According to a story reported by two grassroots Syrian opposition groups, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and the Aleppo Media Center, Qatta’s words got him killed. A group of Islamist rebels, driving by in a black car, reportedly heard the exchange. They stopped the car, grabbed the boy and took him away.

Qatta, in refusing to serve a customer coffee – it’s not clear why – had used a phrase that the Islamist rebels took as an insult toward the Prophet Mohammed, the most important figure in Islam. That offhand comment, made by a boy, was apparently enough for these rebels to warrant a grisly execution and public warning.

Spring is here, but the snow is still falling. This has been a winter season for the record books churning out a tremendous number of avalanches that have taken many lives. Just this past week headlines broke across the nation concerning 5 accomplished snowboarders who died after having been buried in an avalanche in the backcountry of Colorado.1 That makes 24 deaths in the US this year, 18 this month alone worldwide. 2

I was just in the backcountry of the Utah mountains shooting TV spots for Steve Hill’s book, Spiritual Avalanche. We had scouted a promising location on the map but were unable to reach it because recent snow storms and the subsequent threat of killer avalanches had caused officials to shut down the roads surrounding the mountain out of concern for public safety. We were at an impasse barred from the place we so desperately wanted to be by a large steel gate and numerous warning signs that advised “Absolutely NO ADMITTANCE”. It was extremely tempting to ignore the warnings and jump the barricade. I knew that the shot we wanted was down that road (Steve even suggested we find a helicopter to fly us in). Everything in me was yelling, “Yes! Go out of bounds.” However, the authorities had already spoken. They said, “NO!”

There is a subtle yet subversive philosophy at work within the church today. It goes beyond the hyper-grace message to a place of LAWLESSNESS. Lawlessness removes the boundaries from the Christian’s life. It dismisses the clear warnings found in God’s word and opens the door to unlimited freedom to live however you desire. It is erroneous to believe that God would never tell his sons or daughters, “No”. Lawlessness is one of the most deadly aspects of the spiritual avalanche that is threatening millions in the body of Christ.

Do boundaries exist? Are there things that are off limits for the believer or do we enjoy unlimited freedom to do as our heart’s desire?

The apostle Paul answers that question simply and unequivocally. In Galatians 5:19-21 he provides two contrasting lists that are consistent with God’s moral law in the Old Testament with Jesus’ teaching in the Gospels. This is a list of seventeen things to which God still says “NO!”

• Adultery (Jesus also included lusting with your eyes)
• fornication (sexual relationships outside of marriage)
• uncleanness (moral impurity, sexual immorality, pornography)
• lewdness (perverse acts)
• idolatry (anyone or anything that sits on the throne of your heart)
• sorcery (witchcraft, rebellion)
• hatred
• contention (strife within relationships)
• jealousY
• outbursts of wrath
• selfish ambitions
• dissensions (stirring up disunity)
• heresies (false teaching)
• envy
• murder (Jesus included hating someone in your heart)
• drunkenness
• revelries (partying)
• And the Like (to let us know it’s not an all inclusive list)

These things are out of the bounds to the character and nature of God and remain out of bounds for his children as well. Paul said, “those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God” (Gal 5:21).

Lawlessness would contend that because of grace there is no law to forbid us from engaging in aspects of any of these things. So we entertain ourselves with images of adultery, fornication and uncleanness on our television sets and are not convicted. We listen to music and read books filled with lewdness, idolatry and sorcery and believe that God is still ok with us. We tolerate strife, pride, jealousy and envy in our relationships with one another dismissing it to the fact that we are all just human.

Paul says that anyone who practice such things has entered the “backcountry” of the flesh and will find themselves outside the Kingdom. Paul’s warning is a reflection of the most sobering words Christ spoke, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’” (Matt 7:21-23).

It’s hard to explain away the red letter words of our Savior. Jesus said there are “Many” who mistakenly believe they have a relationship with Him, yet are in danger of the fires of hell because they have fallen into the deadly deception of lawlessness.

If these fruits of the flesh are active in your life, don’t buy into the notion that God’s grace is a cover up for your sin and that He is simply content to accept you as are. God’s grace is far more powerful than that. Grace receives me as I am, but thankfully does not leave me as I am. True grace is God’s enabling power to be all Jesus is.

