Podcast appearances and mentions of grace gospel

Watch the video mix via the following link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xja_GrYuAcc&t=139s Welcome to the soul-stirring journey of "Saved By Grace Gospel Music Mix Vol. 4" curated by DJ NAAD!

Acts 2:40-47

Bayou City Fellowship - Tomball Buzzsprout-13586556 Sun, 10 Sep 2023 00:00:00 -0500 2674

Dr. White reevaluates the role of repentance in salvation, distinguishing between grace and works, and advocating a Grace Gospel without repentance but rooted in faith.

Notes about this episode from Dave:  My background in IBLP ATI - attended a SBC church in Texas that was jokingly referred to as a Gothard church by the members and those who knew it. Did Alert Cadets (similar to Trail Life/Boy Scouts) which was a bunch of dads and sons doing Boy Scouts stuff but more Christian than BS. After hearing about Life Focus I applied and was a part of that program when I was 14 and again with Life Focus Advanced when I was 15. Those programs was a sort of juvenile delinquent reform program which included being on work details and working the entire 9 weeks while memorizing the book of James. I was the worst kid of the 20 or so that were there, graduating after my Dad flew in to pick me up (they issued you a LF shirt once you proved yourself). Got thrown into solitary confinement and they did a thing called voice-lockdown, applying the whole “Be still and know that I am God” verse literally for 2 weeks).   After that experience I was invited to Life Focus Advanced. Even though I had nothing great to say about my time at Life Focus I begged my parents to let me go to LF Advanced. Attended that and it was a whole different level of psychological and spiritual twisting and trauma.  Got locked in solitary confinement again for reacting in anger to my LIT.   Attended ALERT when I turned 18 - it was physically the most brutal thing I had ever done. I dropped out of basic training during the 24 hour hike (yeah they hike with full packs on for 24 hours straight with breaks for meals). I went through a remediation program and requested to do the next basic training due to my Dad's encouragement to not let this beat me. I made it through that basic training and took the EMT/Firefighting track and graduated in 2004.   Finally attended Verity Institute and met my wife there. Got my bachelor degree and made some good friends I'm still in contact today.   So to wrap up - did Alert Cadets from my 11th birthday 1997ish (didn't mention we attended the national conference in Knoxville in 2000) and ended my time with IBLP/ATI in 2011. Issues with the organization and it's objectives: Basic Seminar (their entrance seminar) systematizes everything into prooftexts for how and why you should live and the goal = success (a different type of prosperity gospel) A very literal reading of prooftexts that can go any which way the leader wants it to go All law, no gospel Christianity is behavior modification, period (not being hyperbolic) Confusing sanctification and justification Predatory nature of the authority - Bill Gothard surrounded himself with young very pretty girls at HQ and seeing he was “God's Anointed One” few spoke against it and if they did, they were gone The umbrella of protection - if we live or act a certain way the devil can gain access…also the dad is the mediator between Christ and the mom/kids The group-mentality - once people get into a herd, whatever that herd values, the members will tend to one up themselves to be the most excellent/extreme - which lead to some very messed up programs and teachings with zero oversight No hermeneutic in sight - if I think the verse means X…well it does, because I'm the one running the program (doesn't only apply to Bill Gothard, but to those running other programs as well) Grace/Gospel tended to sound/smell like antinomianism. Unsure how to handle the concept of Christian liberty and grace.   Issues I'm still dealing with: I understand where my Dad was coming from. He saw a bunch of dads and sons camping and doing daily devotions around a campfire and was like, “This is what I'm not seeing at my local church with the youth group leader eating goldfish…I want more of this.” Upon jumping in and seeing the basic seminar, without a strong theological background, it kinda made sense on it's face. Fundamentalist churches were tackling more issues than the basic John 3:16 one. Issues like modesty, male and female relationships, music, daily devotions, how much TV is the right amount, drinking, etc. These check boxes appealed to those who were very analytical/engineering types like my dad. And why not jump in deeper, you're going from milk to meat right? I understand the community that he was looking for. IBLP/ATI offered that along with a bunch of shiny happy people who were very respectful, dressed well, and worked very hard. These things were all very attractive - so how do we “then” live that separates the piles of “filthy rags” that is our personal righteousness but at the same time speaks to many verses in the Bible that seems to indicate that sanctification takes work (John 14:15, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.”) Is fruit inspection biblical or is it just measuring one's sanctification against another? I tend to find myself spiraling into an obnoxious Reformed Pub person - is it a sin to do BLANK? But let's dig in a bit Is it a sin to have standards for your family and how they live and have expectations for them to make certain choices and if they don't, to be disappointed in them, seeking to restore them Is it a sin to read the Bible daily? Is it a sin to read it once a week? Is it a sin to get so habitual with Bible reading that you start to worry if you miss a day here or there? Music - can listening to certain music be sinful Language - are naughty words sinful What does it mean to keep the Sabbath holy? Can you sin doing that? Where's the line What keeps us from turning into easy believe-ism nominal Christians? Shouldn't we have some sort of safeguards to keep us a peculiar people? Shouldn't we work to not be like the culture? How do reformed people deal with legalism? Are there legalistic reformed peeps or is this more a fundy thing within IFB/SBC circles? Why is Michael Horton so dang sexy?   A big error in the IBLP/ATI environment was the basic seminar was ALL about me being successful and what I needed to do to attain that. It's me centered, and I probably could not do enough. My righteousness had to exceed Bill Gothard's who fasted 40 days at a time and was single to serve God.  

John 1:14-18

God can take the person that is you, whatever you are, and make a saving impact upon other people by His Holy Spirit working through your life. Broadcast #6368To help support this podcast, please visit walkwiththeking.org/donate and select "Podcast" from the dropdown menu.A transcript of this broadcast is available on our website here. To hear more from Bob Cook, you can find Walk With The King on Facebook or Instagram. 

Melissa's Story of Grace (Gospel Story)

The gospel trains Christians to be people of righteous character.

   MP3 Download Link:Click Here To Download: His Disciple - It's Your Grace : Gospel Music Review - by Alfred 

