grace

How Many “Jesus Points” Do You Have Today?

If you smoke marijuana, you get -3 Jesus points. If you read your Bible, you get +1 Jesus point. If you spend time in prayer, you get another +1 Jesus point. If you say a cuss word, you get –1 Jesus point. If you share the Gospel with someone, you get +2 Jesus points. If you attend church you get +3 Jesus points. To get a girlfriend, you have to have at least +6 Jesus points. To get into heaven, you have to have +7 Jesus points. So, you may have to choose between going to heaven and getting a girlfriend depending on how many Jesus points you have.

This is the hilarious offbeat humor my son, Andrew, and his buddies would kid each other about during their many summers as Christian camp counselors. Of course, it was all in good fun.

Yet, each week behind the smiles and “I’m fine” automatic responses of many Christians, the idea of earning “Jesus points” is no laughing matter. I doubt most are aware of this underlying belief because it’s a system of thinking that has infiltrated every one of us. We inherited it from Adam, whose mind was negatively reprogrammed with it when he ate from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.

It was a real tree which represented one of two ways to live in a relationship with God. The second and and optimum way to live was to be found in the Tree of Life. The first tree was all about adding up our +’s and –‘s to determine our acceptance before God. (Genesis 2:9) This is living with a “law mentality”. The second tree was also a real tree which represented living from the life Christ in us in delightful intimacy, which was to spill over as unconditional love with other people. This is living with a “grace mentality”.

Unfortunately, the “law mentality” doesn’t automatically leave us when we become Christ followers. I wish it did. Don’t you? This is why Romans 12:2 and Ephesians 4:23 exhort us to reprogram our minds with grace and truth from an understanding of the “full” Gospel taught in the preceding chapters of each letter. This is what God does to transform us more and more!

Why is it so easy for us to say to a young child who does something good that they are a good boy or good girl? Why is it so easy to default to believing that God loves us less when we sin? Why is it so easy to jump to the conclusion that God is mad at us because bad things are happening? It’s because of the “law mentality”. Living from a grace mentality thinks and lives the opposite way.

When I asked a 13 year old girl if her dad, a pastor, was any different since he’s learned the grace message in our ADT, she said with a smile. “Oh yes! It’s like he won the lottery. He’s so happy now!”

When our family notices we are different, that’s the “grace mentality” of Christ in us!

Believe it! It’s the Gospel.

Live Free In Christ,

Mark Maulding, President and Founder

Grace-Onomics: You Can’t Out-sin God’s Grace!

I was a sophomore in high school who loved competing in basketball for our team. I had a key to our gym and played almost every day, even during the summer. However, everyone on the team was also required by the coach to play a second sport; so, I chose to run track.

I was 6’4″ and as skinny as a bean pole but for some reason I was fast, that is fast enough to be on the one mile relay team. That meant that all four of us had to run around the track one time and then pass the baton to the next person. I ran the third perlegon a team of very fast seniors.

One day, we were competing against a rival team and I became nervous when I discovered I was running against the fastest guy in our region. He was a muscular football player and I wondered how this was going to turn out. In the race, I received the baton about 30 feet ahead of him. My plan was to run at 5/6’s speed until I reached the final turn, then go as fast as I could. About half way, I heard his steps and he was gaining on me. Now I had to change my tactics. I needed to match his speed to keep our distance. When he ran faster, I ran faster. When he turned on his final sprint, I turned on my final sprint… and, it worked. He never did catch me no, matter how fast he ran. I passed the baton to our last runner and we won the race. It was a great day.

Romans 5:20 gives us the picture of a similar race in our own lives. It is the race of sin versus God’s grace.

All that passing laws against sin did was produce more lawbreakers. But sin didn’t, and doesn’t, have a chance in competition with the aggressive forgiveness we call grace. When it’s sin versus grace, grace wins hands down. (The Message)

The sins of someone who has not received Christ is never greater than the ability of God’s grace to save that person. In the same way, the sins of someone who is in Christ are never greater than God’s grace to keep that person 100% acceptable to God.

Some worry that if we tell Christians this amazing truth of the New Covenant, they will see grace as a license to sin. However, our identity in Christ tells us that God’s law has been written on our hearts according to Hebrews 10:16-17. This means that God’s character is the very core of who we are now. Though we can sin, our deepest desire is to live a life consistent with who we are in Christ and who He is in us. When people have a growing understanding from the Holy Spirit of who they are in Christ, they don’t live for sin but rather they live for Jesus – relying on Him to live through them.

