Amazing Grace Bible Class – Lesson Seventeen – Objections To Grace

This article is part 18 of 20 in the series Amazing Grace Bible Class

* “I just don’t agree with you on that!” It’s ok to disagree… I don’t know it all, but hopefully this lesson and series will help you think.
* Normal objections to GRACE come from EXTREMES. Liberal mind objects to the conservative mind set, and the conservative objects to the liberal mind set. LABELLING each other hurts not only the one LABELLED but the LABELLER, and the body of Christ. It generally means that we just group people that we do not want to meet, know or understand. When we label someone, we are saying they are 100% (whatever). When in fact it may be a position taken on one or two things as opposed to many things with which there is no disagreement. Perhaps we need to be more patient with brethren.
* Sincere objections always have merit and tend to help us avoid extremes and make us re-examine our posture more closely.
* Here are a few objections from both sides of the fence that may help us all stop and think.

1. GRACE IS TOO GENERAL – WE NEED MORE SPECIFICS
     A. Here it seems BALANCE is called for and rightly so. Yet we lack the patience to
          study and not only understand GRACE but learn how it is applied and fits in real 
          life.
     B. Grace without specifics is “half-baked”. Yet ‘specifics’ are not understood without
          first understanding the ‘big picture’ of grace first.
     C. Begin with understanding the ‘foundation’ – the ‘overview’ and then see how it fits
          into and works in connection with specific commands.
     D. Avoid the temptation to apply grace only to BECOMING A CHRISTIAN and then
          omit grace from the Christian life. (You can’t go to heaven in a straight line!”)
2. “WE NEED MORE HELL-FIRE AND DAMNATION PREACHING TODAY!”
     A. There is certainly a place for warnings about hell and being lost… But what good
          is preaching hell fire and damnation without the teaching of grace by which one is
          saved from this?
     B. On the other hand, what good is preaching grace only if there is no teaching on
          the awfulness of sin and the danger of being lost?
    C. Our real need is for preachers and teachers and leaders who KNOW AND
         UNDERSTAND HOW THIS ALL FITS AND WORKS TOGETHER.
     D. Once again the need for BALANCE IS SEEN.
3. “THIS PREACHING OF GRACE ALLOWS PEOPLE TO LIVE LOOSE AND
      IMMORAL LIVES.”
     A. No it does not.
     B. If grace is taught right, it will include Paul’s instruction in Romans 6:1-2 and Titus
          2:11-12
     C. When one teaches grace right and one understands grace right… both the 
          teacher and the student are lifted to higher spiritual ground.
4. “GRACE OFFERS TOO MUCH FREEDOM AND INDIVIDUAL RESPONSIBILITY.”
     A. That is exactly why we need to TEACH IT, PREACH IT PROPERLY and
          encourage Christians to  BELIEVE IT, LIVE AND DEMONSTRATE IT in daily
          lives.
     B. Leaders who FOCUS ON rules and regulations, don’t understand grace.
     C. We are not only SAVED BY GRACE INITIALLY… BUT we WORSHIP GOD,
          GROW, GIVE, LIVE AND STAND IN GRACE THROUGOUT OUR CHRISTIAN
          LIFE. Christian do not depend on ‘rule keeping’ to (stay) saved and if they do, 
          they are fallen from grace (Galatians 5:4).
     D. The real danger is not in GRACE but in being gobbled up by a SYSTEM OF
          LAW/WORKS and loosing our VERTICAL RELATIONSHIP AND POWER. The
          danger of just becoming a ‘digit’ on somebody’s attendance punch card.
     E. Grace brings freedom… freedom to grow and live and think, pray, study, love,
          sacrifice… and Grace brings personal responsibility which each one of us must 
          bear and account for (Galatians 6:5-8).
5. “SOUNDS LIKE NEW PREACHING TO ME!”
     A. This comes from someone who may have lost his freedom.
     B. The freedom to read the word all by yourself, see what it says, and understand
          the meaning.
     C. Familiar passages need to be studied again more carefully (without the chains of
          traditional interpretation).
     D. The church is not the authority, nor are leaders… THE WORD OF GOD IS!
     E. Let’s admit it, we have just been out of balance on this subject.
     F. If preaching grace properly sounds NEW, so be it… let’s get on with it.
6. “IF YOU PREACH GRACE, PEOPLE WILL QUIT WORKING AND GIVING IN THE
     CHURCH.”
     A. Again, that is not so.
     B. I Corinthians 15:10
     C. Grace understood motivates one to do more and enjoy it.
     D. Both LAW and GRACE motivates…. ONLY ONE OF THESE WILL BRING JOY.
7. WHAT ABOUT GRACE WITHOUT OBEDIENCE
     A. Can you imagine Paul not obeying Jesus?
     B. C.M.M.D.H.T.H.H. (Can’t Make Me, Don’t Have To, Ha Ha) = cheap grace
     C. Jonah had hard time with God’s grace to Nineveh. They repented/God backed off/
          Jonah got mad!
     D. Matthew 20:1-6
     E. Grace isn’t ‘fair’ to us. Grace is grace. GRACE MOTIVATE ONE TO
         OBEDIENCE.
     F. Prodigal son – grace – elder brother complained – ‘not fair’.
8.  “GRACE IS WHAT OUR RELIGIOUS NEIGHBORS TEACH”
     A. They see the over-all picture better than we do at times. We see specifics better
          than they do at times. They need balance and so do we.
    B. Obedience based on LAW/WORKS is legalism… obedience based on
         GRACE/FAITH is the natural product and fruit of the Spirit of God in the
         Christian’s life.
    C. This is what conversion is all about, (2 Peter 1:4).
9. “GRACE SOUNDS WEAK TO ME”
    A. Here again our weakness and misunderstanding (perhaps fear) of grace is seen.
    B. As a rule we are weak in GRACES and strong on RULES/OBEDIENCE/WORKS.
        The sweetness of the Christian life is not found in LAW/RULES/WORKS etc…
        JOY IS CERTAINLY NOT FOUND IN THESE. Our challenge is in finding the 
        BALANCE IN ALL THIS.
    C. Ephesians 2:1-10 Speaks to how strong… really strong grace is…  Our weakness
         is in understanding grace.
    C. Unity in the body of Christ suffers.
    D. Colossians 3:12-15

I am sure that there are more objections, and I am equally sure that these answers may not satisfy some. At least these may help us think. You might even want to get your concordance out and look up the scriptures listed on grace and study for yourself.  Here are just some….

John 1:14, 16-17; Acts 4:33; 13:43; 14:3; Romans 1:5, 7; 3:24; 4:16; 5:2, 15, 20; 6:1; 11:6; 15:15; I Corinthians 15:10; 2 Corinthians 4:15; 8:1, 6, 7, 9; 12:9; Galatians 1:6; 5:4; Ephesians 1:7; 2:5, 7, 8; 2 Thessalonians 2:16; 1 Timothy 1:14; Titus 2:11; Hebrews 4:16; 13:9; James 4:6;I Peter 4:10; 5:5, 10; 2 peter 3:18; Jude 4.

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