HERALD OF HIS KINGDOM
OVERCOMING GRACE
Article of July 23, 2010
Article of July 23, 2010
Clo DiPilato
PO Box 153
Windsor, CT 06095
All Rights Reserved, 2011
PO Box 153
Windsor, CT 06095
All Rights Reserved, 2011
The present salvation message of many preachers and churches does not include words like conviction, repentance, conversion, cleansing, deliverance, etc. Sadly, the people are simply a reflection of what they have been taught from the pulpit.
The grace that is taught is not that "grace that taught my heart to fear...", but rather a grace that is permissive and says because Jesus fully paid the price (which He absolutely DID), you don't ever have to worry about being accountable for words or actions, even after you "get saved" because it is all under the blood of Jesus any way. There is a 'grace teaching' that not only says you're delivered from sin because of the Cross, it also preaches you are delivered from standards of holiness because of the Cross. It says if you believe in standards, then you are nothing more than a self-righteous, hypocrite of a Pharisee.
(Something to be noted: Those who hate the message of holiness call it "legalistic" and "Pharisaical". But God through His servants in the Bible more than once calls it "Beautiful".
1 Chronicles 16:29 Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come before him: worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.
2 Chronicles 20:21 And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the LORD, and that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise the LORD; for his mercy endureth for ever.
Psalms 29:2 Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.
Psalms 96:9 O worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness: fear before him, all the earth.)
The main commission of a false grace message is to make sure no one ever gets uncomfortable or squirmy for any reason. In other words, NO CONVICTION ALLOWED!
But I like what I recently heard a man of God say. It was on TBN, and wish I could remember who it was so I could give credit, but I can't: Conviction is to your spirit what pain is to your body. Pain alerts you that something is wrong. You have a physical, medical problem that you need to get checked out.
Well, conviction alerts you that something is SPIRITUALLY wrong, and you need to go to your Heavenly Father, the GREAT PHYSICIAN, and get it checked out. The Spirit will show you if you need to quit doing something, or start doing something, or forgive someone who offended you, or quit watching some filthy disgusting show on TV, or quit reading some trashy book, or quit listening to some devil-exalting music, and He will ZERO in. Conviction is NEVER "vague". It goes right to the heart of the matter, and God NEVER has any problem with you asking Him "Why"???" He'll be very straightforward to tell you why you shouldn't rot your liver with alcohol, or pollute your lungs with tobacco, or wreck your faith with the carnality of soap operas. He'll show you very plainly how sin and uncleanness weakens you, undermines your testimony, and leaves you in a wretched sin-sick condition. CONVICTION gets you on the road that is BEST for you!! So, why are so many preachers against preaching to the people of God until they come under heavy conviction?
Any man of God who would deny the people of God the right to come under the conviction of the Holy Spirit when God wishes to move upon a life or a congregation in that way is working against the healthy maturing of the body of Christ!
Like words in an old song my Mom used to sing, "He'll keep you on that road marked "right"!"
Here is the REAL grace message that the Bible preaches: Conviction and the Grace of God are NOT enemies, but they work TOGETHER for the good of the kingdom of God, and our eternal souls!!
The true grace message is not one that causes you to always makes excuses for your sinful, Adamic nature. The grace of the Bible, as found in Romans 6, is a grace that encourages you to depart from iniquity, and be an Overcomer!!
When you yield to that spirit of grace, you catch yourself BEFORE you fall!! Being a victorious, overcoming Christian isn't based on the strength of your own willpower in the flesh. It's based on how much you know how to yield yourself to the grace of God at the onset of being buffeted by the devil with temptations. Every time you're in any kind of trial or affliction, just ask God for His overcoming grace, and you'll be AMAZED how easily you get through it with your testimony well intact!
The good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ is that when we do fall or fail the Lord, we have an advocate with the Father, and the blood of Jesus cleanses us from all unrighteousness. God surely is gracious, compassionate, and FULL of mercy!!
The "bad news" of erroneous teaching about grace is that a whole generation of followers of bad doctrine are missing out on so many of the true blessings of the Lord that come by a genuine conversion experience which has been wrought by true conviction and repentance.
Beloved friends, this is a subject that really grieves me because the true grace of God that leads people to be overcomers, and to have the love of the Father more than the love of the world is soooo much richer, fuller, deeper, sweeter.... Oh, if only those who have perverted the grace message to be a message of license could understand what they are missing, they'd be on their faces crying out to God to help them make it right before God and His people!!
Revelation 2:7 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.
Revelation 2:11 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.
Revelation 2:17 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.
Revelation 2:26 And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations:
Revelation 3:5 He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.
Revelation 3:12 Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is
new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.