I remember one man telling me a few years ago that the more he understood grace, the more he was able to live more faithful to his wife as he overcame pornography. Another man was delighted to understand that he could now live in the freedom of holiness instead of his bondage to cocaine because of God’s strong grace. God’s grace is always stronger and faster than sin!

How about you, do you believe you can’t “out-sin” God’s grace or do you live in fear that you might? Let’s believe the New Covenant this week according to Romans 5:20 and grow spiritually so we can live free and holy in Christ.

For the Freedom of Others,

Mark Maulding

President and Founder

Grace-Onoimics: You Can’t “Out-Sin” God’s Grace!

Romans 5:20 gives us the picture of a similar race in our own lives. It is the race of sin versus God’s grace.

For the Freedom of Others,

Mark Maulding

President and Founder

Grace-Onomics: Turning Debt into Wealth

In the world of investing, there are basic economic principles you must abide by to gain more money. For example, the average person must invest at least a little money each month if they have any hope of having any savings for retirement. Most financial engines predict that a 25 year old who invests $100 per month, will have close to $120,000 at retirement.

I have friends older than me who have never put any money in retirement personally or through their work. It concerns me because if you start investing $0 at age 25, you will have $0 for retirement.

But in God’s kingdom, there is something I call Grace-Onomics because it doesn’t follow these principles at all. In fact, in

Grace-Onomics, many things are the complete opposite of economics.

For example, we have spiritual debt which we all owe God. This debt is a result of us investing our lives in sin. Sin is the lifestyle of relying on ourselves rather than Jesus Christ according to Romans 14:23c

For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin. As a result, we owe God for every moment we have not lived by faith in Him. We can’t begin to imagine how often this has occurred!

When we come to faith in Christ, we give Him our investment in sin which is our debt. Because He operates from grace, He provides returns that are the opposite of economics. In economics, if you give your debt to your creditors over and over, you will receive the return of bankruptcy with 7 – 10 years of bad credit. But in Grace-Onomics, for our debt we give to God, He provides us amazingly positive returns. In this case, the return we receive is His infinite wealth of forgiveness. His forgiveness is not only for our past debt but also any debt from our present or future sins. This gift of infinite forgiveness did not come without a cost, though. It cost God the death of His Son, Jesus Christ on the cross. Hebrews 9:22 …all things are cleansed with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. Jesus removed our debt. Then when He was resurrected, He brought with Him this infinite wealth of total forgiveness for us to receive.

That’s a pretty good deal, even better than one Warren Buffett, a genius in the investing world, could provide for you. We give our debt to God and He returns to us forgiveness which has no limits!

Some people have wealth but never enjoy it or bless others with it. Hetty Green inherited $5 million at age 30 and turned it into $100 million by the time of her death, making her the richest women in the United States in 1916. Yet, she apparently never enjoyed any of her wealth, nor did she allow anyone else to enjoy it. She refused to use hot water, wash her clothes or provide her son, Ned, with decent medical care when he broke his leg. He eventually had to have his leg amputated as a result! (Forbes Special Issue; The 2014 investment Guide II and Wikipedia)

You and I have the infinite wealth of God’s forgiveness in Christ. (Eph. 1:7) Let’s first revel in it but not only for ourselves, let’s pass it along by forgiving those who owe us love but have given us indifference, owe us acceptance but have given us rejection and who owe us respect but have given us shame. (Eph. 4:30-31) This incredible forgiveness is not only for us but for others, too.

Why don’t you stop for a moment and ask God if there are any sins you haven’t believed Jesus died to forgive either for yourself or others. Then jump into the wealth of your gift of forgiveness in Christ by faith. But don’t stop there! Ask Him if there is anyone you haven’t forgiven. Then before God, tell Him you forgive them, for that “thing” they did.

For the Freedom of Others,

Mark Maulding, President and Founder

www.GraceLifeInternational.com All Content Copyright © 2015 Mark Maulding but feel free to pass it on!

Grace-Onomics: Turning Debt into Wealth

I have friends older than me who have never put any money in retirement personally or through their work. It concerns me because if you start investing $0 at age 25, you will have $0 for retirement.

But in God’s kingdom, there is something I call Grace-Onomics because it doesn’t follow these principles at all. In fact, in

Grace-Onomics, many things are the complete opposite of economics.

