Confusing and Abusing Grace in the Name of the Gospel. Romans 6:1, 15-18; Jude 3-4 (part 1)

Beloved, while I was making every effort to write about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to (go the opposite direction) and to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints. (WHY?) For certain persons have crept in unnoticed, these are ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ. (Jude 3-4)  

Jude understood how glorious it is to celebrate our common union in Christ.  Magnifying the redemptive grace of God and our undeserved salvation never gets old, does it?  Having said that, this emergency 911 epistle (aka Jude), illustrates that it is pastorally negligent to ignore a clear and present danger!  To act like everything is spiritually ok, when it's not, is both dangerous and wrong!  True shepherds protect the flock at all costs (John 10).  On the other hand, when danger appears "hirelings" leave the sheep unprotected.  Jesus reminded his disciples that hirelings really only care about themselves.  Their personal comfort and well-being is what they are most concerned about.  Add to that, Jeremiah 6:14 reminds us that false teachers say, "'Peace, peace!' when there is no peace at all."

After a wonderfully enriching five year journey through the signature Gospel of John, my original plan was to begin a new expository study of a brief, yet power packed, epistle. Philemon. Sadly, I cannot do that at this time.  Though the heresy of flown blown Antinomianism has NOT crept into our beloved church family (as was true in Jude's case), hyper-grace sanctification and lower-case “a,” Reformed antinomianism- has!  To do nothing and just hope for the best would be a dereliction of duty.  

Allow me to illustrate. How would you react if you heard that your city fire station captain responded like this?  "Fire station 401. Fire chief Caleb speaking."  "Sir, please calm down!  So just your attached garage is on fire? Well, we’re really busy waxing our trucks and few guys are catching up on sleep. We had a really busy weekend… Please call us back if the fire spreads to the entire house- bye for now!"  You would be outraged...and rightly so!

It’s the God ordained duty of shepherds/pastors to protect the sheep entrusted to their watch-care (Heb. 13:17) and to guard the doctrine of the church (1 Tim. 3:15). 1 and 2 Timothy make this very point over and over again. For a good example of what I am referring to read through Titus 2:1-15.  

Having said that, like godly parents, pastors and elders strive to be biblically balanced.  Wanting to be kind, patient, and gracious, but never at the expense of one’s personal walk with God. The overall doctrinal purity and spiritual well-being of God's people is a shepherd's chief concern.  

At the onset of this series, let me say this: Faithful biblical instruction must be balanced!  It must be positive and negative.  To what proportion, and to what degree, depends on the specific circumstances.  Read Revelation 2-3 and you will see the Perfect Shepherd's specific instructions to seven different local churches.  The tone of each letter varies greatly depending on what was taking place in each congregation.  When needed Jesus does not mince words.  He is perfectly balanced, "full of grace and truth" (John 1:14-18).

But don’t take my word for it. Notice what the Word of God requires of pastors/elders in Titus 1. Two voices are required in biblical ministry:  1) Positive exhortation is the enjoyable part of shepherding and preaching.  “By God’s grace you’re doing well flock! EXCEL STILL MORE!” (per 1 Thess. 4:10).  Some weeks I pinch myself…“I can’t believe I’m getting paid this week, in part, to study and preach the theology of John 3:16! 'For God soo loved the big, bad world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.'"

The second voice is "negative." 2) Biblical shepherds must also “warn,” “challenge,” “admonish,” and when necessary, “correct something” and/or “rebuke someone.”  Take special note of the 2 Timothy 4:2-4 mandate as well as what Paul says in Titus 3:10-11.

Titus 1:5-10 highlights the biblical qualifications, the skill set, and specific ministry duties of New Testament church leaders. As the Spirit-equipped, shepherd-theologians of the church (per Eph. 4:11-16 and 1 & 2 Timothy) pastors and lay elders "must (Titus 1:9) hold firmly the faithful word, which is in accordance with the teaching, so that he will be ABLE BOTH A) to exhort in sound doctrine and B) (they must) refute those who contradict."  

