Religion Vs. Gospel

In Acts 15, the Pharisees were operating under the law, which modifies behavior; the disciples were operating under gospel, which transforms the heart.  The law reveals sin, but only the gospel removes the stain of sin.  The Pharisees were attempting to save themselves through religion, changing their behavior, but the disciples were wholly reliant upon the gospel of grace to change their heart.  Religion and gospel are drastically different.

• Religion says, I obey, therefore I’m accepted.  The gospel says, I’m accepted therefore I obey.
• Religion is defined by and focused on the rules. The gospel is defined by and focused on the gracious Ruler.
• Religion changes your behavior so you look good in front of man.  The gospel cleans your heart so you can stand in the presence of God.

All of us are like the Pharisees.  There’s part of us that like the religion and law.  Why?  Because that gives us control.  Deep down, we are do-it-yourself-God-wannabes.  We want to maintain control; we want the outcome of our lives, including our salvation in our hands.

Give me 3 steps to a happy marriage and I can guarantee myself a happy marriage – or I can be mad at God if it doesn’t happen.  Give me 5 rules to follow to ensure sexual purity or 7 steps to grow in godliness, and then I can pat myself on the back by following those rules and taking those steps. “The law seems safe because it breed’s a sense of control.  It keeps life formulaic and predictable.  It keeps earning-power in our camp.”[1]

We drift toward law because we are afraid of grace.  Grace takes control from us.  Taking hold of grace means we have to let go of self – we don’t like that.  As Michel Horton says, “The gospel of grace throws our glory train off its tracks.  Instead of calculating, mastering, and determining, we find ourselves completely helpless, left with no option but to fall into the everlasting arms of the God who could consume us in wrath but instead embraces us in his Son.”[2]

by Joey

Praying Scripture

In this previous post, I gave a brief example of how to use God's Word to pray before God's throne.  Below is another example that uses the Lord's Prayer and other Scripture references to praise God:

Our Father in heaven, You are the Everlasting Father of the fatherless, Heaven is Your throne and the earth is Your footstool. The heavens declare Your glory, and the sky above proclaims Your handiwork. Of old you laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands.

Our Father in Heaven Hallowed be Your Name From the rising of the sun to its setting, may Your Name be praised and be great among the nations! Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised and your greatness is unsearchable!  Let Your glory be over all the earth! Let heaven and earth praise You, the seas and everything that moves in them, let them praise you!  May Your glory, the glory of the Lord endure forever.

O Father in Heaven, Hallowed be Your Name, Your Kingdom Come, May all the ends of the earth remember and turn to You, and all the families of the nations worship before You.  Declare your glory among the nations, your marvelous works among all the peoples from China to India to Chile to Fiji to the Philippines to Hungary to Fiji to Iceland and every tribe, tongue, nation and people! For kingship belongs to You; You rule over the nations. You are the strength of Your people -the saving refuge of Your anointed! Oh, save Your people and bless Your heritage! Be our Shepherd and carry us forever! You are our King, O God! You are the King of all the earth! Your throne is forever and ever!

Your Kingdom Come and Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Make us to know Your ways, O Lord. Teach us Your paths. Teach us to do Your will. Let your good Spirit lead us on level ground. Not our will, but Yours be done!  Father, we pray for the unborn this very day, for you form their inward parts; you knit them together in their mother’s womb, every child in the womb is fearfully and wonderfully made, intricately woven in the depths of the earth.

Give us this day our daily bread. You, our God, will supply every need of ours according to Your riches in glory in Christ Jesus. Give us neither poverty nor riches; feed us with the food that is needful for us, lest we be full and deny You and say, “Who is the Lord?” or lest we be poor and steal and profane the name of our God. Satisfy us with righteousness and remind us You are our portion forever.  We pray for our very own members, continue to lavish your grace upon us as we strive to love you will all our heart, mind soul and strength; enable us to love her neighbor has ourselves.

Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.  We confess our iniquity; we are sorry for our sin. Have mercy on us, O God. Help us put to death what is earthly in us: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.  Wash us thoroughly from our iniquity, and cleanse us from our sin! For Your name’s sake, O Lord, pardon our guilt for it is great. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and You the LORD has laid on him the Christ the iniquity of us all.  For our sake You made him, Jesus, who knew no sin, to that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from Evil. We do not ask that you take us out of the world, but that you keep us from the evil one. Restore us; let Your face shine, that we may be saved.  Help us take up the whole armor of God that we can withstand the schemes of the devil, praying at all times in the Spirit that we might keep alert and persevere.  For the glory of Your name, deliver us and atone for our sins, for Your name’s sake.

For Yours is the Kingdom and the Power and the Glory forever and ever.  Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God!  How unsearchable are your judgments and how inscrutable your ways! “For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?” “Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?” For from You and through You and to You are all things. To You be glory forever. Amen.

by Joey