Essentials for Power Living

Remember power lunches and power ties? Or power diets, power walks and power talks?   America , and Americans, revel in “superpower” status. We want anything that gives us the upper hand, the decided advantage, the authoritative voice, the prerogatives of will. The word “power” symbolizes anything that delivers a high impact. Forces such as war power, knowledge power, dollar power and personality power have fueled human history from time immemorial. We all want power.

Some want power because of raging egos and lust for control, but the majority of us simply want to live meaningful lives. We yearn to escape from hype and fluff. We want something that really works, something that makes a definite, measurable difference. Moreover, God wants people who venture beyond comfortable routines and superficial formalities. He wants Noahs who find grace in evil times, Abrahams whose faith does not stagger, Josephs whose dreams never die and Daniels whose allegiance is to God and not man. He wants people who mean what they say, live like they talk and never deviate from their goals.

The problem, though, is that too many who wallow in weak living still want a grip on power. They want diplomas without scholarship, expert status without the necessary accumulation of knowledge, privilege without responsibility and respect without respectability. But the reality of life, especially in a spiritual sense, consistently yields this stubborn fact: weak, flaccid, spasmodic living never leads to truly significant accomplishments. Only those who deliberately choose to do so will find the path to power living. Look at this list of essentials:

Embrace truth. Jesus said, “And ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.” John 8:32. Know and love true doctrine. Seek out truth in the inner sanctum of the heart. Practice truth in interpersonal relationships. Anyone who lives a lie forfeits the power that truth alone can deliver. Power living builds its entire existence upon a transparently truthful foundation. Dishonesty, deception, disingenuous dealings and hypocrisy fail every time they’re tried. Those who shade truth in hopes of gaining an advantage eventually lose. Cheaters always cheat themselves. Only truthful living generates true power.

Possess God’s Spirit. Utter dependence upon God supplies the mainstay for power living. This ingredient indwells the humble, not the haughty. When God is the driving force in a person’s life, powerful things happen. “Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord of Hosts.” Zechariah 4:6. Human pride and confidence in the flesh always crumbles in the end. No wonder Jesus commanded the disciples to “Tarry…until ye be endued with power from on high.” Luke 24:49.

Dedication of the highest order. Dedication means to give something solely to the purpose for which it was created. “Behold, I build an house to the name of the LORD my God, to dedicate it to him.” 2 Chronicles 2:4. Power living grows out of total dedication of one’s life to the will of God. Dedication ensures that momentary lapses, disappointments in people, challenging circumstances or even bitter defeat will not cause one to renege or switch purposes to something less demanding.

Discipline . Spiritual disciplines like prayer, fasting, studying and denial of the flesh comprise indispensable building blocks for power living. Decades ago, a book entitled “How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying” made its rounds, but the provocative title served only to allure buyers. While there may be an occasional fluke in the business world, significance in God’s kingdom goes to those who dare to impose discipline upon themselves. Jesus said to his disciples, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” Matthew 16:24.

Backbone . Perhaps the greatest characteristic of truly powerful persons may be seen in their steadfast commitment to a righteous cause. They do not waver. They fend off every source of intimidation and threat. They stand true, strong and faithful. “…and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore…” Ephesians 6:13-14. While it may seem that merely standing for something implies intransigence and lack of progress, those with backbone actually inspire others to strength. Backbone demonstrates strength, not weakness.

There are no shortcuts to power living. Mail order degrees in this field do not exist. It takes embracing truth, reliance upon God’s Spirit, dedication, discipline and backbone. When a person genuinely exemplifies these traits, righteous influence will follow.

Rules of Engagement

The Iraq  War has inundated our military forces with chaotic conditions on a daily basis.  When an innocent-looking ten-year-old boy may have a bomb strapped to his waist, no soldier can be too cautious about who approaches him.  Tragic situations have occurred because of the uncertainty of the enemy.  Fighting men are constantly reminded of the “rules of engagement”, that is, what is permissible in engaging the enemy and what is not.  

