Eric Casagrande / Genelyn Novabos

The ‘Amazing’ Truth About Grace

My friends, I want to speak with you today, about sin, the law, and grace.

It’s been my personal experience over the years, to meet a large number of born-again believers, who seem to have what could only be described as a rather highly distorted view of sin and grace.

On the one hand, they hold sin in such high regard, that it’s always at the forefront of water-cooler discussions everywhere … particularly if it’s not their own. “You’ve got to make an effort in the daily fight against sin”, they tell you. You have to prove yourself worthy! After all, you don’t want to be one of those “laodicean-type” Christians, and left-behind at the rapture!

When it comes to grace, on the other hand – well it’s quite often ridiculed and held to scorn. Those who completely throw themselves on the mercy of God, based on nothing more than the finished work of Jesus Christ at the cross, are treated with contempt!

“Crazy grace”, they call it. Grace on steroids. Grace gone wild. Slippery grace. Greasy grace. They’d even have you believe it’s a “license to sin”.

My brothers and sisters, I would submit that, if you are holding onto such a disproportionate view of sin and grace, then you neither understand the terrible consequences of sin – nor the finished work of Christ at the cross!

By the way – did you know that “grace” and the person of Jesus Christ, are synonymous? You can’t have Jesus Christ apart from grace – and you can’t have grace apart from Jesus Christ. The two are inseparable!

Look at what God’s word (John 1: 14) has to say about it:

“And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us,

and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only

begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.“

Furthermore, we have another witness (John 1: 17), which tells us:

“For the law was given through Moses, but grace

and truth came through Jesus Christ.“

It seems plainly evident that herein lies another revelation to consider. Not only are “grace” and the person of Jesus Christ one and the same, but so is “grace” and ”truth“. They are equally inseparable! You absolutely can’t have one apart from the other!

My friends: If you don’t understand “grace“, it’s impossible to understand the “truth” about Jesus Christ!

Amazingly, it doesn’t end here! For not only are “grace” and Jesus Christ one and the same … not only are “grace” and “truth” one and the same … but “grace” and the “Gospel” are both one and the same as well - and just as equally inseparable!

Take a look at what Paul has to say in Acts 20: 14 –

“However, I consider my life worth nothing to

me, if only I may finish the race and complete

the task the Lord Jesus has given me – the task

to testifying of the Gospel of God’s grace.”

My friends, you cannot have the Gospel, without the existence of grace!

When you downplay the role of “grace”, you are not only downplaying the gospel, but, by association, you are also downplaying God’s plan of salvation, which is the very essence of the gospel story! To not fully rest in grace, is to boldly suggest there is some other means by which we can be saved!

Yet we know this to be a false teaching, as Acts 4: 12 clearly spells out:

“Salvation is found in no one else, for there

is no other name [ but Jesus ] under heaven

given to men by which we must be saved.“

Further, in Galatians 3: 10, Paul states that if anyone thinks they can be saved by their good works or deeds — they are actually under the curse! Yet the idea of being “made worthy” through good works is precisely what many Christians falsely – and very foolishly - believe today!

There is absolutely no way you will ever impress God – or make yourself worthy – by keeping the law and/or performing good deeds. Open up your Bible, and take a look at what Paul says in Romans 3: 20 about it:

“Therefore by the deeds of the law there

shall no flesh be justified in His sight.

For by the law is the knowledge of sin.“

Read that last sentence again: “For by the law is the knowledge of sin.“

Paul is teaching us that the futility of the law rests in the fact that – while it is holy – it isn’t capable of making any of its followers holy. Instead of the law bringing knowledge of righteousness - it brings the knowledge of sin!

In 2 Corinthians 3: 7-9, Paul speaks of the law as the ministry of death, and the ministry of condemnation!

As it plainly teaches us in Ephesians 2: 4-9, there is only one means by which we can be saved and brought into right-standing with God - and that is by His grace, through faith in the shed blood, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ!

