I
have shown in my previous post K135 (1) why grace is the beginning of a
believer's faith journey to produce fruit with a simple 'flow chart'
like this:
Faith > grace > charity > work > obedience > fruit
Hence,
we can say that grace is a must in a believer's faith journey to
produce fruit too. However, for grace to take effect before it can
finally produce fruit in the life of a believer, it must have sin
conscience or sin consciousness.
Grace can take effect only when there is sin conscience
At
the end of my previous post K135 (1), I have shown clearly why the
Holy Spirit can reprove us of sin or make us feel sin conscious. Hence,
the Holy Spirit can bring sin conscience to anyone who sins in the WORLD
ie. anyone in the church, in the family, in the school, in the
community, in the company, in the country, or in the whole universe too.
The Holy Spirit can certainly bring sin conscience to anyone who sins
in the past, in the present, and in the future too. Please be honest and
ask ourselves, Which one of us (especially the self-righteous
'Christians') can be exempted from the conviction of the Holy Spirit?
Therefore, grace is given to every man, not to cover his sin conscience
(or to be ignorant of sin), but to know that he is a sinner, to repent,
and to turn away from sin if he still sins in present or future.
The
woman in the temple (in Joh 8:9-12) is the only person experienced the
grace of God in that scene, not because she denied all the law of God or
ignored all her sins; but because she knew the law of God and admit all
her sins more than any other men before the law of God, before God, and
before Jesus Christ:
Joh 8:7-12 KJV So when they continued asking
him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin
among you, let him first cast a stone at her. (8) And again he stooped
down, and wrote on the ground. (9) And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience,
went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and
Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. (10) When
Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said
unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned
thee? (11) She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do
I condemn thee: go, and sin no more. (12) Then spake Jesus again unto
them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall
not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
We saw two types of sinners in the Bible verses above:
1. the Pharisees and the Jews (probably the whole audience in the temple) who departed from Jesus and
2. the woman who stayed with Jesus
All
the Pharisees and the Jews departed (quietly) because they refused to
confess or admit their sins, before God and Jesus Christ, even though
they had been convicted by their own conscience or sin conscience. They could not receive grace. However, the woman stayed, and hence she received and experienced grace !
Faith can take effect only when there is confession of sin
I
am not talking about confession of sin verbally. I believe that when
John mentioned about the confession of sin in 1 John 1:9, he was not
talking about just verbal confession of sin too. True confession of sin
is always a strong recognition, clear awareness, and the right response
to sin conscience. A believer who has truly repented must have the
strong conviction to know and admit that he is a sinner (like the woman
in Joh 8:9-12), that there is nothing he can do, and that he is so
helpless that he can only depend on grace. Hence, grace cannot take
effect when there is self-righteousness. Grace and self-righteousness
cannot co-exist. Many will ask, "How about Grace and sin conscience?" They may also ask, "How about Grace and law?
Can they co-exist?" I will explore on grace and law later. But now I
will say that, of course, grace and sin conscience can co-exist. It is
because when we know that we are sinners (like the woman in Joh 8:9-12)
and have sin conscience, we know that we need grace and we will repent.
If we experience grace, we will know our sin conscience, and we will
repent too.
But many try to 'dilute' repentance in the gospel by
saying that "to repent is to believe" or "to believe is to repent". I
will tell them, If you think that to repent is to believe only, please
do not repent. Very likely you will believe only, and you will go around
to criticise those who do more than believing only, and you will do
more harm than good in the end. Please read your Bible again, When Jesus
or Paul told the people to repent, they did not say "repent or
believe"; but "repent AND believe". It means that we need to do both:
Mar
1:14-15 KJV Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into
Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, (15) And saying,
The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.
It
means that, only having repented, can we start to believe right (and to
have right believing in the doctrine or the gospel of Jesus Christ).
only having repented, can we start the process of faith in Christ to
produce the fruit in the life of a believer:
Faith > grace > charity > work > obedience > fruit
It
is impossible to have faith without true repentance in the name of
Jesus Christ. Except we repent, we can never know what is faith which
will produce the fruit.
Luk 13:5-9 KJV I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent,
ye shall all likewise perish. (6) He spake also this parable; A
certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and
sought fruit thereon, and found none. (7) Then said he unto the
dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit
on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the
ground? (8) And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this
year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it: (9) And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down.
There is no 'stopping' (resting or doing nothing) in the doctrine of Christ
Hence,
we know that faith is a journey or process. It is not an end. Many will
ask, "How about obedience?" Of course, obedience, salvation, or
healing, is not an end too. In fact, Jesus has shown us clearly that we
must all continue to move on from where we have stopped or even where
we were healed or saved. We cannot stop, rest, and stay put on the same
spot forever. However, if we move on, we will do the will of God and we
will give glory to God ultimately. Of course, figuratively,
1. We should take up our bed and move on after we slept on it (or after we were healed):
Mat
9:6-8 KJV But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth
to forgive sins, (then saith he to the sick of the palsy,) Arise, take up thy bed,
and go unto thine house. (7) And he arose, and departed to his
house. (8) But when the multitudes saw it, they marvelled, and
glorified God, which had given such power unto men. (See also Joh 5:8)
2. We should take up our cross
after we died on it. We must carry it along to know that we are dead to
sin in the world but alive in Christ: Mat 16:24-25 KJV Then said Jesus
unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny
himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. (25) For
whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his
life for my sake shall find it.
