Someone sent me an email devotional yesterday with I'm sure the most genuine and best intentions...but the word delivered in it was by what I call a "Feel Good Preacher." All I could do was just smh. Anyone who truly knows me...knows that they won't get an amen from me on it. One of the things in this email said this... "There is nothing left for you to do to earn God’s blessings for your life. You only need to hear and believe the all-encompassing saving power of the gospel of Christ to heal you of diseases, preserve you from danger, bless your finances and bring well-being to your family."
Really? I don't remember reading anywhere in the Bible where His grace and the sacrifice He made on the cross ever equated to temporal blessing? ...and that if you just believe, you will have all the good things in life. If that "feel good message" is truth...man what about Job. What about the fact that John the Baptist was beheaded...and Peter was hung on a cross upside down... and Stephen was stoned to death. This walk is not always "feel good." What about the fact that the adulterous woman was told to go and sin no more by Jesus, Himself... what about the fact that the blind man was told to go wash in the river? Oh my...you see, I'm reading hardship after hardship and trial after trial here...I'm also reading that something is required of us other than just saying I believe... Yes, faith plays a huge part in all of this...but it's not faith in temporary things rather it is faith that no matter what, He's going to bring us through. You see, these "feel good preachers" aren't presenting to you the whole message. Although it feels good to hear it...it's not truth. I want to make something very clear... God's grace has gotten so twisted in this day and age by so many. The reality is...YES, beyond a shadow of a doubt God's grace is absolutely amazing, and we don't deserve it... we can't earn it... that is a fact. It can only be obtained through faith in the One who gives it. That grace He freely gives washes us clean, gives us His robes of righteousness, and an eternal future with Him. But... when we truly acknowledge and receive that grace, it causes our inner man to desire to be changed. It causes us to no longer want to remain in the muck and mire of this world but rather gives us a great desire to know His will and way. It gives us a desire to be like the One who gave us that grace. The Bible says in Romans 3:31, "Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law." Christ's sacrifice on the cross cost everything...and that sacrifice shouldn't be taken lightly. He didn't pour out His grace upon us for us to trounce all over it. He didn't die so that we would receive money, fame, and health. He didn't freely give His grace for us to continue living in a sinful manner... He gave His grace so that we would not only become like Him but also live eternally with Him.
You see...Christ's death on the cross didn't abolish the law, it fulfilled it. It took away the bondage of it. Gill's Exposition of The Entire Bible says it the best in my opinion..."yea, we establish the law. The law is not made void, neither by the grace nor doctrine of faith: not by the grace of faith; for that faith is not right which is not attended with works of righteousness; and those works are not right which do not flow from filth. Such a connection there is between faith and works; and so much do the one depend upon the other. Moreover, none but believers are capable of performing good works aright, and they do them, and they ought to do them: besides, faith, as a grace, looks to Christ, as the end of the law for righteousness, and therefore do not make it void. Nor is it made void by the doctrine of faith, and by the particular doctrine of a sinner's justification by faith in Christ's righteousness, which is here more especially intended; for though it is made void by it, as to any use of it for justification by the deeds thereof; yet its use in other respects is not set aside, such as to inform us of the mind and will of God, to discover and convince of sin, to show believers their deformity and imperfection, to render Christ and his righteousness more valuable, and to be a rule of walk and conversation to them; and it still remains a cursing and condemning law to Christless sinners, though justified ones are delivered from it as such: yea, the law is so far from being made void, that it is established by this doctrine; for by it the perpetuity of it is asserted, the spirituality of it is acknowledged, the perfect righteousness of it is secured: according to this doctrine all its demands are answered; whatever it requires it has, such as holiness of nature, perfect obedience to its precepts, and its full penalty borne: it is placed in the best hands, where it will ever remain; and a regard to it is enforced under the best influence, by the best of motives, and from the best of principles. It is indeed abolished as a covenant of works, and in this sense is made void to believers; and it is done away as to the form of administration of it by Moses; and it is destroyed as a yoke of bondage; and the people of God are free from the malediction of it, and condemnation by it, and so from its terror; yet it remains unalterable and unchangeable in the hands of Christ; the matter of it is always the same, and ever obligatory on believers, who, though they are freed from the curse of it, are not exempted from obedience to it: wherefore the law is not made void, so as to be destroyed and abolished in every sense, or to be rendered idle, inactive, useless, and insignificant; but, on the contrary, is made to stand, is placed on a sure basis and firm foundation, as the words used signify."
God's blessings are eternal...not necessarily always temporal. Those who have died for their faith...have received the ultimate blessing. If you truly want to see God's blessing upon your life... then line your life up with His will and way. Don't expect to receive His covering when you continue in your own way. There's nothing in scripture that backs up the feel good message listed above...nothing at all. In fact, many who believe it and then don't see that "blessing" "feel good preachers" speak continually about poured out upon them...will eventually just fall away when trials, tribulation, and hardship come because they weren't standing on the solid rock or sold out to Him to begin with, but rather were just saying they "believe" to receive some kind of monetary temporal blessing. In fact, Christ said, "...In this world, you WILL have trials and sorrows, but take heart because I have overcome the world." I encourage you today to choose Him...and to choose to live for Him...not for a temporary earthly blessing, but for an eternal one. This life is hard...it truly is, but when we know Him...when we receive Him...He gives us a peace to overcome those things that are hard that goes beyond even our human understanding.
