Christian… Realize anytime you hear someone say “grace, but don’t do these things” as it pertains to your standing before God, you are not being presented with the Gospel, but instead an Anti-Gospel (in actuality it’s very far from the good news). Instead of grace alone this distortion claims you’re saved by grace, but sanctified by the things you refrain from doing.

You see while people who take such an approach believe God’s favor is designed to be initially received through Jesus’ work, they tragically fall into the burden of seeing His continued favor as something they now need to maintain.

Sure, while they’ll conceded there is nothing they can do to save themselves, they see human involvement as being essential to the process of sanctification. Yes, their relationship with Jesus is founded on His grace, but they believe it’s only deepened by the things they willingly and sacrificially give up for Him.

Sadly, what is produced from this particular outlook is a wicked form of Christian legalism that establishes a moral structure and a church culture that demands liberties to forgo and things to be sacrificed in order to be a better Christian… in place of simply emphasizing the enjoyment and freedom that comes from a personal relationship with Jesus founded upon nothing but His amazing grace.

Know this… If the basis of your relationship with Jesus is grace as well as the things you refrain from doing and the sacrifices you make, then you’ll not only fail to fully understand grace, but you’re claiming Jesus’ death was not sufficient. Friend, please reject this “grace, but” distortion by instead believing that God’s grace really does change everything.