Today's Voice of Truth reading is titled: Gospel Grace by Best selling Author Lillian Cucuzza.   Please listen and be inspired to fully surrender your life to the Savior of this world and all mankind; Jesus Christ.   ****** Welcome to Celebrating God's Grace, a Women World Leaders Podcast. I'm Kimberly Hobbs, I'm the founder of Women World Leaders. And it is my honor to bring to you today, a reading from Voice of Truth magazine. God has called Women World Leaders to produce this publication throughout each year. And I'm excited to share that this is our second year of publishing. We work with artists and writers, authors and helpers to showcase God's glory. Please visit womenworldleaders.com where you can read every edition that has come out since day one, we are certain it will encourage you and empower you to a closer walk with Jesus Christ. Please register for a free digital subscription going forward. And if you become a monthly contributor of any size donation, we will make certain you receive a beautiful magazine coffee table quality sent to your mailbox. We are a 501 C three and all donations are tax-deductible. Maybe you'd like to pay it forward and provide the printed copies as gifts to someone who could use the encouragement and the word of God through messages and stories. Whatever way you choose, it is our heart that you will be blessed by hearing and reading Voice of Truth. Today's reading is from our fifth edition, September October of 2021. The article is gospel grace and it was written by Best Selling Author Lillian Cuzuzza. Lillian is a leader in women world leaders and she's the founder of his creations. She is a professional photographer, and some of her spectacular artistry work is found in every edition of voice of truth magazine with a story that goes with her work and it relates from God's Word. Lillian is an encourager, and lover of Jesus and His creations, and she uses her gifts and talents to serve him. Please enjoy today's message nestled in Gospel grace. I spell grace by Lillian Kusa. I grew up in a family that attended church regularly. I did the readings during church services when I was 14 years old. I was raised to believe there was a God and a heaven. But I did not know God personally. Even though I was involved in a church, I worried about dying, because I did not know if I would qualify for heaven. I felt a heavy weight on my shoulders, that all the activities I was doing are just never enough. Secretly, my big question was, how would I know if I had done enough or was good enough to get into heaven? I avoided conversations with others about religion and church. I did not own and had never read the Bible. So I did not have enough information to know whether someone was telling me the truth, or just giving me their opinion. I certainly did not want to come across as ignorant. So I just avoided those conversations as much as possible. Does this sound familiar? One day, I was sent a, an accompany business trip to Minnesota. Since my new brother in law, Tom and his family lived in Minnesota. I decided to go a few days early to get to know them better. He was a Bible teaching pastor. And I knew I would not be able to avoid that dreaded conversation much longer. However, I knew I could trust and learn from him. Tom picked me up at the airport. And it wasn't long before we got into the conversation, the conversation. He asked me two questions. If you were to die tonight, do you know for certain you are going to heaven? Well, my immediate response was No. His second question was, if you did die tonight, and you are standing before God at the gates of heaven, and he were to ask you, why should I let you into heaven? What would you say? And I answered, well, I've tried to be a good person. Do all the right things, go to church, be active in the church, but I don't know if that's good enough. Then Tom gave me a little checklist to find out what I thought was necessary to get into heaven. The list included things like obey God's laws. Try to do your best. Give money to the church, do good deeds. and receive water baptism and Holy Communion. Wow. After I checked off most of the list, he explained that none of these things can help you get to heaven. There is nothing you can do to earn eternal life. The Bible says there's only one way to enter heaven. Jesus answered, I am the Way and the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 14, six, Tom shared that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. That's Romans 323 in the NIV. And the payment for sin is death. Romans 623. feeling queasy? I told Tom, I always thought the death penalty was for the worst of criminal criminals. And I was not a criminal. I never broke the law. He asked me if I had ever lied to anyone. Sure, I answered. But they were just little white lies. He replied that it does not matter how big or small the lie or the sin. God counts it all is sin. He continued to explain that because heaven is a perfect place. Nothing impure or imperfect will ever enter it. Revelation 2127. If we sinned, just once in our life, no matter how small we think that sin is, it corrupts in defiles us making us impure and unable to enter heaven. So far, it sounded quite bad and hopeless. We are all sinners, and we deserve to go to hell. Heaven is a perfect place. And nothing we can do makes us perfect. I was getting depressed. All my life I heard how God is love. Now I was wondering how a loving God can be so cruel, and send us to hell for being a sinner. Then Tom shared the good news. God is love and he loves us. The Bible says For God so loved the world, that He gave His one and only Son, that who so ever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. That's John 316. God sent His Son Jesus Christ, to shed his blood and die in the cross to pay for all of our sins. And three days later, he rose from the dead. He died for us. By trusting in Jesus Christ as the one who died for our sins, we can have eternal life. That is a loving God. Nothing we do can make us perfect or sinless. No deeds, charity, contribution, contribution to churches, going to church, being baptized, taking Holy Communion, trying to obey God's laws, nor any good work can take away our sins or save us. Heaven is a free gift, we do not deserve it, and we cannot earn it. 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 two, eight and nine in the NIV He saved us not because of the righteous things we have done. But because of His mercy. Titus three, five NIV mercy means not getting what we deserve death and separation from God for ever, as the penalty for our sins. Grace is getting what we do not deserve total forgiveness for our sins, making us perfect in God's eyes, and allowing us to spend eternity with Him in Heaven. Grace is an acronym for God's riches at Christ's expense. Because Jesus paid the ultimate price for our sins by shedding His blood and dying on the cross. We get to partake in God's riches for eternity. Wow. That is grace. Tom told me that moment I trust Jesus as my Lord and Savior, my sins would be forgiven, and I would receive God's righteousness perfection. As it says in Romans 10 Nine, if you declare with your mouth Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. This righteousness allows me to enter into heaven. I finally had the answer to my big question. How would I know I did enough or was good enough to get into heaven? It was not because of anything I did. It was because of what Jesus did for me. I also learned that you can do nothing more to add to the finished work of Christ. It is not trust in Jesus Christ as your Savior. plus.dot.it is putting your trust only in Jesus Christ as your personal Savior. And it is a one time decision in your life. You can never lose it, nor can you forfeit it. God's unconditional promise is that he will never take it away from you. Jesus said, I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand, John 1028 NIV. I was so excited to learn this good news. Then I made the decision right there to to trust Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. At that very moment, the burden was totally lifted off my shoulders, and whether I could do enough or be good enough to enter heaven. It was because of Jesus. And I knew that I now have eternal security. Friend, I cannot make you believe in heaven or hell. You may not believe in it because you cannot see it. But you cannot see the air you breathe either. Yet without it, you would die. Heaven and hell are real. If you have not yet trusted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. You can do it right now with a simple prayer, and he will save you from all eternity. The prayer is Dear God, thank you for loving me. I admit that I'm a sinner and in need of a Savior. I believe that Jesus is the Son of God, that He died on the cross as payment for all of my sins and was buried and raised from the dead, and is now in heaven. I understand that the good deeds I do will not help me get to heaven. Right now I confess that Jesus is Lord and I receive Him as my Savior. Thank you, Jesus for saving me so that I can live forever with you. Help me to live a life that is pleasing to You, Lord, in Jesus name, amen. If this is your prayer today, welcome to the family of God. Let us know about your decision so that we can encourage you and help you on your journey of faith and to Jesus Christ. You can contact us at voice of truth by reaching out to info at women world leaders.com You can find a list of churches in your area we will reach out to you. There are also many learning opportunities available at www dot women world leaders.com. To help you grow in your faith, knowledge and relationship with Jesus Christ. You can have the assurance that your sins are forgiven, past, present and future. God has said it and he cannot lie. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life. First John 513 NIV. hallelujah and Amen. One final thought. As we remember the victims of 911 in 2001. I cannot help but think of what their last thoughts words, or even prayers were besides agonizing about their predicament. And if they would ever see their loved ones again. I wonder how many cried and prayed to God to save them in that very moment. I also wonder how many did not have the opportunity to pray. Because the end came with no warning. We cannot change what has happened to them. But we can change what happens to us and where we will spend eternity. If we pray for salvation now. Before we don't get another chance. The choice is spending eternity in heaven with God or in hell separated forever from God. The choice is yours. I say this with nothing but a heart full of love. Please choose widely As we close out today, I will reinstate what Lillian just wrote. The Bible teaches us that heaven and hell are real. If you'd like to pray right now, I can lead you in that same prayer that Lillian wrote. And all you have to do is just say this in your own heart to God. Just follow after what I say, and mean it with all of your being. Let's pray it again together. Dear God, thank you for loving me. I admit that I'm in sinner, and I'm in need of You as my Savior. I believe Jesus, that you are the Son of God, that You died on the cross as a payment for my sin. And I believe that you were buried and raised from the dead. And now you're in heaven, and I want to live in heaven with you. I understand that the good deeds that I do here on earth aren't what's going to get me to heaven. I believe it's you God in the blood that Jesus shed for my sins. So right now, I confess Jesus as Lord, and I receive Him as my own personal Savior. Thank you, Jesus for saving me so that I can live forever with you. Please help me to live a life that is pleasing to You, Lord, in Jesus name, I pray this. Amen. Dear ladies, dear listeners, we would love for you to contact us at women world leaders.com. If you have made a decision to follow Jesus today, we are here to help you with many ways we have daily devotions on the website. And we have many tools that can help you in your walk and coming closer to a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Thank you for listening to women world leaders podcast. Please join us each Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. As we explore together God's extravagant love and your courageous purpose. Visit our website at w w w. Dot women world leaders.com And submit a prayer request, read a devotion or make a donation in the name of Jesus. today's podcast is copyrighted and cannot be used without expressed written consent. Thank you for joining us and have a blessed day.  

