Introduction
It’s the season when (like it or not), we think of time in four-year increments.
The world just completed the four-year cycle of the Olympiad (and though not without its own controversies, that’s the easy four-year cycle to talk about). Our country is abuzz with the prospect of the next four-year cycle, based, of course, on our presidential election. Is this going to be a sermon on politics?! No, there’s a different set of four years I want to talk about, and I don’t think there’s a planned balloon drop at the end.
The four-year time frame is on my mind because I just passed the four-year mark of serving as pastor of GraceLife. There are no term limits here; I don’t have to run for re-election. But I want to share a few thoughts, having completed year four.
Some thoughts that I’ll share in this sermon, I’ve hinted at in prior sermons—but I’ve never quite outlined them this way or disclosed the full list I’d made prior to accepting this role. When I was approached about becoming pastor here, I wrote down four principles of pastoring a free grace church—that is, a church committed to free grace soteriology, or a free grace view of salvation.
What’s “Free Grace”?
Before I jump into those principles, you might be wondering what I mean by “free grace.”
One more political tease: Sometimes theological labels or group labels are not unlike politics, in which a group coopts an otherwise good name. For example, some of you may be committed to a republican form of government but not be all in on the Republican Party. Some of you may be committed to democratic principles but not be all in on the Democrat Party. Some of you just need to be committed during the election season and not let out until it’s over.
When it comes to labels and terms, you can hear (or read) everything I say in this sermon without understanding what I mean by the term free grace. But as a primer, a free grace position is this: Being free grace means you hold as true that eternal life is a gift from God—that you can live with God in heaven in a redeemed state (salvation) based solely on whether you trust in His Son for eternal life.
- It’s grace because you didn’t do anything to work for it.
- It’s free (and honestly, this is a redundancy) because you can’t earn it.
All faith, no works. When it comes to justification, our eternal salvation, our life with God in heaven, it’s all faith, no works.
If you want to learn more about what I mean by that—if you want to have the confidence that the gift of salvation is really yours—then all I’m asking is for four more years. No, I’m kidding. If you want to know the arguments for and against this position—if you want to know why so many others reject free grace and say, “That’s easy believism; the Bible says faith without works is dead!”—then remember this date: September 25. That’s when you can learn about free grace and things of that nature, because that’s when we’ll be starting something called GraceLife University. It’ll be held Wednesday nights this fall.
When you say that you’re committed to the position that grace is free, it sounds like a big nothing, because it sounds like what most every other Christian or church is saying. Often it helps to understand a concept after you see it contrasted with its alternative position. I won’t name the alternative position now, but I’ll describe it: the alternative is presenting eternal salvation as offered, obtained, or maintained through any means other than faith or any means in addition to faith.
A free grace pastor should passionately defend against such thoughts because anything other than grace goes against the Scripture—it goes against the truth—and therefore is a stumbling block in the path of successful Christian living. And so, a free grace pastor, if ever he hears something that presents itself as being the gospel of eternal salvation, yet works sneak in anywhere in the process, the free grace pastor will quickly cry foul, “That’s not the gospel! That’s not the truth! Therefore, we fight against that!”
If I were to fill the whole stage with Christian books or literature that attempted to convey the message of eternal salvation, 99 percent of them I could pick up and say, “That’s not the gospel.” And there are so many who need to understand that, because they need to be freed from a false view. I believe in free grace, and I believe that it is freeing grace! You shall know the truth and it will set you free.1Jesus’s words in John 8:32.
But my call as a pastor is not primarily to be an evangelist to the lost; nor is my primary call to be a constant corrector against views on Christian salvation that exist outside of the church where I serve. If my focus is always dialed in to that with which our church disagrees, I would be derelict of duty, and members of GraceLife would be slighted and stunted in growth.
And that brings me to the first of the four principles I’ll reveal over four weeks. These principles represent the four commitments or hopes that I brought into this process of becoming a pastor.
Celebrate What We’re For, not what we're against
My first principle in pastoring a free grace church is this:
Celebrate what we’re for, not what we’re against.
Parse these words carefully.
I didn’t say “don’t be negative.”
