Saturday, September 15, 2007

Grace

What is Grace? And how does it relate to The Law? Today a good friend and I went to see The Way of The Master in Plano. If you have not ever seen any of the videos of Ray Comfort or Kirk Cameron doing street ministry, they are great. They are up front and in your face about the truth, but with compassion.
If you look at a building being built and you see the elevator coming down. In the bottom of the elevator shaft there are a couple small children playing in the sand. You don't ignore them thinking "oh they are not my children" or "well they look happy doing what they are doing". No you go and save them from the impeding destruction. That is what THe Way Of The Master is about. THe destruction is Hell. Hell is real. Your goal is to save them.
They focused on the Law. My church (a Bible Church) focuses on grace. Many people have been hurt in the church in their past and this church wants to heal that hurt.

How do the two work together...grace and the law??

TWOTM goes thru 4 steps.
1. do you think you are a good person?
2. What do the commandments say?
3. Are you guilty or innocent?
4. are you going to heven or hell?

Grace says you are "saved by grace thru faith in Jesus Christ". You will sin because you are not perfect and will not be perfect until you die and go to heaven. But even though you sin, your salvation is still intact. You don't have to "prove you are saved" by doing good works. You will do good works because you are saved. Besides....how many good works can you do to prove you are saved and how many 'bad' things can you do to prove you are not saved?

On the other hand, what does grace save us from? We are "saved by grace...". We are saved from Hell. This is thru the death of Jesus Christ. Why did he die? All my sins, past-present-future, he took on as his own and was brutally killed. He was sacrificed. When he died, I was set free.
The problem I have with TWOTM is I am always a sinner, even though I am a born again Christian. BUT, Christ took my guilt away when I accepted him as my Lord and Savior.

Third Day says it right. I am Innocent.

It seemed like I had run out of second chances
And they sentenced me to die
And I was just like a dead man walking
I was running out of time
But you came to me and opened my eyes
You gave me a brand new life

I am innocent and I have been set free
I no longer have chains around my feet
And no matter where I go or what they say
I am innocent

Many years have passed since the day that I met you
But your words are still the same
And every time I find myself with joy or sadness
I am calling out your name'
Cause you came to me and opened my eyes
You gave to me a brand new life

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