THE TRUE AND FALSE GRACE OF GOD (PART - 1) Pastor Art Watkins of Coden Bible Church (Coden, Alabama) April 30, 2013 ----FALSE GRACE DECLARES EVERYTHING IS FREE UNDER GRACE, WHEREAS, TRUE GRACE DECLARES SOME BLESSINGS ARE EARNED BY WORKS! One Bible teacher says; "That being in Christ and identified with Christ automatically entitles you to every blessing and promise under grace as a free gift." Another Bible teacher says; Grace is the system of operating whereby in Christ--because of His finished, all sufficient work at Calvary... GOD CAN FREELY GIVE US ALL THINGS"... "The law is a performance system... a system of conditional blessings. Grace is a free gift system... A SYSTEM OF UNCONDITIONAL BLESSING... Under grace, blessings are fully given as a free gift... Grace is not against good works! It simply DOES NOT BLESS ON THE BASIS OF GOOD WORKS. What these two men teach is that under grace God gives us all things freely and all blessings under grace are unconditional and free. What these two men say is typical of what many preachers and Christians believe about grace. They assume that if we are under grace, God gives us all things freely and unconditionally, otherwise they assume it is not grace. The mistake many of the brethren make is assuming that because salvation is free, everything is free. But that is not true. In the Pauline epistles, there are a number of blessings that have conditions attached to them and if you don't meet the conditions you will not receive them. ----A REWARD THAT IS CONDITIONAL In 1Corinthians 3:13-14 Paul writing about the judgment seat of Christ said; Every man's work shall be made manifest:for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. A reward is promised in these verses, but like all rewards it has a condition attached to it. Verse 14 says; IF any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. God will try every Christian’s work at the judgment seat of Christ and IF his works make it through the fire, he will receive a reward. This reward is not free for it is conditional upon our works. Any man who says this reward is free is preaching a false grace. The apostle of grace who preached the gospel and doctrines of grace plainly says that rewards given out at the judgment seat of Christ in the future are conditional upon the works we do in this life. ----A HARVEST THAT IS CONDITIONAL In 2 Corinthians 9:6 Paul writing concerning giving said; But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly;and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. In writing about giving under grace, Paul compares it with the law of sowing and reaping. What a man sows, the same he will reap. All Christians under grace will not reap the same harvest of blessings. Those who give sparingly will reap sparingly. Those who give bountifully will reap bountifully. The point is; bountiful blessings are conditional upon bountiful giving. Only those who give bountifully (in relation to their income) will reap bountifully. ----AN ACCEPTANCE THAT IS CONDITIONAL In Colossians 1:22-23 Paul wrote that Christ would: present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight: IF ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard. Being presented holy and unblameable and unreprovable in God's sight when Christ comes again is a conditional promise. The condition is verse 23 which says; IF ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel. What many of the brethren misunderstand about verse 22 is that it is not our standing in Christ, but our state in the world that is the issue in these verses. Our standing is unblameable, but our state is another matter. (I will deal with the difference between standing and state later.) ----AN INHERITANCE THAT IS CONDITIONAL In Colossians 3:23-24 Paul wrote; And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ. The inheritance in this verse is called a reward. Rewards are earned by works. In this verse the reward of the inheritance will be given to those who serve the Lord Christ. It is not free for it is conditional upon service. If you fail to serve the Lord Christ, you will not receive the reward of the inheritance. ----A REIGN THAT IS CONDITIONAL In 2 Timothy 3:12 Paul wrote; All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. In 2 Timothy 2:11-12 he said; For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him: If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us. Those who live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution, but IF we suffer, we shall also reign with him. Reigning with Christ is conditional upon suffering with Christ. The suffering God will reward is the suffering you endure for Christ's sake in this world. Read carefully 2 Timothy 1:8, 2:9, 3:11, 4:14-17. No amount of scripture juggling can get around this fact: to reign with Christ you must suffer for Christ. Living with Christ inverse 11 is free, but reigning with Christ in verse 12 isn't. ----A CROWN THAT IS CONDITIONAL In 2 Timothy 4:8 Paul said: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but all them also that love his appearing. The crown of righteousness will be given only to those who love Christ's appearing. All Christians do not love the hope of his appearing for some are moved away from it (Col. 1:24) some fear his appearing, and some like Demas (2 Timothy 4:10) love this world more than his appearing. ----A MINISTRY THAT IS CONDITIONAL In 2 Timothy 2:20-21 God said: But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honor, and some to dishonor. If a man purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honor, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work. Just being saved and identified with Christ and living under grace does not automatically make you a vessel unto honor, sanctified and meet for the master’s use. Only those who purge themselves from the vessels of dishonor and depart from iniquity are. God does not use just anybody under grace. He uses those who obey the "IF" of verse 