2022-01-09 The Free Grace Gospel : What is it and why does MBC believe it?by Pastor Nick GrecoScripture Reference: Romans 1:1616 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

Bible Study with Jairus - Galatians   This evening we are going to quickly go through several chapters of Galatians.  This morning when I attended an American Evangelical Community Church, the pastor used a term called SBNR which means spiritual but not religious.  This pastor was criticizing people who don't participate in church activities and are not willing to have any commitment.  He stated that there were Christians in the United States adopting this slogan.  These people are dissatisfied with the church as an institution and use the slogan as an excuse for laziness.  He said that admittedly, there's nothing wrong with being SBNR, but it shouldn't be an excuse for laziness.  They refuse to pursue spiritual growth and be built together with others.  He said that God's intention for Christians is to love and interact with each other in a community so that we can learn and edify each other.   When I got home and opened   Facebook   I saw one of my teachers, a Charismatic pastor at the Randy Clark Scholars, a Doctor of Ministry program at the United Theological Seminary,   preaching through live streaming. He was talking about the same topic, that Christians should be rooted in the community and grow more in one's spiritual life through interacting with each other. We shouldn't use avoiding religion and pursuing spirituality as an excuse to escape building each other up.   Then I felt inspired by the Holy Spirit about the message I will be sharing tonight. Today, the Holy Spirit seems to have a theme - the issue of abusing grace and the relationship between grace and the law. Since we were already planning to study Galatians which deals with the law, we will explore this topic tonight.   I heard that there was a dispute in China over the propagation of the so called “Grace Gospel.”  A pastor in Singapore prefers to impart truth by teaching God's grace and therefore was labeled as the “Grace Gospel.”  I read an article in a charismatic magazine by an American pastor who believed that this pastor in Singapore overemphasized God's grace and neglected God's discipline which in turn caused people to abuse God's grace.  These two pastors agreed to meet and discuss the topic in the Lord's love.  I even saw pictures of the meeting.  As a result of this meeting even the American pastor was criticized by those who opposed the “Grace Gospel.  Apparently many people in the United States disagree with that teaching.   When I used to have my own audio program on the Chinese online platform, some of the audience in China often interacted with me. One of them was a follower of this so-called Grace Gospel. He chatted with me and asked me how I felt about the Grace Gospel. I know that he wanted me to affirm this teaching, but to be honest, I don't know much about the Grace Gospel in China or why people criticize it so I couldn't support him.  He and I didn't have any further communication after that.      I still hold this point of view. I don't make any comments on the so-called “Grace Gospel” because my understanding is limited. But I have heard that many churches have split because of their attitude towards the “Grace Gospel. There are also a lot of disputes on the Internet. The purpose of my analysis here is not to judge other believers. Rather, I will talk about my understanding of grace and the law from a general perspective.   I think this topic is directly related to the contents of Galatians.   I came into contact with some people who had background in some traditional American Christian churches. They told me that they don't like the legalism in the church. An American Christian lady told me that she was from a very legalistic church. When she came to the small Charismatic church, she said that she had absolutely never felt the freedom and release like this before. She described a variety of legalistic situations in her original church which really surprised me.   I met another American Christian man on the train. He asked if we could use instruments at our church. I said of course we can. He told me that his church doesn't allow any instruments. They believe that instruments are all from Satan.   I also heard from a preacher that there was a teenager (who grew up in the church but wasn't baptized yet) who accidentally ate the bread of the church's Sunday worship without realizing it, and was reprimanded, causing the teenager to stumble.   I just cited a few examples as there are too many examples of legalism in the church. I suppose that there are a variety of these experiences. For example, some churches don't allow women to wear makeup or jewelry, which may cause people to stumble. Some parents force their teenagers to go to church and when they are 18, they leave the church for good not even having experienced God.  The list goes on.   Legalism really exists in churches. There are usually three outcomes of legalism. The first result is to stumble, which I've already said above.   The second outcome is people who develop a sense of pretense and hypocrisy. On the surface, they don't violate the rules and regulations, but they don't really embrace them in their heart. This is the case with Peter in Galatians 2:12 where it says: for before certain men came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles; but after they arrived, he pretended not to eat with the Gentiles. Even Barnabas was led astray. In the end, Paul stood and reprimanded Peter. In the modern church, in the face of the overflow of legalism, many people are like this. They don't violate the law; they oppress themselves and they pretend. Why? Because of fear. Fear made Peter pretentious because eating with the Gentiles may not have been accepted by the people of Jerusalem and he still had to go back to Jerusalem. If they accused him in the meeting, it would be very shameful for Peter. I mentioned in our study that fear is the main tool of the religious spirit to control people. Everything that is done out of fear is usually not from the Lord, but from Satan. For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline (NIV, 2 Timothy 1:7).   For example, the teenager that I mentioned who had not experienced the Lord in a subjective way in the church may have two attitudes.   He may be the type that refuses to go to church saying he'd rather be an unbeliever than a hypocrite. On the other hand, he could pretend to go along with everything to please his parents and live the opposite when they aren't looking.   The third outcome is a person who finds grace in the law. I likened this type of person to a salmon. Salmon swim and spawn upstream. For them, the environment is like the law. It is against them. They are swimming against the current, but they insist on swimming upstream. Upon reaching their destination, they spawn and they continue to multiply. There are many Christians who are like this, whether in church history or now.   I've recently been reading a biography of an African American Christian named Samuel DeWitt Proctor. He had served for several US presidents and had held important positions in the field of education. He was a visiting professor at the United Theological Seminary, where I'm taking classes. In the biography, he mentioned that the arduous history of discrimination of the United States against African American people has caused some African American people to give up on themselves. On the other hand, it has also caused some African American people like him to become even firmer in their faith in God and become useful citizens in American society. If American society's discrimination against the African American people is likened to legalism, then some people have indeed overcome these laws and found God's grace in them.   So, what is the relationship between the law and grace?   Galatians chapter 4 has used personification as an approach. It likened Hagar (Abraham's wife) to the Old Testament, and a person who bears children into slavery. In Galatians 4:25-26, Paul compared Hagar to Mount Sinai, and Sarah to Jerusalem which is the mother of us all. So, Abraham and his two wives have very interesting interactions. Abraham is not just comprised of one person. There are two people in him. One is the new man who lived by faith, and the other is the old man who lived by flesh. Therefore, the intertwined relationship between   Abraham's new man and old man and his two wives is the best illustration to explain the relationship between grace and the law.   Paul also had a good analogy in Romans 7:1 which says, "Do you not know, brothers and sisters--for I am speaking to those who know the law--that the law has authority over someone only as long as that person lives?" The “person” here refers to a woman's husband. Here, Paul is hinting that the old man died because of being crucified with Christ. In other words, the law kills. Paul says, “The letter kills, but the Spirit gives life!” (2 Corinthians 3:6). It's not because of the law or the letter that kills. Rather, it's because your old man played a role there. As Paul said in Romans 7:7 (NIV), “Is the law sinful? Certainly not! Nevertheless, I would not have known what sin was had it not been for the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.” In other words, Paul found that it's not totally because of the law that convicted and killed him. Rather, it's because he has the sin of greed in him. He was convicted when he ran into the law. The main reason why the law, the ministry of conviction, has played a role is not because the law stipulates that you must not steal or covet. The fundamental reason is that your fallen sinful nature has caused you to steal or covet.   Let's look at the example of Abraham. As a woman, Hagar is already unfortunate enough to be born an Egyptian. What is more unfortunate is that she became a slave girl to Sarah afterwards. Life was already difficult for her and she hoped to have the opportunity to move up the social ladder by getting pregnant from her master. Instead of this bringing her respect, she was driven away by Sarah. Abraham was powerless to do anything. From the perspective of modern women, her demands were not too much. Why aren't her demands met? In Galatians 4, Paul compares Hagar to the law and the Old Testament. Why is it that when the law (Hagar) asks Abraham to love her back or fulfill the requirements of the law to love, he can't do it? Is it because the requirements of the law are wrong? No. It was Abraham's old man who had a problem. Since Abraham married Hagar according to the flesh and didn't ask counsel from God, thus the result of his flesh could not bring the fruit of the Spirit.   Why do you think God comforted Abraham in his distress and told him to listen to Sarah and allow Hagar and Ishmael to be driven away? It's important to know that after Ishmael (the son of Abraham) was born according to the flesh, God did not appear to Abraham for thirteen years. Abraham was already ninety-nine years old before the Lord appeared to him and promised the birth of Isaac. It took God thirteen years to deal with Abraham's flesh. When Isaac was born, Abraham circumcised himself, Isaac and Ishmael as God commanded him. This represents the results of him dealing with the flesh. Therefore, it wasn't Sarah who wanted to drive Hagar away, but it's because Abraham's old man   died. According to Paul's analysis in Romans 7, once her old man dies, the law no longer has any jurisdiction over her.  