Have you ever heard, “I believe in God’s grace, but…” Or, “Yes we are new creations, but…” It’s like taking the most magnificent part of the Gospel and saying “Yeah, but.” There is no “but” in the Gospel. Minimizing the truth is a safe way to keep from teaching it. Chances are it’s not something many leaders understand so they gloss over it.
It’s much easier to teach things that deal with the flesh than to share the reality of Christ and His love for us week after week. Painting pictures of the failure of the human condition make bestsellers, and leave congregations chasing after the “carrot” of holiness, feeling like they never quite measure up. But this is not the truth.
Yes Jesus said we’ll have trouble in this life, but He has assured us that we can do all things through Him who gives us strength. He assures us that He has overcome the world. He assures us that He will never leave us or forsake us. He’s not standing by talking about our failure, holding the football of holiness like Lucy, pulling it away just when we think we’ve attained. He has made us holy, the righteousness of God. We are new creations in Him. No “Yeah, but…” about it!
It’s time to take the “Yeah, but…” out of what we teach and believe. “His grace is sufficient” said the Apostle Paul. And, “it teaches us to say no to ungodliness.” Pray for a revelation of the Gospel for yourself and for church leaders. It is the “power of God unto salvation…”