I have written much concerning the "grace" mystique (pronounced mis-TEEK). But it keeps appearing in many forms, provoking me to once again attempt to describe the enormous heresy that forms the foundation of Christian preaching and teaching.

At some point during the Church Era, perhaps during the Protestant Reformation, the conclusion was reached that Divine "grace" is a sovereign action of God in which human beings upon making a profession of faith in Jesus Christ become acceptable to God regardless of any change in their personality or behavior. Sometimes the concept of predestination and foreknowledge was added until salvation was understood to be a Divine intervention that set apart the individual as one whom God unilaterally has made a part of His Kingdom. When the person dies he or she is assured of eternal residence in Heaven. This definition, which appears to be the foundation of modern Christian teaching, is almost totally incorrect. It is unscriptural and destructive. There is no growth in the image of Christ, in the Kingdom of God, when all we have is a sovereign grace that operates independently of our behavior, independently of the transformation of our personality, independently of the fruit of the Spirit.

The present-day Christian teaching of grace, of salvation by "faith" alone (it is not actually faith but mental assent to theology) is as destructive a heresy as could be invented by Satan himself.

As we think about the record of the Scriptures we can see the emphasis God has always placed (and always shall place) on righteousness, holiness, and obedience of personality and behavior. The stars of God that we have admired from our earliest knowledge of the Bible, such as Noah, Daniel, Abraham, and the Apostles of Jesus Christ, were righteous and holy men who were sternly obedient to God.

We would not pay attention to Paul's writings, knowing they were not from God, if we knew Paul to be an adulterer, a liar, a murderer, a bitter gossiper and slanderer. We know within ourselves, from our conscience I guess, that God and His people are righteous and holy.

Would the Lord Jesus Christ be regarded as the Son of God if He were unrighteous and morally filthy? But we have been predestined to be in His image.

God has told us He requires that we practice righteousness, love mercy, and walk humbly with Him.

Because the Law of Moses did not produce such behavior in multitudes of the Israelites, who forever were worshiping idols and trusting in the arm of flesh to save them, God gave a new covenant. The new covenant is the writing of the eternal law of God in the mind of the believer so he will comprehend the Person, will, and ways of God, and in his heart so he will love to serve God.

The New Testament is filled with exhortations to righteous, holy, obedient behavior.

To be continued.