The Christ Church Wednesday Bible Study Group is studying grace. The title of the study is "What's So Amazing about Grace"
There could have been no grace whatsoever for us but for the fact that God the Son volunteered to take our place and redeem us: Grace... came through Jesus Christ.
Grace will bring the freedom to want the highest good for and expect the highest good from one another. It will make us want to obey and prompt us to love each other.
The greatest thing about grace is that it is free to you, but it is certainly not cheap. Jesus paid for it with His life.
Grace is free but it is also risky. Why is it risky? It can be taken to one of two extremes, the extreme of abusing it the other extreme is killing it by requiring that you work for it.
It's amazing that we as a nation will fight other nations for our national liberty and that we as a people will, if necessary, fight one another for the freedom of those within our borders, but when it comes to the living out of our Christianity, we will give up our liberty without a fight. We’ll go to the wall and square off against any enemy who threatens to take away our national freedom, but we’ll not be nearly so passionate as Christians under grace to fight for our rightful liberty. Let enough legalists come aboard, and we will virtually give them command of the ship. We will fear their frowns, we will adapt our lives to their lists, we’ll allow ourselves to be intimidated, and for the sake of peace at any price (even though it may lead to nothing short of slavery), we will succumb to their agenda.
We are using the books, "The Grace Awakening: Believing In Grace Is One Thing. Living it is Another", and "The Grace Awakening Workbook" by Charles E. Swindoll. You can study along with us by clicking the above links or the images after the notes.
These are the notes to Session 6
(Eph. 2:8–9 NIV) “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast”
CONSIDERING AN EXAMPLE OF GRACE
2 Samuel 9:1-10 NIV David asked, “Is there anyone still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show kindness for Jonathan’s sake?” Now there was a servant of Saul’s household named Ziba. They summoned him to appear before David, and the king said to him, “Are you Ziba?” “At your service,” he replied. The king asked, “Is there no one still alive from the house of Saul to whom I can show God’s kindness?” Ziba answered the king, “There is still a son of Jonathan; he is lame in both feet.” “Where is he?” the king asked. Ziba answered, “He is at the house of Makir son of Ammiel in Lo Debar.” So King David had him brought from Lo Debar, from the house of Makir son of Ammiel. When Mephibosheth son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, came to David, he bowed down to pay him honor. David said, “Mephibosheth!” “At your service,” he replied. “Don’t be afraid,” David said to him, “for I will surely show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan. I will restore to you all the land that belonged to your grandfather Saul, and you will always eat at my table.” Mephibosheth bowed down and said, “What is your servant, that you should notice a dead dog like me?” Then the king summoned Ziba, Saul’s steward, and said to him, “I have given your master’s grandson everything that belonged to Saul and his family. You and your sons and your servants are to farm the land for him and bring in the crops, so that your master’s grandson may be provided for. And Mephibosheth, grandson of your master, will always eat at my table.” (Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.)
Before we move on let’s talk a little about where Mephibosheth was when David found him through Ziba. He was in Lo Debar. Lo-debar, interestingly, in Hebrew means “a barren place.” In English, the name of the place could be translated “no pastureland.” It’s as if the servant is saying that Jonathan’s son is living in a place of stark barrenness— a place where there are no crops, a wilderness . . . a wasteland.
This is not in your workbook but is in Chuck's book and I want to share it because it really paints a great picture of grace.
What a scene! What grace! From that time on he was welcome at the king’s table of continual nourishment and uninterrupted provisions. Undeserving . . . yet unconditionally loved. Mephibosheth’s head must have swirled for days as he forced himself to believe his new situation wasn’t a dream.
Why did David want to show Mephibosheth lovingkindness? It wasn’t because of his relationship with the young man. In fact, he had no knowledge of Mephibosheth’s existence before Ziba told him of the man. David wanted to show grace to Mephibosheth for Jonathan’s sake. The crippled son did nothing to merit David’s notice. But David stooped in grace, offered him a place at the royal table, and restored to him all the riches he had lost.
SEEING THE ANALOGIES OF GRACE
1. Once Mephibosheth enjoyed fellowship with his father. And so did the original couple, Adam and Eve, in the lovely Garden of Eden.
2. When disaster struck, fear came, and Mephibosheth suffered a fall that crippled him for the rest of his life. And so it was when sin came, humanity suffered a fall which has left us permanently disabled on earth.
3. David, the king, out of unconditional love for his beloved friend Jonathan sought out anyone to whom he might extend his grace. In like manner, God the Father, because of His unconditional acceptance of His one and only Son’s death on the cross, continues to seek anyone to whom He might extend His grace.
4. The disabled man had nothing, did nothing, and deserved nothing. He didn’t even try to win the king’s favor. All he could do was humbly accept it. So we—sinners without hope and totally undeserving, in no way worthy of our God’s favor—humbly accept it.
5. The king restored the cripple from his miserable existence—a place of barrenness and desolation—to a place of fellowship and honor. God, our Father, has done the same for us. From our own personal “Lo-debar” of brokenness and depravity, He rescued us and brought us into a place of spiritual nourishment and intimate closeness.