If you have encountered grace, then you have died to the flesh and can no longer live in it. True, you are no longer under the law because now His law is written upon your heart. The righteousness that once could not be achieved through works of the flesh is now enabled by the work of the Son. Friend, don’t fight for the right to remain in the flesh that Christ has freed you from!

Interestingly, while we were at the gate to the backcountry, smart phones in hand frantically searching for safer location, two adrenaline junkies came riding up on snowmobiles from the other side. They had spent the entire day in the backcountry skiing down the fresh powder. They chose to ignore the warnings. They willfully and deliberately went around a gate that was placed for their protection. That day they had fun enjoying the wide open freedom found being out of bounds. They were lucky. A few days later an official with the Utah Department of Transportation and a veteran skier lost his life on those same slopes when he was caught in an avalanche. 3

This year I’ve learned a startling reality that carries serious spiritual significance for each of us. People who choose to spend time in the backcountry face a certain inevitability that sooner or later they will encounter an avalanche. It doesn’t matter how experienced they are or how prepared they are if they choose to ignore the warnings and go out of bounds they will eventually find themselves caught in a potentially fatal avalanche.

Here’s another profound reality. If you live deep in the heart of Texas you have a 0% chance of being buried in an avalanche. Astounding, I know! There is safety being a thousand miles from the backcountry. Spiritually, as a believer we should not be fighting to see how close we can live to the world and still be in God’s Kingdom. We should be striving to see how close we can live to our Savior.

Serious giants are facing off against the American church at this moment. Abortion has claimed more than 50 million casualties and counting. Terrorism is no longer isolated to foreign fields. Secularism is advancing through society and infiltrating the sanctuary, and radical agendas no longer hide in secret—they’re written into law.

The church has the spiritual weapons within its arsenal to take these giants down, so why do they still stand? Sunday after Sunday we come together to celebrate, singing “How Great Is Our God” and “Nothing Is Impossible.” We sing and shout about it while the giants continue to defy it. Sound familiar? (See 1 Samuel 17.)

No doubt we could debate for countless hours about what needs to change. I believe there is one thing we can all agree must change: It’s time to stop slinging stones at the saints and start saving them for the enemy!

Stoning the Saints
When David stepped foot onto the valley floor, he did so with five stones in his hand but one target in his head. David knew something we must be reminded of: Stones are for taking down giants, not one another!

Friendly fire is far easier than facing your foes. Engaging the enemy means leaving the comfort of your barrack to engage the enemy on the battlefield. That is why many opt to throw stones at their fellow saints. It makes them feel better for doing something rather than doing nothing.

However, this is a religious exercise that accomplishes little. The enemy knows that a house divided cannot stand, so he welcomes the infighting while he plunders the land. While we bruise our brothers, we embolden the enemy.

Websites, social media and message boards are not the place to settle disagreements, air out offenses or attack one another. There is a proper way to deal with these things (Matt. 18:15).

When a major Christian leader was grieving over the tragic loss of a son, he should have been able to trust his Christian family to grieve with him. Most did. Yet at the same time, the negative backlash was so viral it made headlines in major news outlets across the nation. The church didn’t win.

If you’ve ever slung a mean-spirited word toward a brother or sister in Christ, how is that any different from the Pharisees, who were always ready to fling stones at offenders, whether they be adulterers or apostles?

David could have remained in his greener pastures, surrounded by his little fold, blogging away about “The Great Saul, the Great Sinner.” He had been in Saul’s inner circle; he knew the king’s dirt. He could have turned his focus on his popular elder brother, asking, “Eliad, Hero or Zero?” After all, why hadn’t this heroic warrior gone toe to toe with Goliath?

Learn from David. He saved his stones for the enemy!

Jesus prayed in John 17 that the Father would make us one so “that the world may believe that [the Father] sent [Jesus]” (v. 21). Jesus then laid down His life so that we could be one with Him and each other. He has done His part; now it’s our turn.

Our unity is essential to the world seeing Jesus through us. It is vital to our success! It’s time we start to lead with our love and let that be image the world sees in the church.

