Grace Cocktail, Part 3

As you ponder what to do with this hot letter...this cocktail recipe... ...here are some thoughts to consider: Walking after the flesh is not an alternative approach or simply a bad idea. It is a temptation from the enemy of God designed to discount the work of Christ at the cross. Clinging to anything that falls short of the grace of God—which is legalism—is a blatant attempt by the enemy to nullify the work of God in Christ.

By choosing to walk after the flesh, or implement legalistic thought and practice, we collaborate with the enemy against the most profound, significant act of Divine power, love, and courage ever initiated: grace, as realized in Jesus Christ.

Choosing the flesh is more than a bad plan. It is hypocrisy and an outright denial of your spiritual heritage.

How happy would you be if your spouse declared, “Sweetheart, since we have been married, I have been 99% faithful to you?”

99% faithful means your spouse has been 100% unfaithful! Just as faithfulness in marriage is all or nothing, so our loyalty to grace is absolute.

Any mixture of grace and legalism is un-grace. Any mix of flesh and Spirit is adultery against our redemption vows. Any proposed cocktail that purports to successfully blend grace and anything is unacceptable, unworkable, untenable, and there is no alternative but to refuse.

You either enjoy grace straight, i.e. undiluted, or not at all.

What is at stake here—at stake with how we approach life?

The work of Christ at the cross to initiate grace is what is at stake. God’s gift and reputation are on the line. Your faithfulness is at stake.

But the most important question remains unanswered: What is this saying to you and what will you do with it? Cocktail or with nothing else mixed in?