OVER EMPHASIS

Grace is an amazing thing. It is quite rightly the root, foundation and the reason any Godly life is given and operates. Through grace we have been redeemed and are kept by the power of God. Through grace we have love and life more abundantly, and through grace we live and move and have our being. However, there is a danger in it's being over emphasised. There is a danger that now exists in becoming so 'single-focused,' that Christians must be careful that they do not stay as spiritual children because of it. The author of Hebrews puts it like this: 'So let us stop going over the basic teachings about Christ again and again. Let us go on instead and become mature in our understanding. Surely we don't need to start again with the fundamental importance of repenting from evil deeds and placing our faith in God' (Heb 6:1). But there is a reason why Christians love to stay at the fundamentals aspects of grace.

It is a good thing that all Christians know they are forgiven, that they are washed by the blood and that they are accepted in God. BUT, grace always produces an effect that is not just personal, but also PROVISIONAL, that is, it GIVES (manifested in our lives sacrificed for others through the gifts given to us through that grace). If we simply stay at the basics of the doctrine of grace, we become purely selfish. This happens because we are only ever focused on WHAT GRACE DOES FOR US. But God gave us His grace so that HE COULD WORK OUT HIS PURPOSE THROUGH US to those around us, and so that we can SERVE HIM. Think about that for a minute. The purpose of grace is not only to redeem, but to redeem in order to serve (which involves needed equipping, which involves learning all of the Word, not just parts and not just 'single doctrines'). 2 Cor 5v15 says; 'And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.' So grace is given in order that we might become LESS AND LESS focused on ourselves, and more focused on living for Christ. If all our doctrine and understanding of grace does is provide for us, we have failed to understanding the whole intent of the provision and working of that grace.

I think I have now heard about the fundamental doctrine of grace so many times on Facebook it would make my head spin. And funnily enough, I've hardly heard about anything else about the Word. Which is amazing really, since the grace that has been given to us is intended to be WORKED OUT according to pattern of instruction given to us in the New Testament. That PATTERN is so incredible, so multi-layered, so colourful, vibrant, powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword. That pattern of instruction is 'line upon line,' and 'precept upon precept.' We are called to be 'workmen who needeth not be ashamed' for a reason. We must be workmen because there is SO MUCH in this Word of God that we've been given. There is SO MUCH of Jesus that has been given to us that it simply boggles the mind. And all of it was given FOR A SPECIFIC PURPOSE. All of it was given with the intent that we live our lives according to His Will and come to know Jesus in the way that was intended (with eternal results!!!).

The encouragement in the New Testament is repeated so many times. Paul encourages and urges the believers to continue to grow in truth and knowledge, even as they grow in love. They are continually directed to forget that which lies behind them, and to 'press-on'. But alas, many of us have grown weary and grown lax, feeling as though we don't need to do that as long as we have our babies bottle of a belief we can understand and grasp; to go beyond that, we feel, would be to hard, too much work and too much to grapple with. So we content ourselves on the basics, and never realise that true spiritual state we are in. The author of Hebrews basically said that if you weren't progressing in spiritual truth, you were more than likely stopping and in danger of falling away.

So the encouragement remains for us to GO ON, to PRESS ON, and to not remain where we are and to not remain where it is easy and comfortable, and where we can get an easy feed and remain in a babies wonderland of ignorance and simplicity. To believe that we are safe in simplicity is a dangerous thing. God intended that we grow up, and that we come to know Him more and more in Jesus Christ. We should not trust our own understanding of things; both of this life and how we should live in it, Christ didn't come to have us live through us understanding and wisdom, but because of and through His. This should be more than enough encouragement for us!