3. We should take up the words and commandments of God
after we have obeyed. When we take up His commandments, we will
continue to keep and walk after His commandments: 2Jn 1:6-11 KJV And
this is love, that we walk after his commandments. This is the
commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk
in it. (7) For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess
not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an
antichrist. (8) Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things
which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward. (9)
Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath
not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both
the Father and the Son. (10) If there come any unto you, and bring
not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God
speed: (11) For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil
deeds.
The false prophets will reject the doctrine of Christ
So,
now we know what is the doctrine of Christ and what is not. We know
what is the will of God and what is not by reading the words of Christ
too. Contrary to what the false prophets said, 'doctrine' is not
something that makes the people stupid or legalistic; doctrine is simply
TEACHING which we must accept if it is from Christ. If we reject His
doctrine, we reject Christ. If we reject His doctrine we reject the
revolution of Jesus Christ too:
Mar 1:27 KJV And they were all
amazed, insomuch that they questioned among themselves, saying, What
thing is this? what new doctrine is this? ..
Joh 7:16-17 KJV Jesus
answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me.
(17) If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine,
whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.
Mar 12:38 KJV
And he said unto them in his doctrine, Beware of the scribes, which love
to go in long clothing, and love salutations in the marketplaces,
Mat
7:15-28 KJV Beware of false prophets .. (16) Ye shall know them by
their fruits .. (28) And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these
sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine:
The false
prophets may preach great revolution to ask the people to receive the
love of God or the grace of God too. But, if they preach grace to reject
the doctrine of Christ, they have rejected Christ. If they
deliberately or schemingly preached their 'effortless' doctrine to
replace the doctrine of Christ, they are not God's prophets. It is
because they can never do the will of God even though they may confess,
prophesy, preach, or do many things in the name of the Lord:
Mat
7:15-23 KJV Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's
clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. (16) Ye shall know
them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of
thistles? .. (21) Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall
enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father
which is in heaven. (22) Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord,
have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out
devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? (23) And then will I
profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work
iniquity.
Now please think, If we are not saved by doctrine, can we
be saved if we reject the doctrine or commandments of Christ? No, if we
are not saved by doctrine, neither can we be saved if we reject His
doctrine or make ourselves ignorant of His doctrine too. Grace and the
doctrine of Christ are not mutually exclusive; they co-exist.
Can grace and law co-exist?
Many
will ask, "How about Grace and law? I think you have given us the idea
that grace and law can co-exist too. But, if Grace and
self-righteousness cannot co-exist, how can grace and law co-exist?"
I
will tell them, Yes, you are right. You have been given the idea that
grace and law can co-exist. But I am not the one who gave you that idea.
It was Jesus who showed it to you. Do you remember the woman who was
left alone with Jesus in the temple (Joh 8:9-12)? Yes, grace was there,
conviction was there (because the Pharisees and the Jews were convicted
by their own conscience). Hence, sin conscience was there, but do you
know that law was there also? If you believe that Jesus stooped down and
wrote the Ten Commandments on the ground (Joh 8:8) and convicted the
Jews, you would agree that the law of God was there (on the ground) too,
Jesus was there, grace was there; but self-righteousness was not there.
When the self-righteous Pharisees departed from Jesus,
self-righteousness departed from grace too. Hence, it showed us that:
1. grace and self-righteousness cannot co-exist; but
2. grace and law can certainly co-exist
Jesus
who gave grace had shown us that He would still write the law of God on
our hearts today. When the innocent, the humble, or the persecuted are
vindicated in the presence of grace and law of God today, the
self-righteous and the lawless cannot stay; they will leave too. But,
grace and law will always remain with us even after we are saved. Yes,
like the woman in the gospel of John, we have all gone through the
period of condemnation by our sins. After we have experienced the grace
of God, the law of God is not written on the ground now; it is written
on our hearts and minds now. Hence, grace and law will always remain in a
believer's life.
Heb 8:10-12 KJV For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws
into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a
God, and they shall be to me a people: (11) And they shall not teach
every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the
Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest. (12) For I
will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their
iniquities will I remember no more.
Heb 10:16-17 KJV This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; (17) And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.
There is always law and judgement irregardless of covenant of law or covenant of grace
Many
will still argue, "But we are under grace; not under the law. How can
grace and law co-exist. It is either this or that. If we are under
grace, we are no longer under the law. It means that we have no more
law; we have only grace .. and therefore, there is no more law and
judgement for us .."
Rom 6:14-15 KJV For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace ..
I
will tell them, Of course, you are not under the law of Moses or Old
Covenant to circumcise, offer sacrifices, and do the works of the law,
but are you under the traffic law to drive carefully? Of course, yes.
