We have seen that grace ordinarily refers to the Presence and blessing of God that we receive under the new covenant apart from obedience to the statutes of the Law of Moses. Part of the Presence and blessing of God is the forgiveness of our sins, the purpose being that we can begin life anew and, by the power and Virtue of God, begin to live in a righteous manner.

In its purest sense, grace is Christ. He is the Word of God made flesh.

Jeremiah would understand this definition of grace and would term it, "The Lord our righteousness."

Satan has achieved a mammoth victory. He has managed to separate God's grace from righteous, holy behavior. This has been no small accomplishment seeing that most of the epistles of the New Testament, not to mention the Gospel accounts and the Book of Revelation, emphasize again and again that our God will never dwell with wicked people.

Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you. And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. (II Corinthians 6:14-7:1)

"Oh, but we are not wicked because of the grace of God! God sees us through the Lord Jesus (where is this statement in the Scriptures?).

"When I lie, God sees only the truth of Jesus.

"When I look at pornography God sees only the moral purity of Jesus.

"When I gossip and slander another Christian God sees only the holy speech of the Lord Jesus."

How will we ever escape from this monumental lie? It will require much suffering and tribulation if we are to escape the current teaching and begin to serve God in truth and faithfulness. The Christian churches and their leaders may not willingly give up the security they have found in believing that God does not see their sin. They may not willingly face the Holy Fire of Israel.

Enough suffering will drive many believers to the understanding that God is not the kindly old gentleman they have pictured. The sinners in Zion will be afraid in the days to come. The hypocrites will tremble. We shall be accounted as sheep for the slaughter. The Bride will be purified with the fires of Divine judgment. Enough tribulation will cause her to wash her robes in the blood of the Lamb in preparation for her marriage to Him.

We have been deceived. God in His love is sending truth to us in these last days. Let all of us who love Jesus turn again to the Lord. Let us humble ourselves and repent, turning from our wicked ways.

If we are willing to confess our sins and turn away from them, the Lord God will have mercy on us and we will stand before Him. If we are willing to guard the word of His patience He will keep us from spiritual destruction during the hour of temptation that is on the horizon.

Tremendous catastrophes will visit the earth from this time forward. Through it all the Lord Jesus will sit as King of the flood. Jesus has control of all. We need have no fear of anything except that we are displeasing Him in some manner.

Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein. (Jeremiah 6:16)

Let us not be like disobedient Israel. Let us rather press forward into the rest of God, into that place of abiding in the perfect will of God through Christ. (from Grace, and the New Covenant)