| Environment of Grace | ||
| World Harvest Church > About Us > Evangelism |
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| A church with an apostolic dimension should build an environment of grace for the people of the community and of the marketplace to approach God. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need (Hebrews 4:16 NKJV). • Kings in ancient time judged from their thrones but God's throne is a 'throne of grace'. Though God's throne is founded on righteousness and justice, mercy and truth go before Him (see Psalm 89:14). Because Christ was condemned to justify us and died to give us life, we can 'come boldly to the throne of grace' to 'obtain mercy and find grace' when we need. 1. Grace removes condemnation and guilt God punishes sins only once; all our sins are already punished on the cross. There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1a NKJV). • By believing in Christ, we are 'now' set free from all condemnations. We have total forgiveness always. • Under grace, even when we fail and fall short of God's standards, God will still see us through the blood of Christ as forgiven and righteous. • We must also see ourselves righteous because the blood of Christ cleanses us continually. Tell people that God is not hunting for them to condemn their souls to hell. He desires to save them from sins. • The behavior of the father of the prodigal son is contrary to the law of Moses which demands him to bring a stubborn and rebellious son to the elders of the city to stone him to death (see Deuteronomy 21:18-21; Luke 15:11-24). He did not even give his son the opportunity to finish his rehearsed speech. He was waiting to clothe him with a robe of newness, put the signet ring of authority back to his finger, and let him wear the sandals of right standing. • According to the law of Moses, the woman caught in adultery was supposed to be stoned to death but Jesus showed her grace, did not condemn her, and instructed her never to live in sin again (see John 8:4-11; Leviticus 20:10). • When Jesus' disciples saw a man born blind, they asked if the man was blind because he has sinned or because his parents had sinned. Jesus answered: "Neither" (see John 9:1-7). The devil likes to cause people to ask whose fault it is in order to cause condemnation. Encourage people to come to God just as they are. He will meet them at their points of need. For the worshipers, once purified, would have had no more consciousness of sins. … Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience (Hebrews 10:2b, 22a NKJV). • The woman came to Jesus with an alabaster flask of fragrant oil, simply fell at His feet and worshipped Him just as she was—a sinner ! After that, Jesus declared: "Your sins are forgiven" (see Luke 7:37-48). • In the Old Testament time, when a person brings his sin offering to a priest, the priest does not examine him. He examines the sin offering. Today, God does not examine us; He examines the Sin Offering—the Lamb of God. Commit to maintain a strong environment of grace in your church. Let God's curse fall on anyone, including myself, who preaches any other message than the one we told you about. Even if an angel comes from heaven and preaches any other message, let him be forever cursed. I will say it again: If anyone preaches any other gospel than the one you welcomed, let God's curse fall upon that person (Galatians 1:8-9 NLT). • Do not depart from preaching the gospel of grace to the preaching of law, which incurs the double-curse of Paul (see also James 2:13). • You must also disallow any religious, judgmental, and punitive attitudes. 2. Grace teachings builds loving people Grace teachings produce godly living. Then he turned to the woman and said to Simon, "Look at this woman kneeling here. When I entered your home, you didn't offer me water to wash the dust from my feet, but she has washed them with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You didn't give me a kiss of greeting, but she has kissed my feet again and again from the time I first came in. You neglected the courtesy of olive oil to anoint my head, but she has anointed my feet with rare perfume. I tell you, her sins—and they are many—have been forgiven, so she has shown me much love. But a person who is forgiven little shows only little love" (Luke 7:44-47 NLT). • The more people have realized that they have been forgiven of all their sins by the grace of God, the more they will love Him and respect His forgiveness. So make every effort to apply the benefits of these promises to your life. Then your faith will produce a life of moral excellence. A life of moral excellence leads to knowing God better. Knowing God leads to self-control. Self-control leads to patient endurance, and patient endurance leads to godliness. Godliness leads to love for other Christians, and finally you will grow to have genuine love for everyone. The more you grow like this, the more you will become productive and useful in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But those who fail to develop these virtues are blind or, at least, very shortsighted. They have already forgotten that God has cleansed them from their old life of sin (2 Peter 1:5-9 NLT). • Christians who lack these qualities not because they lack discipline but because 'they have already forgotten that God has cleansed them from their old life of sin'. Godliness stems from a revelation of your sins being forgiven. Remind yourself daily that you have been cleansed from all your sins, you will exhibit more and more of these godly qualities. Being forgiveness-conscious gives you victory over sin (see also Romans 6:14). Being grateful of God's amazing grace motivates you to love God and serve people. We love Him because He first loved us (1 John 4:19 NKJV). • Your gratitude can be best expressed in loving the Lord and loving people (see also Matthew 22:34-40). • You love God not because of legalistic requirements, but you are very grateful of His grace proven on the Cross. You love people not because you want to impress them religiously, but God is so merciful to you. • Love for God prevents you from abusing His amazing grace (see Romans 6:1-2, 15) and love for people prevents you from judging others (see Matthew 7:1-5). 3. Gospel of grace draws people to God Preaching the gospel of grace pulls large crowd towards God and to the Church. Brothers, listen! In this man Jesus there is forgiveness for your sins. Everyone who believes in him is freed from all guilt and declared right with God—something the Jewish law could never do (Acts 13:38-39 NLT). • The gospel of grace that Paul preached is based entirely on justification by faith. • After Paul had finished preaching, the Gentiles begged that the same sermon of grace be preached to them the next Sabbath. 'Almost the whole city' of Antioch gathered to hear Paul preach on the grace of God (see Acts 13:43). • When the Pharisees saw the multitudes was impacted by grace, being clothed with Christ's perfect righteousness without works and without any self-effort, they who had worked so hard by their own efforts to achieve self-righteousness 'were filled with envy; and contradicting and blaspheming, they opposed the things spoken by Paul' (see Acts 13:45). Behold, you despisers, marvel and perish! For I work a work in your days, a work which you will by no means believe, though one were to declare it to you (Acts 13:41 NKJV). • To the Pharisees, perpetual forgiveness through grace and in faith was too good to be true. The law veiled over their eyes and they could not appreciate God's grace. 4. Gospel of grace gives signs and wonders The gospel of grace releases faith for the power of God to do the impossible. So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God (Gk. Christon) (Romans 10:17 NKJV). • The Greek for 'God' here is not Theos, but rather Christos which means Christ. • Hearing the 'word of Christ' means hearing preaching and teaching on the new covenant of grace. • You can read Genesis to Revelation from the perspective of grace. Faith for healing comes when you are simply hearing the 'word of Christ'. And they preached the Good News there. While they were at Lystra, Paul and Barnabas came upon a man with crippled feet. He had been that way from birth, so he had never walked. He was listening as Paul preached, and Paul noticed him and realized he had faith to be healed. So Paul called to him in a loud voice, "Stand up!" And the man jumped to his feet and started walking (Acts 14:7-10 NLT). • When the man heard Paul proclaiming that he could be justified from all sins, faith arose and filled his heart. Paul commanded him to receive healing before he had time to hesitate. • The more we preach Christ's finished work for removing all our sins, the more faith people will have for any situation, even the seemingly impossible ones. The apostles stayed there a long time, preaching boldly about the grace of the Lord. The Lord proved their message was true by giving them power to do miraculous signs and wonders (Acts 14:3 NLT). • The Lord gives 'miraculous signs and wonders' to bear witness to the preaching of grace, not the preaching of the law. |
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