FAQ Friday | How Can We be Holy if We are Sinful?

In this FAQ series, we will try to answer questions that will hopefully help us become more biblically informed and better equipped to live out our faith in community. To submit and vote on questions you would like to see answered on the blog by our pastors, click here. To see other FAQ Friday posts, click here.

This week, David Allston, who is over our singles ministry, answered this week’s question from George in Greenville:

We see in a few places of the New Testament leaders ultimately kicking sinners out.  Where is the line between the idea: We are all broken and can’t help to sin and living holy (With Hebrews 10:26-39 in mind)?

In order to answer this question, we must begin by talking about the tension we experience as men and women seeking to live for God’s glory in spite of the indwelling sin that affects us all. When God created the world, He made everything perfect. Adam and Eve were sinless and enjoyed uninhibited communion with the Creator. However, when they chose to disobey God and eat the fruit from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, sin entered the world and spiritual death came upon us all. Romans 5 tells us that through Adam, sin entered the world and that in him, we are all dead in sin. We are also called enemies of God (Ephesians 2). Our sin nature is opposed to God and as long as we live on this earth, this nature will war against God. This is why Paul can say in Romans 7, that he does not do the things he wants to do and that he does the things he does not want to do. There is a war going on inside of each one of us. Our “flesh” or sin nature means that until we are taken to be with God in Paradise, we will struggle.

This leads us to some tension when we see Paul calling believers in places like Corinth “saints,” which means “holy ones.” How can Paul call these people “holy” when they are filled with sin? Romans 6 tells us that we died with Christ and so we are no longer slaves to sin, but have been freed from its power. We now live in freedom under God’s grace. We know that we are saved by faith alone through grace alone, which means that our righteousness comes from Christ alone. We are called “holy” because when the Father looks at His children, all He sees is the perfect work of His Son, Christ Jesus. Every single one of our sins has been covered by Christ’s blood and we will never have to pay the penalty we deserve. Our standing as “saints” is not of our own doing, but is a free gift from God. 

The holy life that we are called to live can only be lived out through the power of the Holy Spirit...

The Gospel tells us that we have moved from being God’s enemies to being His children. The holy life that we are called to live can only be lived out through the power of the Holy Spirit who regenerated us and opened our eyes to see the truth in the first place. It is the Holy Spirit who brings about the change in us. Holy living does not happen from the outside in, but from the inside out as we lay down our lives and submit to the Spirit’s working in our hearts. Our motivation for following God’s commandments to us comes from our love for Him. Love for our Savior and His glory is what drives us to live holy lives. 

Church discipline is the process for removing an unrepentant believer that we see prescribed in Scripture. The examples we see in Hebrews 10, 1 Corinthians 5, and Matthew 18 deal with one who claims to be a believer and yet refuses to obey God and turn from their sin. This is not describing one who is struggling to turn from sin and who desires to submit to the will of God. Rather it is describing one who believes that they are free to go on sinning while remaining in right relationship with the Father. Despite the clear commands of Scripture, these people go right on sinning without any remorse or effort to turn from sin. They reveal that they have no love for the One who gave everything for them. The command to the church is to put these men and women out of the Body. 

The motivation, the method, and desired result for expelling someone from the body are often misunderstood.

The motivation, the method, and desired result for expelling someone from the body are often misunderstood. The motivation is to protect the body and to preserve the body as well as to call the sinner to turn from his sin and come back to God. In Matthew 18 Jesus gives the method for correcting a wayward believer. 

If another believer sins against you, go privately and point out the offense. If the other person listens and confesses it, you have won that person back. But if you are unsuccessful, take one or two others with you and go back again, so that everything you say may be confirmed by two or three witnesses. If the person still refuses to listen, take your case to the church. Then if he or she won’t accept the church’s decision, treat that person as a pagan or a corrupt tax collector.

This process takes time and the clear desire is to restore the offending person. Galatians 6 tells us that we should humbly and gently help people back to the right path. We are to plead with them to repent and turn from their sin and come to God. Our desire must never be to hurt them or do them damage. We must remember that our sin against God is far greater than any sin they may have committed against us. This understanding will humble us allow us to patiently call sinners to repent. When we have come to the end of the process and the offending party resolutely refuses to repent, we are commanded to put them out. The sorrow over sin is clear in this process. When these people are put out, our hope remains that they will repent and come back. We see this in exemplified Scripture. Even the man who was expelled in 1 Corinthians 5 is restored to the body in 2 Corinthians 2. We see that love for the sinner is the motivation for correction and discipline. 

Far too often we have seen this process carried out in hurtful and even wicked ways. As a result, when we think about expelling a sinner from the body, our connotations are primarily negative. A right understanding of our standing before God and our call to love others allows us to carry out God’s commands in a holy, loving way. At Grace Church, our desire is to go through the process of church discipline motivated by love and a desire to restore the sinner, rather than by a desire to punish and reject them. By the time someone is disciplined by the church, they have been through a lengthy process with community group leaders, pastors, and elders without any willingness to turn from sin and repent. While we have disciplined people and removed them from our body, our desire for those who have been put out remains that they would repent and come back to God and be restored.

FAQ Friday | What is the Growth Strategy at Grace?

In this FAQ series, we will try to answer questions that will hopefully help us become more biblically informed and better equipped to live out our faith in community. To submit and vote on questions you would like to see answered on the blog by our pastors, click here. To see other FAQ Friday posts, click here.

This week’s question was from Seeking Truth in Powdersville:

Does Grace actively try to attract people into church through its various ministries by something other than (maybe in addition to) the Gospel of Jesus Christ? What is the underlying theology in Grace's "growth" plan?