I didn’t say “always focus on the positive.” Sometimes that’s not called for.
I didn’t say “avoid conflict.”
I didn’t say “be tolerant.”
I said, “Celebrate what we’re for, not what we’re against.” When it comes to that which we laud, what we get excited about, what we praise, it can’t be—it shouldn’t be—that we hold high our rejection of something.
When it comes to that which we laud, what we get excited about, what we praise, it can’t be—it shouldn’t be—that we hold high our rejection of something.
An illustration: I spent most of my professional life as an editor. I’ve spilled a lot of red ink in instructions to authors about why their writing should be adjusted. To date, no one has ever published a book of my corrections to the author. It’s the book itself that is celebrated; no one goes around telling friends, “This book is error-free; you should go buy it.”
When we gather to worship as a church, our vision, our hope, our cause for rejoicing, our pursued identity, cannot be what shouldn’t be. Our focus is, rather, goodness, truth, and beauty. That we align with these, we celebrate. When we experience these, we celebrate!
When we gather to worship as a church, our cause for rejoicing cannot be what shouldn’t be. Our focus is, rather, goodness, truth, and beauty.
Because we celebrate that which is good and true and beautiful, we must guard against the perversions of those things. But to celebrate our stance against evil or against falsehood or against that which is disagreeable, is to exhibit an attraction on the wrong side of the ledger.
In this area of celebrating what we’re for and not what we’re against, let me give you four additional thoughts (yes, we’re continuing the “4” theme) on areas in which this principle of celebrating what we’re for has an effect. Some of these thoughts are similar, differing only in some nuanced ways.
A Summary of Celebrating the Wrong Thing
If I could summarize these thoughts—or, rather, give you the progression of what happens—it’s this: When we fail to celebrate what we’re for over what we’re against, there are two key stages, each progressively worse, but both with the same result. How long a church stays in either of these places depends on several factors.
Beginning stage: Misguided focus (which leads to …)
Last stage: Religious pride
Consequence (of both misguided focus and religious pride): Hurt people
By “hurt people,” I don’t mean that feelings get hurt; I mean that it does damage. And hurt people leads to more misguided focus and more religious pride … and more damage.
As I talk through these points, a reminder that I originally wrote these down for myself. So I wrote things like, “Pastors should …” or “Pastors need to…” But I’m going to say “we” in this sermon, because they’re principles we can all abide by.
#1: We Should Resist the Tendency to Downplay Important Celebrations of the Faith by Overemphasizing What They’re Not
We see this point especially in the realm of ceremonies, because of their ritualistic nature and the potential confusion that exists there. Such ceremonies include baptism, the Lord’s Supper, child dedication, and deacon ordination—all things that, incidentally, we’ve seen recently because of the place we’re in, in our Oracles of God sermon series (having most recently studied baptisms and the laying on of hands).
What happens when we become overly concerned with—even celebratory of—the things we reject? Instead of celebrating what a baptism is, we may emphasize the errant view by declaring, “Baptism doesn’t save you” or “Baptism isn’t necessary.” (Those statements are either true or untrue based on context—saved from what? Necessary for what? See the inset just below this paragraph for sermons on these topics.) But if someone comes to this huge milestone in the faith, and we say something like “Baptism isn’t really necessary,” we’re like the person who shows up to the birthday party and says, “Hey, we really don’t need cake and candles—you were going to turn 10 anyway.” (Fun person to be around, right?)
Does baptism save? Is it necessary?
The significance of the Lord’s Supper can also be downplayed unintentionally. Because some Christians believe that forgiveness and life are imparted through the Lord’s Supper, those not holding to such views can have an unnecessary paranoia about the association anytime we serve communion. We say things like, “This is just a symbol.” That sentiment conveys the concept, “This doesn’t really do anything.” (As those who believe in free grace, we get nervous about doing anything that begins to even hint of works.) But declaring the Lord’s death (as we do in the Lord’s Supper) is doing something really important. We should celebrate that, rather than emphasizing what it’s not.
Child dedication is another area in which we can lose sight of the goal: praying for God’s blessing upon the child’s life. That’s our privilege as the people of God to celebrate that. We give up too much!