6. David adopted Mephibosheth into his royal family, providing him with uninterrupted provisions, nourishment, and blessings. We, too, have been adopted as sons and daughters into His royal ranks, surrounded by ceaseless delights.
7. The adopted son’s limp was a constant reminder of the king’s grace. Our imperfect state keeps us from ever forgetting that where sin abounds, grace super abounds.
8. When Mephibosheth sat at the king’s table, he was treated as one of David’s own sons—no less than Absalom or Solomon. When we feast one day with our Lord, the same will be true.
David and Mephibosheth’s celebration dinner reminds us of our “banqueting table” in heaven. Won’t that celestial table be a sight? As we look around the table, we’ll see so many faces who said “Yes.” Abraham, Moses, Elijah, Deborah, Peter, Mary, Martha,
Paul, “Mrs. Gray-Haired Prayer Warrior,” “Mr. Missionary,” “Mr. Businessman,” “Mrs. Mother of Three,” “Miss Kindergarten Teacher”—the list will go on. But we will all come to the table by the same invitation—grace. It’s not what we did or didn’t do,
but what He gave. We’ll all sit at His table in awesome wonder that the King sent his beloved Son to rescue us from our “Lo-debar.” Together, the children of God who once felt so unworthy will spend eternity praising the One who made them worthy.
As we are gathered with the people of God at that great marriage feast of the Lamb, the tablecloth of His grace will cover all our disabilities and limitations.
Squaring Off Against Legalism
Galatians 3:1 NIV You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified.
I find it amazing that we as a nation will fight other nations for our national liberty and that we as a people will, if necessary, fight one another for the freedom of those within our borders, but when it comes to the living out of our Christianity, we will give up our liberty without a fight. We’ll go to the wall and square off against any enemy who threatens to take away our national freedom, but we’ll not be nearly so passionate as Christians under grace to fight for our rightful liberty. Let enough legalists come aboard, and we will virtually give them command of the ship. We will fear their frowns, we will adapt our lives to their lists, we’ll allow ourselves to be intimidated, and for the sake of peace at any price (even though it may lead to nothing short of slavery), we will succumb to their agenda.
Here is what it says in an article titled “The Paralysis of Legalism “written by S. Lewis Johnson, a seminary professor.
Let’s first look at the definition of legalism.
The Encyclopedia of Christianity in the United States defines legalism as a derogatory description for "the direct or indirect attachment of behaviors, disciplines, and practices to the belief in order to achieve salvation and right standing before God", emphasizing a need "to perform certain deeds in order to gain salvation" (works).[4] Additionally, legalism refers to the view that Christians should not engage in social practices perceived as contrary to a Christian witness, such as gambling, dancing, consuming alcohol, enjoying secular entertainment, or wearing immodest clothing; and the list goes on and on.
“One of the most serious problems facing the orthodox Christian church today is the problem of legalism. One of the most serious problems facing the church in Paul’s day was the problem of legalism.
Colossians 2:16-23 NLT So don’t let anyone condemn you for what you eat or drink, or for not celebrating certain holy days or new moon ceremonies or Sabbaths. For these rules are only shadows of the reality yet to come. And Christ himself is that reality. Don’t let anyone condemn you by insisting on pious self-denial or the worship of angels, saying they have had visions about these things. Their sinful minds have made them proud, and they are not connected to Christ, the head of the body. For he holds the whole body together with its joints and ligaments, and it grows as God nourishes it. You have died with Christ, and he has set you free from the spiritual powers of this world. So why do you keep on following the rules of the world, such as, “Don’t handle! Don’t taste! Don’t touch!”? Such rules are mere human teachings about things that deteriorate as we use them. These rules may seem wise because they require strong devotion, pious self-denial, and severe bodily discipline. But they provide no help in conquering a person’s evil desires.
In every day it is the same. Legalism wrenches the joy of the Lord from the Christian believer, and with the joy of the Lord goes his power for vital worship and vibrant service. Nothing is left but a cramped, somber, dull, and listless profession. The truth is betrayed, and the glorious name of the Lord becomes a synonym for a gloomy kill-joy. The Christian under law is a miserable parody of the real thing.”
Legalism is a killer. It kills congregations when a pastor is a legalist. It kills pastors when congregations are legalistic. Legalistic people with their rigid dos and don’ts kill the spirit of joy and spontaneity of those who wish to enjoy their liberty. Strict legalistic people in leadership drain the very life out of a church,
even though they may claim they are doing God a service.
What’s the cure to the disease of legalism? Liberty.
Galatians 5:1 NIV It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.
Galatians 5:1 CEV Christ has set us free! This means we are really free. Now hold on to your freedom and don't ever become slaves of the Law again.
Galatians 5:1 NLT So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law.