Paul was referring to the fact that the wife was no longer bound by the dead husband. But we are twisting it around here to say the new husband is no longer bound in the way the old man and his wife were bound. Actually, it's not that Hagar was driven away, but rather Hagar was able to get freedom from her status as slave. This is why many people don't understand why God appeared and blessed Hagar and Ishmael when they were crying in the wilderness. If God didn't like them and wanted to drive them away, why would He appear and bless them?   Since Abraham's flesh died, his new man began to come to the stage. At this time, the law that convicts and kills us became the law that perfected us. In other words, Hagar exited the stage and Sarah came to the stage. The Old Testament exited the stage, and the New Testament came to the stage. The law and grace have become mutually reinforcing relationships. It's no longer because the law   killed me and I can't obey the law. At this time our new man (the life of Christ) was able to repeatedly live out the requirements of the law (the wife). As Jesus said, “I have not come to abolish the Law, but to fulfill it.” (NIV, Matthew 5:17). Not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law (Matthew 5:18), but the new life of Jesus Christ in us has fulfilled these laws. The convicting ministry of Moses in the Old Testament became the ministry of the grace of the Lord Jesus in the New Testament.   This is the relationship between the law and grace. They are interactive. In other words, now we have the life of the old man, and also the new man. Besides this, there's also Hagar (who represents the law) and Sarah (who represents grace) as our wife inside of us. Our life is very complicated. But it is also easy if you make it simple. If you die completely to the flesh and circumcise your flesh, Hagar (the law) will become ineffective in your life. You are a person who lives in the spirit and who marries Sarah. Sarah is Jerusalem, the mother of spiritual life.   In other words, if you die to your old man, you won't stumble by the law.  You stumble by the law not because the requirements of the law are unreasonable but because of your flesh. The requirements of the law are often difficult for our flesh to adhere to. Whether God has given the Israelites the Sabbath, or your church doesn't allow you to wear jewelry, sometimes it just doesn't make any sense. Why? For example, it is clear that Jehovah wanted the Israelites to keep the Sabbath. But in the end, Jesus, the Son of God, came and didn't keep the Sabbath in certain situations. Isn't this contradictory? No. God allows the law, and even the existence of legalism. The purpose is not just to keep the law, but to see if you will obey it. If you don't have a spirit of rebellion, but rather obey everything in the Lord, can you stumble? So people who   stumble usually have problems inside themselves. This would be like the prodigal son in Luke 15. His rebellious nature   led him to commit a sin and wander. In the end, he found a way to enjoy grace by repenting and confessing his sin of rebellion. This is the first R I'd like to mention-- rebellion. I said in the beginning that the American pastor said that many people pursue the SBNR slogan and don't participate in church activities. Actually, they may be living in rebellion of God and are prodigal sons. This is the current state of many churches and Christians. It is also the state of many prodigal sons in the world.   The next R, which is religion is represented by the eldest son in Luke 15.   He works very hard. He has the presence of the Father outside, but he has no real intimacy with the father. He is even envious of the prodigal son who repented. This type of mentality is the religious spirit. This person represents the second type of person I've talked about. They are pretentious. They are often bound by the religious spirit. They initiate legalism just like the Pharisees in the time of Jesus. They often persecute the prodigal son, who represents the relatively weaker people. After being persecuted by legalism and the religious spirit, the prodigal son often goes to the opposite/other extreme, which is rebellion. The prodigal son is often influenced and controlled by the "spirit of rebellion". These two spirits both come from Satan.   The story of Luke 15 is a very good metaphor. Have you ever thought about the possibility that the prodigal son may have suffered persecution from his older brother   way before he decided to leave his house? I read a sermon by Charles Spurgeon.  If I remember correctly, he said that Cain's persecution of Abel didn't begin on the day he killed him, but rather it was ongoing because of their different understanding of what an acceptable sacrifice was. The persecution had already existed from the beginning. Similarly, it is very likely that the eldest son in Luke 15   disliked his younger brother from the beginning, and persecuted him through a religious spirit of legalism until he couldn't take it anymore and left home. Of course, after dealing with the environment, the prodigal son dealt with the spirit of rebellion. He returned to his father's house and found the love of God, allowing him to overcome the persecution of the religious spirit and legalism. But in the end of the gospel of Luke the author did not tell us that the elder brother overcame his religious spirit.   God often allows legalism and even a religious spirit to be in the environment in order to test whether or not we are obedient. I've heard that one of the reasons why the teaching on the Grace Gospel is very popular is that many believers have been hurt too much by the church's legalism. This analysis is correct. But we can't be biased. If there is no flesh or rebellion in us, the spirit of legalism and religion can't hurt us.  The real reason why legalism or a religious spirit hurts us is because our old man has not truly died and still perhaps possesses a rebellious nature.  Christians who are deeply persecuted by legalism and religion often go to the other extreme of what they consider to be freedom and grace but in actuality they are often bound by the spirit of rebellion.   This is like driving a car. If you turn to the left, you'll fall into the trap of religious spirit and legalism. If you turn to the right, you'll fall into the trap of the spirit of rebellion.  The prodigal son's attitude before repentance and his brother's religious spirit can be likened to the two extremes that the church often goes to. This is not God's intention.   God's intention is for us to become like the salmon I mentioned earlier. No matter how difficult it is, the salmon would swim upstream and multiply. Although there are all kinds of difficulties in the environment, our hearts should be like Paul, a person who exemplifies Christ in every situation. God's intention is to let us bear the fruit of the Holy Spirit through these different and even difficult circumstances. Galatians 5:22-23 (NIV) says, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,  gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law." People usually pay attention to the first half of verses 22 and 23, but often ignore what the second half of verse 23 says, “Against such things there is no law.” If we live out the fruit of the Holy Spirit, the religious spirit or legalism won't harm you. On the contrary, we need to understand that whether it's a religious spirit causing legalism or a spirit of rebellion abusing grace, they are both from the flesh.   Therefore, the reason why I don't want to criticize the so called Grace Gospel is because on the one hand, I am not familiar with it. On the other hand, I know that if we use legalism and a religious spirit to criticize the supporters of the Grace Gospel, not only will it have no effect, but it will cause dissention in the body of Christ. Because legalism and a religious spirit is a reaction of the flesh, and the abuse of grace and the spirit of rebellion is also from the flesh, the flesh is waring against the flesh nullifying any good effect.   It's important to obey God's discipline in our lives.  Although many times the circumstances of our environment are difficult or others wrong us unfairly, we need to understand that nothing comes to us without God's permission.  We learn through experience to obey his discipline because the more we turn away from it the heavier His hand of discipline will be and our circumstances will get increasingly worse.   The reason that people abuse grace and freedom is largely due to opposing the religious spirit and legalism.  The danger here is the tendency to fall into self-indulgence and rebellion which abuses freedom and God's grace.  I've observed that churches tend to be at one extreme or the other in this area.  This is not God's intention for His people.  He wants us to live by the fruit of the Holy Spirit in every situation and says that against these there is no law.   In other words, when we face an overabundance  of legalism and a religious spirit in the church, the correct response is not to go to the opposite extreme (abusing the grace and indulging in rebellion), but to deal with our flesh and grow up   spiritually   If we do this, legalism is no longer  negative or a stumbling block. Instead, all things will work together for good, which let us grow in our spiritual lives and fulfill God's will for us.   In Galatians 3:3 (NIV), Paul blames the Galatians, "Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh?" This corresponds to what Paul said in Galatians 1:6 (NIV), "I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel." Paul continues to say in Galatians 6:8 (NIV), "Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life."   These words should be alarming. They should be a solemn warning for us not to live and act according to the flesh. The legalism and rebellious spirit that is pervasive in today's church is actually just two different kinds of living in the flesh. If we don't live in the flesh, Satan is unable to raise a religious spirit, legalism or the spirit of rebellion to harm the church. As the Lord Jesus said, the evil one has no place in Him.   Paul's expectation for the church is what he said in Galatians 2:20 (NIV), "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”   This is the way   a Christian should live. If a majority of Christians in the church would live like this, the flesh would be dealt with, and legalism and religious spirit wouldn't be rooted in the soil. The spiritual stature of the church would then greatly improve; the light of the church will also be brighter;   more prodigal sons from the outside world would return to the household of God, and the church would grow stronger.  On the contrary, because there are many churches with believers who live according to the flesh, the prevalence of legalism is high and causes weaker believers to stumble and often leave the church completely.  Those who aren't willing to leave the church reject any law, regulations or discipline which ultimately affects the growth of the church.   Although we are reading through Galatians rather quickly, our hope is that you have a general introduction and understanding to this rich and valuable book.  There are a multitude of verses worth praying and meditating on.  God bless you as you focus and meditate on His word.    

