Dominated by grace

“For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.” (Rom. 6:14).

“What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.” (Rom. 6:15).

This verse has caused many to reject the Law of God as something that is opposed to grace. They desire to be without control, with a will free to do whatever it desires. In their doctrine, in their mind, if they want to murder that doesn’t change their standing before God—because they are under His good graces. Once saved, always saved. They have believed in Jesus as the Saviour. Now and forever their name is written in the book of life. This, of course, is preposterous, and unbiblical. If in the civil life they were to live the same way they think in the religious life, how long would they last before spending life in federal prison and taken off the roles of a good citizen? They believe that they can perjure themselves, they can steal, they can murder, they can commit adultery, sell drugs, and still be listed on the heavenly records. But, the click of the federal marshal’s handcuffs, the rap of the federal judge’s gavel, and the horrible sounds of the rugged, steel door of bars going shut, will probably awaken them out of their delusion. Likewise, the day Jesus says to them, “I know not whence ye are; depart from Me, all ye workers of iniquity.”

That is not at all the true experience of living under grace. Living under grace means being dominated by the power of God unto salvation. It means having a whole new Master and Lord. He takes “captivity captive” (Ps. 68:18; Eph. 4:8). They are under a new Slavemaster, as Paul put it, “I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord….” (Eph. 4:1). And he wrote,

“Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:

But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:

And being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.”(Phil. 2:5-8).

“Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?” (Rom. 6:16).

Romans 6:16 declares most clearly that even after the new birth, even after surrendering—yielding—to the Law of the Schoolmaster and the mercy of Christ, if we are under grace we must continue to yield to the Law—forever. The big difference will be that the Law won’t be a schoolmaster anymore, but the best guide a person could ever wish for. Jesus said it this way:

“Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in My word, then are ye My disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8:31,32).

A continual choice must be made to remain yielded to the mercy of Jesus, and to His Lordship, Him as Master. They believed on Him, and yet He left the promise of free will conditional. “If ye continue in My word…” Paul again makes salvation conditional upon perfect faithfulness to the end of the discipleship period. “For we are made^G1096 partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end.” (Heb. 3:14). The word, “made” “made partakers” is the same as “become” in “become the sons of God”.

“But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become^G1096 the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.” (John 1:12).

Both conditions of being born again and being made partaker of Christ will continue if we keep our confidence in Jesus steadfastly to the very end. Otherwise, all bets are off. And that’s only fair for Jesus. He deserves our lifetime of love.

“Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.” (Rom. 6:11,12).

But, not to end this post on the negative, there are those who do hold the beginning of their confidence stedfast unto the end. Such a person was Shayne. I transcribed his beautiful testimony on another post at the following address,

And you can hear his testimony at, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VK5zDfD4XdM

Below, what I want to showcase is how he analyzes and describes the effect of the power of grace upon his heart and mind, and its lasting effects. His scientific analysis glorifies his Saviour and shows that nature and revelation alike declare the glory of God.

Notice these key statements: “My whole being responded in a way that is very hard to explain. In a moment my life was given meaning and value. In that moment I knew I was created to be a home for this incredible, loving God. From that moment, I knew that life was serving this amazing God. There was now no other option.”

“I was suddenly struck by how luminescent the room had become and everything in it. I raised myself up on my elbow to look at the wall and why it was so bright. The very next moment, from a position about half a meter behind me on my left-hand side, I heard a voice loud enough for anyone in that room to have heard, ‘I am your God who loves you.’

My whole being responded in a way that is very hard to explain. In a moment my life was given meaning and value. In that moment I knew I was created to be a home for this incredible, loving God. From that moment, I knew that life was serving this amazing God. There was now no other option.

Everything then returned to normal. The whole event was probably no longer than a few minutes. The room was again a normal hotel room. Except I was left a different person, on my way to becoming a new creation.

After saying my first prayer, the day proceeded as normal. The meeting I had for work went smoothly, and was more successful than I expected. On returning home, I went through the house throwing out all the material that was unhealthy for my young faith. I also threw out all my books on philosophy, especially those which conflicted with my young relationship with Jesus. I avoided all the places and people that may have placed my young faith at risk. The people that I had wronged in some way, I sought out and apologized for my sinful behavior. I became a regular member of the Bible study group with my wife. And immersed myself in scripture, and attended any course that would help me gain a better understanding how I might best serve my loving God.

