Grace Wins | What are the 2 Commandments that Replaced the 10 Commandments?
There is no rule in my marriage that I have to kiss my wife. No law that says “Thou shalt kiss thy wife every night before going to sleep, and not just a peck, but a full blown French kiss.” A “kissing rule” would be quickly become burdensome. No, I kiss my wife because I […]
Grace Wins | The Law of Love
Once there was a man who hired a maid to clean his house. He looked through a dozen resumes and finally found a maid whose skills matched his needs. When he hired her, the two of them signed a contract that explicitly detailed their mutual obligations. He agreed to pay a certain wage in exchange […]
Grace Wins | Should We Preach Law or Grace?
Once I heard a street minister witnessing. He asked a man who was walking by, “Have you ever lied? Have you ever stolen? Have you committed adultery? Before you answer, keep in mind that Jesus said if you even look at a woman lustfully, you are guilty of adultery.” The man was forced to answer […]
Grace Wins | Should the Church Condemn People or Set Them Free?
Like the adulterous woman, all of us have sinned. We are all guilty. If we break one of God’s laws it is equivalent to breaking all of them. So, sin is a level playing field. None of us have the right to judge another because all of us have made mistakes. We should leave judgment […]
Grace Wins | Is God Angry at Me?
Is God judging America? Is God angry with you? Is He about to hit you with a lightning bolt? Or is God a loving God who is full of mercy and forgiveness? Many Christians seem schizophrenic when it comes to what they think and believe about God. One day they preach that God is mad […]
Grace Wins | Why do People Covered by Grace still Sin?
If our “old man” is dead, why do we still sin? Paul wrote, “But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me…Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me” (Romans 7:17, 20). Paul […]
Grace Wins | Walking in Grace Requires Humility
“…be clothed with humility,” writes the Apostle Peter, “for God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time… Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist […]
Grace Wins | Don’t Be Afraid of Grace
Many pastors are afraid of the grace message; they feel that if you tell people that nothing they can do would make God love them less that people will use grace as an excuse to go out and live a life full of sin. Legalistic preachers say, “Grace is no license to sin,” but I […]
Grace Wins | Is God’s Grace a License to Sin?
Is God’s Grace a License to Sin? Many people accuse grace preachers of encouraging sin. Does the Gospel of Grace lead to lawlessness? “Antinomianism” is a word originally coined by Martin Luther during the Reformation to describe those who live in lawlessness or are against the Law. The word is made up of two Greek […]
Grace Wins | Is Receiving Grace Based on Our Performance?
As a teenager, I did clown shows for children. I dressed in a silly costume, put on clown makeup, rode a unicycle, and juggled. I worked really hard on becoming a good juggler. For several hours every day I practiced. My goal was to have a perfect show without dropping a ball. But, no matter […]
Grace Wins | What Do I Have to Do to Earn God’s Grace?
What do you have to do to go to heaven? Do you have to be baptized? Do you have to read your Bible every day? Do you have to go to church every Sunday? Let’s ask the thief on the cross next to Jesus. He simply said to Jesus, “Remember me.” In the next moment […]
Grace Wins | Is Grace Fair?
I have been a Christian almost my whole life. I have faithfully served God since I was a child. But in God’s eyes, I look exactly the same as the smoking, drinking, drug addict who just got saved five minutes ago. When we get to heaven, we will both be dressed in the same white […]
Grace Wins | What Mountain are You Standing On?
There are two famous mountains in the Bible. The first is Mount Sinai, where the Ten Commandments and the Law were given to Moses. The second is Calvary, the peak on which Jesus was crucified. Which mountain are you living on? The first mountain represents the Old Testament, the second represents the New Testament. Under […]
Grace Wins | Does God Remember Your Sins?
We remember our sins and the sins of others better than God remembers them. If we ask God, “What about Bob who committed adultery?” God replies, “I don’t remember him committing adultery.” God does not remember the sins that are covered by the blood of Jesus. Scripture repeatedly affirms this: *“As far as the east […]
Grace Wins | Grace to do Good Works
For a world that needs to experience God’s grace, our good works are important. Good works are part of God’s eternal plan for your life: “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,not of works, lest anyone should boast.For we are His workmanship, created […]
Grace Wins | What Fruit is Your Life Producing?
Good works are the fruit of a Christian life. What kind of fruit is your life producing? If the tree is good, it will bear good fruit. If the tree is bad the tree will bear bad fruit. “Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.A good tree […]
Grace Wins | Why don’t Paul and James Agree about Grace?
Let’s look at two different Scripture passages: one is from Paul, the other from James. At first glance these verses seem to directly contradict each other. Much of the controversy about the grace message can be resolved by a proper understanding of what each of these titans of the early church, Paul and James, really […]
Grace Wins | Grace in Galatians
Galatians has been called the “Emancipation Proclamation for Christians.” Just as Abraham Lincoln proclaimed all American slaves free, so Paul sets free those who have been enslaved to the Law. Twelve times in this letter Paul uses the word “freedom” or “liberty” Paul initially visited the region of Galatia (part of modern Turkey) during his […]
Grace Wins | How Should Grace Filled Leaders Deal with Sin?
The Jerusalem Council wrote a letter to the believers in Antioch and asked Judas and Silas to deliver the letter. The letter said that the believers did not have to be circumcised or keep the Law of Moses. Then it continued, “It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us, to lay upon you no […]