Date: 1st May 2021 Preacher: Rev. David McLaughlin Bible Reference: Romans 6:1-2 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? 2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?

The Israelites and Gentiles had a violent history.----The Gentiles had long oppressed the Israelites. There was great hatred and animosity between them. And yet, in God's time, the Gentiles were to be engrafted into His family. This was amazing grace- But it wouldn't come easy. Click to listen to Week 3 of our series in Galatians.

The Israelites and Gentiles had a violent history.----The Gentiles had long oppressed the Israelites. There was great hatred and animosity between them. And yet, in God's time, the Gentiles were to be engrafted into His family. This was amazing grace- But it wouldn't come easy. Click to listen to Week 3 of our series in Galatians.

A new MP3 sermon from First Presbyterian Church is now available on SermonAudio with the following details: Title: Amazing Grace: Gospel To Gentiles (Galatians, Wk. 3) Subtitle: Book Of Galatians Speaker: Dr. Toby B. Holt Broadcaster: First Presbyterian Church Event: Sunday Service Date: 2/7/2021 Bible: Galatians 2; Galatians 2:1 Length: 32 min.

A new MP3 sermon from First Presbyterian Church is now available on SermonAudio with the following details: Title: Amazing Grace: Gospel To Gentiles (Galatians, Wk. 3) Subtitle: Book Of Galatians Speaker: Dr. Toby B. Holt Broadcaster: First Presbyterian Church Event: Sunday Service Date: 2/7/2021 Bible: Galatians 2; Galatians 2:1 Length: 32 min.

A new MP3 sermon from First Presbyterian Church is now available on SermonAudio with the following details: Title: Amazing Grace: Gospel To Gentiles (Galatians, Wk. 3) Subtitle: Book Of Galatians Speaker: Dr. Toby B. Holt Broadcaster: First Presbyterian Church Event: Sunday Service Date: 2/7/2021 Bible: Galatians 2; Galatians 2:1 Length: 32 min.

A new MP3 sermon from First Presbyterian Church is now available on SermonAudio with the following details: Title: Amazing Grace: Gospel To Gentiles (Galatians, Wk. 3) Subtitle: Book Of Galatians Speaker: Dr. Toby B. Holt Broadcaster: First Presbyterian Church Event: Sunday Service Date: 2/7/2021 Bible: Galatians 2; Galatians 2:1 Length: 32 min.

A new MP3 sermon from First Presbyterian Church is now available on SermonAudio with the following details: Title: Amazing Grace: Gospel To Gentiles (Galatians, Wk. 3) Subtitle: Book Of Galatians Speaker: Dr. Toby B. Holt Broadcaster: First Presbyterian Church Event: Sunday Service Date: 2/7/2021 Bible: Galatians 2; Galatians 2:1 Length: 32 min.

A new MP3 sermon from First Presbyterian Church is now available on SermonAudio with the following details: Title: Amazing Grace: Gospel To Gentiles (Galatians, Wk. 3) Subtitle: Book Of Galatians Speaker: Dr. Toby B. Holt Broadcaster: First Presbyterian Church Event: Sunday Service Date: 2/7/2021 Bible: Galatians 2; Galatians 2:1 Length: 32 min.