My friends, grace is the unmerited, undeserved, unearned favor of God, whereby nothing good is ever required of us, and neither is anything bad held against us. We just rest, both safely and eternally secure, in the finished work of Jesus Christ at the cross!

Oh Hallelujah!

HOME

Eric Casagrande / Genelyn Novabos

The ‘Amazing’ Truth About Grace

My friends, I want to speak with you today, about sin, the law, and grace.

It’s been my personal experience over the years, to meet a large number of born-again believers, who seem to have what could only be described as a rather highly distorted view of sin and grace.

When it comes to grace, on the other hand – well it’s quite often ridiculed and held to scorn. Those who completely throw themselves on the mercy of God, based on nothing more than the finished work of Jesus Christ at the cross, are treated with contempt!

“Crazy grace”, they call it. Grace on steroids. Grace gone wild. Slippery grace. Greasy grace. They’d even have you believe it’s a “license to sin”.

My brothers and sisters, I would submit that, if you are holding onto such a disproportionate view of sin and grace, then you neither understand the terrible consequences of sin – nor the finished work of Christ at the cross!

By the way – did you know that “grace” and the person of Jesus Christ, are synonymous? You can’t have Jesus Christ apart from grace – and you can’t have grace apart from Jesus Christ. The two are inseparable!

Look at what God’s word (John 1: 14) has to say about it:

“And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us,

and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only

begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.“

Furthermore, we have another witness (John 1: 17), which tells us:

“For the law was given through Moses, but grace

and truth came through Jesus Christ.“

It seems plainly evident that herein lies another revelation to consider. Not only are “grace” and the person of Jesus Christ one and the same, but so is “grace” and ”truth“. They are equally inseparable! You absolutely can’t have one apart from the other!

My friends: If you don’t understand “grace“, it’s impossible to understand the “truth” about Jesus Christ!

Amazingly, it doesn’t end here! For not only are “grace” and Jesus Christ one and the same … not only are “grace” and “truth” one and the same … but “grace” and the “Gospel” are both one and the same as well - and just as equally inseparable!

Take a look at what Paul has to say in Acts 20: 14 –

“However, I consider my life worth nothing to

me, if only I may finish the race and complete

the task the Lord Jesus has given me – the task

to testifying of the Gospel of God’s grace.”

My friends, you cannot have the Gospel, without the existence of grace!

Yet we know this to be a false teaching, as Acts 4: 12 clearly spells out:

“Salvation is found in no one else, for there

is no other name [ but Jesus ] under heaven

given to men by which we must be saved.“

Further, in Galatians 3: 10, Paul states that if anyone thinks they can be saved by their good works or deeds — they are actually under the curse! Yet the idea of being “made worthy” through good works is precisely what many Christians falsely – and very foolishly - believe today!

There is absolutely no way you will ever impress God – or make yourself worthy – by keeping the law and/or performing good deeds. Open up your Bible, and take a look at what Paul says in Romans 3: 20 about it:

“Therefore by the deeds of the law there

shall no flesh be justified in His sight.

For by the law is the knowledge of sin.“

Read that last sentence again: “For by the law is the knowledge of sin.“

Paul is teaching us that the futility of the law rests in the fact that – while it is holy – it isn’t capable of making any of its followers holy. Instead of the law bringing knowledge of righteousness - it brings the knowledge of sin!

In 2 Corinthians 3: 7-9, Paul speaks of the law as the ministry of death, and the ministry of condemnation!

As it plainly teaches us in Ephesians 2: 4-9, there is only one means by which we can be saved and brought into right-standing with God - and that is by His grace, through faith in the shed blood, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ!

My friends, grace is the unmerited, undeserved, unearned favor of God, whereby nothing good is ever required of us, and neither is anything bad held against us. We just rest, both safely and eternally secure, in the finished work of Jesus Christ at the cross!

Oh Hallelujah!

HOME