This "tip" was originally delivered on Saturday, June 7th, 2014 .
Religion creates pretenders. Grace removes the pretense. After all, there is none righteous.
When religionists learn that salvation is all of grace and not of works, the pastor has no authority over their soul, and they are not under the law, they stop pretending.
It becomes evident who they really are on the inside: apathetic toward sin. There is no longer a religious excuse to get gussied up as they once pretended to be.
When people learn by grace that it is not the outward appearance that pleases God; they admit their slovenliness and dress down.
When people learn by grace they don’t have to ‘go to church’, because they are the church; they admit their disinterest and stop coming.
When people learn by grace that tithing is not required, they admit their greed and stop giving.
Grace exposes people for who they truly are in the flesh: selfish, apathetic, spiritual adulterers.
This sort of apathy towards sin is a shame and a stench among grace believers. So much so, that religionists avoid grace doctrine because they think it promotes licentiousness.
But this poor behavior is not cured by removing grace doctrine, but by growing in it.
The truth is that God does not give grace so that sinners can feel better about living in sin. Grace is given as the only means for sinners to be changed into servants of righteousness (Romans 6).
Grace changes us from the inside out, by crucifying our old man and making us alive in Christ. Grace kills sin, so that we can live a life where sin has no power over us.
Grace is not first about being dead to the law. Grace is first about being dead to ourselves; dead to sin.
If you are not saved by grace alone, stop pretending to be a Christian. Trust God’s grace alone through Christ alone by faith alone.
If you are saved by grace, stop pretending to be a sinner. Start serving the Lord.
For His glory,
Justin “grace changes people” Johnson
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