Grace Reigns

There is a grave misconception regarding the nature of Christianity, that unfortunately some Christians tend to perpetuate because of the lack of knowledge regarding our own faith. The activity of God is not determined by a person's goodness or the lack thereof. This is important to understand because many times you will find a person professing to be a Christian, doing things that are not of God. When people witness this in professing believers, particularly those that are unsaved, they will question the authenticity of their faith and label them as hypocrites. This is incorrect.

A person is not a Christian based upon their moral behavior, they're a Christian based upon their confession of faith in the Blood of Jesus Christ for the remission and forgiveness of their sins. The Bible says that all have sinned and come short of the Glory of God (Romans 3). Therefore, no one has the right to judge whether or not a person's Christian faith is authentic. If a person hasn't learned how to crucify the flesh and walk in the Spirit (Galatians 5), then that person is going to demonstrate behavior that is more reflective of the world than it is of God.

That's why the consistent witness of the church has to be that we are saved, made Christians, by Grace--God's Unmerited Favor. Even for those who are more "spiritually mature" in certain areas, it's not you, it's the Grace of God! And if it is you, then it's not God, it's self-righteousness, which is the spirit that crucified Christ. 

Let's not be hasty to label people's faith because of our awareness of certain sins they commit or issues they wrestle with. Let us remember that Grace Reigns (Romans 5).