Christian grace never changes the fundamental law of behavior and consequences, of sowing and reaping. Rather, Christian grace changes how we behave, what we sow. Until Christian people come to understand grace alters what we sow, not what we reap, the churches will continue in immorality, covetousness, and drunkenness.

It is true that God suspends the consequences of our sins while Jesus is transforming us. Jesus died in order to make such suspension possible. But to pervert the Divine waiver into an abrogation of the basic Kingdom law of sowing and reaping is to turn the grace of God into an excuse for sin and rebellion.

It always has been true, in all of the Divine covenants, that when a sinner turned from his wicked ways and began practicing righteousness, his wickedness was not mentioned to him (Ezekiel 18:22). That is the way God behaves toward people. Divine mercy is not limited to the new covenant.

The unique aspect of the new covenant is that God's Spirit writes the law of God in our minds and hearts so we do God's will by nature. If we continue in the work of destroying Satan from our personality, the blood of Jesus keeps on forgiving us. It is an eternal redemption. God will cast our sins away from us, washing us whiter than the snow.

But to pervert transforming grace into an eternal amnesty in which God no longer judges the conduct of human beings, forgiving them on the basis of a profession of belief in Jesus, is to entirely miss God's intention.

The Jews missed God's intention by emphasizing the tithing of herbs and neglecting judgment, mercy, and faith. The Christians are missing God's intention by emphasizing the gift of God's grace and ignoring judgment, mercy and faith. Both the Jews and the Christians miss God because their hearts are far from God. Such will continue in deception unless God in His mercy opens their eyes to the truth.

Our God is a consuming Fire. No person can dwell in the Divine Presence when there is unrighteousness in his personality. The grace of God in Christ does not enable an individual who has sin in his heart to dwell with God. But it does give the sinner access to God in prayer, and suspends the judgment of him until the Lord Jesus has had an opportunity to lead him in paths of righteousness.

God's holy fire is a blessing to the upright. But to those who have darkness in them it is an eternal torment, whether or not they name the name of the Lord Jesus.

The saint who is conquering and driving out the works and attitudes that cannot exist in the Divine fire is strengthened by food that is given only to those who are doing the Lord's will.

To be continued.