Simply By Grace Podcast

This is a rebroadcast of Charlie's discussion on another Podcast, Hope Builders Ministries. This discussion focused on the Gospel of Grace and making Disciples. They address a number of things in Charlie's book, Grace, Salvation, and Discipleship; answering questions like are all Christians disciples? What does a disciple look like? When Jesus says come to me vs. come after me, what does that mean? 

From their podcast:

We hope you enjoy the discussion!

Ever done something in vain? To do something that produces nothing or has no meaning? I think at one point or another we've all experienced this in our lives. In this podcast Charlie focuses on 2 Corinthians 6:1-7. In this passage, Paul warns his brothers and sisters in Christ, to not receive the grace of God in vain. In other words don't prevent the purpose of the gospel from reaching the goal; that is to prepare us for eternity. Paul wants to bring his readers forward in terms of harmony with God and with each other. So find out how the grace of God should reach its fruitful purpose. 

What if someone promised you everything they owned?  They say it's free, but there's a catch...you have to live a good life and do everything right, from keeping the speed limit to not arguing,  paying taxes to loving others, not lying to speaking the truth in love.  If you messed up once, or twice, you wouldn't get anything. Sounds like good news, but then reality sets in. Who can possibly do that?

So what if God did the same thing? He'll give you eternal salvation but you have to be good and do x,y, and z. How would you feel about that?  Questions would arise, how much would I have to do? How often? For how long?

This is one of the problems when people read this passage, they interpret it to mean you must "work" for the gift. (note: if you have to work for it, it's not a gift) Do people have to "work" for their salvation? Do they have to earn it by being baptized, going to church, being good, etc.. People add work in two ways, either before or after salvation. People will frontload the gospel by adding works to be saved or they will backload it by adding works to prove you were saved. Either way works becomes consequential to receive the gift of eternal  life. 

As can be seen, work, at any level, becomes an impossible standard. In this podcast Charlie expounds on the meaning of Paul's words; rest assured, salvation IS a free gift, no strings attached.

Grace can be a theological concept, and we know grace sometimes as an abstract concept. But  have you ever thought about how grace meets us in our suffering and how it makes us stronger as believers? There's probably no better time when Grace takes on in important role and teaches us, shapes us, and mold us as God works through our lives. 

In 2 Corinthians 12, Paul is feeling very weak, he's having to defend himself against false motives. They are trying to capitalize on his weaknesses. But what does Paul do?  Find out in this podcast as Charlie walks us through this chapter and teaches us how Grace can meet us in suffering.

Ever been accused of teaching license to sin or worse, being called a heretic for believing that once you believe in Christ you can never be separated from God? It might come as a surprise but eternal security is not well understood at best, and at worst, is simply not well received by many.

So it begs the question, why? What would cause someone to deny that eternal life is eternal? It's really a critical doctrine and sets the stability for a Christian and their growth in the Christian life.  In this episode Charlie walks us through what eternal security is and why it's important in our everyday life.

For further reading be sure  to checkout GraceNotes #24 Eternally Secure  and  GraceNotes #39 How Do We Explain Hebrews 6:4-8

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Ever wondered why we call Grace...Free Grace? Isn't Grace Free by definition? Often times, particularly in theological discussions, it's important to define terms. The word Grace is often thrown around, but it can mean different things to different people.

In addition, when we don't understand the freeness of God's grace you can end up stunting your Christian growth. Not only is grace the basis of our initial salvation (justification), it is also the basis of our growth (sanctification). By God's grace we are born into His family and by God's grace we are free to grow as His children. Unfortunately, this life of liberty can be lost unless we stand firm in grace.. (cf. Rom. 3:24)

In this podcast Charlie walks through 10 things to help you understand what Grace is and why it matters. So what is Free Grace? How does it make a difference?

For further reading checkout Charlie's  GraceNotes #67, What is Free Grace as well as GraceNotes #12 The Grace Life

So who are you and what do you see when you look in the mirror? Do you see who you are or do you only see what others see?  Often times we get caught up at what other people think about ourselves and we shape our perception of reality around that. Many of us are confined by the voices of others. These voices can come from various places including the culture, graceless religion that condemns people, unaccepting  parents, even childhood experiences, and legalistic churches.  These and more can influence the way we think about ourselves. These influences are grace killers and produce people who feel insignificant. 

So how should we view ourselves? Where does God fit into the picture and how does grace move us into a healthy perspective about ourselves?  

Charlie spoke at a conference recently about discipleship. Salvation is instantaneous and free, but discipleship is lifelong and requires work. But what is Discipleship as a spiritual journey involved, and what does the Bible say about it?  What are some key differences between salvation and discipleship and why is making a distinction important for both aspects of the Christian life?

To address this, Charlie looks at the life of Peter. More specifically he looks at various aspects of Peter and his walk. Peter could be argued is a typical model of  discipleship and many  people relate  themselves to Peter because he does things in his life that correlate well with our own. Charlie argues that this isn't by chance. Peter's experiences trace those of a typical disciple.  

Be sure to checkout Charlie's GraceNotes #63 "Were Jesus' First Disciples Called to Salvation or Discipleship?"  

Ever fear the future? In these tumultuous times fear seems to be par for the course. People are driven by fear. Fear of rising seas, fear of politicians, fear of losing something, fear of climate change, fear of Covid, fear of death, fear of the future and what it might bring. There's so much about life that's unstable, you could have a job one day, gone the next. But should we live this way? People often live life with fear unsure of what's after death. 

But is there hope? Have you ever wanted to know what waits for us beyond eternity? As believers we can know and should take heart in God's power, His provision, and His promises. This hope is available to everyone who believes. It has the power to heal us now and help us live a life without fear. 

In this podcast, Charlie walks us through Ephesians 1:7-14 and the hope we have in our salvation. 

“Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.” Deuteronomy 31:6.

Have you ever envied another person's success or seen someone get a financial boost and you ask yourself, "why did God pass me by?"  What is our attitude towards someone we know who has success, or even someone we don't know? Do we revel in their blessing and become excited for them, or do we become angry?

Charlie was a guest speaker recently and focused on the story of the prodigal son, but not in the way you might think. Many people focus on the bad son who left and then returned, still others focus on the father and his acceptance and joy. But in this episode, Charlie wants to focus on the "good son" in the story. 

The  overarching  truth in this parable is that anyone who comes back into a relationship with his or her Heavenly Father,  is cause for rejoicing. We see in this story the idea of Grace in restoration, grace in reconciliation, and joy.  But we also see that the "good son" was ultimately a brother of ungrace.