Arrogance, Advantage, and Assumption

Arrogance, Advantage, and Assumption
Words of Faith 8-31-2021
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2021
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL
www.faithfellowshipweb.com
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Romans 6

    [15] What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! [16] Don't you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey‑‑whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? [17] But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted. [18] You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.

    There is a danger in the way that we handle the grace of God that we may somehow take it lightly. Dietrich Bonhoeffer called this "cheap grace," not because it was inexpensive but because we treat it cheaply by our casual sin.
    Paul is not talking about the matter of sinning "so that grace may abound" which was addressed earlier. This is about sinning because we know God has to forgive us if we ask. It is the sin of assumption. It is the sin of arrogance that takes advantage of grace. It is the sin that assumes forgiveness and fails to grieve.
    This is the sort of sin that permeated the church at the time of Luther as clerics sold forgiveness in advance of sins committed in the form of "indulgences." It is the sin that exists today in the hearts of those who trespass with full knowledge that they will go to confession and do the assigned penance. It is the sin that afflicts Protestants who have been around grace so long that sin becomes a "familiar friend" who is taken for granted. It is the sin that haunts Evangelicals so well versed in-- the drill of confession and repentance that becomes a handy pattern. It is the sin that argues its freedom because, "After all, we are not under law but under grace!"
    The danger of this cheapening of grace is not that God will suddenly change His mind and not forgive you. God is always true. The danger is not that grace is a ticket with limited holes to be punched. The danger is that when we surrender to anything, it becomes our master. Don't you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one who you obey?  
    The wonder of grace is not some concept of "unlimited forgiveness" available at our human whim. The wonder of grace is that we are actually set free to choose our master. We are not doomed to obey our instincts and urges. We are not slaves to the patterns and habits of sin.  We are free to obey Him who has given us righteousness. Thanks be to God that, though we used to be slaves to sin, we are free to wholeheartedly obey the truth. We have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.

       I surrender to You, O Lord, that You may be my Master and I may be Your servant.  Set me free to be a slave only to righteousness.  In Jesus' name.

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© Jeffrey D. Hoy 2021
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy - Faith Fellowship Church (EFCA)        
2820 Business Center Blvd.
Melbourne, Florida 32940 (321)-259-7200
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
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