Revelation 3:21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.
Revelation 21:7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.
We do not overcome by sheer willpower in the flesh!! We are overcomers by the application of the grace of God in our lives!!
Amen and AMEN!!
Clo
The grace that is taught is not that "grace that taught my heart to fear...", but rather a grace that is permissive and says because Jesus fully paid the price (which He absolutely DID), you don't ever have to worry about being accountable for words or actions, even after you "get saved" because it is all under the blood of Jesus any way. There is a 'grace teaching' that not only says you're delivered from sin because of the Cross, it also preaches you are delivered from standards of holiness because of the Cross. It says if you believe in standards, then you are nothing more than a self-righteous, hypocrite of a Pharisee.
(Something to be noted: Those who hate the message of holiness call it "legalistic" and "Pharisaical". But God through His servants in the Bible more than once calls it "Beautiful".
1 Chronicles 16:29 Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come before him: worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.
2 Chronicles 20:21 And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the LORD, and that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise the LORD; for his mercy endureth for ever.
Psalms 29:2 Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.
Psalms 96:9 O worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness: fear before him, all the earth.)
The main commission of a false grace message is to make sure no one ever gets uncomfortable or squirmy for any reason. In other words, NO CONVICTION ALLOWED!
But I like what I recently heard a man of God say. It was on TBN, and wish I could remember who it was so I could give credit, but I can't: Conviction is to your spirit what pain is to your body. Pain alerts you that something is wrong. You have a physical, medical problem that you need to get checked out.
Well, conviction alerts you that something is SPIRITUALLY wrong, and you need to go to your Heavenly Father, the GREAT PHYSICIAN, and get it checked out. The Spirit will show you if you need to quit doing something, or start doing something, or forgive someone who offended you, or quit watching some filthy disgusting show on TV, or quit reading some trashy book, or quit listening to some devil-exalting music, and He will ZERO in. Conviction is NEVER "vague". It goes right to the heart of the matter, and God NEVER has any problem with you asking Him "Why"???" He'll be very straightforward to tell you why you shouldn't rot your liver with alcohol, or pollute your lungs with tobacco, or wreck your faith with the carnality of soap operas. He'll show you very plainly how sin and uncleanness weakens you, undermines your testimony, and leaves you in a wretched sin-sick condition. CONVICTION gets you on the road that is BEST for you!! So, why are so many preachers against preaching to the people of God until they come under heavy conviction?
Any man of God who would deny the people of God the right to come under the conviction of the Holy Spirit when God wishes to move upon a life or a congregation in that way is working against the healthy maturing of the body of Christ!
Like words in an old song my Mom used to sing, "He'll keep you on that road marked "right"!"
Here is the REAL grace message that the Bible preaches: Conviction and the Grace of God are NOT enemies, but they work TOGETHER for the good of the kingdom of God, and our eternal souls!!
The true grace message is not one that causes you to always makes excuses for your sinful, Adamic nature. The grace of the Bible, as found in Romans 6, is a grace that encourages you to depart from iniquity, and be an Overcomer!!
When you yield to that spirit of grace, you catch yourself BEFORE you fall!! Being a victorious, overcoming Christian isn't based on the strength of your own willpower in the flesh. It's based on how much you know how to yield yourself to the grace of God at the onset of being buffeted by the devil with temptations. Every time you're in any kind of trial or affliction, just ask God for His overcoming grace, and you'll be AMAZED how easily you get through it with your testimony well intact!
The good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ is that when we do fall or fail the Lord, we have an advocate with the Father, and the blood of Jesus cleanses us from all unrighteousness. God surely is gracious, compassionate, and FULL of mercy!!
The "bad news" of erroneous teaching about grace is that a whole generation of followers of bad doctrine are missing out on so many of the true blessings of the Lord that come by a genuine conversion experience which has been wrought by true conviction and repentance.
Beloved friends, this is a subject that really grieves me because the true grace of God that leads people to be overcomers, and to have the love of the Father more than the love of the world is soooo much richer, fuller, deeper, sweeter.... Oh, if only those who have perverted the grace message to be a message of license could understand what they are missing, they'd be on their faces crying out to God to help them make it right before God and His people!!
Revelation 2:7 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.
Revelation 2:11 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.
Revelation 2:17 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.
Revelation 2:26 And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations:
Revelation 3:5 He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.
Revelation 3:12 Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is
new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.
Revelation 3:21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.
Revelation 21:7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.
We do not overcome by sheer willpower in the flesh!! We are overcomers by the application of the grace of God in our lives!!
Amen and AMEN!!
Clo
The kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it. Luke 16:16
Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end. Isaiah 9:7
A Herald of His Kingdom Article