Bible Study with Jairus - Galatians   This evening we are going to quickly go through several chapters of Galatians.  This morning when I attended an American Evangelical Community Church, the pastor used a term called SBNR which means spiritual but not religious.  This pastor was criticizing people who don't participate in church activities and are not willing to have any commitment.  He stated that there were Christians in the United States adopting this slogan.  These people are dissatisfied with the church as an institution and use the slogan as an excuse for laziness.  He said that admittedly, there's nothing wrong with being SBNR, but it shouldn't be an excuse for laziness.  They refuse to pursue spiritual growth and be built together with others.  He said that God's intention for Christians is to love and interact with each other in a community so that we can learn and edify each other.   When I got home and opened   Facebook   I saw one of my teachers, a Charismatic pastor at the Randy Clark Scholars, a Doctor of Ministry program at the United Theological Seminary,   preaching through live streaming. He was talking about the same topic, that Christians should be rooted in the community and grow more in one's spiritual life through interacting with each other. We shouldn't use avoiding religion and pursuing spirituality as an excuse to escape building each other up.   Then I felt inspired by the Holy Spirit about the message I will be sharing tonight. Today, the Holy Spirit seems to have a theme - the issue of abusing grace and the relationship between grace and the law. Since we were already planning to study Galatians which deals with the law, we will explore this topic tonight.   I heard that there was a dispute in China over the propagation of the so called “Grace Gospel.”  A pastor in Singapore prefers to impart truth by teaching God's grace and therefore was labeled as the “Grace Gospel.”  I read an article in a charismatic magazine by an American pastor who believed that this pastor in Singapore overemphasized God's grace and neglected God's discipline which in turn caused people to abuse God's grace.  These two pastors agreed to meet and discuss the topic in the Lord's love.  I even saw pictures of the meeting.  As a result of this meeting even the American pastor was criticized by those who opposed the “Grace Gospel.  Apparently many people in the United States disagree with that teaching.   When I used to have my own audio program on the Chinese online platform, some of the audience in China often interacted with me. One of them was a follower of this so-called Grace Gospel. He chatted with me and asked me how I felt about the Grace Gospel. I know that he wanted me to affirm this teaching, but to be honest, I don't know much about the Grace Gospel in China or why people criticize it so I couldn't support him.  He and I didn't have any further communication after that.      I still hold this point of view. I don't make any comments on the so-called “Grace Gospel” because my understanding is limited. But I have heard that many churches have split because of their attitude towards the “Grace Gospel. There are also a lot of disputes on the Internet. The purpose of my analysis here is not to judge other believers. Rather, I will talk about my understanding of grace and the law from a general perspective.   I think this topic is directly related to the contents of Galatians.   I came into contact with some people who had background in some traditional American Christian churches. They told me that they don't like the legalism in the church. An American Christian lady told me that she was from a very legalistic church. When she came to the small Charismatic church, she said that she had absolutely never felt the freedom and release like this before. She described a variety of legalistic situations in her original church which really surprised me.   I met another American Christian man on the train. He asked if we could use instruments at our church. I said of course we can. He told me that his church doesn't allow any instruments. They believe that instruments are all from Satan.   I also heard from a preacher that there was a teenager (who grew up in the church but wasn't baptized yet) who accidentally ate the bread of the church's Sunday worship without realizing it, and was reprimanded, causing the teenager to stumble.   I just cited a few examples as there are too many examples of legalism in the church. I suppose that there are a variety of these experiences. For example, some churches don't allow women to wear makeup or jewelry, which may cause people to stumble. Some parents force their teenagers to go to church and when they are 18, they leave the church for good not even having experienced God.  The list goes on.   Legalism really exists in churches. There are usually three outcomes of legalism. The first result is to stumble, which I've already said above.   The second outcome is people who develop a sense of pretense and hypocrisy. On the surface, they don't violate the rules and regulations, but they don't really embrace them in their heart. This is the case with Peter in Galatians 2:12 where it says: for before certain men came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles; but after they arrived, he pretended not to eat with the Gentiles. Even Barnabas was led astray. In the end, Paul stood and reprimanded Peter. In the modern church, in the face of the overflow of legalism, many people are like this. They don't violate the law; they oppress themselves and they pretend. Why? Because of fear. Fear made Peter pretentious because eating with the Gentiles may not have been accepted by the people of Jerusalem and he still had to go back to Jerusalem. If they accused him in the meeting, it would be very shameful for Peter. I mentioned in our study that fear is the main tool of the religious spirit to control people. Everything that is done out of fear is usually not from the Lord, but from Satan. For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline (NIV, 2 Timothy 1:7).   For example, the teenager that I mentioned who had not experienced the Lord in a subjective way in the church may have two attitudes.   He may be the type that refuses to go to church saying he'd rather be an unbeliever than a hypocrite. On the other hand, he could pretend to go along with everything to please his parents and live the opposite when they aren't looking.   The third outcome is a person who finds grace in the law. I likened this type of person to a salmon. Salmon swim and spawn upstream. For them, the environment is like the law. It is against them. They are swimming against the current, but they insist on swimming upstream. Upon reaching their destination, they spawn and they continue to multiply. There are many Christians who are like this, whether in church history or now.   I've recently been reading a biography of an African American Christian named Samuel DeWitt Proctor. He had served for several US presidents and had held important positions in the field of education. He was a visiting professor at the United Theological Seminary, where I'm taking classes. In the biography, he mentioned that the arduous history of discrimination of the United States against African American people has caused some African American people to give up on themselves. On the other hand, it has also caused some African American people like him to become even firmer in their faith in God and become useful citizens in American society. If American society's discrimination against the African American people is likened to legalism, then some people have indeed overcome these laws and found God's grace in them.   So, what is the relationship between the law and grace?   Galatians chapter 4 has used personification as an approach. It likened Hagar (Abraham's wife) to the Old Testament, and a person who bears children into slavery. In Galatians 4:25-26, Paul compared Hagar to Mount Sinai, and Sarah to Jerusalem which is the mother of us all. So, Abraham and his two wives have very interesting interactions. Abraham is not just comprised of one person. There are two people in him. One is the new man who lived by faith, and the other is the old man who lived by flesh. Therefore, the intertwined relationship between   Abraham's new man and old man and his two wives is the best illustration to explain the relationship between grace and the law.   Paul also had a good analogy in Romans 7:1 which says, "Do you not know, brothers and sisters--for I am speaking to those who know the law--that the law has authority over someone only as long as that person lives?" The “person” here refers to a woman's husband. Here, Paul is hinting that the old man died because of being crucified with Christ. In other words, the law kills. Paul says, “The letter kills, but the Spirit gives life!” (2 Corinthians 3:6). It's not because of the law or the letter that kills. Rather, it's because your old man played a role there. As Paul said in Romans 7:7 (NIV), “Is the law sinful? Certainly not! Nevertheless, I would not have known what sin was had it not been for the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.” In other words, Paul found that it's not totally because of the law that convicted and killed him. Rather, it's because he has the sin of greed in him. He was convicted when he ran into the law. The main reason why the law, the ministry of conviction, has played a role is not because the law stipulates that you must not steal or covet. The fundamental reason is that your fallen sinful nature has caused you to steal or covet.   Let's look at the example of Abraham. As a woman, Hagar is already unfortunate enough to be born an Egyptian. What is more unfortunate is that she became a slave girl to Sarah afterwards. Life was already difficult for her and she hoped to have the opportunity to move up the social ladder by getting pregnant from her master. Instead of this bringing her respect, she was driven away by Sarah. Abraham was powerless to do anything. From the perspective of modern women, her demands were not too much. Why aren't her demands met? In Galatians 4, Paul compares Hagar to the law and the Old Testament. Why is it that when the law (Hagar) asks Abraham to love her back or fulfill the requirements of the law to love, he can't do it? Is it because the requirements of the law are wrong? No. It was Abraham's old man who had a problem. Since Abraham married Hagar according to the flesh and didn't ask counsel from God, thus the result of his flesh could not bring the fruit of the Spirit.   Why do you think God comforted Abraham in his distress and told him to listen to Sarah and allow Hagar and Ishmael to be driven away? It's important to know that after Ishmael (the son of Abraham) was born according to the flesh, God did not appear to Abraham for thirteen years. Abraham was already ninety-nine years old before the Lord appeared to him and promised the birth of Isaac. It took God thirteen years to deal with Abraham's flesh. When Isaac was born, Abraham circumcised himself, Isaac and Ishmael as God commanded him. This represents the results of him dealing with the flesh. Therefore, it wasn't Sarah who wanted to drive Hagar away, but it's because Abraham's old man   died. According to Paul's analysis in Romans 7, once her old man dies, the law no longer has any jurisdiction over her.  