Lieutenant General Ron R. Vines who commanded the Multinational Corps Iraq in 2005 said the following about the use of force : “The loss of any innocent life - indeed, any life - is tragic. But we continually evaluate and investigate those, the loss of each life, to determine whether or not the rules of engagement were applied correctly, whether or not the rules of engagement are still valid, whether additional training would have precluded the loss of innocent life, whether additional equipment will do that. So we continually assess that.

“What we must never do is deprive a soldier in harm’s way of the ability to protect himself and his fellow soldiers. And so we’re not going to deprive them of that right, to make the decisions based on the threat they believe they have on the ground. So we will continue to do everything we can to provide them the best training that we can, the best equipment that we can and the rules of engagement that allow them to operate with maximum safety.”

Apostolics often find themselves frustrated by the battle of living for God, as though there were rules of engagement when fighting the devil. They pray, read the Bible, come to church, worship, give and get involved in ministry, and yet still seem to have a hard time. They wonder why they don’t have more joy, peace, love and other spiritual graces in their lives. Pastors often counsel with embattled saints until it seems that no stone is left unturned. They analyze issues, exegete scriptures, research books and magazines, and talk to colleagues. Still, certain problems persists.

The problem is that we fight the real battle in the realm of the Spirit, not on the level of human effort, human wisdom and understanding. Despite our intellectual grasp of the issues, we will not find comprehensive answers without spiritual insight and power. “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” Ephesians 6:12. We must engage, cognitively and spiritually, the forces that fight us in the realm of the spirit.

One wise man said that the devil would like nothing better than for his prey to deny his existence. We must not become obsessed with demons and devils, but neither should we push them off the radar screen. Jesus acknowledged their presence on numerous occasions without diverting glory or ceding superiority to them. He intended only to identify the source of opposition to his mission. Of the religious leaders who resisted his ministry, he said, “Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.” John 8:44. With this statement and others like it, Jesus laid out the battle of spiritual warfare for the church.

We ignore the reality of this battle at our own peril. Opposing spirits will not respect human efforts, but will flee only as we wage spiritual war against them. “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” James 4:7

For example, why do some people become jealous? Or why do others continually suffer from a heavy heart? Or why do still others fall into adultery? The scriptures reveal the origin of these conditions:

• The spirit of jealousy. Numbers 5:14
• The spirit of heaviness. Isaiah 61:3
• The spirit of whoredoms. Hosea 4:12
• The spirit of an unclean devil. Luke 4:33
• The spirit of divination. Acts 16:16
• The spirit of bondage. Romans 8:15
• The spirit of the world. 1 Corinthians 2:12
• The spirit of fear. 2 Timothy 1:7
• The spirit of antichrist. 1 John 4:3
• The spirit of error. 1 John 4:4

The operative word in each of these instances is spirit. Such unseen spirits often lie at the root of our problems. They stay one jump ahead of our fleshly analysis. Bible study and research are vital, but these elements of the battle defy understanding. Spiritual enemies must be attacked through spiritual means. Scriptures learned must be scriptures applied. The devil still trembles when the church falls to her knees. “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds.” 2 Corinthians 10:4

How can we be mighty through God? There is only one rule of engagement you need to remember—no holds barred! You can unleash the powers of intercessory prayer, fasting, boldly wielding the sword of the Spirit and separation from the world and its influences. We must adjust our thinking from the natural to the spiritual realm. Victory and revival burst forth from spiritual endeavors, not from human works. A church in prayer will become a church on fire.

The God Who Makes Things Right

“For I the LORD love judgment.” Isaiah 61:8

Did he do it?  Was he framed?  Will the evidence eventually show that he was guilty?  Conventional wisdom says that O. J. Simpson killed his wife, but conventional wisdom has been wrong before.  Will we ever know?  Few cases in history cry out so loudly for the execution of justice.  In the end, God will reveal the truth.   