J. B. Phillips, in a paraphrase of Galatians 5:1, renders it: Do not lose your freedom by giving in. . . . Plant your feet firmly therefore within the freedom that Christ has won for us, and do not let yourselves be caught again in the shackles of slavery.
What does it mean that the Christian has liberty?
Liberty is freedom from slavery or bondage. It is initially freedom from sin’s power and guilt. Freedom from God’s wrath. Freedom from satanic and demonic authority, freedom from shame, and as freedom from the oppression of others’ opinions, obligations, and expectations.
The liberty that grace unlocks brings a fearlessness, almost a sense of invincibility, in the presence of adversity; freedom form the need to perform in order to please God and/or others.
But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world. Those people belong to this world, so they speak from the world’s viewpoint, and the world listens to them. But we belong to God, and those who know God listen to us. If they do not belong to God, they do not listen to us. That is how we know if someone has the Spirit of truth or the spirit of deception.
1 John 4:4-6 NLT
Such freedom is motivated—motivated by unconditional love. When the grace of Christ is fully awake in your life, you find you’re no longer doing something due to fearor out of shame or because of guilt, but you’re doing it through love.
We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world. Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love. We love each other because he loved us first. If someone says, “I love God,” but hates a fellow believer, that person is a liar; for if we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see? And he has given us this command: Those who love God must also love their fellow believers.
1 John 4:16-21 NLT
Because I understand God’s grace to me and the freedom it gives I am now able to allow others the same freedom. I don’t become a grace killer. I can give them the freedom to be themselves in their relationship with God. We are not the same God didn’t create us to be identical to each other. That’s why He gave different gifts.
God’s grace frees us from the grace killers who would love to control and manipulate you so you will become as miserable as they are. After all, if they are determined to be “cramped, somber, dull, and listless,” then they expect you to be that way too. “Misery loves company” but God’s grace gives us liberty, freedom.
Now let’s look at legalism. Legalism is an attitude, a mentality based on pride. A legalist assumes the place of authority and pushes it to unwarranted extremes. As Daniel Taylor states so well, it results in illegitimate control, requiring unanimity (agreement by all people involved; consensus.), not unity (the state of being united or joined as a whole.)
Unity takes great effort to achieve, is risky. Unanimity, on the other can be measured, monitored, and enforced. Unanimity is mosty external, whereas unity is essentially internal. Its primary goal The goal of unanimity or legalism is corrected behavior, while unity’s goal is a right spirit. Unanimity insists on many rules in addition to those of belief. The legalist say believers are expected to come to God in similar ways, to have similar experiences with God, and to use accepted phrases in describing those experiences.
Legalism clings to law at the expense of grace, to the letter in place of the spirit. Legalism is rigid, grim, exacting, and lawlike in nature. Pride, which is at the heart of legalism, works in sync with other motivating factors. Like guilt. And fear. And shame. It leads to an emphasis on what should not be and what one should not do. It flourishes in a drab context of negativism.
“The one place on earth where we would most expect to be set free is, in fact, the very place we are most likely to be placed into slavery: the church.” That is a quote from Eugune Patterson who wrote The Message Bible paraphrase, from his book Traveling Light.
This is something else that he wrote; There are people who do not want us to be free. They don’t want us to be free before God accepted just as we are by his grace. They don’t want us to be free to express our faith originally and creatively in the world. They want to control us; they want to use us for their own purposes. They themselves refuse to live arduously and openly in faith, but huddle together with a few others and try to get a sense of approval by insisting that all look alike, talk alike and act alike, thus validating one another's worth. They try to enlarge their numbers only on the condition that new members act and talk and behave the way they do. These people infiltrate communities of faith “to spy out our freedom which we have in Christ Jesus” and not infrequently find ways to control, restrict and reduce the lives of free Christians. Without being aware of it, we become anxious about what others will say about us, obsessively concerned about what others think we should do. We no longer live the good news but anxiously try to memorize and recite the script that someone else has assigned to us. In suchan event we may be secure, but we will not be free. We may survive as a religious community, but we will not experience what it means to be human, alive in love and faith, expansive in hope. Conforming and self-congratulatory behavior is not free. But Paul “did not yield in submission even for a moment, that the truth of the gospel might be preserved for you.” Every free person who benefits from Paul’s courage will continue vigilant in the resistance movement he formed.
How many Christians do you know who exercise the joy and freedom to be a person full of life, living on tiptoe, enjoying spontaneous delight— as opposed to the hundreds of thousands who take their cues from the legalists and live life accordingly?
This is not just a phenomenon of today. Paul addressed this in his letter to the Galatians.
Galatians 3:1-3 NIV You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by believing what you heard? Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh?
J. B. Phillips calls them “idiots.”) He writes:
O you dear idiots of Galatia, who saw Jesus Christ the crucified so plainly, who has been casting a spell over you? I shall ask you one simple question: Did you receive the Spirit of God by trying to keep the Law or by believing the message of the Gospel? Surely you can’t be so idiotic as to think that a man begins his spiritual life in the Spirit and then completes it by reverting to outward observances?
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