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GREAT G R A C E

The most significant moment in my life was undoubtedly when I was born-again, and became aware of the spiritual dimension to life.
For the next 25 years I attended the local Chuch where this happened, and served and grew spiritually (as expanded in www.eyesalve.co.nz TASTE & SEE Book)
But for all of my time there, I recall that I seemed to be carrying my own private 'black cloud', that continually overshadowed me and all of my Christian experience, indeed it was over everything that I was doing or did.
I read Romans 8:1 over and over - that there is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, and I would get above this 'black cloud' of mine for a while into the sunshine above, but eventually I would sink down below it again and life would continue on as before. "Well, that's just how it is with me" I recall thinking many times.

Then after I left that legalistic Church, someone prayed for me and my family, and the next morning when I awoke - the shadow had gone - my private black cloud had vanished, and has never returned. Just what had happened, I wondered ?

Recently reading DESTINED TO REIGN by Joseph Prince in his Foreword ….
He had heard God say clearly to him "Son, you are not preaching grace ... every time you preach grace, you preach it with a mixture of law. You attempt to balance grace with the law like many other preachers, and the moment you balance grace, you neutralize it. You cannot put new wine into old wineskins. You cannot put grace and law together"
Grace is only grace when it is undeserved, unearned and unmerited.

And as I read that, I saw it so clearly - that had been my problem all along - saved by GRACE, but living under a legalistic ministry where LAW was continually promoted without holiness no man shall see the Lord Hebrews 12:14 they continually repeated
(but our holiness is imputed by faith - Jesus is our righteousness !) and
obey those that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves Hebrews 13:17
(but only to those who are following God and promoting HIS grace)
faithfullness is extolled as the 'key to heaven'
(but it should be faithfullness to Jesus, not a particular local Church)

At last F R E E EEEEE ….... into true LIBERTY
ALL my sins - past, present, and future are under the blood of Calvary
I am the righteousness of God in Christ 2 Corinthians 5:2 Phillipians 3:9

other passages quickened into life …
the glorious liberty of the children of God Romans 8:21
where the Spirit of the Lord is there is LIBERTY 2 Corinthians 3:17
stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ has made us FREE , and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage Galatians 5:1
Paul's warning against false brethren brought in unawares, who came in privately to spy out our liberty that we have in Christ, that they might bring us in bondage Galatians 2:4

The problem I carried continually for 25 years was exposed - trying to live and please God by any works at all - had just brought self–condemnation - a child of GRACE cannot live under any degree of LAW.
Not working enough, not praying enough, not reading the Bible enough, not witnessing enough ….. nothing was ever enough !
The Law and any works under it bring CONDEMNATION
Any addition of Law pollutes and neutralises true GRACE

Paul's allegory of Abrahams 2 sons Galatians 4:22-31 came alive …...
Hagar - the bond woman - her son Ishmael - of the flesh - Mt Sinai - Law - bondage
Sarah - the wife - her son Issac - son of promise - Jerusalem - GRACE - FREEDOM
we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the FREE Galatians 4:31

Grace brings Freedom from sin, not a license to sin - we have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion for the flesh, but by love serve one another Galatians 5:14 Shall we sin, beacause we are not under Law, but under Grace ? God forbid Romans 6:15

And so something else arises - the persecution of the Free by those still operating under the Law Galatians 4:29 The legalists who cannot appreciate spiritual freeedom. and those who use structured organisd religion to build their own kingdoms, and who will not be able to understand their exclusion from the Kingdom of Heaven in Matthew 7:21-23 likewise !

And surprise, surprise ….. even the mighty Apostle PETER was guilty of mixing Law and Grace …... Paul withstood Peter to his face because he was to be blamed - Galatians 2:11-14 Paul rebuked Peter and that publicly, for mixing Law practice with Grace doctrine … where is the Roman Catholics doctrine of Papal infallibility now?

Now, the reason for so much personal frustration amongst believers is exposed …
I do not frustrate the grace of God; for if righteousness comes by the Law, then Christ is dead in vain. Galatians 2:21

Frustration - self-condemnation - the most common personal problem of all Christians
comes simply from trying to mix LAW with GRACE
instead of pleasing God, this admixture pollutes and neutralises GRACE
Legalistic preaching, indeed any addition of the Law merely breeds self-condemnation and frustration, which to my observation, frequently fosters anger and adultery !
and all manner of the 'bad fruit' of Galatians 5:19 - 21 read the list there for yourself, and be shocked !

But GREAT GRACE was upon all those in the early Church Acts 4:33
in the early New Testament Church experience of ….
No clergy, No church buildings, No building programmes
No religious programmes, No tithing or fund raising ….
just truly sharing ALL things temporal and spiritual,
eating together, house to house …..
along with GREAT POWER
as they became ….. DISPENSERS of GRACE to those around