I was reading a blog where the blogger taught that grace is the power to overcome sin. This was a perplexing proclamation as the bible is abundantly clear that grace is God’s favor. There is nothing in scripture to suggest that grace is a power to overcome sin.
In the years that I have perused or belonged to different online Christian discussion sites, I have come across many different teachings that simply are not scripturally supported. Just today, I read a Christian site where it is being taught that demons have the ability to mate with humans by taking on human form, and not only take on human form, but the ability to take on any form they choose such as dog, cow or other creatures. I read that and the first thought that came to mind was the ‘shape-shifter’ character from Star Trek. I even read how one Christian was proclaiming that the blueprint of Adam & Eve were locked in some steel box in the bowels of the earth which gave the demons access to how to create themselves into humans. Baffling!
When making a claim or a premise, what follows will fail if the premise is faulty. The sun appears to rise and set but it does not. To make an argument based on the premise that the sun literally rises and sets will fail because the premise is faulty. As we know, the earth rotates and it appears that the sun rises and sets when in fact, it does not.
Grace is God’s favor. It is not the power to overcome sin. Grace is defined by all bible dictionaries, in essence, as ‘favorable regard.’ To overcome sin according to the bible, one walks in the spirit not the flesh.
Using the premise that grace is the means in which to overcome sin, is to start off with a faulty premise and from there, the argument is erroneous as it was in the blog. An example of a faulty argument would be as follows: All flying animals are birds, therefore all birds fly. This is a faulty premise for not all animals that fly are birds and not all birds have the ability to fly. To start off teaching that all animals that fly are birds can only lead to erroneous conclusions and to teach that all birds fly is also untrue. If it is believed and taught that grace is the means to overcome sin, then the logical conclusion is that when we sin, we are lacking God’s grace or His favor and that is why we sinned. Absolutely untrue.
To hold to the premise that fallen angels took on the form of man and married human women leads to stuff that science fiction is made of. Aliens coming in and out of our space are fallen angels; shape-shifting into animals or whatever they choose, obtaining this knowledge since they found the steel box that God hid in the bowels of the earth. Starting off with this premise can only lead to what we see taught. Material for a great science fiction movie can be taken from the odd teachings that Christians have invented but certainly not found in the bible.
Starting off with the premise that our words have power to bring things into existence, we see the false and flawed teaching that comes out of some churches. This is a huge movement today which now includes holy laughter, slain in the spirit as well as a whole host of other odd behavior.
Scripture is clear. The problem is that people have a view and then try and make scripture fit their view. An example that comes to mind is that the wine and bread are literally the blood and body of Christ. This is a faulty premise. Jesus also said He was the door. No one argues that He is literally a door with a doorknob and hinges yet, they argue that the bread and wine are literally his blood and body. This is in contradiction to the teachings of the bible where eating human flesh and drinking human blood is an abomination unto the Lord. The wine and bread is no more literally His flesh and blood than He is literally a door with hinges and a doorframe.
I had an experience where I was making a point with a friend over something trivial. Turns out what I thought was the case was in fact wrong. I started off with an incorrect premise and because my premise was wrong, I could not hold up in my argument. This is the situation in Christianity but the consequences are more disastrous to the body of Christ and to the individual Christian. People today, in general, are unwilling to study the scripture for themselves and fall prey to the false teachings that have permeated the Church. I have watched Christians bark like dogs in the belief that they are being slain in the spirit. Slain in the spirit is a faulty premise for there is no instance in scripture where people are slain in the spirit. This faulty premise has lead to the insanity of people barking like dogs and hysterical laughter.
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6 comments
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Tami
July 12, 2009 at 4:28 pm (UTC -7) Link to this comment
Found your blog a week ago and bookmarked it. I was intrigued my the topics you chose to tackle and the manner in which you did so. As you’ve clearly said, “Scripture is clear. The problem is that people have a view and then try and make scripture fit their view.” Dangerously backwards!! Thank you for starting in the right spot. I’ll be back.
tishrei
July 12, 2009 at 6:17 pm (UTC -7) Link to this comment
Hi Tami, thanks for your comments. “Dangerously backwards” — PERFECT couldn’t have said it better myself. I know the topics that I am blogging is out of the ‘norm’ but I don’t think I’m an anomoly — it’s probably something many of us Christians think about.
doug
August 21, 2009 at 7:17 am (UTC -7) Link to this comment
I have been to a west coast church that promotes every new “manifestation of the spirit” as bonifide. What it really brought to my mind was what I have read and seen the “deliverance” ministers trying to drive out of believers. The “holy laughter”, barking. falling backward, flopping around on the floor, passing out, all seem to me to be more germain to what one would witness in a mental institution.
tishrei
August 21, 2009 at 8:17 am (UTC -7) Link to this comment
I had to chuckle over your comparison of the ‘manifestations of the spirit’ to that which one would witness in a mental institution. Truly it is bizarre behavior that is found nowhere in the bible.
dave65
August 15, 2010 at 3:34 am (UTC -7) Link to this comment
I agree with this post for the most part. but gen.6 suggests that “The sons of God” saw that the daughters of men were beautiful, and had relations with them. The term “The sons of God” generally means angelic beings according to most studies i have read” including my own” if you keep it in context. Giants were the outcome, as in “Goliath”.
Barbara
March 24, 2011 at 2:43 pm (UTC -7) Link to this comment
I believe grace is the instruction not to sin. That is God’s favor. The power to not sin is in first making the choice to obey the instruction God gives then He meets us there and gives us the strength to “overcome” The teachings that are popular today are that grace is a licence to sin. May it never be!! There is so much deception and so many are falling for it because it tickles the ears and makes people feel justified in their sin. Is that what you believe?
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