We don’t have to give away what’s ours because others have misused or abused it. We don’t have to live in fear that someone will misunderstand our motives (someone will always misunderstand!). We can—boldly even—enter into these celebrations without caveat, without the need for a disclaimer, without the burden of all the ways truth can be twisted in this world. So I’ve made a conscious effort to protect our public celebrations in this way.
Now, private conversation is completely different than public celebration.2In addition, this is not to say that there’s never a place for public teaching or preaching on the subject of what we’re against. I’ve had private discussions with baptism candidates or parents wanting to dedicate their children, and there have been erroneous views about the process; on occasion, I’ve had to say, “No, child dedication is not the same as baptism”; “No, this act doesn’t make you a Christian”; and “No, baptism doesn’t wash away original sin.” But that’s private counsel, and I hold sacred those appointments.
But when the church gathers for corporate worship, we magnify grace and truth rather than exalt in our recognition of abuses and error.
Private conversation is completely different … But when the church gathers for corporate worship, we magnify grace and truth rather than exalt in our recognition of abuses and error.
Speaking of corporate worship, we began this journey together four years ago in the book of Ephesians.3See my June 13, 2021, sermon on the church at Ephesus (as part of our Who Destroys a Church? series). I ask you to look anew at something in chapter 5, which will take us to the next point.
… [speak] to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father. (Ephesians 5:19–20)
#2: We (and I as Your Pastor) Must Guard Against Error Without Letting It Rob the Joy of Worship
The joy of Ephesians 5:19–20 is apparent—“singing and making melody with your heart.” But notice the context. Paul doesn’t write, “All is wonderful, so let’s sing about it.” He first writes these words:
Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil. So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. (Ephesians 5:15–17)
Next, he calls for sobriety and fullness of the Spirit (verse 18).
We have this joint responsibility—each of us as believers—to be joyous in the midst of evil. Not joyful over evil. Not joyous while participating in evil. But joyful while guarding against evil. Guarding against error without letting it rob the joy of worship.
# 3: In Our Fight Against Falsehood, We Can Forget to Herald the Truth
Sometimes we forget to hold the truth high in our fight against falsehood. Paul, to the Ephesians, was clear about the nature of this fight against falsehood. Here’s how he described it to a group from Ephesus in Acts 20:4In reading the New Testament, the book of Acts is a great reference—you see not only the letters to the churches but the record of Paul’s visits there.
Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves5Here, he’s speaking to the elders or overseers. men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them. (vv. 28–30)
Paul was in a situation in which the fight against falsehood in the church was intense. How intense? Well, it apparently demanded a constant impassioned plea:
Therefore be on the alert, remembering that night and day for a period of three years I did not cease to admonish each one with tears. (Acts 20:31)
It can be hard to rejoice in the midst of a fight. Or, if it comes, the rejoicing itself becomes misguided; because even in a righteous fight, our focus can become more about what the enemy is doing than about what God is doing.
Even in a righteous fight, our focus can become more about what the enemy is doing than about what God is doing.
Paul ends with this reminder:
And now I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified. (Acts 20:32)
Enemies of grace—wolves—will get some sheep. Elders themselves, pastors, leaders, will even act more wolf than shepherd at times, and they’ll strike at their fellow leaders. But we hold high the truth, we hold high the message of grace, because that’s what builds up. The truth builds up when others try to tear down. It edifies both the individual (it gives the shepherd an inheritance) and it edifies the community (“among all who are sanctified” as Paul puts it).
It’s clear from the Scripture and from Paul’s experience that shepherds have to defend against wild beasts. But we must also hold this as true: Shepherds are not, primarily speaking, hunters. When a shepherd fails to defend sheep, sheep die. But if all a shepherd does is hunt wild beasts instead of leading his flock to green pastures, guess what happens to sheep? Sheep die.
So in our fight against falsehood, we cannot forget to herald the truth. If we fail to herald truth, if we are no longer marked by joyful worship, then we run the risk of basing our core identity in a negative, and doing so almost always leads to religious pride.
If we fail to herald truth, if we are no longer marked by joyful worship, then we run the risk of basing our core identity in a negative, and doing so almost always leads to religious pride.
