The Weekly Epistle 6/23/21

Grace is risky!  People might take advantage of you if you continue to extend grace.  Grace is risky.  Some might take it to the extreme and abuse grace.  Preacher Martyn Lloyd Jones went as far as to say, “Preaching grace is not only risky, but the fact that some take it to an unwise extreme is proof that a minister is indeed preaching the true grace of God.”  In other words, the gospel exposes itself to abuse, misuse, and misunderstanding.  
 
To God, it was worth the risk.  “It is by grace we have been saved through faith,” Paul says, “and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).  It would be a lot “safer” to say that these are the things you must do to get to heaven, and you must stop sinning.  Safer yes, but that is not the gospel!  The temptation then is to raise the requirements for salvation.  The tendency might be to place qualifiers around the good news of “saved by grace alone,” to protect from anyone going crazy with the message of grace.  But we mustn’t do this!
 
There have been books written on cheap grace which justifies the sin.  God’s grace, on the other hand, justifies the sinner, not the sin.  We mustn’t cheapen grace, but neither should we add to true grace because some go to the extreme.  Grace is risky and God determined it was worth the risk.  
 
It is the grace-directed life where true freedom and joyful living are found.  It is God’s grace that now teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in this life (see Titus 2:11-14).  It is His grace that has set us free.  Why then would I ever want to return to the chained life of persistent sin?  Where is there freedom in that?
 
Church, live in grace.  Give yourself permission to be free.  Keep growing in becoming all that God wants you to be in Him.  Embrace the cross, for the grace that came freely to you, cost Jesus His life.  Stay balanced.  Love the Lord.  As one saint put it, “Love the Lord God with all your heart, then do as you please.”  
 
Remember to pray for the 112 on goal soccer campers this week as they hear of this grace.  Pray for the coaches that they will know the sufficiency of God’s grace as they serve the Lord and these campers this week.  
 
Please sign up for the church picnic as there is a limited number of people who can enter Ellacoya State Park under EBC.  We will be providing the meat, rolls, and condiments for the picnic on August 28.  We are asking that you bring one covered dish to share.  There will be games for all ages, and we will end our time with a baptism. 
 
Men, don’t forget about the four week study on mentoring beginning on Saturday, July 10 from 7:00-8:00 AM in the fellowship hall.  No sign up is needed  
 
Our next “Prayer 30” is on Wednesday night July 14 from 7:00-7:30 in the gym parking lot.  Prayer is one of God’s means of grace he has given us to grow us as individuals and as a church.  I urge you to set this time aside to pray together!
 
Together, let’s create a climate of grace.  Let’s be grace givers!  Live it, teach it, give it freely to others.  Is it risky?  You can bet your life on it.
 
Blessings to you, Pastor Brian