Save Your Stones
When David picked up five stones, every one of them was for the enemy. Are you paying attention? It’s time to save our stones for the giants we face. Let me give a few examples.

Abortion. The liberal media finally woke up to one of the most horrific cases of infanticide ever practiced at an abortion clinic. For three weeks, the case against Kermit Gosnell was hidden from the public eye. That changed as informed Christians began to let their voices be heard. The hashtag#Gosnell began to trend on social media as the story was shared.

This is a stone worth slinging and proof that there is power in the unity of our voices. Let’s spend less time concerning ourselves with the latest gossip in the church or leader down the road and start getting informed about how the enemy is ransacking the land. There are great resources available to keep your eyes focused, your prayers sharp and your voice clear.

Redefining marriage. The number of politicians, public figures and even preachers coming out in favor of redefining marriage is accelerating. People are being swayed by public opinion.

But our convictions are not based on something as slippery as polls that change from day to day. They’re based upon the solid principles of God’s Word, which remains the same yesterday, today and forever. Now is not the time to sit down in the defense of the sacred institution of marriage. Standing strong in this moment is another stone worthy of slinging.

Terrorism. Several of my friends were present at the Boston Marathon finish line when the bombs went off. The wife of our associate pastor was fulfilling a lifelong goal of completing the marathon and crossed the finish line sheer minutes before the explosions. We are all grieving and praying for the families affected.

I am not willing to accept that this is the new normal. America needs the church to stand upon the watchtower and intercede on her behalf. I am not just praying that revival invades our land but that God would begin to speak to our prophets in such clarity that names, times and locations of attacks would be revealed. Don’t doubt. Elisha prophesied the secrets of the enemy to the king. I believe our lack of unity is preventing such lack of revelation. Who wants to sling some stones with me?

One Person Can Make a Difference
Can one individual make a difference? Ask David. He stepped onto the battlefield alone but was soon joined by an entire army after the first giant fell. It just takes one.

Are you willing? Change begins in you. Make up your mind that you will save your stones. Don’t sling them at one another; let’s strive for unity. Never forget, we are admonished to encourage one another, to edify one another and to strengthen one another in the faith (1 Thess. 5:11). So don’t drop your stone—just start slinging it in the right direction!

You’ve been challenged, “Get out of the boat” or “Take a step of faith” and you did.  But once the influence of the message or the moment wore off, you found yourself teetering on shaky ground looking for your footing.

It’s possible to stir faith with emotion. It’s where most of us live.  I believe that’s where Peter was when he took his first step onto the water.  He was surrounded by a storm, convinced this was the end.  Then Jesus appeared.  Overcome with the emotion of the moment Peter defied the reality of his present circumstances and joined Jesus upon the same water that moments ago threatened him.  He took a step of faith – an emotional step.  Then reality hit.  What he was doing was impossible, he faltered.  Peter failed to take the next step, THE SECOND STEP of faith that most believers miss as well.

In this message Daniel K Norris shares how God is at work in our lives taking us from an enthusiastic faith to an enduring faith.

This is a reprint of my article that is posted with CharismaNews.com

This past week during Starbucks’ annual shareholders meeting CEO Howard Shultz shut down an investor, who asked if the company’s support of a gay marriage initiative in Washington state was to blame for a disappointing earnings season.

Shultz responded, “some things are not a financial decision.” His bold words brought immediate applause from the other shareholders. Shultz then added that if the investor didn’t like the company’s position, he was welcome to “sell your shares … and buy shares in another company. Thank you very much.”

Shultz’s comments were celebrated in the meeting however days later those same remarks created a firestorm in the Evangelical community as calls to “Dump Starbucks” began going viral across the internet. It is surprising to see the shock my fellow Christian coffee addicts are displaying at the moment. This is not a new position for the company, it is just the boldest they’ve stated it to date.

I strongly oppose Starbucks’ position of “marriage equality.” But I can respect the fact that they are willing to hurt their own bottom line rather than compromise their convictions. Imagine the possibilities if every Christian leader would do the same. Is there something we can learn from a company willing to put principles before profits? I
believe there is…

Some Things Are Not a Financial Decision 
Don’t miss the significance of Shultz’s statement. Starbucks is in business to make money, but in the past few years the company has chosen to invest their influence and resources to simultaneously champion causes. They do it because they believe it’s the right thing to do, and some things are not a financial decision.