In Pastor Titus’ ministry context there were rebellious people, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision that were leading various sheep astray!  Upsetting entire households.  Verses 11-15 inform us these are false believers and false teachers Titus is dealing with. The Greek word refute means "to eliminate error!"  Building up the faithful is hard work but it's generally very rewarding! (2 Tim. 2:15; 1 Pet. 5:1-4).  Exterminating heresy, calling out error, and confronting sin is the rigorous and risky side of ministry! Faithful pastors that do this have the internal scars to prove it! In Galatians 4:16, Paul had to ask, "Have I become your enemy for telling you the truth."  God's Word warns that if you reprove a proud scoffer chances are they will despise you for it (Prov. 9:8-12)!

Let me encourage you to read through the book of James this week.  Take special note of all the positive instruction in the book.  Also keep track of, if and when, the Holy Spirit corrects error and/or confronts sin. It’s perfectly balanced biblical instruction.  Of course it is, it's the infallible Word of God.

The point I am trying to make is simply this.  In many ways, if I never had to correct aberrant theology or sinful behavior; parenting, pastoring, counseling, and discipleship would be a walk in Eden Park.  

Pleasing God through Progressive Sanctification

When there are just two choices on the shelf, pleasing God or pleasing self, choose wisely!  

True believers "make it our goal to please Him, whether we are at home in the body or absent from it" (2 Cor. 5:9).  Pleasing Christ and glorifying God (1 Cor. 10:31) is one of the major themes emphasized in the biblical counseling movement and rightly so!  It's also the central theme in Dr. R.C. Sproul's book on sanctification, "Pleasing God: Discovering the Meaning and Importance of Sanctification."  

The only perfect Man who has ever been provides a perfect life example of this life and death commitment.  Jesus Christ, God's "beloved Son" always pleased the Father (Matthew 3:17; 17:5; John 12:28).  On three occasions God spoke audibly from heaven and declared that He was well pleased with His Holy, Holy, Holy Son.  

When considering the perfect obedience of Christ the hymn writer rightly declares, "Oh to be like Thee, blessed Redeemer, this is my constant longing and prayer; Gladly I'll forfeit all of life's treasurers, Jesus Thy perfect likeness to wear."  As those justified by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone long to obey God and please Christ "in all respects' (Col. 1:10).  Unfortunately, the spirit is willing but the flesh is oh so weak (Matt. 26:41).  We need the Helper's help more than we often realize (John 14-16). When Christians fail to "walk in the Spirit" we need the LORD's tender mercies and forgiveness (1 Jn 1:7-9; Psalm 32).  Thankfully, we worship, love, and serve "the God of of all grace and second chances."

But back to our blessed Lord and Savior.  The Lord Jesus made it clear, "My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to accomplish His work" (John 4:34).  As the long-awaited Messiah (John 20:31), the incarnate Word of God (John 1:1-14), always yielded His human will to the Father's perfect plan (Luke 22:42).  Unlike us, the Son of God is intrinsically righteous, and unlike us, He always trusted and obeyed!

In the aforementioned book, Dr. Sproul writes, "In the Christian life, there is an upward call.  One does not move upward in a circle.  We are on a line going somewhere.  It is moving forward.  In a word, there is progress in the Christian life." It's not an easy road or a straight line to glory mind you.  It's often, two steps forward, one back.  One step forward, one back.  Three forward, two back.   In John Bunyan's classic, "The Pilgrims Progress" Bunyan understand the many dangers, toils, and snares that stand in the path of every Christian, not to mention, the sin "which so easily entangles us" (Heb. 12:1-3).  "But Mr. Bunyan also understood two vitally important truths about the Christian life:  we are pilgrims, and we make progress."  In the words of Ephesians 2:10, "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them."  Commenting on Ephesians 2:10, Sproul adds, "Jesus does not fashion His art on an assembly line.  His work of molding and shaping is done with infinite care and patience.  We have seen the bumper sticker, 'Be patient with me, God is not finished with me yet.'  There is truth in that statement."

Progressive sanctification is a process.  It is a gradual process.  Run from those who promote unbiblical paradigms of sanctification.  Be it from the hyper-grace movement or from those who promise a "second work of grace" followed by sinless perfection/instant sanctification.  On this point, Sproul notes, "Rebirth/regeneration is instantaneous.  Justification is instantaneous.  But sanctification is a lifelong process.  It involves a diligent struggle against a multitude of obstacles...It is a journey that takes us through the dark night of the soul, through the valley of the shadow of death, and through the wilderness of temptation."  The Puritans really understood this life-long struggle and holy war.  Hence, books like John Owen's, "The Mortification of Sin" and Thomas Watson's "the Doctrine of Repentance" and "Heaven Taken by Storm: Showing Forth the Holy Violence a Christian is to Put Forth in the Pursuit of Glory."

