The Problem With Church (part 1 of 4)

The American Work ethic:  If you want something, you have to go get it.  If it's going to be, it's up to me.  There is no such thing as a free lunch.  This is the WORKS mentality.

This is not how God works, but it is how we act like His church works.

The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love. (Psalm 145:8 NIV)

What is grace?
God's riches at Christ's expense.
Grace is God's love in action.
Grace is the face that God wears when He looks at all my failures.
To bow down.

Aside:  tithing is not about the amount, or even the percentage, it is about how it makes you FEEL and THINK when you give.  Does it hurt, does it scare you, do you feel at risk, do you realize your dependence on God.  If not, you are not giving enough.

G = God's gift to is.

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. (Romans 3:23-24 NIV)

All other religions are based on what you have to "do", Christianity is based upon what has already been "done".  On the cross, Jesus Himself said, "It is FINISHED!"

R = Received by faith

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9 NIV)

A = Available to everyone

For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. (Romans 10:10 NIV)

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16 NIV)

C = Comes through Christ alone

For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. (John 1:17 NIV)

Grace is free, but it wasn't cheap!

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14:6 NIV)

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! (2 Corinthians 5:17 NIV)

When you are in Christ, all God sees is  Christ!

E = Extends through eternity!

Once you have God's grace, there is nothing you can do to loose it.  The gift of God's grave goes on through all eternity.

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23 NIV)

There's just one catch, you have to accept the gift.

See our website at www.truthatlife.com