Today I read a passionate argument against some “hyper-grace” teaching that has become popular. Living under my rock, I am not in a position to comment on teachings I have not heard for myself, but this has never stopped me before. 🙂 I will concede that maybe the message of Grace in Christ could be presented badly. But I find it hard to believe that it could ever be too much.
I’m not sure if the reaction is toward something that may actually be heretical or if maybe much of the Church has never understood that law and grace were never meant to be in balance. Grace replaces law because it does what the law could never do; creates a new life, draws with love rather than fear of punishment, transforms desires which in turn guides a life toward Christ instead of self. Maybe those teaching “hyper-grace” don’t know this either, but I have never heard anyone teach that Jesus has no affect on a life. He just saves you and that’s all there is to it? Nothing changes except you go to heaven instead of hell? Are people really teaching this? Or are some people afraid to let go and let Him be the Lord of the road people are on while seeking Him. I would speculate it’s possible that neither side of this debate really know Grace.
I have wanted to write about this so many times, and never could quite seem to figure out how to approach it – because it’s kind of the depth and scope of everything about living in Christ. It’s like, if you don’t get it – I can’t give it to you. But I see so many Christians , churches, and creeds missing the awesome power of Grace.
Real Grace (which is even beyond my ability to accurately define) is such a transforming power that squabbling over what you think you are allowed to do or not allowed to do becomes pointless. Those debates are for those who don’t have enough grace, not too much. Grace fills you with love for God that keeps Him in mind in all your actions, words, and even your thoughts. Grace fills you with love for other people so that you lay down your prejudices, hates, grudges, and feelings of superiority. Your heart lives with those who are last, not first, and you learn to lay down your life and take up your cross. You even find yourself loving those who hate you. Grace isn’t always easy, but it’s glorious. It’s Jesus on a cross loving you and His executioners, saving us who were against Him. You can’t have too much of Him. Loving Him with your whole heart, mind, and soul does not lead to licentiousness. Quite the opposite. People think that when Christians begin to get comfy with sin (which is also sadly defined only by moral behavioral lines while the sins against love are ignored), they need more law. I disagree. They need to see more Jesus, and we so seldom speak of Him. We love to dwell on agendas and abstract ideas. Even New Covenant recovering theology junkies like me are in danger of this. Life is not a good idea we can talk about at a distance. It’s a Person who is your Life and has an active participation in it. We often turn His Spirit into a dead doctrine or a band-wagon, either one. Both of these forget that He is standing there as our Bridegroom, waiting for us to realize the intimacy and power of His Love. Imagine an unpublished final chapter of Pride and Prejudice. Elizabeth Bennett, in spite of her hard-won love and admiration of Mr. Darcy, turns to a life of crime because he wasn’t stern enough to keep her in line. That’s not how love stories go, and I don’t believe it’s what Jesus intended for those who fall in love with Him.
It makes me sad when people believe Jesus isn’t enough and we need to step back to Moses to get a good dose of morality to stay on the straight and narrow, or to even find conviction for sin. This isn’t what He taught. The inheritance He gives us, His Spirit, His Life.. is so much more, so much greater. And it’s continuing to open my eyes to areas that I had not surrendered to Him before. Grace loves me enough to not leave me to wallow in my own ways. In the last year, I’ve seen things that were so out of line with Him, that I used to believe were true (similar to the awakening which inspired the start of this blog). The areas of my life being pruned would never have been brought into the light with the Law. His Spirit goes deep into the heart and tests things against the Law of Love. So much in my heart has failed this test. This did not come about because someone came and said, “you need to repent of x,y, and z”. Rather, it’s the fruit of walking with Him, and hearing His heart. And I have much further to walk. Maybe we need to move past God as a doctrine and realize that living in communion with him (as a husband and wife, father and child, etc… whatever family or friend relationship you relate to) doesn’t operate on this score and control system when it’s healthy. What friend of Jesus did He ever have to force Himself upon? Was there ever a more attractive Person?
I may have never encountered this actual problem of hyper-grace, and I may misunderstand the arguments against it, but I do appreciate the chance to say, Jesus is enough. 🙂 Always.
8thDay4Life 
This was simply awesome =o).
You wrote,
“Grace replaces law because it does what the law could never do; creates a new life, draws with love rather than fear of punishment, transforms desires which in turn guides a life toward Christ instead of self.”
and
“Real Grace (which is even beyond my ability to accurately define) is such a transforming power that squabbling over what you think you are allowed to do or not allowed to do becomes pointless.
“Those debates are for those who don’t have enough grace, not too much. Grace fills you with love for God that keeps Him in mind in all your actions, words, and even your thoughts. Grace fills you with love for other people so that you lay down your prejudices, hates, grudges, and feelings of superiority. Your heart lives with those who are last, not first, and you learn to lay down your life and take up your cross. You even find yourself loving those who hate you.”
and
“You can’t have too much of Him.
“Loving Him with your whole heart, mind, and soul does not lead to licentiousness. Quite the opposite. People think that when Christians begin to get comfy with sin (which is also sadly defined only by moral behavioral lines while the sins against love are ignored), they need more law.
“I disagree. They need to see more Jesus . . . ”
That’s the so-called ‘Hyper-Grace’ position, Sondra – you’re in good company =o). Dr. Brown labeled it ‘Hyper-Grace’, the Apostle Paul simply titled it the ‘Grace of Christ, the Gospel of Christ’:
Galatians 1:6-7
6I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— 7which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ.
I couldn’t agree more! Thank you for your words of wisdom, compassion, love and hope. There is no such thing as to much grace. Perhaps grace can be misunderstood and misapplied, but then it wouldn’t be true grace–would it.
Keep the posts coming.
Terry
For years I was taught that we are saved by grace alone, through faith, and that afterward we keep the Ten Commandments and the Sermon on the Mount with the help of the Holy Spirit. Yet Paul said when he tried to keep “Thou shalt not covet,” he was overtaken by covetousness. And the point of the Sermon on the Mount was to show the people that Pharisee types are not keeping the Law regardless of their show of pretense.
After years of trying, I finally saw Jesus!! Fixing my eyes on Him, it pains me to sin against His Law of Love. Gazing into His Law of Liberty we are transformed into His likeness, as James tell us.
This is the greatest prayer of my heart, that those who labor and are heavy laden would come to Him and learn of Him.
Thank you for writing!!
WOW!
Thanks for this wonderful post. I just woke up and was checking emails. I read this and immediately thought of my daughter who is trapped in the Hebrew Roots mentality, so I forwarded this to her.
I have tried to share this with her in the past, but I was never able to put this concept in such wonderful words.
Thank you for this blog!
Joe
Praising God for you all. 🙂 Such a joy to know others have seen how awesome a Gift given to us in Jesus. I was thinking… (been driving for the last two days from Texas to southern Colorado) that how is it possible to over emphasize something that is so complete? Words like “finished” – “fullness” – “forever” – (and many more) can’t be overdone. The fault is not in accepting the totality of them, but in not seeing it, and feeling a need to prop them up or add to them. In my daily life it’s easy for me to forget.