While it may seem strange, one of the best things I know about God is that he loves judgment. David said, “The king’s strength also loveth judgment.” Psalm 99:4. This kind of judgment is not God’s wrath that falls on people as punishment for their evil deeds. The judgment that God loves concerns his passion for righteousness. He takes special delight in taking a blatant wrong and turning it into a right. “A false balance is abomination to the LORD: but a just weight is his delight.” Proverbs 11:1. God identifies strongly with the inner agony and despair a person feels who has been denied justice.

The triumph of true judgment forms the plot for some of the Bible’s greatest stories. Joseph ascended to a powerful position after his brothers sold him as a common slave. Israel sang joyously as the Egyptian armies drowned in the Red Sea . David rose to prominence despite having been ignored by his father and hunted by his father-in-law. Haman was hanged on the very gallows he built to hang Mordecai. These incidents are much more than delicious twists of fate. God loves to see wickedness crunched in the jaws of justice. “Be not deceived, God is not mocked; Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” Galatians 6:7.

Judgment ranks high on today’s endangered species list. In our justice system, known terrorists, convicted criminals and other public enemies walk free or get off with slaps on the wrist. Celebrated cases like the O. J. Simpson trial and the JonBenet Ramsey debacle stay fresh on the minds of Americans. Even the Dr. Sam Sheppard murder mystery continues to resurface in the public eye. Was justice really done? People who have committed unimaginable atrocities often enjoy a cadre of vocal supporters who claim that the criminal is the victim, not those who were injured or killed. From school boards to labor unions, from corporate boards to trial juries, true judgment suffers unrelenting assault. Too often, truth seems biased toward whichever side has the best lawyers and the most money.

In my ministry, I’ve wept with many who have been crushed by injustice. Some were lied on, stolen from or mistreated by scoundrels who seemingly got away with it. Innocent wives have been humiliated by faithless husbands, and good men have wounded by treacherous wives. Employees have been fired from their jobs by corrupt schemers. Ministers have lost their effectiveness because of vicious, unfounded gossip. Congregations have paid double for their buildings because of unscrupulous contractors. Swindlers, con artists and crooks have hit us all.

The most grievous aspect of an offense is when it goes unresolved. But doing something about the problem is often the point where the real problem begins! In today’s environment, people get upset when an effort is made to set the record straight. They see it as meddling, agitating or making a bad situation worse. In God’s economy, however, making things right is the only path to peace. His divine motive is righteousness, not revenge. Neither should we mistake restitution for retribution.

For wrong doers, the Bible points the way to peace. Denial, ignoring the problem or silence won’t work. Specific steps must be taken, however difficult they may be.

1. Sorrow. “Godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation.” 2 Corinthians 7:10.
2. Conference. “Go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother.” Matthew 5:24
3. Confession. “Confess your faults one to another.” James 5:16
4. Repentance. “Repent therefore of this thy wickedness.” Acts 8:22
5. Restitution. “If I have taken any thing…I restore him four fold.” Luke 19:8

For the victim, the challenge may be even greater. Deep wounds may be seem impossible to erase. But peace cannot be a one-way street. Both parties must mutually pledge themselves to making things right. When both make the effort in good faith, resolution will follow.

1. Forgiving. “If he repent, forgive him.” Luke 17:3
2. Release. “That which is thine with thy brother, thine hand shall release.”   Deuteronomy 15:3
3. Restoration. “Ye which are spiritual, restore such an one.” Galatians 6:1.

As long as one unrighteous deed exists that has not been made right, God will not be satisfied. Wrong strikes a discordant note in God’s universe. The state of affairs may become so entangled in some cases that we cannot make them right. Never doubt, but have patience. God will. He is that kind of God. In the end, he will cause righteousness to triumph.

Our Never-Changing, Ever-Changing God

“Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.” Hebrews 13:8

“You cannot step twice into the same river, for other waters are continually flowing on.” So said the ancient philosopher, Heraclitus. Change is inevitable, unavoidable. We see change when we go back and look at the old neighborhood; when we run into old friends; when we look at an old yearbook; every time we look at ourselves in the mirror. We fight it, delay it, rename it, hate it, love it, curse it, bless it, but we can’t deny it. We have learned to live with change. It extends from the very basic ways that we eat, sleep, work, play and live our lives to the mysterious and incomprehensible realms of science and academia.

