WHY IS "GRACE ALONE" SO UNPOPULAR?
By Steve Behlke
Since the word "grace" is very popular in the church, why is grace as a theology or as a lifestyle so unpopular? Why is the teaching of "grace alone" such a controversial subject among Christians, especially since grace is the sole domain and property of the Church of Jesus Christ.
It's odd but if grace is linked with something else, like "law and grace" or "truth and grace," then many Christians feel at home with grace. Grace, accompanied by something safe, is a friend.
But when grace is made to stand by itself, like "grace alone," or "grace without works," or "grace apart from the law," then Christians tend to distrust grace, perhaps even to fear grace. "Grace alone" is a threat; it's too dangerous all by itself so it must be coupled with, or countered by, law, works, rules and boundaries.
Why is the teaching and practice of "grace alone" so unpopular? Why do we fear grace?
When Jesus came from heaven to earth, the world got to see God's grace face-to-face. Grace was incarnate; it was personalized. Grace donned a name, Jesus. In Him grace was living and breathing, healing and saving, commanding and promising.
But how popular was grace even as it was revealed in Christ? Well, uh, Jesus Christ was crucified! But at least the earliest believers, the ones who literally saw Jesus, they actually seemed to get it... at least, on occasion... at least, for a while.
Later, the apostle Paul taught about God's "grace alone." He needed to, because grace had already become such a misunderstood reality! When the apostle broached the subject, he anticipated that Christians would be upset; so he asked the very questions he supposed that they would raise against grace. Then, he would answer their questions and complaints with passion and truth and spirit and reason.
Grace never seems to be popular, not for long, among the mainstream of Christians.
Why is grace so unpopular? Why so controversial? Why do church members think their pastors are missing something when they speak of grace alone? What don't we get? What do we fear?
1. One obvious reason that grace is unpopular and even controversial is the belief that grace takes away from human responsibility.
In a sense, if qualified rightly, I guess this could be said. Grace does shift our responsibility. It shifts our responsibility from trying harder to trusting God. People always tell me they'll try harder to do right. I tell them to trust harder; look to God's promises in Christ and trust Him: trust Him for God's grace, to love you unconditionally, to carry out His will through you, and to cause all things to work together for good, for God is in you both to will and to work His good pleasure.
Hey, if you want to try harder, fine. If that's the problem, great; you're healed. But if not, if you discover that trying harder still doesn't cut it and that trying harder is not the Gospel, then turn to Jesus Christ for the loving heart of God and ask Him and depend on Him for the desire and the strength to obey. All of this is given us freely, ask and trust Him for it; that's relying on God's grace.
So grace shifts responsiblity from human determination to human dependence on Christ and His promises.
Therefore, in a sense, grace can affect human responsibility but certainly not human culpability. We are commanded to believe in Jesus, to love God and to love others in many real and tangible ways. Yet, even by trying really hard, we can do nothing apart from God's grace. Still, we are held responsible for this.
Well where is the gospel in that? Ah, it is found in the words "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me;" and "if you abide in me you will bear much fruit." So we are responsible to obey God. But responsibility does not mean ability. Our only ability and hope and strength and will to obey is found in Christ, in God's grace alone.
2. A second reason why grace is so controversial is the belief that grace is a blank check to sin all you like and to get away with it.
This one I really don't get. Really, I do not get it! When I am humbled and awed by God's grace to me, I really don't want to sin all that much against God. Receiving grace does not promote the desire to sin; just the opposite. "Grace alone" frees me from the slavery of sin.
Law doesn't free me. Me wanting to be better doesn't free me. Self-determinism doesn't free me. These things just tighten the noose of sin around my neck. Therefore, grace, properly grasped, can never be perceived as a license to sin; for the grace that God lavishes on us in Christ is our lone defense against sin.
Truth be told, it is when I don't trust or submit to God's grace, when I'm not trusting His promises or submitting to His love or believing in the perfect goodness of His Word or in His strength to carry or comfort me through whatever the situation, when I'm not experiencing His grace and connecting with God, that is when sin is most tempting and alluring to us.
When we believe that grace is a blank check to sin all we like then we do not and will not experience grace on a personal level. And sin will be our master.
3. A third reason why grace is so controversial is a misunderstanding of the Mosaic Law.
Many think the Mosaic Law or some NT version of Law is how we relate to God. Many Christians think we're to relate to God by doing the things that God says to do in the Law; so do these and you can have a good relationship with God. Then, we reduce the law, or what we think God wants us to do, to little, doable things like: be nice, don't have sex until you're married, once you get married stay married, be a good parent, don't do really bad things, don't go to really bad places, and go to church more Sundays than not.
