THE TRUE AND FALSE GRACE OF GOD (PART - 3)

Pastor Art Watkins of Coden Bible Church (Coden, Alabama)

May 7, 2013

FALSE GRACE DECLARES THERE IS NO REASON TO FEAR GOD UNDER GRACE, WHEREAS, THE TRUE GRACE OF GOD COMMANDS US TO FEAR GOD!

Fear and grace do not mix according to many believers and preachers today. The word fear is a dirty word in many churches. Why? Because people believe there is nothing to fear under grace. They think fear was for those who lived under the Law and not for those who live under grace. A while back I heard a man spend 40 minutes trying to convince a group of so called “grace believers” that he did not fear God and there was no reason for them to fear him neither.

One reason some people believe there is nothing to fear under grace is because of a misunderstanding of 2 Timothy 1:7 which says; For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

After reading this verse, some have come to the conclusion there is no reason to fear under grace. But, the fact is all fear is not bad. Fear can be a good, healthy emotion for there are things we ought to fear. A person who has no fear is foolish. God commands us to fear many things and one of them is him. We are commanded to fear God under grace.

2 Corinthians 7:1 says: Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

Hebrews 12:28 says: Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.

Ephesians 5:21 says: Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.

Philippians 2:12 says: Workout your own salvation with fear and trembling.

Proverbs 1:7 says: The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge.

Psalms 19:9 says: The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever.

Proverbs 16:6 says: By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of the Lord men depart from evil.

After reading these verses, it is apparent all fear is not the same fear or from the same source. The fear Paul wrote of in 2 Timothy 1:7 is not from God. It is irrational, unexplainable, unreasonable, illogical and unwarranted fear. It is fear of the unknown, fear from a lack of faith and especially the fear of men and in the context, persecution. Interpreting 2 Timothy 1:7 in its context it is linked with verse 8 where Paul tells Timothy not to be ashamed of the Lord or the gospel.  Why are we ashamed of the Lord? Why are we ashamed of the gospel? Because of fear. We fear what men will do to us if we openly testify of the Lord and the gospel. We fear the persecution that comes from witnessing and preaching the gospel. This agrees with Proverbs 29:25 which says: The fear of man bringeth a snare. The fear of man snares us, traps us, cripples us, disables us and it disgraces us. Fear is one of the most powerful weapons the devil has in his arsenal. He has paralyzed, neutralized and defeated many Christians with fear.

There are Christians who spend their lives in fear. They are afraid to witness, afraid to give, afraid to live separated lives, afraid to be branded as Bible believers, afraid to stand against the world, afraid to be different, afraid to quote the scriptures publicly, afraid to hand someone a tract, afraid to knock on doors, afraid to witness to their family members, afraid to step out by faith and enter a door that God has opened. There are 1000's of Christians who are paralyzed by fear.

That kind of fear is irrational, unreasonable, illogical, unwarranted and comes from a lack of faith. God does not give us that kind of fear. That fear comes from the world, flesh and the devil. But this does not mean we should not fear the things God told us to fear. There is a godly fear that comes from the Spirit of God and I wished more believers had it. A good healthy fear and reverence of God will save us from sinning, sorrow, and stumbling and many other bad things in our life that cripple us spiritually.

Keep this in mind: The same man who preached the doctrines of grace also said: Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation WITH FEAR AND TREMBLING.

FALSE GRACE DENIES THAT GOD SEES THE BELIEVER'S SINS UNDER GRACE, BUT TRUE GRACE DECLARES HE DOES!

I cannot count the many times I have heard preachers say; God does not see my sins, all he sees is his Son. This is another half truth. When it comes to our standing and salvation it is true, God does not see our sins for he sees the righteousness of Christ. As one preacher wrote: God's grace bestows upon us as a free gift an absolutely PERFECT AND COMPLETE STANDING IN CHRIST JESUS. This is a true statement, but it is not the whole truth, for it leaves out our STATE. This is typical of many who preach what they call grace today. They fail to distinguish between our standing and state.

Our standing is how God sees us spiritually in Christ. Our state is how God sees us as we really are in the world.

Our salvation is based upon our standing. Rewards and blessings are based upon our state.

Our standing depends upon Christ's work and obedience. Our state depends upon our work and obedience.

Our standing is perfect because Christ is perfect. Our state is not perfect because we are not perfect.