Not long after, I prayed for a sound, spiritual mentor. And within a few days I met one of the most enthusiastic of Jesus’ followers, who had a recognized gift for teaching.

In summary, I can say that the one most important aspect I can recall [of that motel room experience] was God’s absolute majesty and holiness. I remained motionless, as there was no possibility I would turn around and look to see who had spoken. There was a sense, there was an authority, in the room; and I would only do what I was given permission to do.”

“My whole being responded in a way that is very hard to explain. In a moment my life was given meaning and value. In that moment I knew I was created to be a home for this incredible, loving God. From that moment, I knew that life was serving this amazing God. There was now no other option.” An amazing statement.

Look at the words Shayne used. Obviously, as a believer in existentialism Shayne’s mind had never found meaning and value in life. Meaning and value came with the presence of Christ, a new Master to whom Shayne at that moment chose to bow his will. Another thing that came with the presence of Christ was the knowledge that he was created to be a home for God—if he so chose to believe that this supernatural Being was the God of the Bible, and if he so chose to serve this “incredible, loving” supernatural Being. And Shayne did just that—he chose that “incredible, loving” supernatural Being to be his Master forever. The love that came with the presence of Christ was so incredible that Shayne felt compelled to need it.

Just such value and purpose, and incredible love was experienced by Saul of Gibeah. All that he could do was revel in it and be transformed into a new creature.

“And it was so, that when he had turned his back to go from Samuel, God gave him another heart: and all those signs came to pass that day.

And when they came thither to the hill, behold, a company of prophets met him; and the Spirit of God came upon him, and he prophesied among them.

And it came to pass, when all that knew him beforetime saw that, behold, he prophesied among the prophets, then the people said one to another, What is this that is come unto the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets?” (1Sam. 10:9-11).

Even after departing from such a wonderful state in later years, and gaining Satan’s presence at the loss of Christ’s wonderful presence, when Jesus chose to come into Saul’s apostatized heart again all the same meaning and purpose and joy in the Holy Ghost returned as in former years.

“And Saul sent messengers to take David: and when they saw the company of the prophets prophesying, and Samuel standing as appointed over them, the Spirit of God was upon the messengers of Saul, and they also prophesied.

And when it was told Saul, he sent other messengers, and they prophesied likewise. And Saul sent messengers again the third time, and they prophesied also.

Then went he also to Ramah, and came to a great well that is in Sechu: and he asked and said, Where are Samuel and David? And one said, Behold, they be at Naioth in Ramah.

And he went thither to Naioth in Ramah: and the Spirit of God was upon him also, and he went on, and prophesied, until he came to Naioth in Ramah.

And he stripped off his clothes also, and prophesied before Samuel in like manner, and lay down naked all that day and all that night. Wherefore they say, Is Saul also among the prophets?” (1Sam. 19:20-24).

The affect was so pronounced that Saul could only revel in it once again. Choosing to have the incredible love of God was not irresistible, but once having it, the fruits were irresistible. Therefore, after the presence of Christ left him again because he couldn’t choose to keep it and “devilish” (Jas. 3:15) “bitter envying and strife in [his heart] (Jas. 3:14), he turned back to his old ways of seeking the murder of David.

Jesus’ presence was so full of obvious love that it was as Rose, a new convert from Islam called Him, “Love”. His love for her was tactile. Before she learned that “God is love”, she had already met the God she named, “Love”. Shayne met the same God of love and He is love to everyone who meets Him in their great need.

Another statement from Shayne was of “God’s absolute majesty and holiness”. “There was a sense, there was an authority, in the room.” Notice that Christ has authority when He comes to present His grace and love to a sinner. His love is not a thrill or an emotional high. It comes with authority that means it is an everlasting principle that must be accepted and forever adhered to. But, when it comes to being loved and having new meaning and value, the incentives to forever accepting and adhering to its conditions are light and easy to receive. The accountability to the relationship that comes with relationship is understood to come together. As beings made in God’s image, this is a given, logical.

And under that choice Shayne remained saved “unto the end” (Heb. 3:14). Love and authority together, mercy and justice, are the power of God unto salvation. Not a single preposterous thought ever enters Christ’s newborns that they can leave the authority of God and still retain the meaning and value in life that came with the acceptance from the only “incredible, loving God”. No false prophet can ever convince them otherwise.

“But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.” (1Jn. 2:27).

