“Amazing love, how can it be, that you my King would die for me?” I’ll tell you how it can be - because He knows the truth about me. And that there’s a grace that can transform me back to original value. He didn’t die in vain where I’m concerned. He died to repossess me, repurchase me and reveal me to the world in His name. That’s how it can be. And to the Father I am worth every drop of that blood. But if I just prayed a prayer to go to heaven, I sadly miss the will of the Father in sending the Son. We’ve reduced it to, “If you are in this place tonight and you don’t know if you are going to heaven if you die on the way home tonight, raise your hand and you can be sure.” Where did we even get that when it’s all about the transformation of life? When it’s all about putting off the old and putting on the new? When it’s all about reckoning yourself dead to sin and alive to God? Isn’t it amazing how we begin to preach a self-centered, self-serving gospel when “If any man comes to me let him first deny” that very self. I believe that message came from another camp to compromise the integrity of the gospel and keep us unchanged - allow us to go to church as our Christian identity instead of His nature as our Christian identity. And all of the sudden what we do becomes who we are and it takes the place of becoming like Him.1
The gospel is all about God loving us and loving what He made us to be. It’s not that He loves where you were and loves what you did and loves who you’ve been. He loves who He created you to be. And He has held on to that because love never fails. And He paid the price to get the lie off of you and get the truth on you so that you can be what you were always destined to be. This gospel is not about a prayer to go to heaven someday. It’s not about fuller vats and fuller barns and blessings. You’re set up for discouragement if that’s all you think this gospel is. The gospel is about the transformation of your life. It’s about you becoming one with God. It’s about heaven getting back inside of you and the nature of God flowing through you so that the world sees the light that is in you. And His name is Jesus. And you don’t even have to tell people about Him. You just live Him and men see.2
Notes:
1. Self-centered gospel - it's about transformation - from an enemy camp - (1:43)
2. Self-centered gospel - not just about going to heaven - (:50)
3. Self-centered gospel - not all about getting blessing - shining in adversity - Dan Mohler (:32)
4. Self-centered gospel - principles applied hoping to get help / relationship transforming - (1:34)
5. Self-centered gospel - repulsive to the world - (:51)
6. Self-centered gospel - it's hard to be an example of Christ when it's all about me - (1:22)
7. Self-centered gospel - just about God taking care of us - Christians discouraged - (4:20)
8. Grace without transformation - "grace revolution" - it's always been about transformation - (:54)
9. Grace without transformation - must yield to Him - (1:45)
10. Grace without transformation - dictates of flesh crushed - (1:27)
11. Grace without transformation - mercy vs. grace - (:43)
12. Grace without transformation - changed thinking precedes changed living, if sincere - (:54)
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