“Maintaining Your Victory in the Midst of Discomfort” – Episode 3

The core message of the gospel centers on grace—God’s beautiful gift that is “literally something out of this world”. This powerful message is freeing hearts and renewing minds globally. Understanding grace means moving past religious tradition, condemnation, and effort, and embracing the truth that God’s acceptance is a finished work.

The Transformative Power of Grace

Grace is defined as Jesus, full of grace and truth. To have a problem with grace is to have a problem with Jesus, as every principle shared concerning grace is a principle of the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace brings everlasting forgiveness and assures believers that God will never leave them nor forsake them.

God’s love, favor, and blessing were never meant to be earned; they are gifts He has already given. This truth empowers believers to stop striving and start living, rooting their faith in truth, not effort, and letting go of guilt and fear.

Salvation: Belief Over Dead Works

Salvation is fundamentally about belief, not about accumulating good deeds or works. The example of the two thieves on the cross illustrates this distinction clearly: one believed Jesus and was promised paradise that day, despite having no time for church, prayer, or good deeds. The other did not believe.

God desires that people believe in Him, rather than working to acquire enough “dead works” to persuade Him to grant entry into heaven. Jesus already forgave all sin; realizing this truth should bring deep happiness. Salvation is simply believing in Jesus, believing that He died, rose again, and lives today, and receiving Him as Savior.

Understanding Sin: Nature vs. Behavior

Sin is defined as missing the mark. The Bible does not make a distinction between “big sin” (like adultery or murder) and “little sin” (like arrogance, selfishness, or a bad attitude). All people miss the mark.

It is critical to distinguish between the sinful nature and sinful behavior.

• The Sinful Nature: This was dealt with the day a person got born again, resulting in a new creation.
• Sinful Behavior: This does not stop immediately upon salvation. The new creation now works to escort the believer away from sinful behavior.

If sinful behavior separated people from Christ, Jesus would not have been able to spend time with His own disciples.

Rejecting Judgment and Shame

Religious doctrine often attempts to bring God’s grace down to the level of human comprehension. This often results in judging and shaming others.

We should not be judgmental of sinful behavior, especially since we are all still dealing with misbehaving ourselves. When people act self-righteous toward others, it suggests they have convinced themselves that they no longer fall short or miss the mark. It is unwise to compare oneself among others.

Religion uses shame—shaming people out of church or out of relationship with God—often to make the shamer feel better about their own failures. God, however, loves and desires to work with people even when they make mistakes.

Overcoming Toxic Religion and Culture

Believers are often victims of condemnation and toxic cultural norms that are contradictory to the Word of God.

The Trap of Man Law

Ignorant societal practices have placed values on culturally given laws (“man law”) that have nothing to do with biblical truth. Toxic masculinity, passed down from fathers, pressures men to cover up their insecurities with a false sense of superiority.

Examples of this societal pressure include:

• A man feeling compelled to lead in a way that is unnatural to him, even if his wife leads better in that area.
• A man hiding his desire to be a chef because societal friends claim his wife should be the one cooking.
• A man defining his masculinity by physical attributes or the number of sexual partners, which is “plain ignorant”.

Instead of following man law, believers should focus on what Jesus does, regardless of whether they are a man or a woman.

Culture vs. the Word

People frequently prioritize their traditions and culture over the Word of God. The sources assert that culture is secondary and often wrong, needing to be adjusted and infused with the Word. For example, God has called women into ministry, to preach, and to perform mighty works, regardless of cultural traditions that attempt to limit them. Every culture needs the grace of God.