True Christian leaders understand that every decision is first and foremost a spiritual decision, not a financial one. Our first question should never be, “How much is this going to cost?” Yes, cost is an important question, but it’s not the most important one. The first question should be, “What is right?” This is a spiritual question that leads a
leader to make spiritual decisions. It requires you to search Scripture for God’s principles, it requires you to invest time on your knees to get a clear word from the Lord so that you can say, “This is what God has said.” I’ve been in more meetings than I care to admit where we were asking the wrong questions at first. It’s so easy to fall into
the trap of being led by “how much?” when you haven’t first determined “what’s right?”

Increasingly, churches are having to count the costs associated with taking bold stances. A good friend of mine was invited to minister in a city on the west coast. On his way to the church from the airport the pastor instructed him not to preach against homosexuality. The church had already faced tremendous persecution from the gay community in their area and was fearful of the costs to their congregation. They had been intimidated into a position of silence.

More and more, ministers are feeling pressure to tone down their message. They are fearful that preaching the hard truth may threaten the church’s 501c3 status, that tithes and offerings will decline or that they may lose their standing within the community. The cost is too great to jeopardize the ministry over divisive moral issues. But, isn’t that exactly where the church is needed most? Now is not the time for the city set upon the hill to extinguish our light. This nation needs our voice!

Leaders justify the silence saying, “this is an issue we have chosen not to focus on.”

They remind their members that the church is supposed to be a house full of compassion and that the best way to win is with our love.

This is only half true. The church is at its best when it is full of COMPASSION and full of CONVICTION. That is the example Jesus set. He was unconditional in His love and He was unwavering in his conviction. It was His love that drew the multitudes, and it was His convictions that drove them away. His radical commitment to both changed the
world.

There is a cost to doing what is right. Especially when the prevailing winds of public opinion are blowing against you. Starbucks has polling data on their side. The church is now finding many of it’s convictions on the opposite side of that fight. Are we willing to put our money where our mouth is and stand up for what we know is right?

Sell Your Shares 
Shultz added if you don’t like our position then “sell your shares.” He made it clear, that they will not compromise their convictions to keep you in their company. It is time spiritual leaders do the same!

Consider how different their approach is to the one we are watching play out with the Boy Scouts of America. LGBT groups are calling for boycotts, companies are pulling their funding, and the secular media is keeping them in the spotlight. The outside pressure has forced the organization into an internal debate that has dragged on for
months. What if the Boy Scouts had said, “This is who we are, if you don’t like it, ‘sell your shares’.” That position wouldn’t have been political, but it would have been principled. In some ways, the Scouts have already lost because they’ve proven that their convictions are open for debate. They will change, it may not be this year, but it will happen. The fact we are watching the discussion means they’ve already shown they’re willing to compromise.

Convictions are a vital part of your core. Changing them is impossible because it means changing everything. I admire churches and leaders who are unapologetic in their values. They refuse to give an inch even when potential donors tempt them with large checks attached to preconditions. They make it clear, you can keep your money, we will keep our convictions. If the church compromises today, it will be irrelevant tomorrow.

Why This Matters 
I am a firm believer that the role of the church in society is one of transformation. However there is a shift taking place. Businesses are no longer staying out of the public debate on moral issues. Growing their brand is not their sole focus, they are looking to advance their cause as well. Corporations like Starbucks are now significantly shaping
the culture around us. Are we passing this opportunity to corporations because we have become too focused on growing our own brands? I’m simply posing the question.

What would happen if the entire body of Christ became united and spoke with one voice concerning what is right? Imagine what a difference that could have made this past week. What were we doing as the Supreme Court was hearing arguments that could set precedent to redefine the biblical definition of marriage. This week the biggest
headlines came from a secular company, taking an unapologetic secular stance on the issue. Where was the voice of the church?

