Let's see, a bi-weekly newsletter, a daily devotional, increasing email correspondence, an occasional article and four books in the works - when will I have time to write a blog?
Actually, I hope to use the blog to address topics that don't fit in the above categories. I have three primary areas of concern that I want to address more and more over the next few years. The first, of course, is the whole concept of grace as the work of God in, through, for, and with us. My family has been hurt by legalism and the "performance spirituality" taught by some of the more legalistic teachers. Along the way here I may provide some definitions so we are all on the same page.
The second focus of my concern is for pastors who are hurting. After almost 30 years of working 70 hour weeks as a solo pastor, I know the frustration and lack of appreciation pastors can suffer. I have experienced almost everything during that time, even though I have served small to medium sized churches. Hopefully, pastors will find a place here to be encouraged and appreciated.
Finally, I have done a great deal of study of the personality problem of narcissism. Those who have to deal with narcissists can find themselves very confused and damaged. I am convinced that this is a serious problem in the church and has a direct relationship with legalism and the broken ideas of grace that are presented. So, we may talk about that from time to time.
There are other topics that are close to my heart and may come up from time to time. My PhD thesis was on the kenosis and I love to talk about that. I have many concerns about the direction of the church that may come up from time to time. Who knows what might pop out?
So, welcome! I encourage you to visit our ministry website www.gracefortheheart.org, read some of the articles and other things that are there, donate some money ;-) , and drop me a note.
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Christianity is a relationship! It is far more than a set of dogmas or rules. Jesus Christ is real and active. I believe that He wants us to learn to walk and talk with Him. We will be talking about Him, about performance spirituality, and about a few side topics that touch my heart as I walk with Him.
How much sin is on your account right now?
About Me
Posts
Lloyd-Jones on the grace message
There is a sense in which the doctrine of justification by faith only is a very dangerous doctrine; dangerous, I mean, in the sense that it can be misunderstood. It exposes a man to this particular charge. People listening to it may say, "Ah, there is a man who does not encourage us to live a good life, he seems to say that there is no value in our works, he says that 'all our righteousness are as filthy rags.' Therefore what he is saying is that it does not matter what you do, sin as much as you like." . . . There is thus clearly a sense in which the message of "justification by faith only" can be dangerous, and likewise with the message that salvation is entirely of grace. . . . I say therefore that if our preaching does not expose us to that charge and to that misunderstanding, it is because we are not really preaching the gospel. - David Martyn Lloyd-Jones
A. W. Tozer on grace for the heart
"But the evangelical rationalist today is still wearing our uniform. He comes right in wearing our uniform and says what the Pharisees said while Jesus was on earth (and they were His worst enemies), “Well, truth is truth, and if you believe the truth, you’ve got it!”In His day or in our day, such people see no beyond and no mystic depth, no mysterious heights, nothing supernatural or divine. They see only I-believe-in-God-the-Father-Almighty-Maker- of-heaven-and-earth-and-in-Jesus-Christ-His-only-Son-our-Lord. They have the text and the code and the creed, and to them that is the truth. So they pass it on to others. The result is we are dying spiritually.
Now, what about the evangelical mystic? I do not really like the word mystic because you think of a fellow with long hair and a little goatee who acts dreamy and strange. Maybe it is not a good word at all, but I am talking about the spiritual side of things—that the truth is more than the text. There is something that you must get through to. The truth is more than the code. There is a heart beating in the middle of the code and you must get there." (Faith Beyond Reason)
Now, what about the evangelical mystic? I do not really like the word mystic because you think of a fellow with long hair and a little goatee who acts dreamy and strange. Maybe it is not a good word at all, but I am talking about the spiritual side of things—that the truth is more than the text. There is something that you must get through to. The truth is more than the code. There is a heart beating in the middle of the code and you must get there." (Faith Beyond Reason)
Hi Dave,
Can you share some of the "legalism" you're talking about from your past?
And, how did you get to a place where you left the "performance-based faith" to a more grace-filled one? Who are the mentors that helped you toward that? Thanks,
Adrian
Hi Adrian! Thanks for asking. I decided to make your questions the basis for the next couple of posts.
Hi Dave. So far so good...!
I did a google search on "Gods Grace" and your site came up.
I recieved "revelation" of His Grace (forgiveness) toward me at the age of 21yrs. I am now 53yrs.
His forgiveness is Eternal. My sin is temporal.
I am Eternally in Jesus The Christ.
I am Eternally foregiven.
The journey so far has been far from what could be classed as an out of the box Christian walk. I relate to Paul when he describes himself as "the worst sinner".
Part of my past walk had me associated with a pentecostal organisation fo around 17 yrs. I miss that fellowship.
Anyway, I love the Good News and hate religon. I love Father God and hate sin.
So, what are your views on The Pauline Letters and their revelance to Peters conversation with Jesus, "it is upon this rock that I will build my church".?
And this famous quote (by me):-
If ya faith aint built on revelation its gonna fall down.
Kind Regards from Australia and God Bless You.
Hi Fractle7!
Welcome! One of the blessings of this ministry is the number of connections with people outside the US. So far we have received visitors from over 70 countries, many of which are closed to the gospel.
So, what do I think of the Pauline letters? I think Paul was a man chosen by God to communicate the transition from the thinking of the Jews to the thinking of Jesus. As I study the Old Testament, I continually find that God tried to communicate grace and love. The people seemed persistent in misunderstanding His true message, however. They transformed the Law into a system whereby they could gain spirituality, instead of the revelation of their need for the Lord (which it was meant to be). Paul was gifted, trained, and called to the work of teaching the truth of God’s grace in Jesus. Paul was simply a tool in the hand of Jesus, just as Peter was and we are.
The “rock” was not Peter, but Jesus. When Peter proclaimed faith in Jesus as the Christ, Jesus acknowledged the truth and said that He would build His church on that rock. In other places, Jesus is the Rock (Romans 9, 1 Cor 10, 1 Peter 2) and He is the Rock upon which the wise man built his house (Matt 7). Peter was given the name because his whole life would be given to Jesus. In fact, we could go further and say that the life in Peter from that moment of faith was the life of Jesus, just like it is in us.
Your quote is true in at least two ways. First, the ultimate revelation of God is in the Person of Jesus. Jesus is God in human flesh. Hebrews (which, I believe, was written by Paul) tells us that the revelation of the word of God used to come through prophets but has now come in the Person of Jesus. (Heb 1:1-3) That’s why He is called the Word in John 1. He is the Revelation of the Person of God and of God’s love and grace.
Second, each of us must receive the Word for ourselves. In other words, each of us must have a revelation of the Person of Jesus in our lives. We cannot come to Him as part of a believing group unless we have trusted him individually. Each of us has the opportunity to enter into an intimate relationship with Him. He loves us one by one.
So, “If ya faith aint built on revelation its gonna fall down.”
Thanks for the note! Have you read anything of Brennan Manning? I think of him as an excellent example of someone with whom I might disagree on a lot of doctrine, yet who teaches a wonderful message of God’s grace. Your “out of the box” Christian walk may find some good company in his books. After all, it really isn’t about a doctrinal system – it’s about Jesus!