We ascribe fancy names to change. Anthropologists call it acculturation. To biologists, it’s metamorphosis. To civil engineers, it’s innovation. Corporate architects call it re-engineering. Chemists call it reaction. Nearly all of the leadership books in my library refer to change. Some have change as their entire theme. One is entitled, Leadership and the Customer Revolution: The Messy, Unpredictable, and Inescapably Human Challenge of Making the Rhetoric of Change a Reality.

God is the one constant in a universe of change.

Malachi 3:6 “For I am the LORD, I change not.” This is the immutability of God. “God is eternally the same in His essence, in the mode of His existence, in His perfections, and in the principles of His administration. This attribute is essential to deity. To think of God otherwise than as unchangeable is to think of Him otherwise than as perfect.” New Unger’s Bible Dictionary. Today, we take this as a given, but to those who heard this for the first time, it constituted a powerful truth. In fact, man’s experience had been one gigantic upheaval of change. For starters, the world had known paradise, and then lost it. Mankind had enjoyed a sinless state, and sinned it away. Cain introduced murder into the world, and wickedness increased exponentially. Sin’s magnitude became so great that God tore up his own ecosystem. It rained when it had never rained before; it flooded when it had never flooded before. And that’s not even scratching the surface. If your house was only as sure as the next army coming over the mountain; if your family was only together until the next empire carted them off to slavery; if your crops were only yours until the next marauders invaded; if your life was only secure as the next king on a shifting throne; then it would mean something to know that God says, “I am God and I change not!”

God is a never-changing, yet, an ever-changing God!

These are not contradictory statements. The never-changing attribute of God has to do with his character. The ever-changing aspect of God has to do with his personal revelation. He is objective in the former, and subjective in the latter. His righteousness banished Adam and Eve from Eden ; his grace made coats of skins to cover them up. His holiness condemned Israel for its national sins; his mercy accepted the sprinkling of blood to atone for its sins to satisfy his holiness. Neither aspect changes, but both aspects coalesce into redemption and relationship between man and God.

God becomes whatever he needs to be at any point in time. Look at Moses. He needed God as a baby, in Pharaoh’s palace, when he slew the Egyptian, on the backside of the desert, when he went before Pharaoh, when he led the people out of Egypt , when he fought the Amalekites, when he saw Aaron and the people around the golden calf, and when he judged Israel . Whenever and however he needed God, God revealed himself. Look at Shadrach, Meshech and Abednego. (Daniel 3:16-30) Although they prayed to be kept from the fiery furnace, God showed up as the fourth man in the furnace, thus revealing himself as never before.

The God who never changes always changes into the answer for a specific problem. He will be your healer, savior, deliverer, counselor, advisor, comforter, peacemaker, joy giver, burden bearer and prayer answerer. Whether young or old, in school or out, working or laid off, debt free or paying bills, sick or well, single or married, children or childless, struggling or arrived, God changes into whatever you need him to be. If you trust in his never-changing nature, he will supply you with his ever-changing presence and power. If you make him the constant in your life, he will be the tailor-made answer to every situation.

What Is Your Adversity Quotient ?

“If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small.” Proverbs 24:10.

Real life is cut from the fabric of adversity. Whether we yank on rusted bolts, cower in dentist’s chairs or reel from offensive insults, all of us who don’t get our way paid face the brunt of adversity on a daily basis. The difference between us lies in our reaction to it.

Some people seem to meet and beat all adversity. I’m not talking daredevils, fate-tempters or show-offs. People like these deserve every ounce of adversity they get. No, I’m referring to people who possess a buoyant, irrepressible spirit, people for whom adversity only regenerates their resolve. They are like the kid in the neighborhood who would never cry uncle, even though he got his arm broken…or like the bear raiding a beehive: the honey is sweeter than the stings are nasty. These are people who have discovered that whenever the goal means more than the pain of adversity, they win!

