness by continually referring to God's love, mercy, and grace.
It is difficult to live a godly life, and if there is an easy way to avoid fighting the good fight of faith, people will find it. "Grace" is employed today as the Divinely provided means of avoiding the stern discipline of true discipleship.
The Warnings of the Apostles
The repeated warnings of the Apostles of Christ prevent our attempting to balance the necessity for righteous behavior with frequent appeals to God's grace.
For if ye live in the appetites of the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify [put to death] the deeds of the body, ye shall live. (Romans 8:13)
If the believer in the Lord Jesus, having been baptized in water, having been filled with the Spirit of the Lord, then chooses to walk in the appetites and lusts of his physical body, he will die spiritually. He will prevent his own resurrection to eternal life in the Day of the Lord.
One might say, yes, but there is always the Lord's mercy and grace. This is what Satan always whispers: "You shall not surely die."
The Divine edict has been pronounced by the Apostle Paul: If the believer chooses to continue satisfying the demands of his soul and body, living as an adamic creature, not experiencing moral transformation through the Life of Christ created in him, he will die spiritually. No amount of love, mercy, or grace will produce a different result. He will die spiritually. Attempts to soften Paul's warning serve only to blind us to the truth.
Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness [immorality], Idolatry, sorcery, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. (Galatians 5:19-21)
The current teaching that these words do not apply to Christian people is so indefensible that we will not mention it further.
Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness [immorality], Idolatry, sorcery, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. (Galatians 5:19-21)
"They (the members of the churches of Galatia) which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God."
"Yes, but we must remember the love and grace of God!" Nonsense! Those who walk in the flesh either inherit the Kingdom of God or they do not. All attempts to soften the force of Paul's warning serve only to corrupt God's Word. There is no middle ground here, no opportunity to "balance" the admonition with appeals to mercy and grace.
Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him. (I John 3:15)
Repeated reminders of God's mercy have no bearing whatsoever on the force of this warning to Christian believers. No believer who hates another believer or any person for that matter, has eternal life dwelling in his personality.
One could balance an emphasis on the need to live a victorious life by stating that the Lord Jesus has led the way before us and will help us on to victory if we look to Him. We can balance a stress on the effort we ourselves need to make with the passages that offer God's assistance and the assurance that if we go down to defeat in the battle, God will always forgive us and encourage and assist us as we make an attempt to get back up on our feet and fight on.
But one ought never to attempt to balance I John 3:15 (above) by saying even though we hate and will not forgive another person, God loves us so much that He will bring us to Paradise anyway.
Can you see the difference between offering encouragement to the believer who is struggling against sin, on the one hand, and assuring the careless, lukewarm "believer" that God's love, mercy, and grace will forgive his carelessness, worldliness, moral filthiness, rebellion, and self-will, on the other hand?
This is not a case of offering a healthy balance. Rather it is a diluting of God's warnings so the Word of God becomes invalid. "God has said you shall die but you shall not surely die."
For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God: But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned. (Hebrews 6:7,8)
"Oh, but we must remember God's grace!" Either the Word is true or it is not. The above passage is not to be "balanced" with reminders of God's love. God is as severe as He is loving. The eternal truth remains: the believer in Christ who does not bear the fruit of righteousness in his personality and behavior will be cut out of the Vine—out of Christ. His name will be blotted from the Book of Life if he does not turn and gain victory through the Lord.
He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels. (Revelation 3:5)
To be continued.
Copyright © 2014 Trumpet Ministries Inc
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