Greasy Grace

My thought today is that America's denominational churches are preaching 'greasy grace.' By this I mean, that most in these churches think they can do what they want, and still get to heaven. I heard a guy on a talk show today, and he was asked if he was 'living in sin' (living together with a woman but not married.) This guy started laughing, and said, 'Hey, I love me some Jesus, and go to church.' But it wasn't the question. Just because everyone else is doing it, doesn't mean that God will grade on the curve. No, He's a strict God. And a just God. If everybody fails, then everybody doesn't pass the test. It's that simple. God deals in the black and white. If His word says it, that's your answer. What if His word doesn't cover something? Well, I know He's fair and just. For example, the Bible is clear that drunkards will not go to heaven. My co-worker seems to think that someone saying 'the prayer' would supercede this, and that person will go to heaven. But that's not what it says. AND it says the 'way is narrow.' It also says it's harder for a rich man to go to heaven than a camel go through the eye of a needle. Those are pretty slim odds.

In the Old Testament, and even in the New Testament, God is strict. The jews had the Law, and if they did not follow it, they were judged. They determined the line they could not cross, and then set up extra boundaries outside of the real one. Kind of like there is the edge of a cliff, and so you set up the line you cannot cross several feet away. So if you accidentally cross the first line, you won't die.

As Christians, we don't follow the Jewish Law anymore or obey out of fear, but we obey out of love. Somehow too many churches have allowed this to evolve into 'greasy grace,' but the Bible says, 'Jesus is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow.' God hasn't changed. He's not a hippie God, just chillin' in heaven. And He's not a mean dictator waiting to smush you either. He's a Father. He loves you enough to discipline you. Because He sees the finish line.

God says what He means and means what He says. That's hard for Americans to understand these days. No one means what they say anymore. It used to be your handshake was your word. Those days are gone.

The bottom line is salvation is simple but not easy. That's why the Bible likens our lives to running a race and that we must endure. We must OBEY God. We cannot continue in sin and think we're still going to heaven.

He's a just God, and that would not be fair...