I saw this posting by Bible Loves Notes (biblelovenotes.blogspot.com) on Pinterest recently entitled, "Beware of Hyper-Grace Teachings" and I thought would comment a bit with corrections to each error in belief noted:
If you haven’t heard the term, "hyper-grace", you probably have heard some of its errors or hold them personally.
This contemporary error is indicative of what is described in II Timothy 4:3, "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers, and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables."
Some of the “feel-good-about-yourself”, selfish teachings include :
1. God forgives my sins, past, present and future, so I don’t need to repent.
* Correcting verses to this error: I John 1:9 (confessing sin cleanses from unrighteousness), James 5:15, Revelation 3:3 (exhortation to the church of Sardis to repent), I Corinthians 11:27-32 (examine self before receiving Communion) and Revelation 3:19 (urging church of Laodicea to repent). It is clear that repentance for sin is an ongoing process in a believer's life, not just once when converted or "born again."
2. When God looks at me, He sees Christ’s righteousness, not my sins.
* Correcting verses: Revelation 3:19, I Samuel 15:23 (rebellion and stubbornness are sin), Hebrews 12:6, Hebrews 12:14 (we are called to holiness) and Matthew 7:21-23. This is true if sins are confessed according to I John 1:9.
3. All sins are the same in God’s eyes, so who are we to judge the homosexual any differently than the gossip?
*Correcting verses: I Corinthians 2:15 ("a spiritual man judges all things"), Luke 12:47-48 (the principle that with knowledge comes greater responsibility), John 19:11 (Judas' sin compared to Pilate's), Mark 12:38-40 (religious scribes held to greater judgment) and Matthew 12:31 (sin against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven). The current Roman Catholic pope stated this error about homosexuality! Is it not just a desire to be accepted and heeded by a rebellious, unbelieving world according to I John 4:4-6.
4. In fact, it’s not our place to judge anyone....
Correcting verses: John 7:24 (Jesus urges us to judge with a righteous judgment), I Corinthians 2:15("the spiritual man judges all things..."), Galatians 6:1 (judging a fellow Christian), II Corinthians 13:5 (personal examination to see if you are in the faith), judging false teachers (the book of Jude, Matthew 7:15-20), discipline of sinning believers (Matthew 18:15-18), and the need to expose evil (Ephesians 5:8-17) are some cases where a righteous judgment is needed.
5. God has no commands for Christians because we aren’t under the law.
Correcting verses: Matthew 7:21-23 (not all who say, "Lord, lord..."), Romans 8:12 and Galatians 5:19-21(it is possible to live fleshly lives), Philippians 2:12-23 ("work out your own salvation with fear and trembling..."), John 14:15 (Jesus said those who love Him would keep His commands) and Galatians 2:11-13 (Paul rebuked Peter for blatant hypocrisy). Ananias and Sapphira were struck down on the spot for lying in Acts 5:1-11. Jesus, Himself, commanded the disciples in Matthew 28:18-20 to make disciples of all nations, "...teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you..."
6. The Holy Spirit encourages Christians. He doesn’t convict them of sin.
Correcting verses: John 16:8 (The Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin), John 16:13 (The Holy Spirit guides into all the truth) and Ephesians 4:30 (a warning not to grieve the Holy Spirit).
7. God’s love has absolutely no conditions.
It is a common theme that God's promises are often conditional. John 3:16 itself notes, "believes in Him..." suggests an ongoing obedience and belief, not just a one-time conversion experience. Colossians 1:23 and Hebrews 3:14 affirm the need for believers to cooperate and stand firm in the faith, "...provided that you continue in the faith." In Matthew 7:21-23, Jesus makes it clear that not all who say they are believers, as "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven."
Jesus promises in John 10:27-29 that "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give them eternal life..." Also, see Philippians 1:6.
These false and/or distorted statements are repeated so often today that even genuine Christians are accepting them.
The only way to protect ourselves from these or any other false teaching is to carefully study God’s Word. Remember, according to Hebrews 4:12, "...the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword..." Furthermore, the path to being approved by God is, "...rightly dividing the word of truth" according to II Timothy 2:15. Indeed, this right division of the Word is that place where "competing" verses are in harmony, both are true.
John 1:17 is an example where the word of God is harmonized in one verse. Grace isn’t grace unless it is accompanied by truth! "For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ."