This is a great question and one that is definitely worth exploring. Over the past ten years, Grace Church has experienced close to 10% growth annually. Although numerical growth has never been our primary concern, we do believe that growth can and should be one result of a healthy church. Additionally, we do want to be aware of why growth is happening so that we can continue to foster opportunities for more people to come and experience the grace and love of Jesus in the context of a local church.

With that said, we have never had a formal growth strategy at Grace. There is no manual, document or check-list that staff and elders implement to help our church grow. In fact, we do little to no marketing as a church. You will not see a Grace Church add on your television or hear about us on your local radio station. There are no billboards on the interstate and no flyers will appear in your mailbox. We have signs in front of all of our campuses and we do have a website with blogs, a YouTube channel and a Facebook page. That is the extent of our “outward” communication. Not a very aggressive marketing strategy by anyone’s standards.

Although we don’t have a formal growth strategy, we are very intentional about discipleship and missional living, which we believe has contributed to the growth of our church. Here are a few things that have become part of the “Grace Church DNA” and regularly implement to be in accordance with what God has called his church to be. These areas of emphasis could be classified as an informal growth strategy:

1. Missional Living. One of the core elements of Grace Church is that we be culturally engaged. We equip everyone to be engaging people with the love of Christ wherever they are. For that reason, we limit how many events and activities we have on our campuses. Our desire is that the people of Grace Church speak about their faith in their neighborhoods, schools, work places, local restaurants, etc. By intentionally being involved in the community, more and more people should be able to hear about the way God is moving in people’s lives, meaningful relationships are developed. We have seen many people come to Grace because of the cultural engagement of existing members.
2. Discipleship. Another way we have seen church growth is in the basic principle of discipleship. We believe that all Christians should be pouring into others in the context of community. When the people of Grace Church take ownership in helping their brothers and sisters mature spiritually, there’s a ripple effect that results in new people being drawn to what God is doing within our body.
3. Life Change. One of the most common phrases uttered around our church, it is what happens when we have an encounter with the living God. As the people of our church grow in their faith, they become different. Their families, friends, co-workers, classmates, teammates, neighbors and community members take notice. Time and time again, we are told that new attendees decided to investigate Grace because of the inexplicable life change they have observed in one of our members. 

If you are looking for a complex, detailed strategy of growth, we don’t really have one. However, we do encourage the entire body of Grace to speak about who Christ is and what he is currently doing in their lives. In the context of daily lives, and existing relationships, God is making himself known, which we believe is causing our church to grow. Our prayer is that we would be good shepherds to all the people that God brings into our midst and that we would continue to grow in a healthy manner for years to come.

FAQ Friday | Why No Women Teachers at Grace?

In this FAQ series, we will try to answer questions that will hopefully help us become more biblically informed and better equipped to live out our faith in community. To submit and vote on questions you would like to see answered on the blog by our pastors, click here. To see other FAQ Friday posts, click here.

This week's question is from Wondering in Simpsonville.

Why aren’t women part of the weekend teaching rotation at Grace?

At Grace Church, we currently have six weekend services with a seventh coming soon. In order for us to adequately host these gatherings, it takes a broad range of people with various gifts, talents and abilities. In fact, the actual one hour and fifteen minute service is just a small piece of what takes place each week. For every sermon preached there are multiple meetings and tons of study. For every child taught there are strategies, leader training and materials created. In all that is done, we have and need men and women of all ages, abilities, gifts and passions.

With that said, you will notice that our teaching rotation at each service is always filled by a male. We have two elder/pastors that fulfill the majority of the teaching responsibility. From time to time, other pastors and leaders fill in as well, but they are also all men. Due to the diversity that is obvious in almost every other role at Grace, the question raised is a good one.
...from Genesis to Revelation, we find that part of man’s core calling is to lead... Part of being created as male in God’s image means that men are accountable to God to lead.

We believe that there are a few church responsibilities outlined in the New Testament that are limited to males, one of which is preaching and teaching in a gathered worship setting (see 1 Timothy 2:12). Throughout the Scriptures, from Genesis to Revelation, there are no examples of women teaching the Scriptures to men in a public forum. Additionally, and more importantly, from Genesis to Revelation, we find that part of man’s core calling is to lead (other men, women, children, the church, etc). Part of being created as male in God’s image means that men are accountable to God to lead. As Paul is giving specific direction to Timothy about the roles and responsibilities of elders/pastors, he is very clear that preaching in the gathered church setting should be reserved for males. Paul is giving Timothy a distinct application for the New Testament church of the overarching biblical theology of gender.
We believe that women, because they are created in God’s image, have infinite worth and value, equal to that of men.

One note of importance is that Paul, and the leadership of Grace, are not making value statements by implementing these applications and guidelines. Like any family, organization, sports team, etc. there are always capacities, roles, and responsibilities that are required to fulfill their purpose. The perfect example given in the Scriptures is the Trinity. All three persons (Father, Son, Spirit) are fully God and have equal value. However, throughout the Scriptures we find mutual submission and self-imposed limitations in order to fulfill divine purpose. We believe that women, because they are created in God’s image (Genesis 1:26-27), have infinite worth and value, equal to that of men. We believe that women have unique capacities and abilities that reflect God’s image that men do not. As a church, we believe it is our responsibility to not only find opportunities to allow women to lead and serve that maximize their uniqueness but value their role in the same way that we value the roles of men.