Paul was referring to the fact that the wife was no longer bound by the dead husband. But we are twisting it around here to say the new husband is no longer bound in the way the old man and his wife were bound. Actually, it's not that Hagar was driven away, but rather Hagar was able to get freedom from her status as slave. This is why many people don't understand why God appeared and blessed Hagar and Ishmael when they were crying in the wilderness. If God didn't like them and wanted to drive them away, why would He appear and bless them?   Since Abraham's flesh died, his new man began to come to the stage. At this time, the law that convicts and kills us became the law that perfected us. In other words, Hagar exited the stage and Sarah came to the stage. The Old Testament exited the stage, and the New Testament came to the stage. The law and grace have become mutually reinforcing relationships. It's no longer because the law   killed me and I can't obey the law. At this time our new man (the life of Christ) was able to repeatedly live out the requirements of the law (the wife). As Jesus said, “I have not come to abolish the Law, but to fulfill it.” (NIV, Matthew 5:17). Not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law (Matthew 5:18), but the new life of Jesus Christ in us has fulfilled these laws. The convicting ministry of Moses in the Old Testament became the ministry of the grace of the Lord Jesus in the New Testament.   This is the relationship between the law and grace. They are interactive. In other words, now we have the life of the old man, and also the new man. Besides this, there's also Hagar (who represents the law) and Sarah (who represents grace) as our wife inside of us. Our life is very complicated. But it is also easy if you make it simple. If you die completely to the flesh and circumcise your flesh, Hagar (the law) will become ineffective in your life. You are a person who lives in the spirit and who marries Sarah. Sarah is Jerusalem, the mother of spiritual life.   In other words, if you die to your old man, you won't stumble by the law.  You stumble by the law not because the requirements of the law are unreasonable but because of your flesh. The requirements of the law are often difficult for our flesh to adhere to. Whether God has given the Israelites the Sabbath, or your church doesn't allow you to wear jewelry, sometimes it just doesn't make any sense. Why? For example, it is clear that Jehovah wanted the Israelites to keep the Sabbath. But in the end, Jesus, the Son of God, came and didn't keep the Sabbath in certain situations. Isn't this contradictory? No. God allows the law, and even the existence of legalism. The purpose is not just to keep the law, but to see if you will obey it. If you don't have a spirit of rebellion, but rather obey everything in the Lord, can you stumble? So people who   stumble usually have problems inside themselves. This would be like the prodigal son in Luke 15. His rebellious nature   led him to commit a sin and wander. In the end, he found a way to enjoy grace by repenting and confessing his sin of rebellion. This is the first R I'd like to mention-- rebellion. I said in the beginning that the American pastor said that many people pursue the SBNR slogan and don't participate in church activities. Actually, they may be living in rebellion of God and are prodigal sons. This is the current state of many churches and Christians. It is also the state of many prodigal sons in the world.   The next R, which is religion is represented by the eldest son in Luke 15.   He works very hard. He has the presence of the Father outside, but he has no real intimacy with the father. He is even envious of the prodigal son who repented. This type of mentality is the religious spirit. This person represents the second type of person I've talked about. They are pretentious. They are often bound by the religious spirit. They initiate legalism just like the Pharisees in the time of Jesus. They often persecute the prodigal son, who represents the relatively weaker people. After being persecuted by legalism and the religious spirit, the prodigal son often goes to the opposite/other extreme, which is rebellion. The prodigal son is often influenced and controlled by the "spirit of rebellion". These two spirits both come from Satan.   The story of Luke 15 is a very good metaphor. Have you ever thought about the possibility that the prodigal son may have suffered persecution from his older brother   way before he decided to leave his house? I read a sermon by Charles Spurgeon.  If I remember correctly, he said that Cain's persecution of Abel didn't begin on the day he killed him, but rather it was ongoing because of their different understanding of what an acceptable sacrifice was. The persecution had already existed from the beginning. Similarly, it is very likely that the eldest son in Luke 15   disliked his younger brother from the beginning, and persecuted him through a religious spirit of legalism until he couldn't take it anymore and left home. Of course, after dealing with the environment, the prodigal son dealt with the spirit of rebellion. He returned to his father's house and found the love of God, allowing him to overcome the persecution of the religious spirit and legalism. But in the end of the gospel of Luke the author did not tell us that the elder brother overcame his religious spirit.   God often allows legalism and even a religious spirit to be in the environment in order to test whether or not we are obedient. I've heard that one of the reasons why the teaching on the Grace Gospel is very popular is that many believers have been hurt too much by the church's legalism. This analysis is correct. But we can't be biased. If there is no flesh or rebellion in us, the spirit of legalism and religion can't hurt us.  The real reason why legalism or a religious spirit hurts us is because our old man has not truly died and still perhaps possesses a rebellious nature.  Christians who are deeply persecuted by legalism and religion often go to the other extreme of what they consider to be freedom and grace but in actuality they are often bound by the spirit of rebellion.   This is like driving a car. If you turn to the left, you'll fall into the trap of religious spirit and legalism. If you turn to the right, you'll fall into the trap of the spirit of rebellion.  The prodigal son's attitude before repentance and his brother's religious spirit can be likened to the two extremes that the church often goes to. This is not God's intention.   God's intention is for us to become like the salmon I mentioned earlier. No matter how difficult it is, the salmon would swim upstream and multiply. Although there are all kinds of difficulties in the environment, our hearts should be like Paul, a person who exemplifies Christ in every situation. God's intention is to let us bear the fruit of the Holy Spirit through these different and even difficult circumstances. Galatians 5:22-23 (NIV) says, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,  gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law." People usually pay attention to the first half of verses 22 and 23, but often ignore what the second half of verse 23 says, “Against such things there is no law.” If we live out the fruit of the Holy Spirit, the religious spirit or legalism won't harm you. On the contrary, we need to understand that whether it's a religious spirit causing legalism or a spirit of rebellion abusing grace, they are both from the flesh.   Therefore, the reason why I don't want to criticize the so called Grace Gospel is because on the one hand, I am not familiar with it. On the other hand, I know that if we use legalism and a religious spirit to criticize the supporters of the Grace Gospel, not only will it have no effect, but it will cause dissention in the body of Christ. Because legalism and a religious spirit is a reaction of the flesh, and the abuse of grace and the spirit of rebellion is also from the flesh, the flesh is waring against the flesh nullifying any good effect.   It's important to obey God's discipline in our lives.  Although many times the circumstances of our environment are difficult or others wrong us unfairly, we need to understand that nothing comes to us without God's permission.  We learn through experience to obey his discipline because the more we turn away from it the heavier His hand of discipline will be and our circumstances will get increasingly worse.   The reason that people abuse grace and freedom is largely due to opposing the religious spirit and legalism.  The danger here is the tendency to fall into self-indulgence and rebellion which abuses freedom and God's grace.  I've observed that churches tend to be at one extreme or the other in this area.  This is not God's intention for His people.  He wants us to live by the fruit of the Holy Spirit in every situation and says that against these there is no law.   In other words, when we face an overabundance  of legalism and a religious spirit in the church, the correct response is not to go to the opposite extreme (abusing the grace and indulging in rebellion), but to deal with our flesh and grow up   spiritually   If we do this, legalism is no longer  negative or a stumbling block. Instead, all things will work together for good, which let us grow in our spiritual lives and fulfill God's will for us.   In Galatians 3:3 (NIV), Paul blames the Galatians, "Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh?" This corresponds to what Paul said in Galatians 1:6 (NIV), "I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel." Paul continues to say in Galatians 6:8 (NIV), "Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life."   These words should be alarming. They should be a solemn warning for us not to live and act according to the flesh. The legalism and rebellious spirit that is pervasive in today's church is actually just two different kinds of living in the flesh. If we don't live in the flesh, Satan is unable to raise a religious spirit, legalism or the spirit of rebellion to harm the church. As the Lord Jesus said, the evil one has no place in Him.   Paul's expectation for the church is what he said in Galatians 2:20 (NIV), "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”   This is the way   a Christian should live. If a majority of Christians in the church would live like this, the flesh would be dealt with, and legalism and religious spirit wouldn't be rooted in the soil. The spiritual stature of the church would then greatly improve; the light of the church will also be brighter;   more prodigal sons from the outside world would return to the household of God, and the church would grow stronger.  On the contrary, because there are many churches with believers who live according to the flesh, the prevalence of legalism is high and causes weaker believers to stumble and often leave the church completely.  Those who aren't willing to leave the church reject any law, regulations or discipline which ultimately affects the growth of the church.   Although we are reading through Galatians rather quickly, our hope is that you have a general introduction and understanding to this rich and valuable book.  There are a multitude of verses worth praying and meditating on.  God bless you as you focus and meditate on His word.    

