Systematic

CAVEAT: The following is a sampling of Paul’s writings contradicting the hyper-grace skew.  The sequentially selected verses in this study are not exhaustive.  Only those required to reinforce the bedrock doctrines the church has held for 2,000 years are being reviewed as they relate to the spreading frenzy called hyper-grace or its variants.  It should be remembered that the hyper-grace movement not only basis its new found revelation on a select number of verses, but primarily centers on the writings of Paul as he rebuked churches for trying to follow Jewish ceremonial (i.e., national) law as a means of salvation while forgetting their faith in Christ.  Too good to be true is an overstatement when it comes to describing hyper-grace.  I cannot say it any better than:

“Even Satan believes that!  This “easy faith” is perfect for those who don’t want to invest their lives in serving God, or who don’t want to feel guilty when they mess up.”  Wordpress.com.

SYSTEMATIC

(The Error of Hyper-grace)

Words have different meanings, require context, and suffer revolution to say the least, especially in English.  A prime example of this is the eight words the Greeks use to describe the different types of love.  In English, we use one word, love, to describe a variety of affections and actions.  Good example is using it to describe God’s love.  Bad example is using it to describe homosexual love.  There is no way these two loves are the same or even remotely related, so how can one word describe both?

The simple and worldly refuse to fully understand this contradiction; some do it intentionally, and some out of ignorance.  Comparing God’s love to any type of flesh love is foolishness of the highest caliber.  Those who intentionally do it, like the media, governments, organizations, and so on, do it in service to their god, or what they worship (most of the time, self).  And because their efforts are so prolific and deliberate, the simple and the ignorant embrace false meanings followed by errant behavior based on a purposed system designed to deceive.

Sweet sin without the bitter after taste of offense to God and others is hard for the simple to refuse.  The Devil, the world, and the secular church and its colleges have spread their conserve over the truth, and fed it to the flesh.  Mixing truth with lies dilutes the sting of the lies, and makes it palatable.  The deceived in the church have developed such a taste for sin presently that it is doubtful they can be recovered.  Jesus’ greatest opposition came from the religious whom He could not convert.

Faith is another word that has suffered the same perversion as love.  Just because someone says they believe in God does not mean they have saving faith.  I know people, friends, and family who acknowledge and even profess a faith in God and Christ, but they lead lives filled with gross sins such as adultery, fornication, theft, lying, homosexualism, and a great many offences prohibited by the faith the Bible speaks of.

So, there is a faith that is nothing more than a mental accent to a truth that God is, and there is a faith that bears fruit to the truth that God is and manifests itself in actions that witness to this fact.  How else can one word describe faith in God and faith that there is no God?

Hyper-grace, dirty grace, easy grace, etc., all take advantage of the grey area of words and meanings.  Paul was confronting the superstitious Gentile pagan faith based inclusion into a Jewish ultra-religious ceremonial based faith, and attempting to transform both into a spiritual based faith directed by the Holy Ghost.

You cannot have true faith in God without the transforming work of the Holy Ghost in the life of a believer.  It is impossible.  A believer cannot serve the Spirit and the flesh, it is impossible.  Therefore, you cannot have faith in God without works that witness regeneration in the life and actions of the faithful.

If you are one of those people who believe you can have your sin and serve God at the same time, you are a fool.  I do not say that in judgment but by experience; I have tried to do this, and it never works.  You cannot mix God, the world, and flesh together.  To do so leads either to a superstitious faith in God while failing to overcome sin, or you becoming a total reprobate.

If you are a true believer then you realize the frustration of confronting reprobates like those of the hyper-grace belief system.  They spin everything against you while applying their own meanings and contexts to words.  I offer you encouragement.  God foresaw this inevitability, and it is depicted in the first chapter of Romans.  You are blessed with eyes that see and ears that hear; press on, God cannot save a reprobate.  The shortcoming is not in God but in the choice of the reprobate to remain blind for “love” of self and a false “faith” in a god that does not exist.

God is not flesh.

EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS

The epistle to the Romans was written to whom?  “To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called [to be] saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.  First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world” (Rom 1:7-8).

Romans was written to the beloved of God, called to be saints, and believers possessing a faith that was spoken of throughout the whole world.  Why is this important?  Many hyper-grace proponents teach that much of the Bible’s teachings do not apply to them because it was written to the lost.

As any sane person can see, this epistle was not written to the lost, but to believers possessing specific attributes.  Paul longed to fellowship with these believers, “For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end ye may be established;” (Rom 1:11).

Paul longed to see them, so he could impart something that would establish them?  According to the hyper-grace philosophy, all you need is their meaning of grace or faith only.  Is it possible to add to faith?  “And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue;” (2Pe 1:5).

Paul wanted to impart spiritual gifts.  If we continue to grow spiritually, does that not consequently mean there are higher spiritual plateaus to reach in God?

“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;”  Rom 1:18.

It’s interesting that this passage specifically says, “…all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men…”  ALL is not the same as some, or just the lost only is it?  According to the hyper-grace belief, once you are saved you cannot be unrighteous, even if you are committing sin.

That is the loophole that allows their unrighteousness to exist in contrast to what this verse teaches.  A form of “faith only” does this in their estimation.  We see this in the preceding verse, “The just shall live by faith” (Rom 1:17).

Who are the “just,” and what does the word “just” mean?  Well, the definition of the word “just” means, “righteous, observing divine laws and in a wide sense, upright, righteous, virtuous, keeping the commands of God.”  If this is what “just” means then how can someone live in open sin, in conflict to the meaning of “just,” and still be righteous or considered to have faith?  Well that is why verse 18, says ALL unrighteousness.  There really is no loop hole that allows you to be both sinful and righteous.

Think about it in the natural and remember that the spiritual is higher than the natural.  If the natural finds something absurd, the spirit world would find it doubly absurd.  A man robs a bank and gets caught, prosecuted, sentenced, serves time, and is released.  Only, after his pardon the government grants him the ability to rob banks freely without worrying about being penalized again.  Does that sound logical?  Do you think the Kingdom of God operates on this principle?

This best expresses the hyper-grace viewpoint.  After the sinner has secured his pardon though the work of Christ, he is really no longer required to be “just.”  He can live a life of sin based on a mental accent to their form of faith, because to really live righteously means to keep God’s commandments, which is offensive to hyper-grace believers.  The surest way for you to hear them label you a legalist is for you to suggest they quit sinning.

“Because that, when they knew God, they glorified [him] not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,  And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man...”  Rom 1:21-23a.

This sounds like backsliders, I mean, “they knew God.”  Is it possible to know God and fall from grace?  According to this epistle it is.  I am a literal believer in the Word of God.  I do not believe God cloaks His Word from the godly man.

If your faith is dependent on others for a meaning more than the obvious meaning of a passage, how can you say you believe God’s Word?  You believe what someone else says about God’s Word.  What results from this?

“Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:  Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.”  Rom 1:24-25.

Do not change God’s Word into a lie, or meaning other than it naturally teaches, and do not believe man over what God plainly says, that is serving the creature more than God.  Hyper-grace takes a truth from a passage and unites it with error, then applies that meaning to other passages in such a way that it destroys the literal meaning of God’s Word.  And the result of this practice:

“And even as they did not like to retain God in [their] knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,  Without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:  Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.”  Rom 1:28-32.

There are many sins named here.  Do you really think God hates these practices in the lost only, but when it comes to those claiming to be saved and under grace He accepts them as normal?  The next logical step from that belief would be for the lost person to say, What is the difference between you and me?

I guess the reply might be that God doesn’t see the hyper-grace believer do them.  I am beginning to see the appeal of this belief; I mean you get the best of both worlds.  You can really be as sinful as you like because the work of Christ has shrouded you.  However, in God’s eyes, and the eyes of those who know the Bible, it is absurd.