Your question is one that fits into a much larger conversation(s) about the leadership of the local church, gender, spiritual gifts, etc. Unfortunately, a blog entry cannot adequately answer or respond to all of the issues that are raised when dealing with this topic. For further study on the issue I would encourage you to take advantage of the following resources:

If you are a part of the Grace Church family, or in the upstate of SC, we regularly have studies on gender as part of our women’s and men’s ministry. More information on those is available at:

www.mensroundtable.org
www.gracewomensministry.org

If you are not in the area, or you would like to read more on this issue, I would recommend the following books:

Eden Derailed by Matt Williams
Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood by John Piper and Wayne Grudem
On Church Leadership by Mark Driscoll 

FAQ Friday: What Does Christmas Mean to You? (Part 2)

We asked several staff members what Christmas means to them so between yesterday's and today's posts we'll share our thoughts of Christmas with you.  Please let us know what this season means to YOU by leaving a comment below.

Merry Christmas!

Christmas has always meant Christmas music, my favorite weather, the smell of a real tree, family traditions, Christmas Adam (December 23 - the day before Christmas Eve), kids being out of school, and peanut butter fudge (among hundreds of other snacks). But more and more, Christmas is becoming a season where I embrace the challenge of being purposeful and intentional in my worship. This Christmas, I am finding that the real beauty of this season is simply remembering that God not only came to be with us, but He continues to come again and again in my life and my heart.

-Ed Sweeny, Pastor of Children and Families

It's a time to contemplate the fact that Jesus became like me. He didn't just come and suffer for 33 years--he was changed eternally for me.

-Jim Taylor, Media/Baptism

For me Christmas is always a time of wonderment. It makes me full of “wonder” for two reasons: One because of the amazing story of how God became man and dwelt among us and two because at Christmas even the meanest people become kind for the season (most people that is). Isaiah 9:6 predicted that the Christ child would be the “Prince of Peace,” the one who would bring peace. He has affected even non-believers by his coming, even though they may not acknowledge his lordship. He came to bring peace between God and man, peace between men, and one day complete peace.

-Patrick Shealy,  Community Groups Pastor

Spending time with family and creating new family traditions for our young family.

-Mia Huffman, Data Specialist

In the past few years, Christmas has brought with it a desire to understand the context of Jesus' birth, so this year's Arrival teaching series scratched that itch, and gave me a few more as well. My oldest son has gotten to an age now where he takes more interest in understanding the stories of the Bible, and my wife and I have loved the opportunity the Christmas season brings to establish new traditions as a family. One simple one we enjoy is reading Christmas books before the kids’ bedtime. Each night we gather together in the living room and read 1 or 2 books the kids choose, and always finish with a couple stories from the Jesus Storybook Bible. This has been a great way for us to engage in conversations regarding what the birth of Jesus means, and why we celebrate Christmas. It is my hope that, in addition to keeping the focus of Christmas in step with the story of Christ, we are building tradition together as a family that we will all look on fondly in the future. Christmas does come with memories for me, as it does most people. Some look with hope on the Christmas season for the deposits of joy it brings, and others enter the season with wounds from the past and present. I have done both, and I am so thankful that the story of Christ is one that intersects both. When we enjoy Christmas together with family, we get a small glimpse of the harmony and glory that we will be a part of for eternity. When we struggle, Christmas can remind us that Jesus entered the world, struggled with us, and will one day restore all things so that we will no longer struggle.

-Chris McGowan, Pastor to Guests

Christmas brings a warmth that no other time of year does. The songs, the chill in the air, the hot chocolate, the cider, the closeness of friends and family, and a couple of extra days to slow down all help remind me why and what we celebrate each year. Christ gave up heaven so that he could live in a broken world and die for me. I’m thankful for everything that surrounds Christmas because all of it together reminds me of what He’s done for all of us.

-Sabrina Fields, Communications Planner

Christmas is a time to reflect on the season of the year as well as your own season in life, a time to pause from the daily trappings of life and work, a time to enjoy with family and children (and grandchildren!), and a time to dwell on the impact of Christ's birth.

-Jeff Randolph, Culturally Engaged: Domestic Director

FAQ Friday: What Does Christmas Mean To You? (Part 1)

We asked several staff members what Christmas means to them so over the next two days we'll share our thoughts of Christmas with you.  Please let us know what this season means to YOU by leaving a comment below.

Merry Christmas!

To me, Christmas means it's "His Birthday First." This phrase came from an old radio drama telling the story of a child born on Christmas day in the mid-1950's. The drama tells snippets of the boy's life through his teens. As he grows up, he realizes December 25 is not about his own birthday presents and parties. It's all about the greatest gift ever given: Jesus Christ - God's Son & our Savior. This story reminds me to focus on Jesus, not the holiday gatherings, gifts, and chaos the world tells me is most important.

-Sherry Taylor, Culturally Engaged Project Coordinator

Christmas has always been one of my favorite times of the year and I have many great memories of Christmas traditions with my family growing up. I have been known to break out the Christmas music in July, which annoys most of my family but holds me off until it comes on the radio in December. As a child/adolescent, I'm sure my focus was more on the presents, food, parties, etc. that accompanied Christmas. While I still enjoy those things, it is now definitely a season to remember how blessed I am by the arrival of Christ and all that He did for us on earth and on the cross.

-Scott Freeman, Community Groups Pastor

For me, Christmas is a time where the world finally slows down, leaving us with extra time to focus on the best things in life: our faith, our family, and our friends.

-Nate Emory, Cultor House

Christmas is a time to be with family and rejoice in the grace he has shown to our family. We love being together as a family, which highlights the fact that God sent His only Son to earth so that we might be His family rather than His enemies.

-David Allston, Ministry to Singles

Christmas means something different to me every year. It depends on the state of my heart, where I am in my relationship with Jesus, what's going on in my life. The years I have been pregnant at Christmastime, I see the reality of Mary's experience with a heightened awareness and sensitivity. Some years it sneaks up on me, when I have found myself preoccupied with the holiday of an experience, not the celebration of Christ's coming, and I feel a disappointment for missing the moment. Every year is different, as my understanding grows of the sacrifice Christ made when He was born in flesh. The decorations, gifts, food, and growing family remain a constant every year; I think I am thankful for a Savior who continues to come very unexpectedly into my heart to change me for His glory.