In his book Adversity Quotient@Work, Paul Stoltz points out that the best plan in the world won’t work if a person cannot take adversity. Regardless of how brilliant the plan, or how venerable the institution, or how legendary the player, adversity arises in the pathway. Any assumption that adversity runs away from us, scared to death, is folly. Inspiration will meet adversity. So will ingenuity, prosperity, success, favorable circumstances, organization and reputation.

So, how do we handle it? Stoltz says we are quitters, campers or climbers. Some of us fold the tent at the first sign of adversity and just quit. Others find out where their level of tolerance to normal adversity fluctuates and learn to live within that range. They are campers. The most successful among us, however, never discover anything that stops them. They keep climbing, battling against the most brutal opposition, until they plant their flag at the top.

Whenever you see spiritually successful people, don’t admire their brilliance or covet their favorable environment. Instead, examine their adversity quotient. No saint achieves a consistent prayer life without adversity standing in the way. No parent enjoys victory in their home without adversity. No godly man or woman lives an overcoming life without adversity challenging every moment. No flaming evangel witnesses for Christ without adversity showing up at every opportunity. None of these people have a superior strain of the Holy Ghost. They don’t have a better plan. They don’t command more angels as ministering spirits. They simply refuse to allow adversity to win.

The Apostolic church has the best plan in the world. We preach the life-transforming gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. We teach the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. We know that repentance, baptism in Jesus’ name and the infilling of the Holy Ghost constitutes full Bible salvation. We not only know these things theologically, we witness them experientially. Everything we need and want is in our relationship with God. If any of us have a problem, it is not in our plan, but in our diminished capacity for adversity.

Expect adversity. “Be sober…for your adversary, the Devil, walketh about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” Jesus said, “In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33. Every trap, snare and stumbling block is before you. Sickness, tragedy, trouble, rejection, human failure, temptation and opposition of every brand, stripe and form will menace you. Many foes are real. Many are imaginary. Many are unrealized threats. All constitute adversity. Every great revival was spawned in adversity.

God may never take away the adversity, but he will do two things:

He will give you an increased capacity to absorb it! There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. I Corinthians 10:13. Paul said, “None of these things move me.” Acts 20:24 .

He will show you the way to victory over it! I John 4:4 says, Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.” By going on the offense, by committing yourself to spiritual disciplines, by looking to your goals rather than your goblins, you will destroy the material sources of your failures.

We cannot improve our plan. We can, and must, improve our adversity quotient!

Is Faith Your Missing Ingredient?

“Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?”  Luke 18:8

It may not sound too profound, but cars need gasoline to run. Appliances require electricity. Perfectly manufactured machines will always fail without the component that supplies the power. The human body dies without food. Despite these simple principles, many people continue to have unrealistic expectations of the mechanics of their religion. Bended knees and pious prayers will not work without faith. Repentance minus current faith will not work. Water baptism without faith becomes ritualism. No matter how long they pray or how much they beg, no one receives the Holy Ghost without faith. In Hebrews 4:2 we read, “For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.”

In the scriptures, faith is not a nebulous, unexpressed thought. Time after time, we see faith activated through hands, eyes, the heart’s response and other easily identifiable means.

Faith is the hand that receives the gift of God. “And, behold, a woman, which was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind him, and touched the hem of his garment: For she said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole. But Jesus turned him about, and when he saw her, he said, Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour.” Matthew 9:19-22. When she reached out with her hand, she validated her inner faith.

Faith is the eye that sees things beyond human imagination. “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1. Out of covetousness or greed, some dream for things and call it faith. Others wish for things that would serve no spiritual purpose and call it faith. But faith is not the domain for foolish speculation and outlandish dreams that have no basis in reality. The substance and evidence of faith define those things that God has promised in His Word.

Faith is the heart’s response to the call of the Lord. “For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” Romans 10:10. Every aspect of salvation we enjoy today finds it roots in faith. Faith validates regeneration, sanctification, justification, and adoption. At no point does faith become unnecessary. At no time should we just assume that these attributes are automatic. Our heart must continually beat in time with God.

