After the last few weeks of diving into these words of grace, I think we’re finally at a point to address the way that people who grew up in the Church tend to see Jesus dealing with them - through the Carrot and Stick approach.
If you’re not familiar with that term, it’s a simple phrase that originated from the way that people would often train donkeys. They would dangle a carrot hanging from a stick just out of reach of the donkey’s mouth, leading him wherever they desired with the promise of the reward. If the donkey refused to obey or follow after the treat, they would beat him with the stick.
Now, why do Christians tend to have that view? It’s because we don’t understand grace and the New Covenant the way we ought to.
We read chapters in the Bible like Deuteronomy 28 and we see the conditions placed on it - that if you diligently obey, you’ll be blessed, but if you refuse, you’re subject to the curse.
That was true, for that dispensation. But, for you and I as Christians, God is no longer dealing with us that way! Galatians 3:13 tells us that Christ HAS ALREADY redeemed us from the curse of the law - that means the curse that we were subject to because of Deuteronomy 28 has no bearing on you and I, unless we allow it to.
You see friend, the New Testament, the Gospel of Grace, is a curseless covenant. God isn’t sitting up on His throne handing down rewards for good behavior and punishment for bad behavior - He’s simply desiring to be good to us because of His son, Jesus.
Now, all the goodness we have, the good things that we do, the life that we live here on the earth is in response to His goodness. He’s been so good to us, we can’t help but be good to others!
Once you begin to grasp the goodness of God - the fact that you can’t do enough good to earn His favor or enough bad to lose it (see Romans 11:6 - if it’s based on grace, it can’t be based on works, because if it is it’s no longer grace), you’re free to trust in Him and Him alone for your right standing.
You don’t have to sit there wondering if you’ve been good enough for God to answer your prayers, or heal you, or take care of you financially. You don’t have to be qualify for any of these things, you have already qualified because of Jesus! He isn’t dealing with you on a carrot and stick mentality, He’s dealing with you based on Jesus’ goodness!
By Grace,
Dave