-Molly Burns, Children's Ministry Saturday Night Coordinator

I would describe the Christmas Season as "Enjoyable Stress". There are the typical pressures of extended family time, company parties, Christmas cards, shopping, gift-giving and kids out of school but there is also a spiritual stress of keeping a correct perspective which is harder than it seems. Compared to typical "stress" throughout the year, this one is actually kind of warm, pleasant and familiar.

- Matt New, Web Development/Graphic Design

FAQ Friday | Will God Punish Cruelty Towards Animals?

In this FAQ series, we will try to answer questions that will hopefully help us become more biblically informed and better equipped to live out our faith in community. To submit and vote on questions you would like to see answered on the blog by our pastors, click here. To see other FAQ Friday posts, click here.

This week, Shannan Wham, a member of our Pelham Road Campus, answered an anonymous question.

Will God exact justice and/or vengeance against those who are cruel and abusive to animals? Does God's jealous concern for His Creation extend to the animals as well?

When I sat down to respond to this question – once my eyes dried up from all the dust that had gotten into them mysteriously – I thought about the story an elderly preacher told of a boy about nine years old dying of cancer in the hospital. The child's parents, grandparents and other loved ones were still alive and he was afraid of being in Heaven alone without anyone familiar.

The preacher said,

Earlier in that year, the family's beloved and cherished bulldog had died and the young lad had helped his father bury that dear pet. Now, facing Eternity himself, the child looked at me and asked sincerely, "Preacher, when I get to Heaven, will Buster be there to meet me?" I knew this was no time for spouting any lofty theological suppositions, so I answered totally from my heart, "Son, Heaven wouldn't be Heaven if our furry friends aren't there to meet us. Don't worry, Buster will be waiting."

I believe as the preacher did that God does have a great concern for His animal creations and will not look lightly upon those who abuse them. That God is solicitous of the animals is well attested to by Scripture. In the first chapter of Genesis, God created the animals of the world on the fifth and sixth days and when He looked at the fruits of His labor, He “Saw that it was good.” Later on in Genesis as God prepares to punish the Earth with the Flood, He instructs Noah to build the Ark, not just to save Noah's family and not only to save animals meant for food, but to save representatives of ALL the animals God had created. If God did not care for the animals He created, why would He require such a mighty labor from Noah in order to save them?

The Law of Moses is also laden with provisions to prevent cruelty to animals. Men are not allowed to cover or muzzle the mouth of an ox used to turn the millstones to grind corn but must allow the animal to eat the grain that falls into the animal's path. The Law even permits “work” on the Sabbath day to rescue an animal that has fallen into a hole. In the Midrash, which is the rabbinic commentary on the Mosaic law, even the slaughter of animals for food is addressed with procedures meant to ensure as little distress and pain to the animal as possible. It says in part, “in Kosher slaughtering, the Sochet (Jewish slaughterman) must perform the slaughter in a single, swift, uninterrupted sweep.”

Perhaps the most famous incident of God's concern for an animal in the Old Testament is in the story of Balaam the prophet in Numbers 22. Balaam was hired by the King of Moab, one of Israel's enemies, to put a curse upon the Children of Israel as they journeyed towards the Promised Land. As Balaam was on his way to meet with the king, God sent an angel to oppose Balaam. His faithful donkey saw the angel though Balaam could not and refused to carry his master within range of the angel's sword. After Balaam had beaten the loyal animal three times, God gave the donkey power to speak and at the same time opened Balaam's eyes to the angel in the way. The donkey explained why he had stopped and would not go on and when that did not satisfy Balaam, the angel spoke to Balaam and said, “Why did you beat your donkey those three times? I have come to block your way because you are stubbornly resisting me. Three times the donkey saw me and shied away; otherwise, I would certainly have killed you by now and spared the donkey.”

The New Testament also has references to God's love and concern for His animal creations. In Matthew 10, Jesus is sending out His Twelve for their first missions and He warns them of the opposition and danger they will be facing. To ease their fears, however, He tells them how God His Father is so concerned with all His creatures that “not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it.” Imagine, the One who created the universe is so in touch and shows such concern for His Creation that He personally acknowledges the passing of the least of His creatures!

Finally, we have to realize God despises cruelty in any form to any creature, man or animal. Mankind was given rule over the animal kingdom, but right of rulership does not give rights to treat a ruler's subjects cruelly. As rulers over the animals, we are tasked with tending God's literal flocks properly just as we must strive to reach His spiritual flocks as well. I feel the last word on how we should treat our animal charges – and everyone and everything everywhere – can be found in the little Old Testament book of Micah when the prophet tells the people

O people, the Lord has told you what is good,
and this is what he requires of you:
to do what is right, to love mercy,
and to walk humbly with your God.

If we do what is right and we love mercy, it goes without saying that we will not be cruel to animals and if we are cruel to animals, we are breaking one of God's commands and God, though slow to anger, will not allow His commands to be broken without punishment.

FAQ Friday | Why Would God Create Evil?

In this FAQ series, we will try to answer questions that will hopefully help us become more biblically informed and better equipped to live out our faith in community. To submit and vote on questions you would like to see answered on the blog by our pastors, click here. To see other FAQ Friday posts, click here.

This week, Nate Emory, one of the residents of Cultor House, answers an anonymous question.

