Prostituting Grace

You’ve probably seen the stock photo images of a woman with long flowing hair standing in a field of grass having her arms open wide as she looks up to heaven. Usually these type of images are accompanied with the word grace. “Grace, grace, grace,” they proclaim.

Hey look.  Grace is great.  Grace is awesome.  After all, it’s all about grace.

However, the Bible warns us in the book of Jude about a certain type of grace in the last days. It is called a grace turned into a lustful thing.

For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ. ~Jude 1:4 KJV

This is what we are witnessing today ladies; a prostituted grace. The grace that we are witnessing teaches Christians that grace is the mercy of God and an unlimited, abounding favor over an imperfect Christian. It is a grace that teaches churches that since Christ has done His work, we have no work because we could never be perfect like Him. Therefore, we should just rest and receive without adhering to that old Bible doctrine, which is outdated, religious, and its works suspect of legalism.

Right?

Yep. Of course, this is not the real nor accurate interpretation of the grace of God. Yet, it’s not surprising that people are misled, since many bibles add to the heresy.

Original Scripture:

But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. ~James 1:4 KJV

Bad Translation:

“Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” ~ ‭‭James‬ ‭1:4‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Fun Terrible Fact: The NIV is currently the most popular translation in the world.1Nielsen 2016

The first scripture is about our patience, acceptance of sufferings, and learning to deny ourselves in order to abound in grace. Whereas the bad translation teaches you to just keep having faith while hardly lacking anything. This shows everyone you are blessed, which is code for “grace is overflowing upon me.”

Now some may understand that abounding in grace opens doors through our denial of self, but many will look at this scripture and use it to justify covetousness. They will use it to justify embracing this world’s ordinances and its comforts. Understand that this is the great deception. Whenever people embrace the world, they are cheating on God. However, it is wise and permissible to use things in the world to glorify God, otherwise, how would you read this article today?

Any Christian who tells you “we will never be perfect” and this is the reason for grace is a baby Christian or one not yet born-again.

Grace is the power of God. The literal power of God. Yes, many Christians are boasting in grace, but they have no spiritual power because their grace is nothing more than a band-aid for their laxity and gain. They tell you that your righteous work in Christ is nothing and they teach you to rest in the acceptance of grace.

But, the Bible teaches us that walking in the righteous work of Christ is everything once we are saved. Plus, we are given a measure of grace after salvation that is just enough for us to grow. The only way to move beyond that ceiling— where your grace ends— is to suffer, embrace that suffering with joy, and faithfully continue in the doctrine. This suffering comes from God because He corrects His own. This suffering is also a test of faith and is used to build it up.

You must have strong faith in God to endure whatever spiritual battles come your way. It may be a long, long time of patience and grief. It’s usually a long trial of tough stuff so that you learn to want nothing. It is a doctrinal adherence and an abundance of religious routines in Jesus Christ. This is the truth, not the lazy, “not religion” stuff taught by this generation. Think about Jesus and His command to “follow me” and think about the first commandment to love God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength. Real abounding in grace is a death to self and a strict discipline, not a worldly indulgence.

Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself. ~1 Timothy 6:5 KJV

Therefore, this is why the false grace of the end times is lustful. Many are tricked into believing that they have no work and no work is the grace of God.

[18] For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error. [19] While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage. [20] For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. [21] For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it , to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. [22] But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire. ~2 Peter 2:18-22 KJV

Grace is not the “new mercy.” (e.g. “Give grace.)  Grace is favor, initially given freely by God because of your act of faith showing belief.  Therefore, it makes no sense to “give grace” to a sinner in the church body of Christ for an act of not having faith or not repenting.  When you say “Give grace” to a sinner in the church, it is code for “do not judge and give mercy.”    This is the end-times where we see ungodly men turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness”; a wicked, love-lust of sin acceptance.2Added 7/9/17 Read about men turning the #grace of our God into lasciviousness'; a wicked, love-lust of sin acceptance. Click To Tweet

I could point out so many deny the world scriptures at this point. However, the most important to remember is this Word that Jesus spoke to us from the beginning.

And He said to them all, “If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.” ~Luke 9:23 KJV

The gospel is God’s grace of power so embracing grace is a wonderful thing. Yet, not if it is turned into an undoctrinal, undisciplined, self-serving activity of imperfection and a fearless rejection of sanctification. This is divergent to obtaining the power of God.