Covenant Contrasts Part 17
When we preach a mixed covenant message, we are not drawing people into the kingdom of God. Rather, we are literally “shutting the door” to the kingdom. Listen carefully to these words of Jesus.
“But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you shut off the kingdom of heaven from people; for you do not enter in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in” (Matthew 23:13).
How did the scribes and Pharisees “shut off the kingdom of heaven from people”? First, they resisted Jesus and His kingdom message. And they eventually succeeded in shutting Jesus up. Or did they? But even apart from their resistance to the gospel, Jesus was often calling them out for the incredible burdens they placed upon people with their myriad of nit-picking, man-made rules and regulations. The scribes and Pharisees were a barrier to folks experiencing the kingdom of God.
How do we “shut off the kingdom of heaven from people” today? I think we do this in two ways to two different kinds of people.
To the lost, we shut off the kingdom of heaven by preaching a message of rules and regulations to become a Christian. We have painted Christianity as a religion of restrictions, sin management, and self-effort. How is the message of try harder, clean yourself up, and then come to Jesus good news? It’s not.
The grace of God is good news. The love and forgiveness of Jesus that is waiting and available to you no matter where you are in your moral endeavors is good news. The fact that Christ died in our place on a cross, finished the work, and took away our sin is great news! Our response is to believe His gospel message and be saved.
When we preach an old covenant to-do list such as obeying the ten commandments as our path to God’s acceptance; when we preach the punishment awaiting us from an angry God when we stray; when we preach an Old Testament mindset as part of the Christian life, we are raising a barrier to receiving the gospel.
Jesus’ offer is “come as you are.” Our offer is often “come when you have it all together.” Preaching a behavioral requirement to becoming a Christian is shutting people out of the kingdom. Preaching grace is throwing open a door to the kingdom.
Second, for those who already believe, we can shut the door to the joy, rest, and freedom that comes to us when we enter God’s family; when we enter the kingdom of heaven.
It seems everywhere I look, I see heavy chains placed upon believers. Following rules, regulations, and spiritual disciplines are required to be considered a good Christian. Folks are taught that their union with the Father is fragile, maintained only by a strict observance of His commands, and broken completely when we sin. Forgiveness depends on how well you are doing at forgiving others and blessing depends on how well you obey. Stop! This transactional connection to the Father is NOT how grace works. Jesus did the work. And grace makes you the beneficiary of ALL that Jesus accomplished on your behalf the minute you believed the gospel message of Jesus. A TRANSACTONAL love, acceptance, and forgiveness arrangement with God is old covenant and it is over. GRACE has come!
So throw off your chains! You are always in good standing with Jesus. Why? Because His love is unconditional, His death paid for all of your sins, and you believed His gospel message.
You are set free in Christ from rules, regulations, the Law, or any other burden that leaders send your way. “It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery” (Galatians 5:1).
Throw open wide the doors to the kingdom of heaven so the lost can enter in and the saved can find joy and freedom in the journey.