The Bible teaches everything in the Universe has its ultimate beginning in God. Nothing in this Universe happens without His command or permission; so why is it so wrong to say God either created sin or allowed sin to be created? How could God create a race, knowing they would fall into sin, and that most would eventually be punished in Hell? 

Every day the casual newspaper subscriber will glance over story after story containing evidence that something is wrong in the world. Disease outbreaks, mass murders, child abuse, natural disasters, and war are just a few examples of headlines that no one is really that surprised to read about. The shock factor still comes into play, but in reality people have come to see these evils as semi-normative. We try to prevent all evils, but it is a never ending battle. For any person who subscribes to a certain “faith” or “religion,” they may attribute these occurrences to the influence of higher powers. There may be gods, spirits, or nature’s unbridled forces at work amongst humanity. For the Christian, or anyone who understands what the Bible would teach, the problem of evil, sin, and death stems from a God who created everything and is said to be sovereign or superintending over all creation. This creates a bigger question about God – How can He allow the creation and existence of sin? And by the Biblical effects of sin, how can He create a race that will, in its majority at least, succumb to eternal punishment for the consequences of that sin?


As believers we must first accept that we are finite, broken human beings, and if we were able to cram God into our primitive brains then God would not really be God at all.

A paradox is defined as something that is seemingly contradictory, but something that ultimately leads to possible truth. One of the Bible’s most glaring paradoxical ideas is that a God with attributes that are absolute and constant can simultaneously be a God of love and a God of judgment. As believers we must first accept that we are finite, broken human beings, and if we were able to cram God into our primitive brains then God would not really be God at all. It is beyond our comprehension to presume to know every complexity that describes God. His perfect harmony of persons and attributes is a partial mystery to us. It is hard for us to come to grips with God being brought glory by some people accepting salvation and others rejecting Him. But it is not our place or within our ability to discern all of God’s way. That being said, there are varying aspects of each of God’s persons and characteristics that are indicative of His interaction with sin and evil.

First of all, the Bible says that sin is in God’s control, but He is not the source of that sin (James 1:13). Even though evils exist in this world, God did not create them. He created a world consistent with his nature, stating that everything He made was “good” (Genesis 1). When man broke the only rule on the planet, the one rule existing to remind them that they were still subject to God’s authority, sin entered the world. With this came shame, murder, theft, immorality, and every other corruption of God’s good creation. A part of our understanding of God’s allowance of sin and its penalty must be putting out faith in God’s good nature. We must rest in the character of God’s loving goodness – in a God who was filled with so much love for us that He came to live among us, only to be nailed to a cross as the payment for the sins of all mankind.


God can use evil for His own purposes... within God’s control, evil can exist to bring about a greater purpose or good.

God came to earth for one reason, and that was to restore something that was broken. He came to eradicate the power of sin, and thereby reclaim, redeem, and restore His people. (Matthew 20:28) God’s very nature is anti-sin. Sin and evil put Jesus on the cross. Sin is what will ultimately condemn people to Hell. God hates sin and will not let it go unpunished. On the flipside, God can use evil for His own purposes. That is, within God’s control, evil can exist to bring about a greater purpose or good. The book of Job can be used as a case study for this. A man of God is subjected to evils and pains to prove that loyalty to God goes beyond worldly blessings, and God has the right to work as He sees fit. James 1 tells us that temptations and challenges are thrown into a believer’s path in order to make him more complete in his faith and relationship with Jesus.

The bottom line is that God is anti-sin and anti-evil. The perfect world that He created was wrecked by the pride of humanity. The horrors of our culture are all self-inflicted wounds. Any chance we have of being rescued from what we deserve for violating His righteous standard is a testament to God’s true, gracious nature. The mercy of God outweighs the sinfulness of man. The true miracle is that any human would be saved at all. God literally put on flesh, lived above all blame, was murdered without true conviction, and was resurrected in order that a universal curse of sin would be broken (2 Corinthians 5:21).  God’s goodness, mercy, and love are what he offers through the cross.     

FAQ Friday | How Does God Speak?

In this FAQ series, we will try to answer questions that will hopefully help us become more biblically informed and better equipped to live out our faith in community. To submit and vote on questions you would like to see answered on the blog by our pastors, click here. To see other FAQ Friday posts, click here.

This week, Chrystie Cole, Student Ministry Staff, answers an anonymous question.

When we pray, we speak or think in real, concrete language. How does God reply to us if He doesn't use an actual voice; how can we be sure a “still small voice” or something similar isn’t just our mind making up what we desperately want God to say?

Communicating with God through prayer is one of the most wonderful gifts God has given us. The ability to come before Him, to engage in relationship with Him in the act of prayer anywhere at anytime is nothing short of miraculous. We are in no way entitled to this; it is just one of the many graces God has bestowed upon us. Unfortunately, this gracious gift often leaves people filled with discouragement and frustration.

We have all experienced times when our prayer life seems one-sided. The problem is often our expectation of it. If we approach prayer with the expectation that God will map everything out for us, we will more often than not find ourselves paralyzed into inaction. He gave us a mind with which to reason. And yet, we wonder, can we really trust our minds or our hearts? How can we be sure, as you said, that we are not seeking the answers we want rather than seeking God’s will?

Your question is not an unusual one, but one asked by many on a daily basis. Thankfully, in His grace and mercy, God has given us parameters or boundaries within which we can move about freely as we seek to discern His will for our lives.

First, it is important for us to acknowledge that God absolutely can and does speak to us. Scripture gives many accounts of how God has chosen to reveal Himself to His people. He spoke to Moses from a burning bush; He revealed Himself to Elijah in a gentle whisper; He spoke through prophets and angels. These are called direct revelations. As we’ve learned recently through our 1 Kings series, in the Old Testament God did speak and reveal Himself to His people in very clear, direct, and miraculous ways, but even then it was not the norm. Likewise for us today, though God can directly reveal Himself to us, this is not the way He chooses to communicate with us most frequently. So, how does He speak to us?

