Why is Grace So Hard to Understand?

Why is grace, God's unmerited kindness toward His elect, so hard to understand? Specifically, why is it that people refuse to acknowledge that we cannot enter into Heaven by our own merits? Actually, I do know the answer. It's called pride.


A recent article in the New York Times mentions that charitable donations can be counted as an indulgence that may diminish one's time spent in purgatory for Catholics. Evidently Catholic teaching never really did away with indulgences. Now the problem here is that Catholic teaching does not put much stock in the death of Jesus as being once and for all for the payment for our sins. And here is the rub. Jesus died once for the remission of our sins. Nothing we can do can earn our way into heaven. As an Anglican I don't believe in purgatory. The cross of Christ is sufficient for me to be saved. Whatever good works I do is a fruit of faith, not a bribe to God. The doctrine of purgatory is repugnant to Scripture. When one dies, one will either go to heaven or go to hell. Scripture is clear as to who goes where.


Now watch these next two videos. One is from a Catholic teacher and the other from a Protestant evangelist. And tell me where you want to put your faith, in yourself or in Christ who stood in our place on that first Good Friday granting us eternal life for those who repent. And that my friend is grace!




Now let us be clear what St. Paul taught: But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. Romans 3:21-26


Now hear the Gospel, the Good News of Jesus Christ as proclaimed to a sinner in the street:

Paganism, The Default Mode of Humans

pa·gan

   [pey-guhn]  Show IPA

noun

1.

one of a people or community observing a polytheistic religion, as the ancient Romans and Greeks. Synonyms:polytheist.

2.

a person who is not a Christian, Jew, or Muslim. Synonyms:heathen, gentile; idolator; nonbeliever.

3.

an irreligious or hedonistic person.

4.

a person deemed savage or uncivilized and morally deficient.

adjective

5.

pertaining to the worship or worshipers of any religion that isneither Christian, Jewish, nor Muslim. Synonyms: heathen,heathenish, idolatrous, polytheistic. Antonyms: Christian,Jewish, Muslim, monotheistic.

6.

of, pertaining to, or characteristic of pagans.

7.

irreligious or hedonistic. Synonyms: unbelieving, godless,atheistic, agnostic; impious, profane, sacrilegious, unholy,ungodly. Antonyms: religious, pious, devout.

8.

of a person deemed backward, savage, or uncivilized ormorally or spiritually stunted. Synonyms: primitive,uncultivated, uncultured, heathenish, barbaric, barbarous,philistine. Antonyms: civilized, cultivated, cultured, urbane.

We are all born pagan. By that I mean no one is born a Christian. If there is no regeneration of the heart by Jesus Himself, we remain a pagan.


We may be religious. We may go to church. We may say we believe in Jesus Christ or the God of the Holy Bible. But without a true conversion of the human heart, we remain the same as those who profess a belief in modern day paganism.


I say all of this now as many in the USA decry our nation's lack of moral leadership as abortions are protected and marriage is redefined. The truth is we come into this world as murderers and sexual idolators. Why else did God give us the Ten Commandments? In order for us be the people we must be in God's eyes, we must change. And the only way we can change is by God's mercy for nothing is impossible with God. The solution to our problems is the preaching of the Gospel plain and simple. Our political leaders need to hear the Gospel and the person in the street needs to hear the Gospel. That my friend is the business of the Church. 

So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.

Formerly, when you did not know God, you were enslaved to those that by nature are not gods. But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more? (Gal. 4:7-9)