The last thing I want to bring into this amazing work, the work of salvation is that it was Christ that came to Shayne that night, not another.

“Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Rom. 6:11). It was not a third person of a trinity of Gods that brings new life and purpose to His regenerated children. It was the only begotten Son of God. It is Jesus! They are brought to life “through Jesus Christ our Lord”. “God, having raised up His Son Jesus, sent Him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.” (Acts 3:26).

This is what Paul says later in Romans chapter 8.

“But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His.

And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.

But if the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, He [God the Father] that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by His Spirit that dwelleth in you.” (Rom. 8:9-11). The Father will quicken us, not by a delegated third God, but by Himself, His Spirit, His own Spirit.

The Spirit, being in the Spirit is having Christ in us, by His Father’s power. “Ye … yourselves … [are] dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Rom. 6:11). The Spirit is Christ, His Spirit from His reconciled Father, Christ’s presence as God’s Representative. “He that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by His^G848 Spirit that dwelleth in you.” (Rom. 8:11).

G848 hautou Contraction for G1438; self (in some oblique case or reflexive relation): - her (own), (of) him (-self), his (own), of it, thee, their (own), them (-selves), they.

God quickens our mortal bodies by sending us His Son.

As in: “And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own^G848 blood”. (Rev. 1:5). As it was Christ’s own blood that was shed for us, and not another’s, so it is God’s own Spirit that dwells in us, and not another.

The Spirit is God’s own Spirit, not another person’s or another person. He gives Himself to us through His Son. “The Spirit” is “His Spirit”, “the Spirit of the Lord” (1Sam. 11:6), “the Spirit of God” (1Sam. 19:23; 10:10; 11:6), and “the Spirit of His Son” (Gal. 4:6).

It’s the same Spirit that God gave His only begotten Son to perform His mission here.

“For He whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto Him. The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into His hand.” (John 3:34,35). And as many as receive the Son of God, receive God and His reconciled Spirit.

“He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.” (John 3:36).

“That thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukeable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ:

Which in His times He shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords;

Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen.” (1Tim. 6:14-16), “that God may be all in all.”(1Cor. 15:28).

The Father alone “hath immortality…. Amen.” (1Tim. 6:16). In time the divine Son of God will show that His almighty Father is the blessed and only Potentate. By the Son’s perfect representation of His Father’s justice during the Old Testament and by the Son’s perfect representation of His Father’s mercy at Gethsemane and Golgotha, when He met all the wrath that His Father could bring upon Him with equal mercy upon a world of sinners, Christ showed Himself equal with His Father, even while sitting at His right hand (a place of honor and subjection). Yet, the Father was forever greater and existing before He brought forth His first, and only begotten Son.

 “The self-existent One” statements from Patriarchs and Prophets, Desire of Ages, and Great Controversy.

“The King of the universe summoned the heavenly hosts before Him, that in their presence He might set forth the true position of His Son and show the relation He sustained to all created beings. The Son of God shared the Father’s throne, and the glory of the eternal, self-existent One encircled both. About the throne gathered the holy angels, a vast, unnumbered throng—‘ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands’ (Revelation 5:11), the most exalted angels, as ministers and subjects, rejoicing in the light that fell upon them from the presence of the Deity. Before the assembled inhabitants of heaven the King declared that none but Christ, the Only Begotten of God, could fully enter into His purposes, and to Him it was committed to execute the mighty counsels of His will. The Son of God had wrought the Father’s will in the creation of all the hosts of heaven; and to Him, as well as to God, their homage and allegiance were due. Christ was still to exercise divine power, in the creation of the earth and its inhabitants. But in all this He would not seek power or exaltation for Himself contrary to God’s plan, but would exalt the Father’s glory and execute His purposes of beneficence and love.” Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 36.

    

“Jehovah, the eternal, self-existent, uncreated One, Himself the Source and Sustainer of all, is alone entitled to supreme reverence and worship. Man is forbidden to give to any other object the first place in his affections or his service. Whatever we cherish that tends to lessen our love for God or to interfere with the service due Him, of that do we make a god.” Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 305.

“Silence fell upon the vast assembly. The name of God, given to Moses to express the idea of the eternal presence, had been claimed as His own by this Galilean Rabbi. He had announced Himself to be the self-existent One, He who had been promised to Israel, ‘whose goings forth have been from of old, from the days of eternity.’ Micah 5:2, margin.” Desire of Ages, p. 469.

