Simple Grace Radio

The crucial question for every believer is this: “What has God done for me? The Christian faith is, at its very essence, is a faith centered around what God has done, rather than what we must do. This principle makes the Christian faith the polar opposite of all the religions of men.

Romans 8 is, without doubt, one of the best loved passages in all of Scripture. It reads like a Charter of Independence for a believer. It begins with “no condemnation” and ends with “no separation” – and all because of Christ.

If you asked people for their favorite chapter in the book of Romans, very few would point to Romans 7. It reminds of us struggles and failures we would like to forget. It reminds us of things we are ashamed of, weaknesses we wish weren’t true of ourselves. It is precisely the sad and dark reality of Romans 7 that explains the glory and light of Romans 8.

Nothing causes more more grief or more tears in the life of a Christian than their own ongoing battle with sin. The reason for this is due to the fact that we live in this temporary tension in which the Holy Spirit of God has regenerated our heart so that we desire obedience, and yet our flesh is still active and still fallen – and it desires sin. 

When we hear the word “Christian” we tend to define the term according to the things that we do: going to church, reading the Bible, praying, trying to live a Christian life. But that’s not how Paul comes at it. Rather than talking about our believing and our doing – he points us to the massive, majestic, towering gospel truths of what God has done and is doing for us in Jesus.

As Christians striving to live the Christian life, we usually start with “how”. How do I break this habit? How do I have a better marriage? How do I get my kids to behave? How do I live a God-honoring life. Those aren’t bad questions. It’s just not the place to start. Notice, as Paul begins his discussion of sanctification, here in chapter 6, he doesn’t begin with how. He starts with “why”. Why no...

 We are going to be discussing one of the most important and painful aspects of the Christian life- the battle with sin. This battle is one of the most misunderstood aspects of the Christian life. Perhaps the most common false assumption is that real Christians don’t struggle much with sin. A second, and equally common mistake, is the idea that sanctification is primarily up to us.  Another common...

Listen to hear how God can use different gifts in the church to reach our community in West Michigan.  Congratulations to Sandra for 2 decades of helping with VBS ministry!

Paul begins to talk about sanctification and he doesn’t begin by talking about processes or outcomes. He begins by talking about identity. He spends the first 10 verses pounding home the basic truths concerning our glorious new identity in Jesus Christ. He’s pointing out who we are – what is true about us by faith in Jesus and union with Christ-- we are dead to sin and alive to God. 

One of the most precious truths of the gospel is that, if you have come to Christ in faith, there is an “old you” and a “new you” all centered around a death event. You died, in the death of Christ, not figuratively, not metaphorically, but really and truly. Your true-death experience is more profound and objectively life-changing than any near-death experience. 

Do you ever get tired of yourself? Do you get weary of your weaknesses and flaws?  Wouldn't it be great if you could be transformed into a better version of you - someone who exudes grace and love and patience and wisdom? God is in the business of transforming lives. God sent his Son so that flawed, sinful men and women like you and me could be radically transformed into the image and likenes...

We see in our passage that, in spite of the hardship and heartaches that we face, the experience of the Christian life is also, and ultimately, an experience of abounding grace. The abounding grace of God to us in Jesus is meant to be the reality that overwhelms each day.

Paul has carefully explained how God, in His abounding grace, has made a way for sinners to be justified, fully and freely and forever, through the sacrifice of Christ. No matter how great our sin, by faith alone, we can receive the free gift of a righteousness. 

We are always living our life according to narratives and beliefs and experiences that are hidden in our heart. And out of that heart, and the hidden motives, we feel and speak and act. The Christian life is meant to be lived under the transforming influence of a new narrative – the narrative of Gods’ eternal love and justifying grace in Jesus Christ.

We talk about why we need to leave home for missions? Alisa also explains the beautiful benefit of sacrificing our lives and comforts for the sake of the Gospel. 

There is a magnificent corporate reality to our salvation: we don’t just get Jesus; we get everything and everyone that belongs to Him. And, just like marriage, it involves a radical change of social and legal status in which we cease to exist “in Adam” with all the deadly consequences of that relationship - and now exist “in Christ”. 

Part 2 of a conversation with Alisa. We talked about calling to the foreign missions field and God's passion for the lost.

 When Jesus stepped out of that tomb on Easter morning, the first bright rays of the Age to Come had dawned on earth. The world that had been in universal bondage to death was now a world where death was a defeated foe. The resurrected life of Jesus Christ is now the power and pattern of life for all those who are united to Him by faith.

As Paul points out in the text, God has invaded the horrid reality of this fallen work with the glorious reality of salvation by grace, through faith in Jesus Christ. And this gospel reality makes all the difference as we make our pilgrimage through this fallen world.

Adrian begins a conversation with Alisa about her upbringing and interest in foreign missions.

The key to grasping a deeper joy, a fuller assurance, and a greater confidence and peace as a Christian, is the realization of salvation by grace. Grace is what makes the gospel good news. Grace is what makes salvation an experience of being loved. When we grasp the incredible free grace of God poured out on us in Jesus,  joy and peace will follow. 

The doctrine of justification hasn’t ended the Devil’s war against the peace and freedom of the believer. The Devil can’t stop you from being justified – but he can work mightily to keep you from enjoying it! He will strive to get you to believe that faith in Christ is not sufficient for your justification – you need to perform. 

As we will see in our text, God isn’t interested in a “cleaned up version” of our sinful self. He insists that we come before him as we really are. He doesn’t want us to try and make ourselves worthy of grace. Because, as Paul will point out – then salvation is no longer of grace. God wants us to come as we are. 

Those who believe that there is something they can do to merit the grace and favor of God are alienated from Him. Boasting and salvation are like oil and water – they don’t mix. Those who wish to boast before God cannot be saved.

The Christmas story thoroughly upends our sentimentalized versions of the event. Our Hallmark version of the nativity scene involves a sweet young couple in a cozy little shed with happily observant livestock standing by. The real thing was a lot messier, harder, and vastly more disruptive than we tend to imagine.