21. Contrary to what many believers think, God does indeed bless on the basis of works under grace. These are just some examples of blessings and promises that are not free under grace. They are all earned by works and service. Go back and read all the "ifs"in the verses again. Just because salvation is free many Christians assume EVERYTHING is free. That is a false assumption and any man who teaches that ALL blessings and promises are free and unconditional under grace is preaching a false grace. This false teaching about grace promotes a life of apathy,carelessness, laziness, fruitlessness and carnality. It also steals blessings and rewards from the believer for if a believer is led to believe everything is free under grace he will fail to do the works necessary to gain the rewards,crowns, and blessings mentioned afore. ----FALSE GRACE DECLARES THAT ALL BLESSINGS AND PROMISES ARE SECURE UNDER GRACE, WHEREAS, THE TRUE GRACE OF GOD DECLARES YOU CAN LOSE BLESSINGS AND PROMISES. If all blessings and promises are free and unconditional under grace, as some teach, they would all be secure. Many Christians assume grace secures everything like salvation. But what does Paul the Apostle of grace say about the issue? Did he teach men everything is secure and you cannot lose anything under grace? According to Paul’s epistles there are many blessings, rewards, and promises that are not free and have conditions attached to them. If they are conditional, they are not secure like salvation. This is why Paul declares in his epistles Christians can suffer the loss of blessings and rewards under grace. ----LOSS OF REWARD In 1 Corinthians 3:13-14 Paul writing about the judgment seat of Christ said; Every man's work shall be made manifest:for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. A reward is promised in these verses, but like all rewards it has a condition attached to it. Verse 14 says; IF any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. But that is not the end of the story because he goes on to say in 1 Corinthians 3:15: If any man's work shall be burned, HE SHALL SUFFER LOSS; but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire. The fact a man can suffer loss at the judgment seat of Christ shows you two things: Everything isn't free under grace and everything isn't secure under grace. ----LOSS OF INHERITANCE In Colossians 3:23-24 Paul wrote; And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ. The inheritance in this verse is called a reward. Rewards are earned by works. In this verse, the reward of the inheritance will be given to those who serve the Lord Christ. It is not free for it is conditional upon service. In the next verse he says: But he that doeth wrong SHALL RECEIVE FOR THE WRONG WHICH HE HATH DONE: and there is no respect of persons. Doing wrong in verse 25 is the opposite of doing right. Doing right in the context is serving the Lord Christ in verse 24. Those who do right by serving the Lord gain something. Those who do wrong by failing to serve the Lord lose something. The ones who serve the Lord will receive the reward of the inheritance. The ones who fail to serve the Lord will suffer the loss of the reward of the inheritance. This inheritance is a reward and as a reward it is earned by works and service. If you fail to do the work or service required in receiving it, you will be denied this reward (Col. 2:18). Here is a sobering thought; those who win the reward of the inheritance will enjoy it forever. It is an eternal reward. But those who suffer the loss of this reward will suffer this loss eternally. It will be an eternal loss. ----LOSS OF A REIGN In 2 Timothy 3:12 Paul wrote; All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. But he also says in 2 Timothy 2:11-12: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him: If we suffer, we shall also reign with him. Those who live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution, but IF we suffer, we shall also reign with him. Reigning with Christ is conditional upon suffering with Christ. The suffering God will reward is the suffering we endure for Christ's sake in this world. But I quoted half on verse 12 for the last half says: If we deny him, HE ALSO WILL DENY US. When it comes to suffering in the last days many Christians will deny the Lord as Peter did to save their own neck. Those who do will be denied the privilege of reigning throughout eternity with Christ. They will live with Christ because they died with Christ. Eternal life is free and guaranteed, but reigning with Christ is conditional upon suffering. If you deny the Lord to avoid suffering, he will deny you a reign. Contrary to what many believers believe about grace, God does bless and reward on the basis of works under grace. And many blessings and promises can be lost under grace. Writing about the reward in 1 Corinthians 3 Paul said: If any man's work shall be burned, HE SHALL SUFFER LOSS. Believers under grace can suffer loss and this is an eternal loss. If you lose this reward you cannot go back and regain it. The true grace of God Paul preached declares certain blessings and promises are gained by works and can be lost for failing to do the works necessary to gain them. Salvation is free and secure, but many blessings and promises are not. If a believer is led to believe everything is free under grace and nothing can be lost, he will fail to do the works necessary to gain the rewards, crowns, and blessings God offers him today and he end up empty handed at the judgment seat of Christ. ----IT'S UP TO YOU Be not deceived; there are blessings and rewards that can be won or lost under grace. It all depends upon the choices you make in this life. If you want to spend your life in the pursuit of fun, wealth, prosperity, popularity, recreation and ease, go ahead, but don't expect to receive the reward of 1 Corinthians 3:14, the inheritance of Colossians 3:24, or the privilege of reigning with Christ of 2 Timothy 2:12 and many other blessings.