Title: Precious Grace / Matthew 10:9-10
Contents
There are several reasons for the unhappiness that is prevalent in Christianity today.
First, because of the degenerate theology that covers us like the mist of death. This theology separates faith from discipleship and grace from obedience.
It teaches that it is possible not to accept Jesus as Lord of life, but only to receive Him as Savior.
This image becomes more and more serious as Christianity prospers. However, in a time of tribulation and persecution, those who want to become Christians think carefully about the value of discipleship before they take up that Nazarene cross.
And preachers do not deceive their listeners by falsely promising a comfortable life or leaving them to sin to their heart's content.
However, in today's peaceful and prosperous times, the value of discipleship does not seem so precious, and people call on the name of Christ without experiencing the fundamental life-changing experience of true conversion.
In times like these, preachers often blind their audience to Christianity without the cross, with easy faith, just to increase the number of members, regardless of whether they have been regenerated or not.
He said, "Cheap grace? A sermon that teaches forgiveness without repentance, sacraments without discipline, communion without confession, and resolution without penitence, grace without discipleship and without the life and incarnation of Jesus Christ."
The opposite of cheap grace is precious grace.
Grace of great price is like treasure hidden in a field, and a man sells all he has to buy that field. It is like a pearl of great price. As participation in the kingdom, people look at it and yearn for it with endless longing. That is, it is the call of Jesus Christ who made the disciples leave their nets and suddenly set out on the seashore. Truly precious grace is the gospel to be pursued and pursued, a gift to be eagerly awaited, and a door to be desperately sought. This grace is valuable to call us to follow, and grace to call us to follow Jesus Christ.
As the great biblical truth, the doctrine of justification, the proclamation of blessings that rescued mankind from hopeless legalism and useless self-efforts, has come in our day and has been caught up in Satan's blatant schemes, and because of many, many have lost their knowledge of God. All the processes of checking Christian conversion have become mechanical and external.
Now faith can be exercised without any introspection of moral life and without the embarrassment of Adam's original sin.
Also, Christ can be received without any feeling of love for Him in the soul of the recipient.
Although they receive salvation, they do not feel hunger or thirst for God. Perhaps it is not only wrong theology that promotes the fatal lack of discipleship, as if they received special training to be satisfied and proud of their condition. Another factor is “a lack of self-reflection in life.”
Most modern people live in an extremely mechanized environment. Life has become too busy, and our relationships have become too clerical for real world conversations. Even in the church, we do not have our relationship with God and His Son, Jesus Christ checked over, but with plans and departments. You are invited to become involved.
As long as we are doing something within the church, no one asks if our profession of faith is real or fake.
I think preachers should be reminded that even if they are members of the church, they may actually be unsaved.
And teachers should emphasize that in order to receive a reward from Jesus on that day, we must personally deny ourselves, make great sacrifices, and invariably follow Christ.
Because there is no such teaching today, countless people are professing themselves to be Christians on the grounds that they confessed to Christ 10, 20, 30 years ago and have not done anything particularly blatant since then.
In fact, they may be in danger of falling away from Christ, falling from grace and eternal destruction.