What is free grace?
Before I start, I believe that you can only be saved by grace through faith alone in Jesus Christ.
However, I believe with that faith in Jesus Christ comes the expectation that we are to obey His teachings. I personally don't agree with the free grace doctrine, which apparently came about in the 1980's. That means it's VERY NEW.
I believe that we are not expected to stay as baby Christians. I believe that we are not expected to continue to live our lives the way we did before and we get a free pass from saying the sinner's prayer, and believing that Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins, was buried, and resurrected on the third day. I believe that we are supposed to be changed and transformed and lead different lives than what we lived before we believed, and as a matter of fact, Paul covered this concept quite well in His epistles to the early churches.
John 14:15-17 says:
15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.
16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;
17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
Acts 5:32 says:
32 And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.
Romans 6:1-7 says:
1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?
2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?
3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:
6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
7 For he that is dead is freed from sin.
1 Corinthians 6:9-10 says:
9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,
10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
Romans 6:20-23 says:
20 For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness.
21 What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death.
22 But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.
23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
John 15:4-10 says:
4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.
7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.
9 As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.
10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.
Matthew 7:21-23 KJV says:
21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
I believe we are meant to obey God's word. This is where people accuse me of believing in works to save me. I'll redirect whomever is thinking this right now to my first statement.
I believe we are expected to have a personal relationship with Jesus that is grown through reading the bible and spending time with Him in prayer. And I believe that we are expected to do the things He taught.
Luke 6:46-49 says:
46 And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?
47 Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like:
48 He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock.
49 But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great.
Luke 13:23-27 says:
23 Then said one unto him, Lord, are there few that be saved? And he said unto them,
24 Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.
25 When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence ye are:
26 Then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets.
27 But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity.
Remember above the verse I gave from Acts 5:32. It says that the Holy Ghost is given to those who obey God. I was not filled and baptized with the Holy Spirit until I started to obey Jesus' teaching that if you don't forgive men their trespasses, neither will my heavenly Father forgive you of your trespasses (these verses are in Matthew 6:14-15 and Mark 11:25-26). After receiving the Holy Spirit, He convicted me of things in my life and I was led to stop doing them. So, I have personal experience that obeying Jesus saved me, and therefore that leads me away from the doctrine of free grace. In my personal opinion, the teaching of free grace is an abuse of God's grace and against His expectations.
If you disagree, that is your right, but please be advised that my mind isn't going to change on this. I have to follow my experience and my conviction.
May this give you something to think about.
God bless you.
(All of my verses come from the King James Version.)
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