The Bible plainly teaches that Christ came to, “save his people from their sins” (Mat 1:21).  As Romans 1:28-32 indicates, someone who does these things, and has known the goodness of God, has really become a covenant breaker.

If you are committing sin you are not following the God of the Bible.  And to believe that God allows it for you based on an unbalanced belief in God’s grace and your fleshy desires, well, insults God.  All unrighteousness includes the unrighteousness of those claiming to know God and His grace.  There is no distinction between the lost and the supposed believer when it comes to sin.  All have to repent.

“Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things. But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things.  And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God?” Rom 2:1-3.

Romans 2:1 brings up and interesting point.  Do hyper-grace believers even believe there are people that are lost?  I mean, their philosophy could lead to universalism.  If they do believe there are people who are lost, do they judge their sins to be unrighteous because they have not accepted Christ as their Savior, but if the lost would merely exercise a mental accent to faith they can sin willfully?

How do they interpret this verse if they are committing the same sins as the lost?  And, how do they answer Paul’s question, “O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God?”  To move beyond the force of this argument they may eventually say there is no such thing as sin period.

What a pickle.  If I commit the same sins as the lost will I escape God’s judgment?  I can’t think of one verse in the Bible that says the work of Christ allows you to remain unrepentant and in sin.  I can show you verses that say that even after you have received Christ’s salvation and you sin you are to confess (again) and forsake the sin.

There is no verse that says you do not have to repent after receiving Christ if you sin.  It is unscriptural, unscriptural, to tell someone that they no longer have to repent of sins they willfully commit because to do so means you are under the law.

The truth is the law exists, God has no choice in the matter but to enforce it or He will be sinning Himself.  Those who violate the laws of this country are punished.  Lawlessness leads to chaos.  Also, there is no scripture that says that the law only consists of two commandments (love God with your whole heart, and love your neighbor as yourself), just that these are the greatest.

How can someone say I will only keep two commandments but not the rest?  Apparently, it is okay to be under these two laws but not the rest.  The truth is, that if you are breaking other commandments you are breaking one or both of these as well.  Think about it, if you steal you are committing a crime against your neighbor, committing adultery or fornicating, crime against God and His marriage covenant, back biting or dealing with deceit, crime against neighbor and so on.

You see, that is why these two commandments are the greatest, because they are connected to the rest.  If a hyper-grace believer says they are not under the law but they do keep the greatest commandments, they are simply lying to themselves because these two are the cornerstones of the law.  If they are living in open sin they are not even keeping these two commandments.

“Who will render to every man according to his deeds:  To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life:  But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath,   Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile;   But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile:  For there is no respect of persons with God.” Rom 2:6-11.

The Bible says God will recompense us according to our deeds.  Jesus cannot impute His obedience to you.  There is no passage that says Christ’s obedience is imputed to us.  To be clear we have no righteousness of our own, but we are expected to take His righteousness and be obedient to God once we become a new creature.

If you despise holy living here, and hate and label those living righteously before God, how in the world are you going to survive in a holy heaven with purified saints and angels praising and worshiping God?  You will hate it as much there as you hate it here.  Your new body will crawl and squirm and wish to God you were out of there, you will beg to go to hell to escape such a consecrated life.

Evil deeds do not parallel eternal life, but “continuance in well doing” (Rom 2:7), well, that sounds like some kind of work that leads to eternal life.  I’m not making this stuff up, read it for yourself.  Wrath, indignation, tribulation, and anguish for souls that commit evil; and glory, honor, and peace to those that work good – work, work, sounds like effort.

Some believe they are special; they can do evil because they are saved.  Well, the Bible says, “there is no respect of persons with God” (Rom 2:11).  I’m sorry, I just don’t have the false luxury of someone else’s deceitful teaching to blind me to the truth and help cover your sinful lifestyle that contradicts the Bible.  The liar has never been to heaven, and never will.

“For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law; (For not the hearers of the law [are] just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.  For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves:  Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and [their] thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;)  In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.”  Rom 2:12-16.