For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin. As a result, we owe God for every moment we have not lived by faith in Him. We can’t begin to imagine how often this has occurred!

That’s a pretty good deal, even better than one Warren Buffett, a genius in the investing world, could provide for you. We give our debt to God and He returns to us forgiveness which has no limits!

For the Freedom of Others,

Mark Maulding, President and Founder

www.GraceLifeInternational.com All Content Copyright © 2015 Mark Maulding but feel free to pass it on!

Objections to Our Freedom from the Law

Occasionally, someone challenges me when I teach that under the New Covenant, Christians are not obligated to keep the 10 Commandments. I appreciate their honesty and prefer that response, rather than automatically dismissing what Grace Life International and I teach. It provides an opportunity for dialogue so we can reason together with Scripture. Here are a few of the challenges I have received and my responses using Scripture.

1. Christians need the Law to show us our sins.

2. The Law helps Christians sin less.

3. The Law can’t save us but we need the Law to sanctify us.

We Died to the Law

The moment you die you will no longer have to pay taxes because your death frees you from the tax law. In the same way, when your old nature died with Christ on the cross, you were freed from the Old Covenant Law so that your new nature could be united to Christ instead. “So, my brothers and sisters, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God.” Romans 7:4 (NIV) Having Jesus is so much better than having the Law!

The Law Was a Shadow

When I come home late at night from speaking, sometimes my wife sees my shadow first. If she gets in the floor to hug my shadow, I’m calling 911! The shadow tells her I am coming in. The Law was a shadow according to Hebrews 10:1, telling us that Jesus was coming. “The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming…” (NIV) Don’t hug the shadow. Hug Jesus!

The Law Is Not For Righteous People

The only righteous people in the world are those in Christ. (2 Corinthians 5:21) As a consequence, we don’t need the Law. “We also know that the law is made not for the righteous…” (1 Timothy 1:9)

The Law’s Purpose

To Show Unbelievers their Sins “Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.” (Romans 5:20 NIV)
To Prepare Unbelievers for Salvation “Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.”(Galatians 3:24-25 NASB)

The Law Cannot Sanctify Us

To sanctify means to grow spiritually. For those who say the Law is not needed to justify us but it is needed to sanctify us, meditate on this verse written for believers.“For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.” (Romans 6:14 NIV) To deepen it’s meaning, let’s read it backwards. “For sin shall be your master, because you are not under grace but under law”. Spiritual growth is a result of living under grace not law!

The Law Provides No Power to Live a Righteous Life

Many don’t realize Paul was writing about how he came to the end of himself by using the law to try to live a righteous life in Romans 7:15-25. That is why he said in verse 15, “I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate.” What we see in our counseling at GLI is that victory over sin for Christians increases dramatically when they live by grace instead of the Law!

Our identity in Christ, empowered by the Holy Spirit has replaced the Law. (Hebrews 10:16, Romans 7:6) All of the New Covenant in Scripture exhorts us to understand this and to live in a way consistent with it. This is how we live an “inside out life” by faith, which pleases God.

Believe it! It’s the Gospel!

Live Free In Christ,

Mark Maulding, President and Founder

Answering Objections to Our Freedom from the Law

1. Christians need the Law to show us our sins.

2. The Law helps Christians sin less.

3. The Law can’t save us but we need the Law to sanctify us.

We Died to the Law

The Law Was a Shadow

The Law Is Not For Righteous People

The Law’s Purpose

To Show Unbelievers their Sins “Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.” (Romans 5:20 NIV)
To Prepare Unbelievers for Salvation “Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.”(Galatians 3:24-25 NASB)

The Law Cannot Sanctify Us

The Law Provides No Power to Live a Righteous Life

Believe it! It’s the Gospel!

Live Free In Christ,

Mark Maulding, President and Founder

How the New Covenant Trumps the Old Covenant

Many years ago, when on the staff of a large church, I was caught off guard one day in the work room by the Church Receptionist. She quizzed me about my relationship with Ellen Taylor, a well-known girl in the church. We were secretly dating because I was the Youth Minister. So, we were trying to keep it under wraps. Though I tried to to play it off, the Receptionist realized something was up because she said, “You talk about her differently than anyone else”.

I’m so glad God forgave me for lying that day because though I denied we were dating, I was caught! Yet, my entire demeanor changed when I spoke of her. I just could not hide the love and joy I felt when I talked about Ellen Taylor, compared to other people. My face lit up every time I spoke about her.