Faith is the soul’s reliance upon the Lord Jesus Christ. “Nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.” II Timothy 1:12. This is the Christian’s answer to the daily dose of doubt that the devil dumps on us. Faith becomes the antidote to discouragement, trouble, depression and despair. Faith sustains us when nothing else can.

Faith is the conductor of the power of God. “He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith”? Galatians 3:5 Your attitude and faith do make a difference when you hear the Word of God preached or taught. Never come to church with a negative attitude, thinking you will get nothing out of the service. Faith connects you with the dynamics of truth and turns them into effective, life-changing solutions.

Faith is the motivator that makes us obey God’s commands. “By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they were compassed about seven days . Hebrews 11:30. Obedience to the call to march around Jericho would have been drudgery without faith. Divine direction said, “March!” Faith gladly obeyed. Triumph followed. Obedience is always the proof of faith. Where there is no obedience, there is no faith. Therefore, if we would triumph, we must obey.

Doubt, dejection, fear, hopelessness, spiritual boredom, confusion and a sense that nothing is working signal the lack of faith. Pump faith back into your life, and you will enjoy a revival of God’s Spirit. God did not design you to function outside of a relationship with Himself. As you are plugged into Him through the medium of faith, you will experience the joy of His presence.

Unclaimed Treasures

“After scouring historical records and following a trail of broken pottery scattered on the ocean floor, an American diver appears to have found the largest Spanish galleon built in the New World , which sank off the coast of Ecuador nearly 350 years ago. The diver, Robert McClung, traced the legendary ship to an almost irritatingly logical place: under 30 feet of water a mile offshore from El Real, the coastal village founded by the wreck’s survivors. Treasure seekers believe that the ship, the Capitana, carried silver coins and gold worth millions of dollars.”

So read the New York Times. In classic irony, the story went on to say, “Now, in the dusty fishing villages near the wreck, poor working people watch the recovery team warily. In some streets, dogs, pigs and chickens outnumber people.” Squalor, a mile from the stash. Hand-to-mouth subsistence virtually next door to wealth only dreamed about.

Beyond El Real, scattered around the human coastlines and across the landscapes of the world, God has placed goldmines of opportunity and treasure troves of grace within our reach. Daily, we trudge over the top of unclaimed promises, totally unaware of their close proximity. We cast our eyes hundreds of times over familiar shores beaten by interminable waves, and never see beneath the surface. In terms of churches, ministries and saints, we drive down streets of cities, look at the same houses, buildings and scenery, spend our limited time in narrowly-defined zones with few expectations and even fewer rewards. Too often, the treasure remains undisturbed, still waiting for a diver or a digger to claim it.

Had the people of El Real had forgotten about the gold-laden Spanish galleon a mile offshore? Had the descendants dismissed legendary reports as apocryphal? Maybe they had no way of reaching the gold. Or could it be that they were they so preoccupied with the struggle of their existence that didn’t give it a thought? Could it be that they had learned to live with less? Had 350 years of deprivation traced such deep ruts into their minds that the prospect of a brighter future became forever dimmed?

God forbid that the church should accept a dead, uneventful, listless kind of existence. We must never believe that defeat is our destiny. Sometimes we may even be tempted to anoint failure as simply “the way it is.” Our vision, however, does not come from our surroundings but from a viable, powerful relationship with God. Anyone who dares to look through God’s eyes will see what God sees. When we refuse to look and think superficially, the elements of spiritual success that the carnal mind cannot know will overwhelm us.

McClung did not locate the sunken ship all at once. Over a number of years, he painstakingly traced his find from a clue, a small bit of information. How much more should the people of God search diligently and confidently for the spiritual rewards that God has promised us? We have a map, a guide, the instrumentality of the Spirit, and the supply of strength along the way. One person may be the key to revival. Knocking on one door, making one phone call, sending one card, praying one prayer may trigger a huge find.