“He ‘shall sit and rule upon His throne; and He shall be a priest upon His throne.’ Not now ‘upon the throne of His glory;’ the kingdom of glory has not yet been ushered in. Not until His work as a mediator shall be ended will God ‘give unto Him the throne of His father David,’ a kingdom of which ‘there shall be no end.’ Luke 1:32, 33. As a priest, Christ is now set down with the Father in His throne. Revelation 3:21. Upon the throne with the eternal, self-existent One is He who ‘hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows’.” Great Controversy, p. 416.

 

There is no conflict between the Spirit of Prophecy and the Bible. Ellen White exalts Christ to be Jehovah, but as subservient, as Jehovah’s Son. Christ’s subservience to His Father in no way diminishes Christ’s deity and Godhead. It never diminishes His eternal status, “whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.” (Mic. 5:2). But, the greater Father, who only hath immortality, was first. Whenever He begot His Son in eternity past, the Father had already existed from eternity. It is all incomprehensible, yet simple. It is not so incomprehensible that we have to wrap it up in mystery, as in the mystery of a Trinity, “MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.” (Rev. 17:5).

The Trinity minimizes the Father’s sole status as the almighty One. “And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.

And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to Him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever,

The four and twenty elders fall down before Him that sat on the throne, and worship Him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying,

Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for Thou hast created all things, and for Thy pleasure they are and were created.” (Rev. 4:8-11).

In the same Revelation language of “Lord” and “O Lord God Almighty” as the Father, “He shall reign for ever and ever”.

“And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of His Christ; and He shall reign for ever and ever.

And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God,

Saying, We give Thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because Thou hast taken to Thee Thy great power, and hast reigned.” (Rev. 11:15-17).

“Thou” (singular) and not “Ye” or “You” (plural), “Him [(singular)] that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever”, “Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come”, speak to only one Person, the Father, “God the Judge of all” (Heb. 12:23), who is “a consuming fire” (Heb. 12:29).

“Which in His [our Lord Jesus Christ] times He shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords” (1Tim. 6:15), His Lord, “My God” (Ps. 22:1), “God the Father” (John 6:27, cf Gal. 1:1,3; Eph. 6:23; Phil. 2:11; 1Thess. 1:1; 2Tim. 1:2; Tit. 1:4; 1Pet. 1:2; 2Pet. 1:17; 2Jn. 1:3; Jud. 1:1), “God and His Father; to Him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.” (Rev. 1:6).

Together, “God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord” (2Tim. 1:2), They both make up the deity, the Godhead. And there is no third person, no other included in that sacred premises whom They say, “Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.” (Ex. 3:5).

But, God’s eternal life, His regenerating life, His incredible love comes to us through His only authorized Representative, His only begotten Son, the Prototokos (G4416).

The only begotten, divine Son who is “Jesus Christ…the first begotten^G4416 of the dead” (Rev. 1:5), “the firstborn^G4416, [whose church is] … written in heaven” (Heb. 12:23), “who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn^G4416 of every creature” (Col. 1:15), “the firstborn^G4416 among many brethren” (Rom. 8:29), is also, “the firstbegotten^G4416” (Heb. 1:6) who God incarnated into human flesh. “A body hast Thou prepared Me.” (Heb. 10:5).

Together, They are exalted to equal glory. God’s full authority stands behind the grace of Christ.

“Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:

But made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:

And being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

Wherefore God also hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name:

That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;

And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Phil. 2:5-11).

“And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.

He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.

These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.…

If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it.

All unrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin not unto death.

We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not.…

And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know Him that is true, and we are in Him that is true, even in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.” (1Jn. 5:11-13, 16-18, 20).

But, the Father is the ultimate authority.

“For He hath put all things under His feet. But when He saith all things are put under Him, it is manifest that He is excepted, which did put all things under Him. And when all things shall be subdued unto Him, then shall the Son also Himself be subject unto Him that put all things under Him, that God may be all in all.” (1Cor. 15:27,28).

“Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen” (Rom. 9:5). “And without all contradiction the less is blessed of the better.” (Heb. 7:7). The Son of God is infinitely great; but God the Father is the greatest.

“O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are His judgments, and His ways past finding out!

For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been His counsellor?

Or who hath first given to Him, and it shall be recompensed unto Him again?

For of Him, and through Him, and to Him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.” (Rom. 11:32-36).

Amen! And, Amen!