Why Fight Grace?

What is it about grace that many ministers think the best thing to do is to bash it, rubbish it, kill it, wound it, injure it, and tear it to pieces whenever they are holding the microphone?
Come to think of it, most of them simply don’t understand what Grace is.
They think it means “license to sin” and because they are sin-conscious in their reality, whatever seems like a license to sin is a red flag to them.
A sin-conscious person cannot understand grace because in order to understand grace, you must already wear the identity of righteousness like a garment
Only the righteous can understand that grace has nothing to do with sin
The unrighteous cannot see grace, because grace amplifies what you are on the inside
For the unrighteous grace amplifies unrighteousness
For the righteous, grace amplifies righteousness

Who, when he came and had seen the grace of God, was glad, and exhorted them all, that with the purpose of heart, they would cleave unto the Lord (Acts 11:23).
 
Luke, by the inspiration of the Spirit, explains in the verse above, how Barnabas and Paul went to visit the brethren, and they saw the grace of God.

What does it mean to “See the grace of God?”
 
“Grace” is from the Greek word “charis”; it refers to the divine influence on the heart reflected in the life of a man. It’s the outward expression or the outworking of an inward divine influence in your heart. Simply put, it’s the inner workings of the glory and the power of God in your life that radiates, shines, and reflects on the outside. So, what these Apostles saw was an outer reflection of the inner workings of the power, life, and nature of God in them—they saw the effects of that grace.
 
You only see the outworking of the grace of God. It’s like saying “We saw the winds blowing.” You really don’t see the wind; what you see are the effects of the wind. The effects could be moving objects, or the branches of a tree moving to and fro; then you can immediately decipher that it’s a strong wind. You don’t see the wind; what you see are the effects!
 
The grace of God on its own can’t be seen until you see what it produces. So, the Lord impresses on your heart, through His Word and the Holy Spirit, and whatever is deposited by that influence, is seen on the outside; it shows or reveals itself on the outside. Then we can say, just like the early Church, “We saw the grace of God on them.”

Grace is not an excuse to cover wrongdoing as many preachers of self-righteousness are quick to say, grace is the outward expression of Christ in a believer.

If I am producing the works of righteousness, I am full of grace
If I am producing the works of unrighteousness, I am not full of grace

It is as simple as that

The problem however lies in the mindset of performance to earn righteousness as against the mindset of receiving the gift of righteousness which has been freely given to us in Christ Jesus.

Those who believe they have to perform by living a holy life before they can be saved will always see grace as unattainable and therefore they attack anyone who has it or is walking in its consciousness
The reason for this is simple
The best a performance mindset can achieve after all its efforts of a lifetime is like a filthy rag before God
Your works of righteousness and holiness will never move the needle
Jesus, the sinless and righteous one who was not born of the seed of sin came to this world and died on the cross for this purpose
That righteousness might become available to everyone who will be humble enough to accept him as Lord and Saviour and receive this gift of righteousness

Once you have received the gift of righteousness by faith in Christ Jesus, you will be filled with the Holy Spirit and you will begin to experience the transformative power of God from within
Your behavior, speech, action, mindset, orientation, convictions, decision-making process, and actions will automatically begin to show forth the fullness of the grace of God

This gospel is not one in which you will do something wrong and cover your sin by saying, “Grace has given me the license to do this without consequences”, what grace does is reinvent in you a totally new identity, one that is much stronger and vibrant than your old identity which has now died
This new identity is so powerful, it redefines you even before those who have known you all their lives.

Saul of Tarsus encountered grace and he became Paul, not only in name but in all his deeds it was evident that the grace of God was upon his life
The same thing with Peter, Luke, Stephen, Philip, and all the members of the early church

The same outworking of Grace is evident in me!

They were not known for unruly behavior and ungodliness
The grace of God was seen in them, not used as an excuse by them but seen in them by those who were observing them and relating with them.
Grace testified of the reality of Christ in them and this was evident to all

But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ (Ephesians 4:7).

Romans 5:17 says, “For if by one man’s offense death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.”*

This lets you know you’re not to pray, “O God, give me abundance of grace”; rather, you’re to “receive” abundance of grace. The key word is “receive,” which is translated from the Greek word “lambano” and it means to take possession, to seize something and make it yours.
Those who take personal possession of abundant grace shall reign, not beg, in life. They’ll live victoriously every day, over and above circumstances. That’s what it means to reign.

Sometimes, you hear people say, “That’s the reigning thing now,” referring to a trend, fashion, etc.; no, they’re wrong. Nothing else is reigning but you, because you’ve received abundance of grace.
The religious mind might question that and say, “How can you say that? Jesus is the one reigning.” Yes, but He’s reigning through you. The way He reigns today is through us—the Church. Hallelujah! This is so powerful.

Many have only understood grace as the bestowal of divine gifts or “unmerited favour”; but grace means much more. It’s to be endowed with the presence of God. That means God has given Himself to you, thereby giving you all that He has.
God’s grace on your life is the outworking or outward reflection of an inward divine influence: the beauty, power, perfection, excellence, virtue, and glory of divinity in your spirit. It’s that divine influence and endowment that beautifies your spirit and saturates your life with favour, acceptability, liberality, advantage, joy, pleasure, and supernatural gift or ability.
Why then do some preachers and their followers attack those who preach the gospel of Grace?
It is because what they believe is not producing the desired result and as usual they want to blame others for the lack of impact their messages are having on their flock

It’s like being a bad teacher and fighting other teachers who students prefer to study under because they are very good teachers.

A good teacher does not need to fight other teachers or smear them to look good

He simply teaches his class and shows forth his results without stress.

Those who condemn the gospel of grace embrace things like spiritual attacks, deliverance, family patterns, enemy attacks, witchcraft attacks, coven realities, loss of salvation, sin consciousness, and demonic oppression.
It is part of their belief system because they do not embrace the reality of the finished work of Christ on the cross
They believe that it is not finished!
Jesus did what he could and they must help him finish the work in order to be saved

Those who embrace the gospel of grace embrace eternal salvation, righteousness, the Holy Spirit, the Dominion of the believer over all spirits, growing in grace and in the knowledge of Christ, that believers are partakers of the divine nature and masters of the divine life through Christ.

You wont see a man or woman who is full of grace but also fasting and praying for deliverance from the hordes of darkness.

Grace and performance mentality do not mix.

Those who are full of the Holy Spirit and who embrace the finished work of Christ in its fullness are fully at rest in him. Grace is the end of all struggles. it is where human endeavor and labour ends and the mystery of the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit steps in.
From that point on, we begin to see the new man full of supernatural abilities and powers emerge in the born-again Christian.

People will begin to see it and talk about it
Grace testifies of himself in the life of a believer through those who are observing that life
Free of all strife and shining brighter and brighter every day.

All those who believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and saviour have been saved.
The knowledge we choose to embrace after our salvation will go a long way in determining the course of our growth in Christ
Those who embrace self-righteousness and performance shall continue to struggle
Those who embrace grace shall rule and reign effortlessly as spoken of them in Revelations 5.

Grace is at work in me.

-GSW-