Book: Pure Grace- The life Changing Power by Clark Whitten J. Tofflemire
Introduction: He described going from joy as a new believer, to sadness and works by being in legalistic churches, and back to joy, after learning the grace message. Christians are way too conscious of sin and way too unconscious of God’s grace. Jesus did not die to modify your behavior but to take your sins. Legalistic Christianity is failing in the sin management business. Sin can’t be managed. Do good God is glad,; do bad, God is mad, is the M.O. of this view. This sounds like Islam. Gal. 3:1-3 “You foolish Galatians! Who has hypnotized you? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now going to be made complete by the flesh?” Sin for a christian is a violation of friendship-relationship, not a violation of the law. Still God does not withdraw fellowship. God has the power to transform a believer. Luther and Calvin led a reformation and got it right justification and salvation is by faith not works; but they were wrong on us being made perfect (sanctified) by human effort and law keeping. This can be a second reformation.
Chap. 1 Luther and Calvin got it right in salvation by faith and in opposing the old catholic practices. But they errored in drawing up rigid rules of conduct in their churches. Gal 3:11 “Now it is clear that no one is justified before God by the law, because the righteous will live by faith.” Gal. 5:9 “A little yeast leavens the whole lump of dough.” Many churches are presenting a gospel leavened by the law. Paul addresses christians as saints in many of his letters and never uses the term sinner for them. We were born with a sin nature, and that is why we need to be born again and given the holy spirit. Saints can sin , but that does not undo them. Jesus died to take the sins of the world and redeem everyone who will believe. Heb. 10:14 “For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are sanctified.” When I was saved, I became the temple of the holy spirit, in union with Christ, and a son of God. 2 Cor. 5:17 :Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away, and look, new things have come.” He says this is a state of being and does not believe in progressive sanctification. We need to trust in His blood to produce it’s result. My note: maybe it’s progressive, but it’s Christ’s work, not mine. I am cleansed of my sin, I am a new creature, I am righteous, I am His beloved. The devil wants us to believe we are still sinners and guilty. Still I(Clark) am not saying my flesh is sanctified. Good advice is not bad, but we really need the good news of the finished work of Christ.
Chap.2 Rom. 5:17 “Those who receive the abundance of grace and gift of righteousness will reign in life” Reigning in life beats being rained on by life. Rom. 8:37 We are more than conquerors- though Christ who loves us.” Phil. 4:13 “We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.” Good receivers are the ones who reign. We need to receive’ the riches of his grace which he lavished upon us’ as in Eph.1:7-8 and grace and kindness toward us in Jesus as in Eph. 2:7 Chap.3 This gift of righteousness must be wholly received by faith and embraced as truth. See 2 Corin. 5:21 Still a righteous person can do a bad deed, but that does not stop his standing as righteous Rev. 5:9-10 “You were slaughtered, and You redeemed people for God by Your blood from every tribe and language and people and nation. You made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they will reign on the earth.” Heb. 10:14 “For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are sanctified.” We are his righteous children and cleansed by his blood. Acts 10:15 “a voice came to him, “What God has cleansed, no longer consider unholy.”
Chap. 4 Are Christians under the Bible Law? Clark say only 1/50 will answer correctly=No. See Rom. 7:2-8 You either believe you are under the law and then will answer to it or you are under Christ and will answer to him. The new covenant is of grace and Jesus paid for your sins. The greatest power against sin is love, not the law; We were designed to abide in him and bear fruit p.61
Chap. 5 Heb. 6:18-20 “so that through two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to seize the hope set before us. We have this hope as an anchor for our lives, safe and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain. Jesus has entered there on our behalf as a forerunner” We belong in God’s presence. Chap.6 Where does God Live? He lives in my believer’s hearts 1 Corin. 6:19 also God wants a clean house. Chap.7 Confession, Repentance, Conviction. Confession means to agree with the word and say it. And is also for our sins. James 5:16 “Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, so that you may be healed.” 1 John 1:9 Is directed to unbelievers who need salvation. Confession may be needed for healing. Repentance has been over linked to sin, but means to rethink your position or change you mind in light of the truth. Repentance is a gift from God in that he gave us the ability To receive truth that then transforms our mind. Pg 98. We begin to think as He thinks.” For example have you ever thought something is impossible? Does God think that way? NO! Because Luke 1:37 says “For nothing will be impossible with God.” Jesus made this statement is his fist public address. Pg.99 Matt. 4:17 From then on Jesus began to
preach, “Repent, because the kingdom of heaven has come near!” He was saying this so that the Jews and us would change our thinking from the old covenant Law to the new covenant of love and grace. To repent of sin, one must not only repent of the deed but also the thoughts that produced the deed. 1 Corin 2:16 ‘But have the mind of Christ’ Rom 12:2 ‘The renewing of your mind’ John 16:13 The H. S. leads us to all truth. An example of repentance is in the parable of the prodigal son in Luke 15:11-32 he had a change of thought and action Rom. 2:4 “The kindness of God leads you to repentance”. Conviction has been overused with the role of the H.S. and our feeling of guilt ans shame. The word convict means to convince. 2 Corin, 5:21 I am convinced that I am the righteousness of God in Jesus. John 16:13 “When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all the truth.”
