Grace Wins | Grace in Romans
The book of Romans is Paul’s masterpiece—his “Grace Manifesto.” Written to an audience composed mostly of Gentile Christians, Paul goes to great lengths to explain the fullness of the good news that is salvation in Jesus Christ. The Judaizers who Paul had debated in the Jerusalem Council had made their way to other Christian communities, […]
Grace Wins | The Jerusalem Council
The grace message is controversial today. Some preachers emphasize that we are saved by grace. Other preachers urge believers to live holy lives. Often the supporters of these two viewpoints clash. Grace preachers accuse holiness preachers of preaching the Law. Holiness preachers warn those who preach “radical grace” that their message is unbalanced and that […]
Grace Wins | How Peter Found Grace
On the day of Pentecost, Peter preached that, “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved (Acts 2:21). It was a powerful message—thousands of people put their faith in Christ when they heard the good news that Peter preached, the good news that “everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will […]
Grace Wins | Jesus is the Grace of God
Grace is all about Jesus. Everything in the Bible is about Jesus. He is more than the “alpha” and the “omega,” He is the alpha to the omega. He is the “A” to the “Z” and everything in between. Joseph Prince says, “In the Old Testament, Jesus is concealed; in the New Testament, Jesus is revealed.” Everything […]
Grace Wins | Are You Perfect?
Did you know that Jesus actually intensified the Law. The Old Testament set an extremely high standard for how to live and act, but Jesus raised the bar higher still by revealing that people will be judged for more than just their actions. Let’s look at how Jesus made the Law even harder to keep. 1. […]
Grace Wins | What Part of the Moses’ Law Should be Kept?
I graduated from a conservative Christian university. Rules and standards of conduct were an extremely important part of the university’s culture. At the beginning of the year, every student was required to sign an “Honor Code.” The students were then expected to stick to the honor code or suffer expulsion. The rules at my school […]
Grace Wins | Am I Forgiven?
The power of grace is its ability to overcome sin. No sin in your life is bigger than God’s mercy and grace. No sin is bigger than Jesus Christ’s sacrifice for sin. Look at these amazing verses: “Your sins are forgiven” (Matthew 9:2). “…whoever believes in [Jesus] will receive remission of sins” (Acts 10:43). “…through this Man […]
Grace Wins | Top Ten Scriptures About God’s Grace
What are the top ten things that God’s grace can do for you? 10. You are called: “[He] has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus…” (2 Timothy 1:9). 9. You believe: “…[Apollos] […]
Grace Wins | Think Outside the Box
What does the ark of the covenant teach us about grace? The ark was the Jews’ most cherished possession since it carried the tangible presence of God on earth. The ark represented two things that must always be kept in balance, God’s holiness and God’s mercy. The ark was a box built of acacia wood […]
Grace Wins | What is your church known for?
Why does the world think Christians are bigots trying to impose their antiquated sense of morality on others? Many atheists equate fundamentalist Christians with the Islamic Taliban and accuse us of trying to drag the world back into the first century. Is this because Christians tend to be known more for what they are against […]
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 […]
Grace Wins | How Saul Became Paul
Saul was a celebrity among the Pharisees. He was circumcised on the eighth day as the Law demanded. Both of his parents were Jews, of the tribe of Benjamin. He was educated in Tarsus in the philosophy of the Greeks. He studied theology in Jerusalem under the brilliant religious scholar Gamaliel, one of the leading […]