When you and I talk about Jesus and the New Covenant, people may very well notice that we light up too. Why? Because through The New Covenant, He transforms us so much more than the Old Covenant every could! I think you will appreciate more of what I mean as we compare the two.

Old Covenant (Also referred to as the Mosaic or Law Covenant)	New Covenant (Also referred to as the Grace Covenant)
God related to Israel as their King , Father and Husband 1 Samuel 8:7; Deuteronomy 32:6, Jeremiah 31:31-32 Binding Vows: God promised that He would do His part as long as Israel did their part. Deuteronomy 28	God relates to you as your King, Father and Husband. 1Timothy 1:17; Romans 8:15; Ephesians 5: 21-22 Binding Vows: God has promised that He would do His part and your part. He continues to do your part as you rely on Jesus to live in and through you. Jeremiah 31:31-34, Galatians 2:20
Responsibilities: The 10 Commandments were written by God on tablets of stone. Exodus 22	Responsibilities: God wrote His law on your heart. This gave you your identity in Christ. Hebrews 10:16
Blessings: …Were given by God based on one condition – their obedience. Deuteronomy 28 (1/5 of the chapter is blessings; 4/5 is curses.) …God was in the Tabernacle and later the Temple. Each Jew could get close to God only once a year, Yom Kippur, when he or she was represented by the High Priest in the Holy of Holies. Exodus 40:34-35; Leviticus 16 …God lived near Israel in the Holy of Holies. Leviticus 16:2 …God gave temporary forgiveness based on their most recent sacrifice. Leviticus	Blessings: …God blessed you with all your blessings in Christ the moment you believed. The only condition is faith in Christ. Ephesians 1:3, 2:7-8 (No curses under The New Covenant!) …God is in you and you can’t get any closer to God than that! Galatians 2:20 …God lives very much at home in your spirit, the new Holy of Holies. 1Corinthians 6:17 and 19. …God gave you eternal forgiveness for your past, present and future sins, based on Jesus’ sacrifice. Colossians 2:13
The Cutting of the Covenant: The sacrificial system was the continuous “cutting of the covenant”. It was also a constant reminder of their sins. Hebrews 9:18-20	The Cutting of the Covenant: This covenant was “cut” by the death of Jesus Christ that you “walked into” with God. Romans 6:3-6; Galatians 2:20
The Covenant Meal: The Passover Exodus 12	The Covenant Meal: The Lord’s Supper. (Some know it as Communion or the Eucharist). Matthew 26:27
The Sign of the Covenant: Circumcision for men only (the ladies said,”Hallelujah”) which covered their entire family. Leviticus 12:2-3	The Sign of the Covenant: Baptism for each individual including men as well as women. Acts 10

Are you beginning to understand how much better the New Covenant is compared to the Old Covenant? “Thank you God for Your New Covenant that You have so richly provided for us in Christ! What good news!”

“But the ministry Jesus has received is as superior to theirs as the covenant of which he is mediator is superior to the old one, and it is founded on better promises.” Hebrew 6:6 NIV

Believe it! It’s the Gospel!

Live free in Christ,

How the New Covenant Trumps the Old Covenant

Old Covenant (Also referred to as the Mosaic or Law Covenant)	New Covenant (Also referred to as the Grace Covenant)
God related to Israel as their King , Father and Husband 1 Samuel 8:7; Deuteronomy 32:6, Jeremiah 31:31-32 Binding Vows: God promised that He would do His part as long as Israel did their part. Deuteronomy 28	God relates to you as your King, Father and Husband. 1Timothy 1:17; Romans 8:15; Ephesians 5: 21-22 Binding Vows: God has promised that He would do His part and your part. He continues to do your part as you rely on Jesus to live in and through you. Jeremiah 31:31-34, Galatians 2:20
Responsibilities: The 10 Commandments were written by God on tablets of stone. Exodus 22	Responsibilities: God wrote His law on your heart. This gave you your identity in Christ. Hebrews 10:16
Blessings: …Were given by God based on one condition – their obedience. Deuteronomy 28 (1/5 of the chapter is blessings; 4/5 is curses.) …God was in the Tabernacle and later the Temple. Each Jew could get close to God only once a year, Yom Kippur, when he or she was represented by the High Priest in the Holy of Holies. Exodus 40:34-35; Leviticus 16 …God lived near Israel in the Holy of Holies. Leviticus 16:2 …God gave temporary forgiveness based on their most recent sacrifice. Leviticus	Blessings: …God blessed you with all your blessings in Christ the moment you believed. The only condition is faith in Christ. Ephesians 1:3, 2:7-8 (No curses under The New Covenant!) …God is in you and you can’t get any closer to God than that! Galatians 2:20 …God lives very much at home in your spirit, the new Holy of Holies. 1Corinthians 6:17 and 19. …God gave you eternal forgiveness for your past, present and future sins, based on Jesus’ sacrifice. Colossians 2:13
The Cutting of the Covenant: The sacrificial system was the continuous “cutting of the covenant”. It was also a constant reminder of their sins. Hebrews 9:18-20	The Cutting of the Covenant: This covenant was “cut” by the death of Jesus Christ that you “walked into” with God. Romans 6:3-6; Galatians 2:20
The Covenant Meal: The Passover Exodus 12	The Covenant Meal: The Lord’s Supper. (Some know it as Communion or the Eucharist). Matthew 26:27
The Sign of the Covenant: Circumcision for men only (the ladies said,”Hallelujah”) which covered their entire family. Leviticus 12:2-3	The Sign of the Covenant: Baptism for each individual including men as well as women. Acts 10