A new MP3 sermon from First Presbyterian Church is now available on SermonAudio with the following details: Title: Amazing Grace: Gospel To Gentiles (Galatians, Wk. 3) Subtitle: Book Of Galatians Speaker: Dr. Toby B. Holt Broadcaster: First Presbyterian Church Event: Sunday Service Date: 2/7/2021 Bible: Galatians 2; Galatians 2:1 Length: 32 min.

A new MP3 sermon from First Presbyterian Church is now available on SermonAudio with the following details: Title: Amazing Grace: Gospel To Gentiles (Galatians, Wk. 3) Subtitle: Book Of Galatians Speaker: Dr. Toby B. Holt Broadcaster: First Presbyterian Church Event: Sunday Service Date: 2/7/2021 Bible: Galatians 2; Galatians 2:1 Length: 32 min.

The Israelites and Gentiles had a violent history. The Gentiles had long oppressed the Israelites. There was great hatred and animosity between them. And yet, in God’s time, the Gentiles were to be engrafted into His family. This was amazing grace! But it wouldn’t come easy. Click to listen to Week 3 of our series … Continue reading Amazing Grace: Gospel To Gentiles (Galatians, Week 3) →

The Israelites and Gentiles had a violent history. The Gentiles had long oppressed the Israelites. There was great hatred and animosity between them. And yet, in God’s time, the Gentiles were to be engrafted into His family. This was amazing grace! But it wouldn’t come easy. Click to listen to Week 3 of our series … Continue reading Amazing Grace: Gospel To Gentiles (Galatians, Week 3) →

The Israelites and Gentiles had a violent history. The Gentiles had long oppressed the Israelites. There was great hatred and animosity between them. And yet, in God’s time, the Gentiles were to be engrafted into His family. This was amazing grace! But it wouldn’t come easy. Click to listen to Week 3 of our series … Continue reading Amazing Grace: Gospel To Gentiles (Galatians, Week 3) →

The Israelites and Gentiles had a violent history. The Gentiles had long oppressed the Israelites. There was great hatred and animosity between them. And yet, in God’s time, the Gentiles were to be engrafted into His family. This was amazing grace! But it wouldn’t come easy. Click to listen to Week 3 of our series … Continue reading Amazing Grace: Gospel To Gentiles (Galatians, Week 3) →

The Israelites and Gentiles had a violent history. The Gentiles had long oppressed the Israelites. There was great hatred and animosity between them. And yet, in God’s time, the Gentiles were to be engrafted into His family. This was amazing grace! But it wouldn’t come easy. Click to listen to Week 3 of our series … Continue reading Amazing Grace: Gospel To Gentiles (Galatians, Week 3) →

The Israelites and Gentiles had a violent history. The Gentiles had long oppressed the Israelites. There was great hatred and animosity between them. And yet, in God’s time, the Gentiles were to be engrafted into His family. This was amazing grace! But it wouldn’t come easy. Click to listen to Week 3 of our series … Continue reading Amazing Grace: Gospel To Gentiles (Galatians, Week 3) →

The Israelites and Gentiles had a violent history.----The Gentiles had long oppressed the Israelites. There was great hatred and animosity between them. And yet, in God's time, the Gentiles were to be engrafted into His family. This was amazing grace- But it wouldn't come easy. Click to listen to Week 3 of our series in Galatians.

P.287 The Boldness Of The Spirit - The Grace Gospel by Apostle Grace Lubega

P.287 The Boldness Of The Spirit - The Grace Gospel by Apostle Grace Lubega

You’ve got to be a wise farmer. Only words that agree with the person and ministry of Jesus Christ are allowed in your “garden”.

Knowing that God is good, and experiencing His goodness, is essential to a healthy heart.

Your heart was designed by God to be the place where His Kingdom flourishes and is released.

Your heart is the place for God’s Word to grow. His Word is the medicine that cleans, heals, and makes strong, your heart.

We can rest in Him and operate with ease in our life of faith.


While the rapture of the church is signless, the 2nd coming of the Lord has many prophesied signs and signals that are quickly being fulfilled in our day. In this teaching, Pastor Jennifer excites our expectation that Jesus is coming soon for His Church.

2020 has prompted the question from many, "Are we living in the end times?" In this teaching, Jennifer will explain the details of the rapture and the timeline of end time events.

We exercise our free will, on a daily bases, to please Him. We’re fully committed to say what He says and do what He does.

When our eyes are opened to the reality of God’s goodness, we are moved to know Him, to follow Him, to give ALL of ourselves to Him.

God gave all He had to have all of you so you could have all of Him.


Worship Songs: "We Are Free" - Planetshakers "Amazing Grace (Chains are Gone)" - Chris Tomlin "No Longer Slaves" - Bethel Music "Raised to Life" - Elevation Worship

The Final Gospel For The First TimeBy Tammy Lacock What does it mean when Warren Litzman says people are hearing the Final Gospel for the first time?  Well, first we must define what is the Final Gospel. It can be found in over 146 verses throughout the New Testament but most consistently in Paul's epistles because it was revealed to him directly by Christ Himself. The Final Gospel is synonymous with the Grace Gospel because it is by the death and resurrection of Christ that we were led into what we now live in, the Dispensation of Grace. We are no longer under the law of the Old Testament, which states that we must do something to please God. In Grace, by faith in Christ alone as our Savior, we are blameless before God. The moment we believe, we are born again, a new creation, with Christ as our new life. No longer are we identified by our past (our former sin-nature); our new life is Christ. There is no separation between us and Christ. We are joined in one Spirit with Christ and, therefore, children of our Heavenly Father. It is the Final Gospel because in this Dispensation of Grace which we now live in, believers are on our way to the rapture and on our way to our Heavenly Father's house. We must be born again to enter in! This Final Gospel was revealed to Warren for the first time after many years of ministry. In 1960, when he was staying at the Peachtree hotel In Atlanta, his Bible opened up to Paul's epistles and “like neon letters,” he saw verse after verse with the “In Christ,” “In Him,” “In you,” and "In whom” position. The Holy Spirit dropped into his soul this revelation knowledge. It opened up a whole new world to him, and he's been sharing this truth to anyone and everyone who will listen ever since....to the ends of the earth!  “And that he might reconcile both onto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: And came and preached peace to you who were afar off, and to them that were nigh” (Eph. 2:16-17, KJV) Warren Litzman focuses on Ephesians 2:16-17. What does it mean to be “reconciled both unto God in one body by the cross?”  Paul declared that ALL, both Israel (the Jews) and Gentiles, are under this Dispensation of Grace, and both can be saved by just believing in Jesus as Savior. By the cross, all might be saved. When Jesus came to this earth, He came as the Messiah to save Israel. They rejected Him. However, when He went back to Heaven, He gave the Final Grace Gospel to the Apostle Paul which included both Jews and Gentiles, that ALL by believing would be born again and become children of God.  “Having slain the enmity” in verse 16 speaks of the reconciliation of Jews and Gentiles into one body, the Body of Christ. Paul said “in Christ,” there are no Jews, no Gentiles, no Greeks, no females, no males, no other identity other than Christ. Christ is all and is in all! We are not separate from Christ, and we are not separate from each other. As believers, we are born again and are children of God! The Holy Spirit is revealing this Final Gospel to many for the first time. People are hearing it and passing it onto others in this final hour. It is happening and it must reach every last person before Christ returns! 

The Life Is In the SonBy Tammy Lacock In this podcast, Warren Litzman continues to remind us of the most explosive and wonderful truth in the universe, that of Paul's revelation in Ephesians 2:14, that we are not separated from Christ. At the cross, God tore down all of His restrictions He had placed on human beings in the Old Testament, and instead, He gave His people a whole new life, one that is joined together with Christ. One spirit with Christ, no more walls of partition, nothing to separate us.  Without this Final Gospel, the Grace Gospel, there would be no Christianity. To be a Christian means exactly what Paul reiterates 146 times in his epistles, that we are born again, joined in one spirit with Christ, our old life sheds and Christ is our new life. Every believer that is born again is a manifestation of Christ. Paul's revelation knowledge of Christ In us was revealed to him directly by Jesus Himself. Therefore, we first need to study his epistles. Everything else from scriptures, although each gospel important in its own right, pales in comparison to this truth, the Final Gospel of Christ as our life.  John goes on to remind us of Paul's revelation knowledge in John 5:12 (KJV) when he says:  “He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son hath not life.”

Paul Delivers the Grace Gospel, the Final Gospel, to Every Church By Tammy Lacock “Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ. Now I praise you, brethren, that ye remember me in all things, and keep the ordinances, as I delivered them to you.” (1 Cor. 11:1-2, KJV) The apostle Paul was the only person to whom Christ revealed His Final Gospel, that the moment we believe in Him as our Savior, we are saved by Christ becoming our new life, and we are joined with Him in Spirit as one, blameless before God our Father.  As the only person entrusted with this new ordinance, this Grace Gospel, Paul emphasizes that when we follow him and accept this by-law, we are following Christ as he is also following Christ.  He urges us as Christians, to bring this Grace Gospel to every church, as he did, as it is indeed the Final Gospel that must reach every last person before Christ's return (1 Cor. 4:17, KJV).