But that's not how we relate with God, nor is that the Law. The Law is intense, fear-inspiring. It's lack of perfect and complete fulfillment comes with a curse! And a proper understanding of the Mosaic Law forces one to conclude that this law is quite impossible to fulfill. Jesus said so much. In fact, the only one ever meant to fulfill it is He, Christ, Himself. It is impossible for anyone else to fulfill, otherwise Christ needn't have died for us sinners.
The uncompromising OT Law brings us to ruin. It strips us of human pride. It robs us of any hope in our selves. It tells us no one seeks God, no not one. No one does good, no not one. It promises a curse. Against Christ, it carried out its threat. Such is the destiny of sin.
But here is where the gospel must be heard loud and clear: Christ sets you free from the law and from the curse and from sin's slavery.
Here is where the one way to relate to God must be shouted from the roof tops: We relate to God through the crucified and risen Christ.
Here is where God's grace shines the brightest:
Where the Law says you are cursed, God's grace says Christ took your curse in His own body.
Where the Law says no one seeks God, grace says I have chosen you.
Where the Law says no one is righteous, grace says, I freely forgive your unrighteousness and give you my own righteousness, the righteousness of Christ Himself, as a gift.
Where the Law says do this, and the human with understanding says "I cannot," grace says, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."
We will be discussing grace many more times in future blogs. But for now, let us understand that the only hope we have for knowing God's, knowing God's favor, and for walking with Christ, and experiencing God's peace and power and freedom from sin and guilt, etc., today and forever, is to rest in Christ and the grace of God freely given in Him. Amen
Since the word "grace" is very popular in the church, why is grace as a theology or as a lifestyle so unpopular? Why is the teaching of "grace alone" such a controversial subject among Christians, especially since grace is the sole domain and property of the Church of Jesus Christ.
It's odd but if grace is linked with something else, like "law and grace" or "truth and grace," then many Christians feel at home with grace. Grace, accompanied by something safe, is a friend.
But when grace is made to stand by itself, like "grace alone," or "grace without works," or "grace apart from the law," then Christians tend to distrust grace, perhaps even to fear grace. "Grace alone" is a threat; it's too dangerous all by itself so it must be coupled with, or countered by, law, works, rules and boundaries.
Why is the teaching and practice of "grace alone" so unpopular? Why do we fear grace?
When Jesus came from heaven to earth, the world got to see God's grace face-to-face. Grace was incarnate; it was personalized. Grace donned a name, Jesus. In Him grace was living and breathing, healing and saving, commanding and promising.
But how popular was grace even as it was revealed in Christ? Well, uh, Jesus Christ was crucified! But at least the earliest believers, the ones who literally saw Jesus, they actually seemed to get it... at least, on occasion... at least, for a while.
Later, the apostle Paul taught about God's "grace alone." He needed to, because grace had already become such a misunderstood reality! When the apostle broached the subject, he anticipated that Christians would be upset; so he asked the very questions he supposed that they would raise against grace. Then, he would answer their questions and complaints with passion and truth and spirit and reason.
Grace never seems to be popular, not for long, among the mainstream of Christians.
Why is grace so unpopular? Why so controversial? Why do church members think their pastors are missing something when they speak of grace alone? What don't we get? What do we fear?
1. One obvious reason that grace is unpopular and even controversial is the belief that grace takes away from human responsibility.
In a sense, if qualified rightly, I guess this could be said. Grace does shift our responsibility. It shifts our responsibility from trying harder to trusting God. People always tell me they'll try harder to do right. I tell them to trust harder; look to God's promises in Christ and trust Him: trust Him for God's grace, to love you unconditionally, to carry out His will through you, and to cause all things to work together for good, for God is in you both to will and to work His good pleasure.
Hey, if you want to try harder, fine. If that's the problem, great; you're healed. But if not, if you discover that trying harder still doesn't cut it and that trying harder is not the Gospel, then turn to Jesus Christ for the loving heart of God and ask Him and depend on Him for the desire and the strength to obey. All of this is given us freely, ask and trust Him for it; that's relying on God's grace.
So grace shifts responsiblity from human determination to human dependence on Christ and His promises.
Therefore, in a sense, grace can affect human responsibility but certainly not human culpability. We are commanded to believe in Jesus, to love God and to love others in many real and tangible ways. Yet, even by trying really hard, we can do nothing apart from God's grace. Still, we are held responsible for this.
Well where is the gospel in that? Ah, it is found in the words "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me;" and "if you abide in me you will bear much fruit." So we are responsible to obey God. But responsibility does not mean ability. Our only ability and hope and strength and will to obey is found in Christ, in God's grace alone.
