AFTER SALVATION: THE GOSPEL OF GRACE
Now let us look at another one of the most important but misunderstood passages in the Bible
Hebrews 6:1 Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, 2 and of instruction about washings, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. 3 And this we will do if God permits. 4 For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, 5 and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, 6 and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt.
In the verses above Paul is speaking about preaching to an already born again, Spirit filled church. Paul actually says: LET US NOT PREACH THE GOSPEL OF REPENTANCE TO SINNERS ANYMORE, BUT LET US NOW PREACH THE GOSPEL OF GRACE TO THOSE (SAINTS) LIVING THE NEW LIFE IN THE SPIRIT
This Paul said (Note he says ”If God permits”) not to preach the foundation of faith, that is, the Gospel of repentance to those who already received the Holy Spirit by faith in Christ because they cannot repent again. It is not possible for born again believers to repent again and come to faith in Jesus again. (Verse 4) Preachers must understand that there are still millions of unsaved people, addicted and enslaved to all kinds of visible as well as invisible sins, also those in the heart and mind, therefore the Gospel of Repentance that John preached MUST BE PREACHED UNTIL THE END, until Jesus returns.
The Gospel of Grace cannot be presented as an "AUTOMATIC BELIEVE/SALVATION SYSTEM" I say this because it was the law and the Gospel of repentance that led me to Christ and to become born again. But Glory to God for the Revelation: There is a balance of grace and repentance in the Gospel, like a scale. But sadly, because of the lack of understanding, it causes confusion and dispute among the Christians and even delays the salvation of many!
I have a personal message for the “Grace, no Law” preacher. Among those that follow you, there are many that haven’t come to seek for mercy from Jesus, because many are delayed. John the Baptist was the greatest among men because he prepared a way for the people to come to Jesus through repentance, even if he only lived to foresee the promised coming of the Kingdom of the Spirit among men. (Referring to John himself being baptized with the Holy Spirit because He only foresaw Pentecost) I mean John was actually preaching Repentance to sinners (those outside the Kingdom) to come in, and Paul was preaching Grace to the saved (those inside the Kingdom), building on their faith in the Hebrews 6 chapter.
Well what should we do then? Can we preach grace to the wicked still living in sin, or can we preach repentance to those living the new life in the Spirit?
Jesus in Luke 5:32 I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance."
Jesus in Matthew 9:13 Go and learn what this means, 'I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.' For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners."
Galatians 3:24 In fact, the Law was our teacher. It was supposed to teach us until we had faith and were acceptable to God. 25 But once a person has learned to have faith, there is no more need to have the Law as a teacher.
The false Grace preacher say: “You are under Grace, there is no Law anymore” backing with quote from Scripture: Galatians 5:4 You are cut off from Christ, you who would have righteousness by the law; you are turned away from grace. 5 For we through the Spirit by faith are waiting for the hope of righteousness.
But did Paul preach to a Jew or a gentile? When Paul says: “YOU ARE NOT UNDER THE LAW ANYMORE, BUT UNDER GRACE” Then he is not preaching to a Gentile but a Jewish convert who again tries to keep the law after he came to faith, because the gentiles had no law!
Romans 2:4 Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? 5 But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God's righteous judgment will be revealed. 6 He will render to each one according to his works: 7 to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; 8 but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury. 9 There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek, 10 but glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek. 11 For God shows no partiality. 12 For all who have sinned without the law will also perish without the law, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law. 13 For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified. 14 For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law.
For this reason it was necessary that the law was also given to the gentiles in order for them to accept and believe the good news of Christ so they could come to repentance. So can we preach a gospel of grace to sinners for repentance unto salvation?
John 10:1 "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber. 2 But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.
You might be surprised to hear this, we were not freed from keeping Ten Commandments, but we were placed under a new Law, that is, the “Law of the Spirit”. And this is how the Law of Righteousness (Referring to the 10 Commandments) are fulfilled; by the Spirit.
Ezekiel 36:27 I will put my Spirit inside you and change you so that you will obey my laws. You will carefully obey my commands.
Galatians 3:18 Can following the law give us the blessing God promised? If we could receive it by following the law, then it would not be God's promise that brings it to us. But God freely gave his blessings to Abraham through the promise God made. 19 So what was the law for? The law was given to show the wrong things people do. The law would continue until the special Descendant of Abraham came. This is the Descendant mentioned in the promise, which came directly from God. But the law was given through angels, and the angels used Moses as a mediator to give the law to the people. 20 But when God gave the promise, there was no mediator, because a mediator is not needed when there is only one side, and God is one. 21 Does this mean that the law works against God's promises? Of course not. The law was never God's way of giving new life to people. If it were, then we could be made right with God by following the law. 22 But this is not possible. The Scriptures put the whole world in prison under the control of sin, so that the only way for people to get what God promised would be through faith in Jesus Christ. It is given to those who believe in him.
1Peter 1:14 In the past you did not have the understanding you have now, so you did the evil things you wanted to do. But now you are children of God, so you should obey him and not live the way you did before.
“When it comes to knowing truth from error, the most important thing that we must know and learn is that the Holy Spirit is our COMFORTER, but satan is a TROUBLER. The Holy Spirit is our SANCTIFIER, but satan is a TEMPTER. The Holy Spirit CONVICTS the unbeliever, but satan ACCUSE the believer”
This is the most important knowledge in order to recognize a true preacher from a false one. If we look very carefully we can see that the devil will not convict an unbeliever of sin so that person might then repent and turn to Jesus for salvation. Sadly enough, some people mistake the conviction of sin as judgment. It is not a case of judgment when people are called by conviction, the judgment will come on the last day for not coming to believe! The following Bible verses confirms this truth:
John 16:7 Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. 8 And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: 9 concerning sin, because they do not believe in me;
The conclusion is that the Law (referring to the Ten Commandments) were given to expose to people that they are sinners, and to show them that they are not capable of following them, thereby leading the people in sorrow to except the gift of God, Jesus Christ, the Holy sacrifice for their sins, thereby receiving the Holy Spirit to guide them in righteousness back to God, receiving eternal life. Sin is CONVICTED, Unbelief is JUDGED, don’t be confused between these two!