Scripture is our highest and best source for truth and the knowledge of God’s will.

One way God communicates with us is through His Word. Scripture is our highest and best source for truth and the knowledge of God’s will. The psalmist in Psalm 119 spends much time ascribing glory to God’s word. He describes it as a lamp for his feet and a light for his path (vs. 105) and he stores God’s word in his heart in hopes that he might not sin against Him (vs. 11). As believers, we need to have the same mindset as the psalmist. God has already given us His word through the Scriptures. The author of the book of Hebrews said that in the old days God spoke in many ways to many people, but in the last days He has spoken to us through His Son (Hebrews 1:1-4). God has spoken to us most clearly, authoritatively, and infallibly through Jesus. As such, Jesus, the Word made flesh, is our best source of truth.

Yet, Scripture doesn’t always address every specific season or circumstance we face, and so we find ourselves wanting something more tangible. Of this, though, John Piper said that if, “you live your life not on the basis of spiritual wisdom, but on the basis of external revelations, you are not compelled to deal so deeply with the corruption of your own heart and mind…God wants conformity to His Son Jesus Christ, not just external compliance with instructions.” In Romans 12:2, Paul exhorts believers to not be conformed to the world, but to be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that “you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” As we read and meditate upon the Scriptures and upon the Gospel of Jesus Christ, we are transformed more into the image and likeness of Christ and as such, we will think, live, speak, and act more like Christ.

God also speaks to us through His people. While we are being transformed more into the image and likeness of Christ, we are also still sinners. Scripture may be infallible, but we are not. Everything we do likely has mixed motives. Our desires often color the lens through which we view life; we are biased. Confirmation bias is a technical term used in psychology, meaning that a person often gathers evidence, seeks and/or favors information, or interprets things in a biased way. Simply put, we seek confirmation on what we already believe or want.

…it is imperative that we seek wise counsel and work out Scripture’s truths in our lives through strong, biblical community.

Therefore, as we seek to hear from God - as we read, interpret, and seek to apply Scripture to our lives, it is imperative that we seek wise counsel and work out Scripture’s truths in our lives through strong, biblical community. Each member of the body has been given gifts of the Spirit that are crucial to the body as a whole for the edification of the church. Biblical community provides us with wisdom, direction, confirmation, and shade - allowing us to move forward with confidence.

Finally, as we seek to discern God’s will and direction for our lives, we trust and rest in His sovereignty and in the ministry of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit dwells within us and act as our teacher and counselor – guiding us in all truth (John 16:13-15). But we find our greatest hope, perhaps, in the truth that God is sovereign over everything. All things are subject to Him and He works all things according to His will and purpose. He even reigns over our sin and bad choices – redeeming them and using them for our good and the good of His kingdom. 

So, as we seek God’s will for our lives, as we seek to hear from Him, as we seek His direction - we pray humbly, read, and meditate upon God’s Word, confirm in biblical community, and then we proceed boldly.

FAQ Friday | Can Christians be Skeptical of the Bible?

In this FAQ series, we will try to answer questions that will hopefully help us become more biblically informed and better equipped to live out our faith in community. To submit and vote on questions you would like to see answered on the blog by our pastors, click here. To see other FAQ Friday posts, click here.

This week, Patrick Shealy, Community Group Pastor, answers an anonymous question.

Can a person be skeptical of any part of the Bible, such as literal 6 day Creation, and still be a Christian?

In considering the question above, I want to look at the word “skeptical” in two different ways.  If the meaning of “skeptical” means, “not believing or doubting” what the Bible says, that is a different issue from “taking a different interpretation.”  The historical and orthodox view of Christianity, related to the Bible, is that the Bible is God’s special revelation of himself to us.  Furthermore, because it has been given to us by God, through the personality of the human writers, it is authoritative for our lives.  (1 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21)  As Wayne Grudem says, “The authority of Scripture means that all the words in Scripture are God’s words in such a way that to disbelieve or disobey any word of Scripture is to disbelieve or disobey God.” 

Saving faith is more than just believing the facts about Jesus but a placing your complete trust in Christ and committing to forsake sin and walk in obedience to Christ.

The Christian is one who not only believes in Jesus but also has surrendered themselves to follow him.  Saving faith is more than just believing the facts about Jesus but a placing your complete trust in Christ and committing to forsake sin and walk in obedience to Christ.  As our church’s statement of faith says “Biblical faith is marked by repentance and a changed life.  Union with God initiates a reorientation of one’s affections away from self and toward God and others.”  This is what it means to be a Christian.  But there are some “facts” about Jesus that are essentially necessary for Christianity.  A few of these are the deity of Christ, the virgin birth, the substitutionary atonement of Jesus.  While someone does not have to understand those terms or all of the ins and outs of these Biblical issues, if they were not true, then there would be no hope for us in the gospel.  All are necessary for Jesus to have been our substitute and “buy” our redemption.

As far as the specific issue mentioned in the question, there is a difference in rejecting the clear teaching of scripture, thus placing ourselves above God’s word, and taking a different interpretation of a passage based on reasoning which is led by the scripture.  For this reason, someone could still believe the scripture to be true and yet not believe in a literal 6-day creation.  Personally, I believe in a literal 6-day creation, and I think you can still believe in 6-day creation and not be an idiot.  I also believe that you have to make some accommodations with the scripture to arrive at a different conclusion.  But there are some Christians who find evidence in the scriptures to suggest that the 6-days were long periods of time.  Most of them submit themselves to the authority of scripture and are seeking to live lives directed by the Bible.  In fact, we would have a divergence of interpretation on this issue within our church.