Have we heeded the advice of some Christian leaders and recognized we are on the “wrong side” of the issue and it’s time to “adapt or die”? Are we adopting a position of silence? Have we counted the cost and decided its not worth fighting for?

Marriage is a sacred issue before it is a state issue. If the church chooses not to use its voice at this time, we leave God’s gift of marriage in the hands of politicians, political action groups and lobbyists. Church if we are complacent at this time America becomes the casualty of our compromise.

It’s time to learn a lesson from Starbucks. They’ve found conviction alongside their coffee and caffeine. Perhaps we can as well.

I love the writings of proven saints like Wesley, Finney, Tozer, Ravenhill and Bonhoeffer.  These saints fought the good fight and passed down to us a pure faith that stirs us on towards holiness and greater works.  On the other hand the teachings of these unproven grace preachers is creating environments where holiness is diminished and sin is not just accepted sometimes it’s celebrated.

Not long ago a grace preacher showed me a picture from his last board meeting.  He wanted me to see the six-pack of beer on the table and the cigars in the hands of each elder.  (Someone reading this just said, “now that’s the kind of church I want to attend.”  Sir, you just made my point!)  He was proudly parading his flesh in front of me like a good Christian nudist.  I challenged him, he called me judgmental and legalistic.

Another well known pastor said, “you guys are old line holiness, we are modern day grace.  We can do anything we want, while you live in bondage.”  Really?  Picture a man standing at the foot of the Cross as Christ breathes His last breath.  As Jesus dies for the sins of all mankind the man takes a cigar from his mouth, raises a can of beer in toast and says, “thanks for your grace.”  Seem appropriate?  This version of grace would say so. Religion has always been comfortable hanging around the Cross, Christianity is hanging on the Cross!

Bonhoeffer called this “cheap grace” and defined it as “grace which amounts to the justification of sin without the justification of the repentant sinner.”  He wrote, “cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, Communion without confession, absolution without personal confession. Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the Cross, grace without Jesus.”

This “new revelation” of grace is nothing new at all.  It’s been around a long time.  Today it’s just packaged with a slick suit.

As a pastor, I’ve had to work with several individuals who have been swept up into “cheap grace” doctrines.  There are a few “truths” that come up often.  I thought it would be relevant to contrast some of those here against Bonhoeffer’s words.

By the way, Bonhoeffer was martyred in a Nazi concentration camp April 8th, 1945.  He was a German pastor who was arrested for opposing Hitler and worked towards freeing the Jews.  One of his last recorded words were, “This is the end – for me the beginning of life.”  I highly recommend, The Cost of Discipleship.  This modern day martyr understood the cost of grace!

Cheap Grace Repentance

Cheap grace teaches that repentance is a “work” and therefore unnecessary under grace.  It contends that the New Testament use of “repentance” simply means to “change your mind.”

The Greek word for repentance is used 58 times in the New Testament.  Do a simple word study and you’ll find a proper context for New Testament repentance.  Consider this example in Revelation:

When Jesus dictates his letters to the church, He urges them to “repent” several times.  To the church at Ephesus he says, “Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love.  Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent” (Revelation 2:4–5).

This wasn’t a, “change your mind about some things” word from Jesus.  He was saying to change your behavior!  Go back to the prayer and devotion you once had, otherwise I’m removing your light.  Grace for the Ephesians was Jesus warning them to correct themselves, not ignoring the offense.

A better definition for repent would be a change in thinking that results in a change in action.  Repent means to turn.  I become aware of my sins, I feel sorrow for those sins and I turn to Jesus, I repent and receive His forgiveness.  All of this is a work of His grace!  He convicts us of sin, He leads us to repentance, He forgives.  The work is His, the yielding is mine (2 Corinthians 7:9–10).

Bonhoeffer says of this grace:

Such grace is costly because it calls us to follow, and it is grace because it calls us to follow Jesus Christ. It is costly because it costs a man his life, and it is grace because it gives a man the only true life. It is costly because it condemns sin, and grace because it justifies the sinner. Above all, it is costly because it cost God the life of his Son: “ye were bought at a price,” and what has cost God much cannot be cheap for us.

