Greasy Grace

[VerticalReality]

At what point does grace become greasy? I've heard many use this term in the past, but most usually don't qualify it with any defining characteristics. So, let us go into detail regarding the point in time when too much grace is being applied to the proverbial "squeaky wheel."

[Firstfruits]

At what point does grace become greasy? I've heard many use this term in the past, but most usually don't qualify it with any defining characteristics. So, let us go into detail regarding the point in time when too much grace is being applied to the proverbial "squeaky wheel."

I cannot say that I have heard that term, so I look forward to the replies.

God bless you!

Firstfruits

[andrew_no_one]

At what point does grace become greasy? I've heard many use this term in the past, but most usually don't qualify it with any defining characteristics. So, let us go into detail regarding the point in time when too much grace is being applied to the proverbial "squeaky wheel."

I've heard the term (on here) but I am at a loss to the meaning.

[Brother Mark]

At what point does grace become greasy? I've heard many use this term in the past, but most usually don't qualify it with any defining characteristics. So, let us go into detail regarding the point in time when too much grace is being applied to the proverbial "squeaky wheel."

I know it's meant to be a derogatory term. And I figure that many people who use it probably have a different meaning for it. If I was going to define it for my use, it would be this...

People think mental agreement with the gospel is all it takes to be saved. If someone simply "believes" in their mind that Jesus is God and died for their sins they get in. That, imo, is greasy grace, that one can "believe" in Jesus like they believe in 2+2=4. It's more than just knowing a fact. Salvation is coming into a covenant relationship with Jesus.

[RabbiKnife]

"Greasy grace" is a derogatory term used by those that teach strict separation from the world (as defined by them), cultural standards of Christian dress and behavior (as defined by them), and often, submission to pastoral authority (as defined by them.) The accusation is often made against those that do not demand a cataloguing and anguishing over every single known sin as a part of "repentance" prior to salvation. It is, in some instances, used as a derogatory accusation against those that believe in irreversible eternal security. It is almost never used affirmatively.

However, my dear brothers and sisters, if your grace has strings attached, if your grace requires man to do a righteous work for salvation, if your grace requires man to keep his own salvation by his own works, if your grace requires anything other than sheer unadulterated faith and reliance on God for salvation, if your grace doesn't face the possibility of abuse and license by the weak and the immature, then it's not grace.

Grace is not the same as moral law. Grace is not the same as spiritual maturity. Grace is what God offers until we mature.

[Brother Mark]

One thing I will say about grace, if it's preached right, then we will need to say something like Paul said.

Rom 6:1-3

6 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? 2 May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it?
NASU

Proper preaching on grace may lead some to think that we can continue in sin. But it doesn't mean that at all. However, if we aren't preaching grace in such a way that we need to balance it as Paul did, then maybe we aren't fully explaining grace.

[RabbiKnife]

Chuck Swindoll made an interesting comment once. His statement was "If you preach grace and you are not accused of preaching license, then you aren't preaching a free enough grace."

There is some real truth there. Think about the accusations that the Pharisees always made against Jesus and his teaching.

[Brother Mark]

Yea. I agree that grace is something we don't preach strong enough. Though I think many folks confuse grace and mercy. Grace is power to overcome sin and a means for mercy to flow while mercy is something that forgives sin.

[HisLeast]

What does "grace as a means of overcoming sin" mean?

Furthermore, assuming we're not talking about a state of total sinless perfection, what does "overcoming sin" mean in the first place?

[Brother Mark]

What does "grace as a means of overcoming sin" mean?

Furthermore, assuming we're not talking about a state of total sinless perfection, what does "overcoming sin" mean in the first place?

It means power to do what's right HL. Before I was saved, I had no power over sin at all. After I was saved, God began working in my life and habits began to change. But they didn't change overnight.

For instance, before God ever dealt with the sin in my life (that I hated greatly) he dealt with something else. He let me know that I was "accepted in the Beloved". IOW, I was accepted because of Christ Jesus. He taught me how to receive forgiveness. I remember struggling mightily with sin and God showing me something about myself I had not seen before. What he showed me was how long I walked in righteousness each day instead of how long I walked in sin. I was sinning every day. Yet, God showed me that (at least for this particular sin) I was resisting it for 23 hours and 45 minutes. Then, later in life I learned that if God told Peter to forgive 70 * 7 in a day, that he did so because that was in God's heart too. God too was willing to forgive someone 7 * 70.

What am I getting at? That God first established with me I was accepted in Christ. Then he established that He was a Great Forgiver. Only then, did he start working on sins in my life. Now to cut it short...

God gave his Son as an act of grace. It is only through the gift that we can be saved. But through this gift, we get many things. One of them is the power to live right. But what confuses some, and has me at many times, that right living happens the same way that salvation happens, through faith and by grace.

Gal 3:3
3 Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?
NASU

How did Israel take down Jericho? Through the grace of God. How do I tear down the stronghold of anger? Through the grace of God. But often, the difference between coming out of Egypt (salvation) and taking down Jericho (overcoming sin) is that coming out of Egypt doesn't require obedience while taking down Jericho and Ai do. Israel was no match for Pharaoh or Jericho. It was a work of God. But Israel was told by God to march around Jericho and that was something they could do.

Another example... look at the 10 lepers. They asked God for healing and he said "Go show yourself to the priest" and as they were going they got healed. It was grace. But because they believed what God had told them, and acted on it, God healed them. In the OT, if one was healed, he presented himself to the priest and the priest would examine him and declare him clean. So they went, still filled with disease, at the word of God and God gave them grace and healed them. It often works the same way with our sin. We struggle with something in a big way. God teaches us along the way about what he is dealing with in our soul. Then he gives a command, we obey, and we overcome in power that we didn't have before.

