At War With Grace

Introduction There is an ongoing

battle against a Biblical Perspective on Grace

The war against God’s Grace has been waged for millennium

This war is the result of two irreconcilable ideologies

Conspiring to Destroy Grace

Accusing Him of blasphemy (Mk 2:7)

Calling him the friend of sinners (Mk 2:16)

Accusing Him of being empowered by Satan (Mk 3:22)

Attempting to Discredit Jesus

Conspiring to Destroy Grace

Jesus refused to conform to their mold for the Messiah

“watching” – “as one who dogs another’s steps” (Vincent)

Jesus refused to be swayed by their hard-heartedness

1 He entered again into a synagogue;

and a man was there whose hand was withered. 2 They

were watching Him to see if He would heal him on the Sabbath, so that

they might accuse Him. 3 He said to the

man with the withered hand, “Get

up and come forward! Mark 3:1–3

(NASB95)

The modern day conspiracy against grace is characterized by the same attitudes

Narrow-mindednessAn unbalanced view

of GraceHatred of God’s

true Law

5 After looking around at them with anger,

grieved at their hardness of heart, He

said to the man, “Stretch out your

hand.” And he stretched it out, and

his hand was restored. 6 The Pharisees went out and immediately

began conspiring with the Herodians against Him, as to how they might destroy Him. Mark 3:5–6 (NASB95)

Conspiring to Destroy Grace

Jesus demonstrated a compassionate righteousness

Casting out demons (Mk 1:23-28;32;39)

Healing the sick (Mk 1:29-34; 40-45)

Forgiving the sins of the paralytic (Mk 2:5-12)

14 As He passed by, He saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting in the tax

booth, and He said to him, “Follow

Me!” And he got up and followed

Him. Mark 2:14 (NASB95)

An Unbalanced View of Righteousness

The Source of the Hatred

The Pharisee saw these people as stained beyond cleansing

Jesus called them to follow Him

The Pharisee saw this as fellowship with sin

Jesus was saving sinners!

16 …“Why is He eating and

drinking with tax collectors and sinners?”

Mark 2:16 (NASB95)

An Unbalanced View of Righteousness

The Source of the Hatred

Jesus was preaching a simple message – “Repent and Believe the Gospel”

Repentance requires an initial realization followed by a determined action

17 And hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not those who

are healthy who need a physician, but those who are

sick; I did not come to call the

righteous, but sinners.”

Mark 2:17 (NASB95)

Accepting the Penitent and

Rejecting the Self-Righteous

The Source of the Hatred

Jesus was preaching a simple message – “Repent and Believe the Gospel”

Belief also requires an initial realization followed by determined action!

17 And hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not those who

are healthy who need a physician, but those who are

sick; I did not come to call the

righteous, but sinners.”

Mark 2:17 (NASB95)

Accepting the Penitent and

Rejecting the Self-Righteous

The Source of the Hatred

The Source of the Hatred

“Your sins are more sinful because my

righteousness is more

righteous”

17 And hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not those who

are healthy who need a physician, but those who are

sick; I did not come to call the

righteous, but sinners.”

Mark 2:17 (NASB95)

The Pharisee

The Source of the Hatred

“Your obedience

is more wicked than My

sin”

17 And hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not those who

are healthy who need a physician, but those who are

sick; I did not come to call the

righteous, but sinners.”

Mark 2:17 (NASB95)

Grace Only

Destroying Grace

18 John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting; and

they came and said to Him, “Why do

John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but

Your disciples do not fast?”

Mark 2:18 (NASB95)

Tradition and Human Reasoning

The fasting here refers to the Pharisees tradition of fasting 3 days a week

The disciples were being condemned based on tradition not law

Destroying Grace

23 And it happened that He was passing

through the grainfields on the Sabbath, and His disciples began to

make their way along while picking the heads of grain. Mark 2:23 (NASB95)

Tradition and Human Reasoning

The Law forbade harvesting on the Sabbath

The Disciples were eating lunch

They were only guilty of violating tradition

Destroying Grace25 And He said to them,

“Have you never read what David did when he was in

need and he and his companions became

hungry; 26 how he entered the house of God in the time of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the consecrated bread, which is not lawful

for anyone to eat except the priests, and he also gave it

to those who were with him?”

Mark 2:25–26 (NASB95)

Tradition and Human Reasoning

They excused David based on circumstance

They condemned the Disciples based on tradition

They refused pardon to the tax collector based on hatred

Destroying Grace

27 Jesus said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. 28 “So the Son of Man is Lord

even of the Sabbath.”

Mark 2:27–28 (NASB95)

Arbitrary Prejudicial Reasoning Holding the writings of

men on par with Scripture deny the authority behind grace

Demanding our own terms for grace demeans the true power of grace(Jn 14:15; Lk 1:28; 1Jn 2:4-5, 5:2)

At War With GraceThe doctrines of men have

always been at war with Grace

Labeling obedience as anti-grace destroys the divine notion of grace

Fortunately, the offer of grace cannot be dictated by the desires of men’s hearts not the narrowness of their minds