You are not under the law of Moses to go to the temple and observe the
law of Sabbath, but are you under the law of your country to serve your
National Service? Of course, if it is a compulsory duty for you to serve
your country under its law, you are under law of your country to fulfil
your duty. Of course, you are not under the law of Moses, but do you
know that you are still under the law of Christ or the law of God to
obey God, and to do and keep the words of God? So, if you say Yes and
you are truly under grace, you would never condemn or malice anyone who
still keep the law of God:
1Co 9:21 KJV To them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law.
Hence,
I am under the law of Christ, how about you? Yes, I will not deny that I
am under grace too. But being under grace does not mean that we have no
more law or we are no longer subject to any law; being under grace
means that we do not live in self-righteousness or behave like the
Pharisees who used the law of Moses to justify themselves for their sins and hypocrisy.
Please
think, Does it make sense if we live under grace but we still behave
like the Pharisees or carnal believers? No. What happen if we still use the grace of Jesus Christ to justify ourselves to live in self-righteousness, in sins, or in carnal life? We are no difference from the Pharisees! We cannot please God.
Rom
8:6-8 KJV For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually
minded is life and peace. (7) Because the carnal mind is enmity
against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. (8) So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
Hebrew
10 had warned about the Jews or Pharisees who sinned under the law of
Moses. Hence, he would also warn the believers and those who sin under
the new covenant too. In fact, he said that we (not the Jews or the non-believers) could be more severely punished by a 'much sorer' punishment if we behave like the Pharisees or the hypocrites too. In another words, we
should never abuse the grace of God and use it to justify ourselves for
living in shameful life, wicked lies, self-righteousness, or hypocrisy
too:
Heb 10:16-30 KJV This is the covenant that .. I will put my laws into their hearts .. .. (26) For if we sin wilfully after that we
have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more
sacrifice for sins, (27) But a certain fearful looking for of judgment
and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. (28) He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: (29) Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God,
and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was
sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of
grace? (30) For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto
me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people.
The
Bible said it very clearly: it was not a judgement or warning against
the world or the non-believers; it was a judgement for God's people (who
are under His covenant or under grace)
Ok, question, why would God judge His people?
Normally
true believers will not question God about His judgement. But I will
still answer the question. God would judge His people because some of
His people could be lukewarm believers, false believers, fallen
believers, carnal believers, boastful believers, or hypocritical
believers. I don' have time to describe each category of believers but I
will only list down the types of believers who are always mentioned in
the Bible, for example:
1. those who stressed that they preached the truth
and that they were bought by the Lord, but they preached against the
way of truth: 2Pe 2:1-3 KJV But there were false prophets also among
the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily
shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them,
and bring upon themselves swift destruction. (2) And many shall
follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall
be evil spoken of. (3) And through covetousness shall they with
feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time
lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.
2. those who confessed sin
but they did not really know what is repentance: Mat 3:6-8 KJV And
were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins. (7) But when he
saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said
unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the
wrath to come? (8) Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:
3. those who said sorry
but they did not really feel sorry. The Pharisee might do wicked things
and oppressed the poor but they would never feel sorry for what they
had done when coming to God: Luk 18:10-12 KJV Two men went up into the
temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. (11) The
Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I
am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as
this publican. (12) I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all
that I possess.
4. those who said they obeyed God but they did
not really obey. King Saul's answer to Samuel was an example of
hypocrisy and rebellion: 1Sa 15:22-23 KJV And Samuel said, Hath the
LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying
the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to
hearken than the fat of rams. (23) For rebellion is as the sin of
witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou
hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from
being king.
5. those who preached revolution but they did not
really have revolutionary change in their lives. They preached a false
'repentance' which told the people to change only their minds, but they
were afraid to preach repentance as a command to change their lives or
to change like Zacchaeus: Luk 19:8-10 KJV And Zacchaeus stood, and said
unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor;
and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I
restore him fourfold. (9) And Jesus said unto him, This day is
salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham.
(10) For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was
lost.
6. those who said that they had high regard for God's laws
but they did not really do His laws: Mar 7:11-13 KJV But ye say, If a
man shall say to his father or mother, It is Corban, that is to say, a
gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; he shall be free.
(12) And ye suffer him no more to do ought for his father or his
mother; (13) Making the word of God of none effect through your
tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.
7. those who boasted that they could run their churches to show more grace
but in reality they run their churches like business enterprise or
political revolution for profit and selfish desires: Rev 3:16-17 KJV So
then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue
thee out of my mouth. (17) Because thou sayest, I am rich, and
increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that
thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:
Hence,
the revolution of Jesus Christ is not to get grace and prosper; His
revolution is to do righteousness through faith and grace. If we put
faith or grace as an end and refuse to move on or refuse to think of it
as a journey of faith, we stop doing God's righteousness:
Faith > grace > charity > work > obedience > fruit
When
we stop doing God's righteousness, we will stop doing the work of faith
or bearing fruit too. Hence, any grace revolution is useless if it
stops at grace or if it is preached against the doctrine of Christ that
is based on faith to produce fruit.
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