2. A second reason why grace is so controversial is the belief that grace is a blank check to sin all you like and to get away with it.
This one I really don't get. Really, I do not get it! When I am humbled and awed by God's grace to me, I really don't want to sin all that much against God. Receiving grace does not promote the desire to sin; just the opposite. "Grace alone" frees me from the slavery of sin.
Law doesn't free me. Me wanting to be better doesn't free me. Self-determinism doesn't free me. These things just tighten the noose of sin around my neck. Therefore, grace, properly grasped, can never be perceived as a license to sin; for the grace that God lavishes on us in Christ is our lone defense against sin.
Truth be told, it is when I don't trust or submit to God's grace, when I'm not trusting His promises or submitting to His love or believing in the perfect goodness of His Word or in His strength to carry or comfort me through whatever the situation, when I'm not experiencing His grace and connecting with God, that is when sin is most tempting and alluring to us.
When we believe that grace is a blank check to sin all we like then we do not and will not experience grace on a personal level. And sin will be our master.
3. A third reason why grace is so controversial is a misunderstanding of the Mosaic Law.
Many think the Mosaic Law or some NT version of Law is how we relate to God. Many Christians think we're to relate to God by doing the things that God says to do in the Law; so do these and you can have a good relationship with God. Then, we reduce the law, or what we think God wants us to do, to little, doable things like: be nice, don't have sex until you're married, once you get married stay married, be a good parent, don't do really bad things, don't go to really bad places, and go to church more Sundays than not.
But that's not how we relate with God, nor is that the Law. The Law is intense, fear-inspiring. It's lack of perfect and complete fulfillment comes with a curse! And a proper understanding of the Mosaic Law forces one to conclude that this law is quite impossible to fulfill. Jesus said so much. In fact, the only one ever meant to fulfill it is He, Christ, Himself. It is impossible for anyone else to fulfill, otherwise Christ needn't have died for us sinners.
The uncompromising OT Law brings us to ruin. It strips us of human pride. It robs us of any hope in our selves. It tells us no one seeks God, no not one. No one does good, no not one. It promises a curse. Against Christ, it carried out its threat. Such is the destiny of sin.
But here is where the gospel must be heard loud and clear: Christ sets you free from the law and from the curse and from sin's slavery.
Here is where the one way to relate to God must be shouted from the roof tops: We relate to God through the crucified and risen Christ.
Here is where God's grace shines the brightest:
Where the Law says you are cursed, God's grace says Christ took your curse in His own body.
Where the Law says no one seeks God, grace says I have chosen you.
Where the Law says no one is righteous, grace says, I freely forgive your unrighteousness and give you my own righteousness, the righteousness of Christ Himself, as a gift.
Where the Law says do this, and the human with understanding says "I cannot," grace says, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."
We will be discussing grace many more times in future blogs. But for now, let us understand that the only hope we have for knowing God's, knowing God's favor, and for walking with Christ, and experiencing God's peace and power and freedom from sin and guilt, etc., today and forever, is to rest in Christ and the grace of God freely given in Him. Amen
Hey, Bro,
Nice Blog,
I think another reason that grace is so controversial or unpopular, is that people don't get it. They seem to only think of grace in terms of salvation and in our shortcomings, not in terms of our whole life. They don't get that Christ died and so did we with him, and as He was raised to new life so are we as a new creation. That our life is hidden with Christ in God and that in Him we are complete, that we could never be made perfect in the flesh of our efforts but only in Christ and His life in us, He is our life.
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Dear Pastor Steve:
Back at you. Grace YES YES YES. A THOUSAND TIMES YES. With Grace we can turn from sin and with the Paraclete we can have success. Grace calls us to repentance (turning away from sin) The Paraclete gives us a new desire to live apart from sin and you have said all that. Jesus commands us in Matthew to make disciples by teaching all that he has commanded us. If we have accepted Grace and received the Paraclete then some of us are desirous of serving GOD and Grace isn’t enough. Should we move on so we can make Disciples as Jesus commands. Grace gave us our first love and I believe without serving GOD we can loose our first love.
With my first love;
Charlie >
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This actually provides onemore reason "grace alone"is rejected out of hand.
Charlie, you seem to see grace in a very narrow way, to "receive Christ" as our personal Savior only.
If you are right, you were also right to say "grace isn't enough".
If this is all grace is, your church needs to "move on" to discipleship.
But if grace "teaches us" how to live ofr Christ and it is the "power" to live for Christ then you'll still need to "continue in the grace of God" and "grow in the knowledge and grace of Jesus Christ".