There is an abundance of information in this passage.  First, when Paul spoke of law or scripture he was referring to the Hebrew Testament.  The hyper-grace believers like to say they are not under the law or that the Old Testament does not apply to them.

Another of their favorite quotes is, where there is no law there is no sin.  What they don’t tell you is that where there is no law there is no salvation either.  Do I lie?  The law, or Pentateuch, did not come into existence until Moses.  After Adam’s fall there was no law, and this led to a lawless society that brought God’s wrath in the form of the flood. 

Were those people saved because they had no law?  No, Peter says that only Noah and his family were saved and the “ungodly” perished.  Of course, in the natural no law can be enforced if there is none.  Hence, no sin where there is no law.  If we did not have God’s law we could not impute sin.  The Bible never says God does not impute sin, because it is evident that He does, even if there is no law, the law in our conscience is enough.

We do have the law, and the Bible clearly states that those who, “have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law.”  A lost person, he will perish without the law; but those claiming to know God and continue to sin, well, they will be judged by the law, it is right there in the Bible.

“Well, I am justified by Christ,” and that’s true for your past sins and sins that you repent of, but, “not the hearers of the law [are] just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified” (Rom 2:13).  Remember that word “just,” means you are not righteous just by hearing His law but by doing what it says.

The law you claim you have written on your heart, it is a reflection of what is in the Bible, “For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law,” (Rom 2:14).  Paul is not referring to your heart’s desire to do whatever it wants, but a person’s heart in right standing with God and His commandments, a person that has become a law unto themselves.

If you’re unrighteous, living a sinful existence, there is no law of God written in your heart.  And again, we will be judged by God and by the Gospel, not an errant belief built on a speculative and biased view, but one based on the whole of God’s Word.

“And shall not uncircumcision which is by nature, if it fulfil the law, judge thee, who by the letter and circumcision dost transgress the law? For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither [is that] circumcision, which is outward in the flesh:  But he [is] a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision [is that] of the heart, in the spirit, [and] not in the letter; whose praise  [is] not of men, but of God.”  Rom 2:27-29.

We expect a new body, a transformed body after this life.  The righteousness of Christ we now have applies to our spiritual standing in God, not our physical body.  How do I know that, because this body is still susceptible to a host of infirmities, ills, and death.

The circumcision of the heart performed by God is meant to release that inner man in order to subdue the carnal man.  Ritualistic adherence to law cannot accomplish what a freewill exercising benevolent love in the Spirit can when it comes to subduing our carnal desires.  The law alone never did this, it just made the adherents bitter.

We are not justified by the law, you can’t be, it is impossible; because you have already violated it.  That is not an excuse, and it wasn’t an excuse that could save those that died either.  That is why Christ came, and satisfied the demands of the law, and now shares His right standing with us, but it only works if we accept that circumcision of the heart and live a life pleasing to God in accordance with His moral law through the Spirit.

God expects us to live a life of holiness unto the Lord.  This has never changed.  What changed is that we are not under the law in the sense that we are dependent upon it for our salvation, but we cannot violate it willfully and expect the work of Christ to cover it.  If you are breaking the law, you are under the law (1Ti 1:9-10).

There is no teaching contrary to this reflected in the Bible.  In fact, the opposite is reflected.  The happy elated feeling the hyper-grace believers are expressing is the result of surrender to the struggle against temptation and living in sin.

Joy in the flesh and joy of one’s salvation is different.  For them they have yielded to the desires of the flesh and ceased to war with the spiritual wickedness surrounding us.  They have really left the battle and fellow Christians.

They have succumbed to their lusts and selfishly abandoned the matter altogether in exchange for a false liberty that allows them to pursue their own goals apart from God.  God for them is now nominal upon their lips and felt in the heart as some great superstitious symbol that has freed them to be unprincipled.

Tell me, who benefits from a belief that removes obedience, holiness, faithfulness, charity, fellowship, and repentance?  God, or the person doing it?  How selfish is that?