Simply By Grace Podcast

In this podcast, Charlie is preaching on Ecclesiastes chapter 5 starting at verse 8 where the focus is on being wise with our wealth. How should we view our wealth, things that we have and things that we don't have? Recall that we're not to love the world nor the things in the world. One of the dangers about being wealthy is that we neglect our spiritual needs.  

Charlie expounds on this providing practical application and helping you keep your eyes and focus on your treasure in heaven. 

Life has been different for all of us. GraceLife is no different and has had to adjust and trim some travel, but this hasn't stopped how GraceLife reaches the lost. Life goes on and there are many things to find joy in.

But there are many people in this world who are just miserable. Carl Young once said many people live a life of quiet desperation. Many have wealth, power, popularity, but they can't enjoy what they have because they desire what they don't have. 

So what would it take to make you happy in life today?  Are you enjoying life the way God intended you to enjoy it?  Solomon, a wealthy king, reflects on his life in Ecclesiastes from a human perspective. In it he asks the tough questions we've all had and what we find is that the rest of the Bible answers them.

But the fact is, we can enjoy life and enjoy it abundantly. Listen to this snippet from a series as Charlie walks through Ecclesiastes chapter 6.

In many churches you won't hear about rewards. It's actually a vast study and much of it is ignored. It permeates Christ's teaching and Paul's teaching. There is a day coming where our works will be tested by fire and we'll be rewarded...or not. The Christian does have accountability, and comes down to what Jesus pronounces at the Judgment seat of Christ. This is not a judgement about whether we go to heaven or hell. This is a judgement for rewards not salvation.  

Some of the things we'll be judged for is our treatment of others, for our service, our use of money, our leadership, etc.. In this podcast Charlie takes us through our opportunity where we make account for how we live in this life. What foundation have we laid and how do we build on it? Are we serving to gain? 

Be sure to checkout Charlie's GraceNotes on a related topic:

Why Teach About Rewards?

Charlie is speaking a conference about spirituality, specifically about people who are full of the spirit. There is a spiritual life available to all believers but realized only by some. Each Christian is led by the Holy Spirit in their own timing and in their own way. But we have a responsibility to the third person of the God-head (1 Thess. 5:19). Charlie discusses how Lordship salvationists believe they are filled with the spirit. More specifically, how believers in their view will demonstrably progress in their spiritual life…and in doing so they will have the opportunity to evaluate their presuppositions.

Discipleship...what are we to do?  Are disciples born or made?  How to we train disciples? In this episode Charlie is speaking to a church group and talks about how a disciple is made. Charlie focuses on Peter as an example, someone who was a crude rugged fisherman and became someone like his master.

So we want to understand what the discipleship journey entails; the difficulties, the hardships, the rewards. But one of the questions Charlie addresses is why Peter?  Why should we use Peter as an example?  Listen and find out!

For more information, checkout Charlie's GraceNotes Are Disciples Born or Made?

In this episode, Charlie is speaking at an FGA conference where he discusses the essentials of Free Grace. But what is Free Grace anyway and what are the essentials?  Is there agreement of those essentials within the community and if not, what can be agreed upon?  These questions and more are directly addressed by Charlie in this episode!

For more information, be sure to checkout Charlie's Gracenotes entitled "What is Free Grace Theology?"

Are you curious, convinced, or committed?  In John 6 we see three groups of people. Some followed Jesus at a superficial level, others believed in Him as Savior, while some followed Him as disciples. In this chapter we see how Jesus related to all three groups. 

It's important to keep in mind there's a distinction between those who believe in Jesus as Savior and those who commit to follow Him as disciples. There are conditions for salvation and conditions for discipleship.  One is free, the other requires extensive work.

Everyone in the world belongs to one of the three groups and each group needs to be addressed accordingly. Where are you in the progression?

For further reading, be sure to checkout Charlie's GraceNotes where he answers the question Are Disciples Born or Made? 

Not all who call themselves Christians act like it. How should we think about them? Can Christians be worldly? The parable of the soils in Luke 8 shows that people have different responses to the gospel. Other Bible passages mention Christians who are not living correctly. 

Is it possible that some who call themselves Christians have lost their salvation? Maybe they were never really saved to begin with. It is possible that Christians can be immature in their spiritual growth and so also in their conduct. The Bible calls these "carnal" Christians or "babes in Christ." Perhaps these Christians have backslid or fallen back into sin or are struggling with sinful urges and habits. 

We should not deal with the problem of worldliness in Christians by changing the gospel to demand works or commitment up front or later as proof. These faulty gospels rob people of assurance of salvation. The best option is to teach a clear gospel of salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ who died for our sins and rose again and promises eternal life to all who believe in Him for it.

For more reading, checkout "The Reality of Carnal Christians" and "What about a Christian Who Doesn't Act Like One?"

Many people struggle with the assurance of their salvation. It is a huge problem. Some Christians teach that it is good to have doubts about your salvation using 2 Corinthians 13:5. But that is not at all what that passage teaches. 

You will see that there are many reasons why people may doubt their salvation. Doubts are spiritually crippling, but assurance is essential to the gospel and to growth in Christ. When we understand the gospel of grace, we will have assurance. It is not helpful to look at our works or try to evaluate our faith. We have to keep our eyes on Jesus Christ. First John 5:11-13 and Romans 8:31-39 are important passages that help those in doubt.

Jesus is Lord of all, but how does that relate to salvation? What's the difference between the objective lordship of Christ and the subjective lordship of Christ? Charlie examines some of the issues with the Lordship Salvation view and compare it to the gospel of God's free grace. You will hear about the lordship of Jesus Christ in relation to salvation in Acts 16:31. Also, you will hear what it means to confess Jesus as Lord in Romans 10:9-10. The lordship of Christ is essential to Christ's saving work, but that does not mean that someone must make Him master of all of his life in order to be saved. Salvation is through faith in Jesus who is Lord, but sanctification is by submission to Jesus as Lord and Master of one's life. 

We must distinguish between justification truth and sanctification truth and between the condition for salvation and the conditions of discipleship. The Bible has examples of those who believed for salvation, but did not fully confess Jesus as Lord or submit entirely to Him.