The Scripture teaches that if we live in the appetites of the flesh we will die spiritually, we will not inherit the Kingdom of God. The fact is, the rewards we normally associate with being a Christian are reserved for those who through Christ gain victory over the world, Satan, and their own lusts and self-will.

The crown of life is reserved for the overcomer, for no one else. The crown will not be placed on the head of the defeated believer because of God's love, mercy, grace, kindness, or any other Divine attribute or blessing.

The concept that the New Testament emphasis on righteous behavior is somehow modified by God's love and mercy may be the most widely held of all Christian viewpoints. But this idea is flawed.

Let us proceed now to explain why difficulties are encountered when we attempt to balance the necessity for righteous behavior with an emphasis on God's love, mercy, and grace.

Christian teaching is not defining grace according to the way the term is used in the Scriptures.

The Apostles in their writings never diluted their stress on righteous behavior with an appeal to God's love and grace. Grace is never presented in the New Testament as an alternative to righteous personality and conduct, only as an alternative to the Law of Moses.

The Kingdom of God is as a seed that grows until it transforms the individual. It is not a means of attaining escape from Hell and eternal residence in the spirit Paradise.

The law of sowing and reaping is an eternal law that proceeds from God's moral Nature. Not one tiny aspect can be changed by an appeal to mercy and grace. What is sown is always reaped unless God aborts the process because we have responded in the manner set forth in the Scripture.

The Scriptural Definition of Grace

The Christian theology of our day is a wasteland. The chaos is due in large part to the manner in which the word grace is being used.

In the secular realm, grace often is employed to designate a period of time, a "grace period" in which requirements are waived. For example, an insurance policy may remain in effect for a month even though a payment was not made by the date required, in order to give the policy holder an opportunity to make his payment and to keep him protected in the meantime.

Notice that "grace" is a temporary provision. To make the grace period a permanent waiver of payment, in the case of the insurance contract, would be to change the terms of the contract.

In current Christian usage, "grace" is being defined as a permanent alternative to godly behavior instead of an opportunity for the believer to change his behavior while keeping him protected in the meantime. The bypass to be used while the road is under construction has become the main highway. The contract has been changed.

Grace is thought of as lenient, indulgent treatment. God forgives us no matter what we do because of His grace extended toward us.

To be continued.