Tag: grace
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When Freedom is Not Freedom
One of the biggest challenges in cross cultural work is knowing what you can and cannot do. This happens both culturally and in religious settings. The “gray areas” in Scripture are numerous. The do not’s are obvious, but there are many times when we are not sure if it is good or not to walk…
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Gracious Disagreement
The issue is not whether I agree with someone but rather how I treat someone with whom I profoundly disagree. We Christians are called to use the “weapons of grace”, which means treating even our opponents with love and respect.” – Philip Yancey from Vanishing Grace Philip Yancey, in his new book, [amazon_link id=”B00J1UEAL0″ target=”_blank”…
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Hyper-Grace
We’ve all heard stories of people doing foolish things in the name of grace. This has led to a debate in the church which has been labeled Hyper-Grace. A student asked me some time ago if I believed in this teaching. My response was, “I have no idea but I should learn what it is.”…
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Dangerous Stories
Sometimes the stories we tell of those we minister to can become dangerous. I’ve been at this mission thing for 23 years now. I’ve made a lot of mistakes. I often reflect on things I did in the past and cringe. Hindsight is always 20/20, but perhaps others can learn from my mistakes. The mistake…
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Grace and Obedience are Friends
The relationship between grace and obedience can seem tenuous at times. An over-emphasis on grace with no thought to obedience can lead to antinomianism, hyper grace, or as some would say “free, cheap grace.” Focusing on rules and commands as a means to gain the favor of God can lead to rule keeping, law, and legalism.…