...and with watery eyes the 45 year old fellow worker said to me: "Eddie,
I still have the letter you gave me back in 1999. If you only knew how
much that letter has meant to me. It just changed my life in so many
ways. You said some things in that letter that opened my eyes to a lot
of things. For 13 years I never did believe that I was saved, until
you shared with me the grace of God, the which I have never really heard
much about, much less understood."
"I spent 13 years of my life trying to do good for God. After
reading your letter, and seeing how you too experienced some of the
similar things that I've gone through, I found myself crying my eyes
out and thanking God for what I had felt all along in my heart. I am
not going to lie to you, but there were many times when I would ask
myself: "What if Eddie is wrong about his grace teachings?"
But then I got to thinking to myself: "But what if he's right?"
Do I want to keep living this life of religious hell here on earth,
or do I just live my life trusting in the finished work of the cross?"
"Eddie, I had a decision to make and it wasn't easy. So I just
kept going over your letter, and the more I read it, the more sense
it made to me. Some of the things you explained in your letter concerning
grace weren't easy to digest at first. You see, when you have been conditioned
for so many years to believe a certain way, then someone like you comes
along and presents the Gospel in a different light than what I had been
taught, it creates room for a lot of questions. But all in all, I am
glad you gave me that letter. I take it that you saw some sign of desperation
in me?"
Friends, the man is from 'Costa Rica.' He had joined in with a very
strict Pentecostal Church, and like many of us he was groomed to believed
that unless he live the straight and narrow he would never be totally
accepted with God. I must also mentioned that prior to his religious
conversion he was raised in a family that practiced 'santeria.' Voodoo
this and you do that. However, inspite of the fact that he had experienced
a religious transformation, he still struggled with all sorts of sexual
temptations. But in his mind he had convinced himself that as long as
he didn't give into the sexual temptations, God would still grade on
a curve and not hold it against him.
I remember somewhere back in the late 80's how Kenneth Copeland was
preaching on the subject of temptation and he made the statement during
his sermon, the which I have never forgotten, how a very good looking
and attractive young woman was sitting in the front row in the place
where he was preaching, and how he resisted the devil and his alluring
temptation and didn't give into it. But the funny part about the whole
thing, the which I now find it phony, but at the time I didn't, is how
he came out and said: "I looked, I saw, it was tempting, but I
didn't give into it."
Had I known back then that Jesus had said: "The thought is just
as bad as the act" I would have probably said: "What a hypocrite?"
Friends, the fellow worker no longer struggles with the sexual tempting
desire, he just gives into it....Just kidding...just kidding. No, seriously,
the man no longer worries as to whether he's done right or wrong as
much as he did back in the days when he was involved in legalism. He
has told me that he now enjoys life, his wife and children more than
he ever did while he was under the religious bondage of legalism. He
no longer doubts, nor worries or fears that when he does something wrong
God is breathing down his neck or sending him to hell.
He now understands that when Paul told Timothy "that they may
recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive
by him at his will," that Paul was making reference to the religious
self-righteous people who were trying to get Timothy back under the
law after he had come to the freedom of God's grace. Boy, I like it
when people learn the true meaning of passages, and are set free by
the truth that is in them. I've said it before and I'll say it again:
"The biggest stronghold that has ever made man a slave to legalistic
doctrines, has been the stronghold of manipulative out of context usage
of bible verses completely raped by the religious pulpit.
Friends, there is no confidence, freedom nor peace in the legalistic
doctrines of religion. The only way out from under such doctrines is
through the true Gospel of God's grace and not through the mixed-up
and perverted gospel of the "3 Amigos'. I may not get much feed
back on how many have come to the freedom of God's grace from under
the bondage of religion. But just one heart felt testimony like the
one I just shared with all of you concerning the liberty that my fellow
working friend has found in Jesus, is enough to last me for a lifetime
of joy and rejoicing. Nothing compares to the true Gospel of God's Grace.
The Gospel of God's Grace Makes All The Difference In The World! You
can't beat the Gospel Message. Nothing comes close to the Gospel of
His Grace. The Gospel stand all by itself. There is freeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeedom
in the Gospel. Thank You Jesus!
Grace N Peace
Eddie