“But the ministry Jesus has received is as superior to theirs as the covenant of which he is mediator is superior to the old one, and it is founded on better promises.” Hebrew 6:6 NIV

Believe it! It’s the Gospel!

Live free in Christ,

Much Better! The New Covenant

Recently, I had the great joy of marrying a special young couple for whom I had provided pre-marital counseling. It was cool to observe them stare into each other’s eyes with that “I love you but I hope I don’t pass out” look as they repeated their vows. As they did, it reminded me that wedding vows are the closet thing we have to a covenant in our culture today. Christ followers have entered into what Jesus called the New Covenant by very few know what this means. This void has made us vulnerable to being ambushed by religion and the pain of the flesh. We see them every week at Grace Life International. A covenant is an agreement between two parties pledging their commitment and responsibilities to each other. It is binding until one of them dies. In ancient times, it might be between a king who set up a covenant with the people he had conquered. The people may not have been given the choice of agreeing. This was a very authoritative, legal covenant. Another version was much more relational. In the Old Covenant, God gave Himself to Israel as their authoritative King and their loving Husband. Key Elements of A Covenant 1. Binding vows. 2. Responsibilities and blessings. Each had responsibilities for the other which would result in blessings for both. For example, you and I might commit to be responsible for helping each other if one was attacked. The blessing would be that we would both have twice the defense for defeating an enemy. 3. The Cutting of the Covenant. The two parties would walk in a figure eight around animals sacrificed and cut in half in two piles. Now the covenant was sealed in blood until someone died. The sacrificed animals were also a warning of what would befall someone who broke the covenant!

4. The Covenant Meal. Both the enjoyed a meal together, eating the cooked animals showing they had internalized the covenant in the very fabric of their being. 5. A sign of the covenant. There was always a sign covenant as a constant reminder of the relationship. For example, my wedding ring constantly reminds me of my marriage covenant with my wife.

Did you know that the Old and New Covenants have all five elements (which I will share next week)? Did you also know that when Jesus died as one of the parties of the Old Covenant, it ended and the New Covenant was inaugurated? Read Hebrews 9:16-17.
“Like a will that takes effect when someone dies, the new covenant was put into action at Jesus’ death. His death marked the transition from the old plan to the new one, canceling the old obligations and accompanying sins, and summoning the heirs to receive the eternal inheritance that was promised them. He brought together God and his people in this new way.” I am excited for the deeper intimacy, freedom, and fruitfulness in Christ that await you as God unfolds the New Covenant for you during the next few weeks.

Believe it! It’s the Gospel!
Live Free In Christ,

Mark Maulding, President and Founder
www.GraceLifeInternational.com All Content Copyright © 2014 Mark Maulding

How Many “Jesus Points” Do You Have Today?

Grace-Onomics: You Can’t Out-sin God’s Grace!

Grace-Onoimics: You Can’t “Out-Sin” God’s Grace!

Grace-Onomics: Turning Debt into Wealth

Grace-Onomics: Turning Debt into Wealth

Objections to Our Freedom from the Law

Answering Objections to Our Freedom from the Law

How the New Covenant Trumps the Old Covenant

How the New Covenant Trumps the Old Covenant

Much Better! The New Covenant

Charlotte

Asheville

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