Hope that explains it some.

[VerticalReality]

One thing I will say about grace, if it's preached right, then we will need to say something like Paul said.

Rom 6:1-3

6 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? 2 May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it?
NASU

Proper preaching on grace may lead some to think that we can continue in sin. But it doesn't mean that at all. However, if we aren't preaching grace in such a way that we need to balance it as Paul did, then maybe we aren't fully explaining grace.

I agree with you, but I think it also needs to be clarified why exactly Paul gave that follow-up. I don't think he's giving that follow-up as a declaration saying grace will be taken away if a person continues in sin. I think he's giving that declaration because our enemy will take advantage of a person who continues in sin.

In other words, sin doesn't cancel out grace. Sin invites the devil to steal, kill and destroy.

[VerticalReality]

It means power to do what's right HL. Before I was saved, I had no power over sin at all. After I was saved, God began working in my life and habits began to change. But they didn't change overnight.

For instance, before God ever dealt with the sin in my life (that I hated greatly) he dealt with something else. He let me know that I was "accepted in the Beloved". IOW, I was accepted because of Christ Jesus. He taught me how to receive forgiveness. I remember struggling mightily with sin and God showing me something about myself I had not seen before. What he showed me was how long I walked in righteousness each day instead of how long I walked in sin. I was sinning every day. Yet, God showed me that (at least for this particular sin) I was resisting it for 23 hours and 45 minutes. Then, later in life I learned that if God told Peter to forgive 70 * 7 in a day, that he did so because that was in God's heart too. God too was willing to forgive someone 7 * 70.

What am I getting at? That God first established with me I was accepted in Christ. Then he established that He was a Great Forgiver. Only then, did he start working on sins in my life. Now to cut it short...

God gave his Son as an act of grace. It is only through the gift that we can be saved. But through this gift, we get many things. One of them is the power to live right. But what confuses some, and has me at many times, that right living happens the same way that salvation happens, through faith and by grace.

Gal 3:3
3 Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?
NASU

How did Israel take down Jericho? Through the grace of God. How do I tear down the stronghold of anger? Through the grace of God. But often, the difference between coming out of Egypt (salvation) and taking down Jericho (overcoming sin) is that coming out of Egypt doesn't require obedience while taking down Jericho and Ai do. Israel was no match for Pharaoh or Jericho. It was a work of God. But Israel was told by God to march around Jericho and that was something they could do.

Another example... look at the 10 lepers. They asked God for healing and he said "Go show yourself to the priest" and as they were going they got healed. It was grace. But because they believed what God had told them, and acted on it, God healed them. In the OT, if one was healed, he presented himself to the priest and the priest would examine him and declare him clean. So they went, still filled with disease, at the word of God and God gave them grace and healed them. It often works the same way with our sin. We struggle with something in a big way. God teaches us along the way about what he is dealing with in our soul. Then he gives a command, we obey, and we overcome in power that we didn't have before.

Hope that explains it some.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think what you're getting at is that we receive power over sin through revelation of God's love for us. We will not overcome sin by a list of dos and do nots. We will overcome sin by knowing that in Christ, via His great love for us, He has removed ALL of our sin from us, and we will never be stained by it again.

[Brother Mark]

I agree with you, but I think it also needs to be clarified why exactly Paul gave that follow-up. I don't think he's giving that follow-up as a declaration saying grace will be taken away if a person continues in sin. I think he's giving that declaration because our enemy will take advantage of a person who continues in sin.

In other words, sin doesn't cancel out grace. Sin invites the devil to steal, kill and destroy.

I agree with you! Though I will say this, grace can come to us through obedience in small things that reveals the faith we have. For instance, in the example I quoted above, when the lepers obeyed the command "go show yourself to the priest" they were granted healing. We see this pattern throughout the scriptures. "March around Jericho", to the man with a withered hand "stretch forth your hand", to those at the marriage "go fill the pots with water", and so on. There are miracles of grace that come when our faith leads to obedience in something we can do. The servants could not turn water into wine, but they could fill up the water pots with water.

So while sin doesn't cancel out grace, it can keep us from grace God desires to shower us with. That said, sin is not what causes one to "fall from grace", IMO.

[Brother Mark]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think what you're getting at is that we receive power over sin through revelation of God's love for us. We will not overcome sin by a list of dos and do nots. We will overcome sin by knowing that in Christ, via His great love for us, He has removed ALL of our sin from us, and we will never be stained by it again.

Yea. I agree. Until one knows who he is in Christ, overcoming sin just won't happen. But I do believe we can overcome sin by doing something God commands us to do. For instance, when I was first saved, I went to a men's retreat. While there, God prompted me to confess sin that had been on me for a long, long time. In obedience I confessed. Immediately, God set me free from that sin. If I hadn't confessed, what would have happened? Thing is, it's not a list of do's and don'ts. IMO, that falls under the things Paul spoke of in Colossians that have an appearance of wisdom but have no power over the flesh (i.e. Eve's don't touch the fruit). Hearing God is vital to maturing, IMO, because there is no formula. The way to conquer Ai was not the same as the way Jericho was conquered.

[Reynolds357]

I cannot say that I have heard that term, so I look forward to the replies.

God bless you!

Firstfruits

The term has been around forever.
To me, grace becomes "greasy" when someone is not truly sorry for their sin, live in that sin with no desire to change, and use "grace" as a justification for doing so.