Cheap Grace Sin

Cheap grace says when a Christian sins, they sin in the light and has no need to confess that sin because Jesus has already paid the price for all your sins, past, present and future.  This teaching creates the notion that confession is a work and therefore, like repentance is unnecessary.  The believer is taught to ignore any offense they may have committed and simply enjoy forgiveness.

Bonhoeffer wrote that when a Christian finds grace they do not hear, “Of course you sinned, but now everything is forgiven, so you can stay as you are and enjoy the consolations of forgiveness.”

John address the sinning saint in his first letter.  He wrote, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.  If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us. My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world” (1 John 1:8–2:2).

There is a difference between a sinner that sins and a son that sins.  When a sinner sins, they are acting according to their nature.  When a son sins they are acting against their new nature.  God doesn’t discipline the sinner, but he does discipline His sons.  When my daughter sins she is not removed from my house, nor does she cease being my daughter.  My love for her doesn’t change.  When she sins, I discipline her.  I make her aware of her error and I correct it.  I’m looking for her to “repent”.  I want her to see both her thinking and action change.  God sees His sons and daughter no different (Hebrews 12:5–11).

Bonhoeffer says:

The only man who has the right to say that he is justified by grace alone is the man who has left all to follow Christ. Such a man knows that the call to discipleship is a gift of grace, and that the call is inseparable from the grace. But those who try to use this grace as a [exemption] from following Christ are simply deceiving themselves.

Cheap Grace Conviction:

Cheap grace says that God does not convict us of sin because God does not want us to be “sin conscious.”  It is not His desire to make us feel bad about ourselves.

Jesus said that, “it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment” (John 16:7–8).

Romans teaches that we are dead to sin and sin is dead to us.  Sin has NO POWER over the believer (Romans 6:1-4)!    Grace has given us the power to overcome.  Romans 8:1 tells us that there is “now therefore no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”  This verse continues, “no condemnation… [for] those who walk not according to the flesh, but according spirit.”  We have a choice.  To walk in the flesh, or in the spirit.  When we sin, we become very much aware that we still carry around with us the body of a dead man, our flesh.  Sin causes us to get into the flesh.  The Holy Spirit, because of grace, convicts us of that sin, and leads us towards righteousness.

I am so thankful for the conviction of the Holy Spirit.  When I sin, my heart hurts, because I know that sin in me is not Christlike.  I desire to be more like Him each day.  When I fall, I get right back up.  I tell Christ, “I am sorry.  That was not like you.  Forgive this son who has sinned.”  It’s that repentance that takes my mind off the flesh, and back in the spirit.

Bonhoeffer said:

It is a fatal misunderstanding that… grace offered a general [exemption] from obedience to the command of Jesus, or that it was the great discovery of…God’s forgiving grace automatically conferred upon the world both righteousness and holiness. On the contrary… the Christian’s worldly calling is sanctified only in so far as that calling registers the final, radical protest against the world. Only in so far as the Christian’s secular calling is exercised in the following of Jesus does it receive from the gospel new sanction and justification. It was not the justification of sin, but the justification of the sinner.

Bonhoeffer finishes the first chapter of, The Cost of Discipleship, by saying, “The word of cheap grace has been the ruin of more Christians than any commandment of works.”

He says of true grace:

Costly grace is the treasure hidden in the field; for the sake of it a man will gladly go and sell all that he has. It is the pearl of great price to buy which the merchant will sell all his goods. It is the kingly rule of Christ, for whose sake a man will pluck out the eye which causes him to stumble; it is the call of Jesus Christ at which the disciple leaves his nets and follows him. Costly grace is the gospel which must be sought again and again, the gift which must be asked for, the door at which a man must knock.

Multitudes have been lost because they mistakenly believed grace could be obtained without cost.   Grace cost Jesus His life upon the Cross, it will cost you no less.

I would have thought so myself, until an individual that I respected showed up at church one Sunday pompously parading himself around “au naturale”. It wasn’t long before others caught wind of his revealing revelation and followed suit… or without suit. As a caring pastor I had to investigate.

“What are you doing my friend?”

“I’ve discovered a new revelation, the gospel of grace. I’m clothed in righteousness, I have need of nothing else!” He proudly responded.

