For anyone who is regular reader of Elyse Fitzpatrick or Tullian Tchividjian I would highly encourage you to read Daniel I. Block's, "For the Glory of God: Recovering a Biblical Theology of Worship." In it you will find helpful insights like this, "In chapter 3 we established that while the call to salvation is unconditional, the call to worship is conditional and subject to the spiritual and moral conditions of the worshiper."Just because we have experienced the grace of Christ in salvation does not mean that New Testament believers should be casual about worship (nor should we be nonchalant about our witness).
"For many, Sunday morning is just as hectic as any other day. By the time we arrive at the church, we are out of breath, our tempers are short, and we have scarcely had worship on our minds. But, blissfully, we imagine all we need to do is show up in church and God will be impressed. So we take pride in being in the services on Sunday morning, and if we are involved in various youth activities, in campus charities, or in Bible studies (midweek), we are obviously exceptionally spiritual. However, this scarcely fits the picture painted in Hebrew 10 and 12."
I believe hyper-grace advocates would heartily AMEN the second quote but I do not think the first quote would be posted in very many Twitter feeds. As with most things, biblical balance is desperately needed in this area of theology/practice.
So how can we elevate the free grace of justification without minimizing the various imperatives related to our progressive sanctification? Or as Kevin DeYoung puts it, how can we glory in the indicatives while insisting on the imperatives? How do we avoid the ditch of Legalism (Col. 2:16-17) without falling prey to hyper-grace Antinomianism?
In this vein, how do we balance New Testament warnings like 1 Peter 3:7 without becoming Pharisaic legalists? “You husbands likewise, live with your wives in an understanding way, as with a weaker vessel, since she is a woman; and grant her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered”
How are we to understand 1 Corinthians 11:26-31 in light of God's unconditional love? "For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until He comes. Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For he who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to himself, if he does not judge the body rightly. For this reason many among you are weak and sick, and a number sleep. But if we judged ourselves rightly, we should not be judged." While commenting on this passage Block writes, “In 1 Corinthians 11:17-34 Paul warns the congregation that they may not take for granted God’s approval of their participation of the Lord’s Supper.”
How are we to understand the gospel of grace in light of passages of Scripture like Hebrews 12:6-11? How are we to understand Hebrews 12:14 in light of Ephesians 2:8-10?
In this vein, what are we to make of persistent quotes like this, "I've heard people talk about others 'ruining their witness' because they sin. I guess, if our witness is, 'I used to be screwed up but now I'm wonderful,' I suppose that statement is true. But it certainly ISN'T the good news. The good news is that Jesus brings dead rebels to life and continues to love them through all their failure and struggle. The good news is 'You can be forgiven,' not 'You can be made better?'"
When Elyse Fitzpatrick posted this message on May 16th, 2015 she received over 1,000 likes on Facebook. I appreciate the kernel of truth that is presented in this FB statement. God did not send His Son to die for us because of what he saw in us (believers), pre conversion or post conversion. Romans 5 makes that point crystal clear. While we were yet sinners Christ died for us. It is also true that when Christians fail (and fail we will) part of our testimony to the world is 1 John 1:9. Praise the Lord that God is merciful and gracious to cleanse us all because of Jesus Christ!
Having said that, when Christians talk about "ruining their witness" perhaps they are thinking about warning passages like 1 Corinthians 9:23-27. I do all things for the sake of the gospel, so that I may become a fellow partaker of it. Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win. Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air; but I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.
Or 1 Peter 2:1-12, Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul. Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation.
When a Christian sins and then repents in a biblical manner (Psalm 32) it certainly becomes an occasion to testify of the amazing grace of God (Romans 8:28). King David makes this point in Psalm 51. Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Thy presence, And do not take Thy Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Thy salvation, And sustain me with a willing spirit. Then I will teach transgressors Thy ways, And sinners will be converted to Thee.
At the same time Paul warns his readers about the possibility of being "disqualified" from Christian ministry in 1 Corinthians 9:27 while Proverbs 5 and 7 cautions readers about the lasting temporal consequences of physical adultery. Their is a real sense in which sin can hurt and/or hinder our Christian witness. To suggest otherwise is foolish. The faithful student of Scripture should seek to maximize grace but never at the expense of minimizing sin.
It should be noted that the Holy Spirit often uses Spirit-empowered godliness in the life of believers in an evangelistic manner (see for example John 13:35). In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus encourages believers to "Let your light shine before men in such a way that they might see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven" (see Matthew 5:16-20).
The importance of Christian fruit/obedience (John 14:15-26; John 15:1-10), good works (Ephesians 2:10, Matthew 5), Holy Spirit empowered effort (1 Corinthians 15:10), and sanctified sweat (Philippians 2:12-13; Colossians 1:29, 1 Timothy 4:7-8) must be maintained and taught with proper balance. Grace saves, grace forgives, and grace sanctifies! Each of these truths should be declared and lived out. Let every Christian work towards this end as we seek to stimulate one another towards love and good deeds all to the glory of God (Romans 11:36)!
Titus 2:11-15, For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds. These things speak and exhort and reprove with all authority. Let no one disregard you.