Chap. 8 The Law Rom. 7:6 “But now we have been released from the law, since we have died to what held us, so that we may serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old letter of the law.” 2 Cor. 3:6 “He has made us competent to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter, but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit produces life.”Jesus came to fulfill the Law. Luke 24:44 Do we need to worship on Saturday? Matt. 12:8 “For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath” See Mark 2:27, Heb. 4:1-10 We are to be in the Sabbath rest every day. 1 Cor. 10:23 “Everything is permissible,” but not everything is helpful. “Everything is permissible,” but not everything builds up.” Matt. 5-17 “Don’t assume that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.” pg . 118 Now love replaces the Law. Purposes of the Law: 1. It Bring knowledge of Sin 2. It reflects God;s opinion concerning moral conduct. 3. It is a source of Wisdom. Law keeping does not justify. Chap. 9 Saved Completely Heb. 7:25 “Therefore, He is always able to save completely those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to intercede for them.” He is our high priest. 1 John 5:13 “I have written these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.” John 10:27-30 “My sheep hear My voice, I know them, and they follow Me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish—ever! No one will snatch them out of My hand.” Heb.10:14 “For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are sanctified.” 2 Cor. 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away, and look, new things have come.” 1 John 4:17 “In this, love is perfected with us so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment, for we are as He is in this world.” Eph. 1:13-14 “When you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and when you believed in Him, you were also sealed with the promised Holy Spirit. He is the down payment of our inheritance, for the redemption of the possession, to the praise of His glory.” John 5:24 “I assure you: Anyone who hears My word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life and will not come under judgment but has passed from death to life.” also John 11:25-26 , 17:15, and 1 Peter 1:3-5 Chap. 10 Awakening as in Acts 4:33, 5:14 John 10:10 “I have come so that they may have life and have it in abundance.” 2 Cor. 4:15 “Indeed, everything is for your benefit, so that grace, extended through more and more people, may cause thanksgiving to increase to God’s glory.” The biblical feasts are reviewed: pg. 148-154 The feast of Pentecost reveals the person and work of the Holy spirit. The feast of Tabernacles has 3 parts: Trumpets, Day of Atonement, and Tabernacles and reveals the person and work of God. The first 2 parts have occurred, but not the last of Tabernacles which is of harvest, when millions of people will come into the kingdom; also time of the latter rain in Joel 2. Chap. 11 Father God. Both Gal. 4:6 and Rom. 8:15 use the term- Abba Father. “Because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying out, “Abba!( dear) Father!” God is Love. As in 1John 4:8 “The one who does not love does not know God, because God is love.” 1John 3:1 “Look at how great a love the Father has given us that we should be called God’s children. And we are!” Also note Rom. 5:5, 8 God is Gracious. See Ex. 34:6 and Eph. 1:7-8, Rom. 5:20 Eph. 2:4-7 sending his grace to us. God is Holy. Means set apart and pure. Rev. 4:8, Isa. 6:3 God is Sovereign. Isa. 45:5-6, Rom. 8:28, Rev.17;14 God is Good. James 1:17, Ex 33:18-19,Gen. 1:31