I listened, trying to understand. What I heard was a “revelation” that abused truth and the fruit of this “truth” was sour, not sweet. I sought to lovingly correct the error, but was berated by this grace evangelist along with his growing number of nudist who mocked my “traditional, judgmental, religious, old-time holiness” view of Scripture.

Hans Christian Anderson penned a short tale of an arrogant emperor who employed two tailors to fashion a suit unlike any other. The two tailors returned with a robe that was “invisible to those unfit for their position.” Though the emperor could see nothing, he pretended as if he did, unwilling to admit that he was “unfit”. So the king, his royal court and all his subjects ignored the obvious and joined in the grand charade. It seemed the entire kingdom was willing to follow their foolish king. That was until an innocent child loudly proclaimed the obvious truth, “he isn’t wearing anything at all!”

The same thing is happening today! People pleasing preachers tailor fit God’s precious Word to fit the flesh. They trim and stitch away at God’s Word until they fashion a garment that sounds good to the ears, but is noticeably absent when viewed through the lens of God’s Word. This movement started long ago as errant preachers began to peddle a gospel that robed sinning saints in God’s grace covering their sin and shame, while leaving them the same. Multitudes flocked to this revelation thrilled that they could remain in their sinful lifestyles, believing grace was sufficient to cover their iniquities. Sometimes I wonder if these preachers have ever read the Word from cover to cover!

This is nothing new. John was given a letter from Jesus to the church of Laodicea warning them to repent of such things:

These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God: 

I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot.  So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked— I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.

 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. (Revelation 3:14-22)

The people of this prosperous church said, “I am rich, I am wealthy, I have need of nothing”. They were well clothed in their eyes, robed in their own tailor fit clothing. Jesus said in My eyes, “you are wretched, you are miserable, you are poor, you are blind and you are naked.” A church full of Christian nudist. No doubt their teachers, preachers and even parishioners taught a version of Scripture that fit the flesh. It kept them blind to the reality. Now Christ, motivated by love, was sending someone to exclaim, “you’re wearing nothing at all!”

This passage has always stood as a word of warning to me. I stay mindful that it is possible for any of us, scripture says even the very elect, to be deceived. That is why we must stay in the Word least we stumble.

The “grace” teaching sweeping through the church today fashions a robe of righteousness that covers the saint in all their sins, yet lacks the power to set the saint free from their sins. The Christian Nudist I met at church explained it to me like this.

I spent my entire Christian life wrestling with the same sin. No matter how often I’d repent, confess and weep at an altar, I always walked away bound by my sin. I couldn’t get free. Then one day I stumbled upon the “gospel of grace” and discovered that I was already forgiven for my sin and that I didn’t need to be conscious of my sin any more. I learned that repenting was a work and I was trying to earn my forgiveness instead of just receiving it.

He was no longer convicted of his sin, he was now comforted in his sin. He then spent a considerable amount of time trying to convince me of this robe of grace he now wore. Why? Because if others couldn’t see it, that meant that it wasn’t there and that he was still bound by the same sin he was trying so hard to ignore. I tried to state the obvious, “You’re not wearing anything at all!”

I love God’s grace! Grace is powerful! Grace is unmerited! Grace receives us just as we are, but grace is far too powerful to leave us as we are! It works within us enabling us to become all Jesus is. Grace found me at an altar in 1996 and turned a lukewarm, back-slidden religious church kid into a radical, devoted disciple of Christ. Grace found me this morning and continues to work within me convicting me and enabling me to be more like Christ. I refuse to cheapen grace or worse abuse it.

There is many grace teachings out there. Some of it has rocked my world and made me appreciate it more each day. If the teaching you’re listening to is taking you into a closer walk with Jesus Christ and is exemplified with a Christlike life, then good. If the teaching you’re listening to is excusing a sinful and selfish lifestyle or if the grace you’ve been taught is allowing you to remain in sin…run!

The fruit of holiness and righteous become the outward sign that an inward work of grace has begun. I urge you to go check yourself in the mirror. If you are not seeing Christ’s righteousness at work in your life there is a good chance you’re standing around naked, mistakenly believing that you’re wearing a robe of grace.