HYPER-GRACE HORROR STORIES
Posted by: prophetic <prophetic@...>
by Michael Brown
Hyper-grace teachers frequently emphasize that they do not
condone sinful living and that God´s true grace will produce a holy
life, and I believe they sincerely mean this. One hyper-grace author
even states at the beginning of his book, "We are not propagating
immorality, because if we truly believe in God and love Him there
will be corresponding works (because faith without works is
dead)." Absolutely!
There are boatloads of testimonies these teachers can point to,
documenting how thousands of believers have found freedom and
deliverance by embracing the message of grace. In previous years,
these believers had lived under a weight of condemnation, thinking
if they just worked a little harder God might accept them, feeling
as if they never measured up. Then they encountered God´s
amazing grace and were transformed.
This is wonderful news, and I rejoice in these testimonies too. In
fact, that is the message of grace I believe in and preach as well.
Unfortunately, there are now boatloads of stories of believers who
have been terribly injured by the hyper-grace message. In fact,
since my article "Confronting the Errors of Hyper-Grace" was
posted last week, I have not been able to keep up with all the
horror stories that have been sent my way.
This one is typical, from Jessica:
"I have seen firsthand the changes that come with people who
embrace this message.
"I joined a small group 3 years ago that went from having regular
prayer meetings and living holy connected lives together to stating
`prayer is a work and denies grace´ and `sin allows grace to do
its great work.´ All of our prayer meetings and Bible studies were
traded in for game-nights and nights out at the bar to `witness´
where many from the group got plastered... all in the name of `grace.´
"My heart has been so broken for my dear friends who I walked
so closely with. As a group, they have embraced sin as not only
acceptable, but justified and desirable. I have been completely
ostracized and mocked for my stand in holiness. They don´t
even call me by my name anymore-they call me `Pharisee.´
Unfortunately, I have had to step completely away from these
loved ones and am spending my life in prayer for them."
Another wrote this:
"I had a loved one who was an intense follower of hyper grace
start to lie and cheat in his business... He was a different person
before he started following hyper grace... He wasn´t greedy, in
fact he was selfless, humble and very much in integrity. Also I
can´t mention to him the fact that he lied and withheld info in order
to steer people to invest... Why? Because he says there is no
condemnation in Christ. So no one is allowed to mention that
aspect of his behavior to him ... or else."
A worship leader wrote to me, describing what is happening among
prominent worship leaders he knows, where "the drinking partying
thing is rampant. Totally excused because they were under grace
not legalism."
Of course, my hyper-grace friends will protest: "This is not the fruit
of our message. Our message produces love for Jesus and holy
living. These people obviously misunderstood what we were teaching."
But it´s not so simple, otherwise pastors and believers from
around the country (and other countries) wouldn´t be contacting
me day and night to talk about the destructive effects of the
hyper-grace message.
Without a doubt, my colleagues who preach hyper-grace have
discovered some wonderful truths that are liberating and transforming,
and all of us should embrace those truths. Unfortunately, the hyper-
grace message (in contrast with Paul´s message of abundant grace)
is unbalanced and highly reactionary, to the real detriment many believers.
Here are three major concerns (out of many more) that must be addressed:
1) Hyper-grace teachers (and their followers) denigrate those who
differ with them, calling them legalistic Pharisees, branding them
manipulators and tyrants who preach a counterfeit gospel, and
sometimes even claiming that leaders who don´t preach hyper-
grace are doing so for monetary gain ("sin management is lucrative;"
there is an almost endless stream of quotes like this from respected
hyper-grace leaders). This is destructive and divisive and needs
to stop. (For the record, I use the term "hyper-grace" to be
descriptive, not insulting, and some within the movement say,
"Yes, we believe in hyper-grace!")
2) In their zeal to exalt God´s grace, hyper-grace teachers often
make extreme statements that lead believers to think that they are
not responsible for their sins. After all, if we are always perfectly
holy in God´s sight, we don´t really sin. Our bodies do! This is
dangerous and unbiblical.
3) Hyper-grace teachers commonly claim that the words of Jesus
no longer apply to us. Instead, they argue, Jesus´ teaching was
for the Jews under the Law before the new covenant was
inaugurated, whereas Paul brought the message of grace. If this
false dichotomy doesn´t raise a red flag of warning, nothing will.
Simply stated, any teaching that minimizes (or even ignores)
the teachings of Jesus should be rejected.
I appeal to you, my brothers and sisters who are leaders in the
hyper-grace camp (or, in your view, who are preaching the message
of grace) to take these things to the Lord and make some serious
course corrections before more lives are destroyed. Many have
been helped by the truths you have taught, but many others have
been damaged by your errors, and you cannot rejoice in the good
without taking responsibility for the bad.
We don´t need any more horror stories.
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