Really? I don't remember reading anywhere in the Bible where His grace and the sacrifice He made on the cross ever equated to temporal blessing? ...and that if you just believe, you will have all the good things in life. If that "feel good message" is truth...man what about Job. What about the fact that John the Baptist was beheaded...and Peter was hung on a cross upside down... and Stephen was stoned to death. This walk is not always "feel good." What about the fact that the adulterous woman was told to go and sin no more by Jesus, Himself... what about the fact that the blind man was told to go wash in the river? Oh my...you see, I'm reading hardship after hardship and trial after trial here...I'm also reading that something is required of us other than just saying I believe... Yes, faith plays a huge part in all of this...but it's not faith in temporary things rather it is faith that no matter what, He's going to bring us through. You see, these "feel good preachers" aren't presenting to you the whole message. Although it feels good to hear it...it's not truth. I want to make something very clear... God's grace has gotten so twisted in this day and age by so many. The reality is...YES, beyond a shadow of a doubt God's grace is absolutely amazing, and we don't deserve it... we can't earn it... that is a fact. It can only be obtained through faith in the One who gives it. That grace He freely gives washes us clean, gives us His robes of righteousness, and an eternal future with Him. But... when we truly acknowledge and receive that grace, it causes our inner man to desire to be changed. It causes us to no longer want to remain in the muck and mire of this world but rather gives us a great desire to know His will and way. It gives us a desire to be like the One who gave us that grace. The Bible says in Romans 3:31, "Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law." Christ's sacrifice on the cross cost everything...and that sacrifice shouldn't be taken lightly. He didn't pour out His grace upon us for us to trounce all over it. He didn't die so that we would receive money, fame, and health. He didn't freely give His grace for us to continue living in a sinful manner... He gave His grace so that we would not only become like Him but also live eternally with Him.
You see...Christ's death on the cross didn't abolish the law, it fulfilled it. It took away the bondage of it. Gill's Exposition of The Entire Bible says it the best in my opinion..."yea, we establish the law. The law is not made void, neither by the grace nor doctrine of faith: not by the grace of faith; for that faith is not right which is not attended with works of righteousness; and those works are not right which do not flow from filth. Such a connection there is between faith and works; and so much do the one depend upon the other. Moreover, none but believers are capable of performing good works aright, and they do them, and they ought to do them: besides, faith, as a grace, looks to Christ, as the end of the law for righteousness, and therefore do not make it void. Nor is it made void by the doctrine of faith, and by the particular doctrine of a sinner's justification by faith in Christ's righteousness, which is here more especially intended; for though it is made void by it, as to any use of it for justification by the deeds thereof; yet its use in other respects is not set aside, such as to inform us of the mind and will of God, to discover and convince of sin, to show believers their deformity and imperfection, to render Christ and his righteousness more valuable, and to be a rule of walk and conversation to them; and it still remains a cursing and condemning law to Christless sinners, though justified ones are delivered from it as such: yea, the law is so far from being made void, that it is established by this doctrine; for by it the perpetuity of it is asserted, the spirituality of it is acknowledged, the perfect righteousness of it is secured: according to this doctrine all its demands are answered; whatever it requires it has, such as holiness of nature, perfect obedience to its precepts, and its full penalty borne: it is placed in the best hands, where it will ever remain; and a regard to it is enforced under the best influence, by the best of motives, and from the best of principles. It is indeed abolished as a covenant of works, and in this sense is made void to believers; and it is done away as to the form of administration of it by Moses; and it is destroyed as a yoke of bondage; and the people of God are free from the malediction of it, and condemnation by it, and so from its terror; yet it remains unalterable and unchangeable in the hands of Christ; the matter of it is always the same, and ever obligatory on believers, who, though they are freed from the curse of it, are not exempted from obedience to it: wherefore the law is not made void, so as to be destroyed and abolished in every sense, or to be rendered idle, inactive, useless, and insignificant; but, on the contrary, is made to stand, is placed on a sure basis and firm foundation, as the words used signify."
God's blessings are eternal...not necessarily always temporal. Those who have died for their faith...have received the ultimate blessing. If you truly want to see God's blessing upon your life... then line your life up with His will and way. Don't expect to receive His covering when you continue in your own way. There's nothing in scripture that backs up the feel good message listed above...nothing at all. In fact, many who believe it and then don't see that "blessing" "feel good preachers" speak continually about poured out upon them...will eventually just fall away when trials, tribulation, and hardship come because they weren't standing on the solid rock or sold out to Him to begin with, but rather were just saying they "believe" to receive some kind of monetary temporal blessing. In fact, Christ said, "...In this world, you WILL have trials and sorrows, but take heart because I have overcome the world." I encourage you today to choose Him...and to choose to live for Him...not for a temporary earthly blessing, but for an eternal one. This life is hard...it truly is, but when we know Him...when we receive Him...He gives us a peace to overcome those things that are hard that goes beyond even our human understanding.