Luke 18 tells us about a group of people in the Bible who were known for their religious pride—a pride often based in the negative, in the number of things they didn’t do. That group was called the Pharisees. Jesus tells a parable about them:
Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and was praying this to himself: “God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.” (Luke 18:10–11)
In the parable, the Pharisee is supposed to be thought of highly in terms of religious worth, while the tax collector is supposed to be the one we “boo.” Yet, we see the Pharisee’s self-congratulatory nature—his religious pride—as he was thanking God that he wasn’t like others. His identity was in the negative.
Notice how Jesus says that the Pharisee was praying “to himself.” The focus on self is a small detail but hard to ignore, and it brings us to my final thought.
#4: We Must Never Base Our Identity, Individually or as a Community, in a Negative
Our identity should not be based upon what we reject. That is a poor way to live.
Celebrating a rescue from sin is okay. Celebrating a rescue from death is okay. But find any religious group or individual with a hyperfocus on what they reject, and you are unlikely to find a group marked by grace; you are unlikely to find those who live out of their steadfast hope of eternal life.
Find any religious group or individual with a hyperfocus on what they reject, and you are unlikely to find a group marked by grace.
The principle to draw from this is the following: Shared disdain is a weak alliance. It’s a false friendship. If your chief connection with another person or group of people is founded upon a common dislike, it’s a foundation with no profitable future.
Shared disdain is a weak alliance.
And as we’ll see in the next sermon, our ability to build a superstructure on a solid foundation is our high calling. Lest we forget, Christ and His people are our high calling, so we celebrate that. We celebrate what we’re for, so that all may join in that celebration.
If you celebrate the rejection of things, do you know what you’ll look for first in people? Your default is unlikely to be to first see a fellow creature, made in the image of God; it’s unlikely that you’ll first see a fellow pilgrim on the journey to conformity to Christ. You will instead, consciously or subconsciously, create a litmus test based on whether they join you in a shared rejection. And when you do that, you will have missed an opportunity to further community, or you will weaken community by forming further false alliances with misguided focus and religious pride.
Concluding Summary
My thoughts on celebrating what we’re for were initially pointed at pastoral ministry in leading a church, but I have seen more and more the usefulness of this principle in all areas of life. So I conclude with a few applications, suitable for all areas of life, for everyone. Two are framed in the negative, so don’t celebrate them, but do heed the warnings; the last is something positive for all of us to hold tightly
Warning 1: Test Whether You Have a Tendency to Highlight the Negative
Ask a friend if you’re not sure about this tendency within yourself.
This tendency to highlight the negative will creep in, in small places that are relatively harmless. But let me encourage you to kill it now.
I’m not saying you need to be oblivious to the negative or dull the senses. You probably can’t help what you notice. I understand. That’s probably part of why I got hired as an editor in the first place—“Hey, there’s a guy who always sees the wrong things!”
Although you can’t control what you notice, you can control how much—or if—you voice it.
Although you can’t control what you notice, you can control how much—or if—you voice it.
A bent toward highlighting the negative surfaces in small, everyday situations. Maybe you’re at a meal, and you feel the need to talk about all the food you don’t like. Instead of focusing on what you don’t like (which isn’t even sitting in front of you), enjoy your lunch today!
Or you’re with a group of friends and the conversation that attracts you is some common disdain for a person or for a style or hobby. Discovery of this common dislike suddenly excites you, making you want to join the conversation.
If you have a tendency to highlight or celebrate the negative in these kinds of day-to-day conversations, it may be a sign that the negative has crept into your life in such a way that it now pervades everything. Recognize this tendency if you have it, and kill it now.
Warning 2: Assess Your Alliances
If your alliances or friendships are based on a shared dislike, take measure immediately to find common ground on something positive. If you don’t, you are likely to lose the relationship.
Or, even worse, you might keep it—further fueling the negativity in you both.
How to Celebrate What You’re For: Look to Philippians 4
If you need something to hold high, to hold dear, to celebrate, to shape life around, to dwell upon, here is your list:
Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you. (Philippians 4:8–9)