Understanding Grace and Obedience – EGP Blog post from January 22, 2013

People want a God of love (), but then want to define what “love” means on their own terms. They also want to forget that He’s Holy and Righteous (). Others will follow them because saying, “I can do whatever I want and will be okay in the end,” sounds great (). But those who lead others (especially children) down the wrong path in the Name of God will suffer the consequences (, , ).

If you truly have Christ, there’s nothing you can do (or not do) to separate yourself from His love…nothing… () All the same, nothing you do (or don’t do) apart from Christ can bring you any closer to God…nothing… () In fact, says, “…all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment…” which literally translates “filthy menstrual rags” (see [] and []). Jesus even said, “… No one is good except God alone.” ().

While it’s true that Jesus didn’t come into the world to condemn it, but that’s because it already condemns itself (). While it’s true that His sacrifice was for all (), but it only saves “many” because not “all” will accept it (, , , ).

The message of the Good News has always been “repent [i.e., ‘change your heart and mind’] because the [eternal] Kingdom is at hand [i.e., ‘within grasp’]” (, , , ). This brings us back to the fact that we don’t obey God in order to be accepted by Him, but we obey God because we love Him (, ). If we are being willfully disobedient, then that shows our heart hasn’t been changed (, Romans 10, ). These are the ones who will be saying “Lord, Lord” in the end and Christ will say, “I never knew you” ().

Colossians 2:8 ()

See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ.

Colossians 2:8 Lit and not