To summarize, it is crucial that the Christian submits himself or herself to the authority of God’s word.  As long as someone interprets the Bible with the understanding of its authority over them, seeking to follow God’s way, and trusts in Christ’s sacrifice alone for salvation, he or she is well within the realm of Christianity.  Salvation is by faith alone, by grace alone, and not by any merit of our own, but our attitude toward the Bible is an indication of our heart’s orientation toward God. 

FAQ Friday | What is it?

We began FAQ Friday posts at the beginning of the year as a way to answer questions you may not have had a chance to ask or that you've been too intimidated to ask.  And sometimes it's easier to ask a question anonymously.  Our goal was to use this weekly post as a resource to not only answer questions, but help grow your knowledge and faith.  Several pastors and well equipped members of our staff and congregation have answered a wide variety of questions over these past 9 months, including:

• What Makes Solomon a Marriage Expert?
• Can a Christian Commit Suicide?
• Do We Forgive Even When They Don't Ask?
• Does it Matter What We Watch on TV?
• Who Did Jesus Die For?
• How Much Are We Supposed to Give?
• How Do I Know if I'm Saved?
• Why Couldn't God Just Forgive Our Sins?
• See all the FAQ posts here

We enjoy being able to answer these questions as best we can.  A body of believers that asks questions about faith, the Bible, sermons, community, love, marriage, singleness, children, Jesus, scripture, culture from Bible times, and an endless list of topics, is a body that's seeking and growing.  

Please click here to submit your questions.  And don't worry... these can be completely anonymous.  We want you to have the freedom to ask any and all kinds of questions.

FAQ Friday | What Makes Solomon a Marriage Expert?

In this FAQ series, we will try to answer questions that will hopefully help us become more biblically informed and better equipped to live out our faith in community. To submit and vote on questions you would like to see answered on the blog by our pastors, click here. To see other FAQ Friday posts, click here.

This week, Scott Freeman, Community Group Pastor, answers a question from Katie in Greenville.

In light of Matt's book....Understanding that the Bible is God-breathed, aside from Solomon's wide range of experience (i.e. many wives and concubines), what gives him credibility as the expert on how lovers should behave within a committed marriage?

This is a great question.  There is no getting around the fact that monogamy was not one of Solomon’s strong points.  1 Kings 11:3 says, “He (Solomon) had 700 wives of royal birth and 300 concubines.”  Wow.  Do you think he knew all of their names and remembered all of their birthdays and anniversaries?

God had warned Solomon specifically against marrying foreign women and verse 3 continues by saying, “in fact, they did turn his heart away from the Lord.”  While the thought of Solomon having so many wives is difficult for us to comprehend, we can’t automatically eliminate him as a credible source for us with regards to relationships. Throughout scripture, we see a definite pattern of God using ordinary, sinful individuals to teach us lessons about how we are to act.  Just over the past few weeks in our 1 Kings series we have learned great lessons from King David, who was an adulterer and murderer.  We would also be well served to model parts of our lives after Moses, Noah, Paul, etc., despite the fact that each of these men had obvious areas of sin in their lives.

Matt’s book, Eden Derailed, goes into great detail about the biblical model for marriage and how the idea of Oneness can be traced all the way back to the garden in Genesis.  There are also many practical reasons that could be given for why a monogamous, committed relationship is ideal.  Ultimately however, the reason that Solomon has credibility is that God recognizes him as credible.  As mentioned in the question, the Bible is “god-breathed.”  We are also told in 2 Timothy 3:16 that ALL scripture is “profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.”  There are many other claims throughout the Bible that the words of scripture are from God.  Jesus himself gives credibility to the scriptures by quoting them repeatedly during his ministry on earth.  This lets us know that despite Solomon’s history of bad choices in relationships, we can trust in the principles taught in Song of Solomon because God ordains them.

By including the book, Song of Solomon, in the scriptures, it is almost as if God is saying, “Solomon had a lot of wives and made a ton of mistakes.  There were a lot of consequences for his sinful actions.  He wasn’t perfect… but in this relationship, the one described in detail in Song of Solomon, he finally got it right.  This is how it is supposed to be.  This is what marriage SHOULD be.”

FAQ Friday | Why Do We Take Communion Individually?

In this FAQ series, we will try to answer questions that will hopefully help us become more biblically informed and better equipped to live out our faith in community. To submit and vote on questions you would like to see answered on the blog by our pastors, click here. To see other FAQ Friday posts, click here.

This week, Dan Dather, Community Group Pastor, answers a question that was posted on the Grace Church Facebook page.

I'm curious about communion. We perform it so differently... individually. This is the piece of traditionalism I struggle with the most. Why our method?

Jesus institutes the Lord’s Supper: Luke 22:19-20 (NLT)  “Jesus took some bread and gave thanks to God for it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, "This is my body, which is given for you. Do this to remember me.” After supper he took another cup of wine and said, "This cup is the new covenant between God and his people—an agreement confirmed with my blood, which is poured out as a sacrifice for you.”

There are four main views on the Lord’s Supper among orthodox Christians.