The eye, even with the aid of powerful lenses, can only see approximately eighteen miles across the surface of the earth. The curvature of the earth prevents a longer view. My thoughts always go to the nineteenth mile. What is out there that we cannot see? How foolish it would be to draw a circle with an eighteen-mile radius and refuse to believe anything beyond that circle is possible. There is more. To see it you either have to move your center, or move to a higher perch. “Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” (Luke 12:32)

Grace: The Open Door to Obedience

“Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision.”  Acts 26:19

The people who recite the “grace alone” mantra must feel a measure of discomfort whenever the subject of obedience comes up. That’s because the questions they must answer are impossible to answer. For example, if salvation comes by grace alone, are all Biblical commands that call for an obedient response from each person unnecessary? Did Christ absolutely do it all, including repentance? Baptism? Spiritual rebirth? Is grace an all-encompassing panacea that shifts every possible aspect of salvation to Christ and leaves nothing to man? Does God really require obedience? Does he condone disobedience?

“Grace alone” implies that man has nothing to do with the opportunity to be saved. What’s more, it intimates that man has no responsibility at all. It makes salvation absolutely unconditional. It is “grace alone.” Whether one believes or disbelieves, obeys or disobeys, is conscientious or lacks conscientiousness, continues in faith or falls away, it makes no difference. If man did nothing to obtain his salvation, he can do nothing to keep his salvation. Neither can he do anything to negate his salvation. In fact, any response on his part may invalidate the very salvation he desires. Ironically, perhaps one’s greatest worry should be whether or not he is guilty of human effort. If he is, his salvation is lost.

Exactly what does “grace alone” mean? Does it mean that we can separate Jesus from any other aspect of his ministry or work? Does it mean that we can dissect his essence from his word or doctrine like a ninth grade biology project? Do we have his person on the one hand, and the incidents of his life, on the other? Does anyone who attaches any other aspect of Christ besides his person alone as a requirement for salvation encumber the simplicity of salvation in Christ alone? The message seems to be grace alone—-without doctrine, without response, without obedience, without qualification—-defines salvation.

If we make a distinction between Jesus and his doctrine, what value do we assign to each? If we place the greater value upon his person, do we then place a lesser value upon his doctrine? Does this mean that it is possible to embrace Jesus but not his doctrine? Further, does this mean that one could accept Christ but deny his doctrine? And if one claims that he accepts Christ but denies his doctrine, what impact does this denial have upon his standing with Christ?

“Grace alone” implies that a man may basically disregard every spiritual principle, every scriptural command and every apostolic doctrine without effecting his justification with God to any degree. If it does not mean this, then there is no reason for a “grace alone” position. If spiritual principles, commands and doctrines are indeed essential, however, then someone, somewhere must define what they are. Someone, somewhere must say, “You can disregard some principles, some commands and some doctrines, but not all of them.” But, if the “grace alone” position is correct, who gives anyone the right to draw any line anywhere?

No, the Bible does not teach a “grace alone” position. This doctrine promulgates a subtle and insidious distortion of the Bible message of salvation. Specifically, it violates the unity between Christ and his work for us and in us, it endorses an attitude of non-compliance with clear, scriptural commands, it abrogates the spiritual progress that was expected and intended for Christians to enjoy, it forces God to accept the very behavior that he condemns in his word, and it represents faulty and incomplete Biblical exegesis. It is a beguiling, unbiblical notion that relieves man from the duty of obedience. It speaks of an indulgent, doting God who allows men to trample on his eternal precepts. It depicts a vacillating deity who cannot or will not enforce his word. That is not the kind of God who authored the Bible.

So if grace isn’t everything, what is it? Simply this: there was an access door to salvation that sin padlocked, bolted, sealed shut. The Mosaic Law could not open the door. The blood of bulls and goats could not open the door. Tradition could not open the door. The grace of God, however, opened that door. Through the precious blood that he shed at Calvary , Christ broke the lock, smashed the bolts and unsealed the way for our entrance. His grace was the strongest of all. By obedience, we then walk through the door that grace opened.