The Gospel of Grace*
Is your faith marked by a deep belief, assurance and dependency on grace through Jesus? Or is your heart bent on man-fearing, self-worshiping religiosity?
Grace is freedom from the curse of works (Gal. 3:10), freedom from condemnation (Gal 2:15), freedom from slavery (Gal. 5:1) and freedom to worship and obey Jesus by the power of the Spirit (Gal. 5:16). Mere religion can never love or honor Jesus – it is ashamed of and offended by the gospel that declares all as sinners in need of a Savior. What gospel are you spreading in your church or life- Grace or Religion?
Acceptance
Religion: “I obey; therefore, I’m accepted.”
Gospel: “I’m accepted; therefore, I obey.”
Motivation
Religion: Motivation is based on fear and insecurity.
Gospel: Motivation is based on grateful joy.
Obedience
Religion: I obey God in order to get things from God.
Gospel: I obey God to get God – to delight in and resemble him.
Circumstances
Religion: When circumstances in my life go wrong, I am angry at God or myself, since I believe that anyone who is good deserves a comfortable life.
Gospel: When circumstances in my life go wrong, I struggle, but I know my punishment fell on Jesus and that while God may allow this for my training, he will exercise his Fatherly love within my trial.
Criticism
Religion: When I am criticized, I am furious or devastated because it is critical that I think of myself as a “good person.” Threats to self-image must be destroyed at all costs.
Gospel: When I am criticized, I struggle, but it is not essential for me to think of myself as a “good person.” My identity is not built on my record or my performance but on God’s love for me in Christ.
Prayer
Religion: My prayer life consists largely of petition, and it only heats up when I am in a time of need. My main purpose in prayer is control of the environment.
Gospel: My prayer life consists of generous stretches of praise and adoration. My main purpose is fellowship with God.
Confidence
Religion: My self-view swings things between to poles. If and when I am living up to my standards, I feel confident, but then I am prone to be proud and unsympathetic to failing people. If and when I am not living up to standards, I feel humble but not confident – I feel like a failure.
Gospel: My self-view is not based on my moral achievement. In Christ I am simultaneously sinful and lost, yet accepted in Christ. I am so bad that he had to die for me, and I am so loved that he was glad to die for me. This leads me to deep humility and confidence at the same time.
Identity
Religion: My identity and self-worth are based mainly on how hard I work, or how moral I am – and so I must look down on those I perceive as lazy or immoral.
Gospel: My identity and self worth are centered on the one who died for me. I am saved by sheer grace and I can’t look down on those who believe or practices something different from me. Only by grace am I what I am.
*Adapted from The Gospel Coalition, “Grace or Religion?”