1. The bread and wine actually become the body and blood of Jesus Christ. This is the position of the Roman Catholic Church. Each time a priest ‘consecrates’ the bread and the wine their belief is that these ‘elements’ are literally transformed into the body and blood of Jesus. This metaphysical change is known as ‘Transubstantiation’. Each time the sacrament is observed, a real sacrifice takes place again. This view believes that God gives special grace to those who participate in the supper. Only an ordained priest can perform this act of consecrating the elements.
2. The bread and the wine don’t actually become the body and blood of Jesus, but His physical body is actually present in or with the elements. Martin Luther broke away from the Catholic Church and its belief in Transubstantiation. He didn’t believe the bread and the wine literally changed into the body and blood of Jesus, but that Jesus was physically present in the elements. This view is called “Consubstantiation”. Luther also believed that, in the supper, God imparts a special blessing on the participants. This view is very similar to Transubstantiation.
3. The body and blood of Jesus is present in the elements only in a figurative and symbolic sense.  This Reformed view of John Calvin moves away from belief in any type of physical presence of Christ in the Lord’s Supper. The elements don’t change into or mystically contain the body and blood of Jesus, but He is present in a spiritual sense. This view also believes that the elements are a means of God’s grace to the participants in the supper.
4. The Lord’s Supper is done to remember Christ’s death. This view does not believe that the physical body of Jesus manifests itself either physically or mystically. It regards Jesus’ words as figurative when he says “This is my body and blood”. The supper was instituted by Christ to serve as a reminder of His sacrificial death on the cross for our sin. Believers are to obey His command to “do this to remember Me”.

Grace Church views the Lord’s Supper as a time of remembrance and appreciation for  Christ’s sacrificial death on our behalf. “For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.”  (1 Corinthians 11:26). We do not believe that Christ is physically or spiritually present in the elements. While many believers commonly experience a heightened sense of God’s presence as they participate in the supper, there is no Scriptural evidence suggesting that He is more present with us there than at any other time. Jesus said, “I am with you always; even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20). The fact that we are remembering the very act of God that paid for our sin should make this a special time of worship and introspection. 

God responds to us while we take the Lord's Supper just as He does any time we sincerely approach Him with humility, reverence, expectancy, and thankfulness.

Membership at Grace Church is not a requirement to celebrate the Lord’s Supper with us. We only ask that you be a professing believer in Jesus Christ to participate. While we believe baptism is commanded by our Lord Jesus Christ, it is not a prerequisite for celebrating the Lord’s Supper at Grace.

How often should the Lord’s Supper be observed? The New Testament is not specific on the frequency of observing the Lord’s Supper, only that it should be done regularly. Grace Church typically observes the supper on the first Sunday of each month.

Who can administer the Lord’s Supper? The Bible is not specific on who is able to serve the supper to other believers. Grace Church believes that all believers are equally qualified to administer the Lord’s Supper. We provide a common table that allows every believer to take the elements of the supper personally.

FAQ Friday | Can A Christian Commit Suicide?

In this FAQ series, we will try to answer questions that will hopefully help us become more biblically informed and better equipped to live out our faith in community. To submit and vote on questions you would like to see answered on the blog by our pastors, click here. To see other FAQ Friday posts, click here.

This week, our Middle School Pastor, Daniel Moore, answers an anonymous question:

Will a person who commits suicide go to Hell? If so, can a Christian commit suicide?

I remember when I first heard about someone committing suicide.  I was in 5^th grade and a 6^th grader at our school had taken their own life.  I remember trying to think through why a person would want to do that, but I just couldn’t understand their motivation.  Over the years since then, I’ve walked alongside a few friends who have lost parents and siblings to suicide as well.  It is a confusing and depressing situation, especially for the family and friends that are left behind to deal with the pain.

Before answering the question at hand, let’s try to create a biblical framework around the idea of suicide.  Suicide is the murder of oneself, or self-murder, and because there are explicit commands from God to not murder anyone (Ex. 20:13), we can conclude that suicide is definitely a sin.  As humans, we are created in the image of God, which means we are made like God and we represent God to the world.  Because we bear the image of God, our lives have dignity and value.  This is why the Scriptures are so clear in the condemnation of murder.  To murder someone, even yourself, is to place yourself in God’s position because we are taking authority over someone’s life.  We know that the Creator God alone has ultimate authority, and therefore no “creature” has a right to steal life, even his own. 

While it is true that suicide is murder, murder is sin, and sin separates from God; it is equally true that all sin is forgiven by grace through faith in the finished work of Jesus on the cross.  There is no place in Scripture that teaches that suicide is an “unforgivable” sin.  So to answer the question, a person who commits suicide is not automatically sent to Hell.  A person’s eternal destination is completely decided by their faith and trust in the sacrifice of Jesus for their salvation, or on the other hand, their lack of faith. 

We must recognize that even in the brokenness of our world... God has rescued us...

Now to answer the second question, there is nothing more paradoxical in this world than a Christian who commits suicide.  A Christian has hope because they are trusting Jesus for salvation and they have the promises of eternal life and restoration with God.  So for a Christian to commit suicide, they are giving up hope even though they are trusting in the God of all hope.  That’s why it is a paradox, but it does happen because of the brokenness of our world.  Most of the time, despair grows as we lose hope, and we lose hope because we transfer our satisfaction and contentment from the eternal things of God to the temporary things of this world.  There are almost always a variety of physical, emotional, and spiritual factors (such as depression, anxiety, despair, etc.) that lead people towards suicidal thoughts, but none of these should ever be used as an excuse to attempt to justify the act.  So in an effort to be clear, it is possible for a person who is a Christian to commit suicide.  But even in stating that, it should never be an excuse or a license for anyone to take their own life.  We must recognize that even in the brokenness of our world where despair is so prevalent, God has rescued us and called us out of death and into life, out of darkness and into light, out of despair and into hope.  We must base our lives on the promises of God and the truth of the gospel, just like Paul stated in Romans 5:1-5...

Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us.  Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory.  We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance.  And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation.  And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.  

If you or someone you know struggles with suicidal thoughts or feelings, please call or email the church office. We are here for you and would like to help.

church email: info@gracechurchsc.org

church phone: 864.284.0122