The error many Christians make is in lumping both together and treating them as if they were the same. Hence we have the erroneous idea that God does not see our sins. God does not see our sins when he looks at our standing but I assure you he sees our sins when he looks at our state.

Why We Know God Sees Our Sins Under Grace!

Because he punishes sin under grace.

How could God punish the Corinthians according to 1 Cor. 3, 5, 11 if he didn't see their sins?

Because some believers will suffer loss at the judgment seat of Christ.

According to 1 Cor. 3:15 some believers will suffer loss at the judgment seat of Christ. How could they, if God didn't see their sins?

Because God calls some Christians carnal.

A carnal Christian is one who walks after the flesh and lives in sin. If God does not see our sins, there would be no such thing as a carnal Christian.

Because God told us to cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit.

2 Corinthians 7:1 says: Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

Why would God make such a command if he didn't see the filthiness of our flesh and spirit that is caused by sin in our life?

Beware of any man who teaches Christians they can sin against God with immunity from judgment. And beware of any man who teaches Christians that when they sin God does not see their sin. The true grace of God preached by Paul declares plainly God does indeed see our sins and he will punish sin in our lives and sin can cost us rewards and blessings at the judgment seat of Christ.

FALSE GRACE DECLARES THAT CONFESSION OF SIN IS UNNECESSARY UNDER GRACE, WHEREAS TRUE GRACE DECLARES IT IS!

Recently a lady told me she was taught that confessing sin is unnecessary and even wrong under grace. This false doctrine was hammered into her head so much that when she confessed her sins she got under conviction about confessing them!  Believe it or not, confessing sin is sin to some hyper dispensationalists. How did they come to such a ridiculous conclusion that confessing sin is unnecessary and wrong under grace?  By assuming God does not see our sins under grace as we mentioned afore. They say: why confess them if God does not see them and why confess them if God has forgiven them?

In the first place, God does indeed see our sins. In the second place, God punishes and even kills Christians he has forgiven. Therefore, those two arguments will not stand the test of scripture. And if God punishes Christians he has forgiven, why should it seem unreasonable for a Christian to confess and judge his sins to escape punishment?

1 Corinthians 11:31-32 says; For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.

God says we should judge ourselves and in the context it’s our sins we should judge. When we judge our sins, we confess them because we cannot judge them without confessing them. Confession of wrong doing is absolutely necessary in judging sin.

If we judge and confess our sins what is the promise? God said: We should not be judged. So why should a believer judge and confess his sins? To keep from being judged for them. If we fail to judge and confess our sins what happens? God judges us. What happens when God judges a believer for his sins? Paul says; But when we are judged we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.

The man who told us God has forgiven us all trespasses in Colossians 2:13, is the same man who said in 1 Corinthians11:31-32 God will judge and punish saints he has forgiven. Many people do not understand this because they do not understand forgiveness. They assume forgiveness frees them from all punishment for sin, but this is not true.

What is forgiveness and what does it save us from?

It means we are free from the eternal condemnation of our sins (Romans 8:1).

It means the death and shed blood of Christ satisfied all of the just and legal demands of the law against our sins (Gal. 3:13).

It means we are free from the penalty of sin which is the second death (Rom. 6:22-23).

It means we will never suffer the eternal wrath of God for our sins (Rom. 5:9, 2 Thess. 1:7-10).

Forgiveness of sins frees us from eternal punishment for our sins, but it does not free us from temporal punishment.  

****The Corinthians will not come into eternal condemnation for their sins according to Romans 8:1, but they suffered temporal condemnation for them.

****They will not suffer the second death for their sins, but some were put to death physically for them.

****The Corinthian believers of 1 Corinthians 3:17 were not destroyed spiritually for their sins, but some were destroyed physically for them.

****The flesh of the Corinthian believer in 1 Corinthians 5:5 was destroyed for his sin, but his spirit will be saved in the day of Christ.

The fact God sees sin and punishes sin under grace and punishment can be avoided, should be enough to convince any spiritual minded Christian that judging and confessing sin is not only right, but should be a daily practice. Proverbs 28:13 says; He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy. A very wise man wrote these words and you will be wise to obey them.

According to the true grace of God preached by Paul, if we judge and confess our sins we can avoid chastisement. Beware of any teaching that leads you to believe confessing sin is "undispensational" or unnecessary. It's an invitation to disaster and loss.