Sanctified sweat is to be expected.  Along the way we will sometimes succumb to the flesh, the world, and the Tempter's tailor made temptations.  The journey and final victory however are certain!  "Christ promises to go with us and to bring us out the other side.  Our Lord finishes what He starts... The Lord is intensely interested in our welfare and our maturing (Hebrews 12:5-10).  He wants us to learn more and more about God and how to please Him.  He wants us to find joy in pleasing Him (1 John 5:3; Psalm 119:97; Psalm 19:11)...He wants us to change.  He helps us to change.  This growth in pleasing God is called sanctification."

Different Standards or a Genuine Stumbling Block?

In the Christian life, it’s not uncommon to hear someone referenced as a stumbling block. However, what exactly is a stumbling block and what is the difference between a genuine stumbling block and a violation of a person’s standards on a particular issue? In order to see the difference between the two, we must examine how the Bible uses both of these situations and compare them to one another.

Offending Someone

There is much in the New Testament about how a person should maintain healthy relationships within the church. For instance, in Ephesians 4:3, we find Paul urging people to be “eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” We should strive to walk together in peace within the church and to value our relationships in Christ Jesus. This is so important, notice what Paul wrote at the end of Ephesians 4:  Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil. Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need. Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you (Ephesians 4:25–32).

Some of these verses in this paragraph in Ephesians 4 are often used regarding how we treat one another in our home, especially between husband and a wife in Ephesians 4:26 regarding not allowing the sun to set on your anger.  The four rules of communication are certainly implications that one can take from this passage. However, this entire paragraph is contextually referring to the relationships within the church (although we can make application to how we treat one another in other contexts as well). The idea is that we should maintain love and healthy relationships and seek to walk in peace together for the glory of God—not giving the devil an opportunity to divide us and cause us to sin.

Stumbling Block

In the Bible, we see a few different types of stumbling blocks mentioned. First, we find the stumbling block used in the Old Testament in Leviticus 19:14. That language is picked up and used in the New Testament to describe a person who causes someone to stumble in obedience to God. We see this as Peter questioned the crucifixion of Jesus and was subsequently rebuked for his words. While he was certainly not going to prevent Jesus from going to the cross, he could become a stumbling block, or a hurdle by getting in the way of God’s eternal plan.

(Understanding) Righteousness In Three Words

Righteousness is an important biblical concept.  As unrighteous people it is difficult to get our arms around the absolute holiness of God (see for example Isaiah 6 or Revelation 4-5).

Pastor John MacArthur provides a helpful summary of this key concept using three words: Law, Grace, and Obedience.

1) Righteousness is defined by Law. 

You want to know what righteousness is? What it is to be right with God?  Holiness is defined by the Law.  The holy Law of God defines perfect righteousness (see Rom. 7).  Our Creator's holy character is revealed in the righteous Word of truth (see Psalm 119).  As we gaze into God's righteous Law it reveals our many blemishes and moral imperfections (like a mirror). 

We need to be opposed to the light of God's word to not affirm that "there is none righteous, no not one" (Romans 3) and that we "ALL fall short of the glory of God" (Rom. 3:23; 6:23).  This leads to a very important question: How are you going to be righteous? 

2)  Righteousness is empowered by Grace. 

First of all, righteousness is imputed to us by grace and then it's imparted to us by grace (Gen. 15:6; Rom. 4). So righteousness is defined by law and empowered by grace.  We can't keep the law and therefore we must throw ourselves on the mercy of God.  His holiness becomes ours through imputation (2 Cor. 5:21).  By and through God's sanctifying grace we are empowered to keep the law of God and grow in godliness. The fruit of faith and love is obedience (Eph. 2:8-10).  This transitions us perfectly into a third key principle.

"Ruining Our Witness" & "Worship that Displeases God": A Few Considerations.

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”