Grace is not a one time thing we "receive" one time and then move on to discipleship.
Growing in our kneowledge of the grace of God and learning to walk in God's grace, just may be the very step of "disciple-building" ministy that your church needs.
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So all we need is grace and we can do the rest ourselves. No Holy Spirit, no church, no teachers, no Bible or were we given those things to enhance grace. What about the other teachings of Jesus? What of the other gifts we are given, such as the gifts of the Holy spirit?
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Hi Charlie and "Anonymous,"
Great conversation. There may, however, be a misunderstanding here. At the least, to say "all we need is grace and we can do the rest ourselves" reveals a different view of grace than I personally have.
Grace, by definition and by it's very nature, asserts that we cannot "do the rest" by ourselves; "if it is by grace it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise grace is no longer grace" (Rom 11:6). All is of grace. All is by grace.
To appreciate grace in it's fulfness is to have "no confidence in the flesh" (Phil 3:3). Grace is not opposed to God's work, it depends on it entirely; grace by definition is the working of God. Rather, grace refuses to rely on mere human effort and grace frowns upon confidence in human effort.
Grace is the very work and power and wisdom of God. Grace alone points all eyes to the glory of God. I do not think proponents of "more grace" are in any way disagreeing with you, Charlie, and your desire to make disciples. It's just seems to be a different perspective on and appreciation of grace.
Grace is not at odds with the Holy Spirit or the church or Bible teachers or the Bible itself. I'm not sure why you brought these up as if grace-proponenets minimize the need for these things. Do you feel we are not teaching about the Holy Spirit? Are we not using teachers and preachers? Do we ignore the other teachings of Jesus?
Again, I'm not sure why you would question that proponents of grace ignore the Holy Spirit. In my understanding and experience of grace, it's just the opposite: we desperately need and depend on the Holy Spirit: He is "the Spirit of grace" (Heb 11:29).
In the same way, the church might be considered a means of grace. The church is the one place, the one community of people who should exhibit and value and convey the grace of God to the world.
Likewise, a gifts of the Holy Spirit is literally a charisma humin pneumatika = "grace of the Spirit."
Also with the Bible, which itself teaches, proclaims, models, and asserts "the gospel of the grace of God" (Acts 20:24).
Our church quotes from Jesus every week in our sermons and teachings. We have an in-depth 300 series theology course running every other month, sermons, Bible studies, and small groups that teach the words of Christ. Can we do better, however? Yes. Must we continue in this area? Yes. And as was mentioned earlier in this conversation, that is why we must continue to preach and teach and model and convey to others the grace of God offered to all in the Person of Christ. And we must continue in the grace of God (Acts 13:43) and "testify solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God" (Acts 20:24) for "the word of His grace is able to build you upand to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified" (Acts 20:32).
Thanks for the conversation, "iron sharpens iron."
Steve
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WHY IS "GRACE ALONE" SO UNPOPULAR?
I’m not sure that grace is: unpopular, not complete, or that it is not enough. Who qualifies it as such and what is the standard by which it is measured? Is the ‘world’ speaking for God, again?! I’ll take a try at getting around this issue (if God’s Spirit will allow me)....
Grace is unmerited favor; we get what we do not deserve. We are all like trains off our track—bumping through time making a mess of everything. God offers us a rescue plan in the Blood of His Son, and when we’re allowed to understand this, we get changed by the Holy Spirit’s work in us. This is an ‘out-of-this’ world gift that could come from none other than, a supreme loving God (Father) who transcends everything physical that we know. Where is this leading?
Grace is an abstract. It is difficult for people who are ‘testing’ Christianity or maybe even for older Christians. Christianity is NOT normal—the world is what is normal; yet the world normally changes…and for the worse. We do not like change…or time…we were not created to handle either. When I went to school we did not shoot our classmates and I was not afraid to hitch a ride. Change seems to mean freedom but having more freedom does not make you freer (or satisfied) it just consumes your limited time away from a relationship with God. No time with God equals being LOST—in the ‘sea-of-life’ you might as well throw your compass overboard because its ‘rules’ say it must always point north. But then which way is ‘home’?
We are not (just) abstract creatures (as the world makes God out to say)—we can learn about God from His General Revelation or we let the schools teach it (Oops…evolution). We are born with a void an insatiable curiosity (which is not ours) and which something worldly (or other-worldly) is going to fill it up. Satan is too busy in the schools. New Christians get ‘lost’ (they might be saved) as they only have one oar in the water the ‘Special’ oar and their ‘friends’ are going to drive them into ‘circles’ of doubt. What is needed WITH grace is an understanding of God’s General Revelation. Science is NOT God’s enemy....
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