Exposing the Fake Gospel of Grace

A number of preachers today claim to preach a gospel of grace.

The same may have been the case during Judes day. Jude, however,
was horrified to discern that, among the preachers of his day, a primary
motivation behind preaching grace was to cover-up unrepentant and
immoral lifestyles. This led him to write a brief yet powerful epistle to
expose these false teachers.

3
Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the
salvation we share, I felt I had to write and urge you to contend
for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints.
4
For
certain men whose condemnation was written about long ago have
secretly slipped in among you. They are godless men, who
change the grace of our God into a license for immorality
and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord. (Jude 3-4;
NIV; emphasis mine)

Interestingly, when speaking to the elders from Ephesus, the Apostle
Paul appears to have prophesied about such men (please see text below
in bold):

17
From Miletus, Paul sent to Ephesus for the elders of the church.
18
When they arrived, he said to them: You know how I lived the
whole time I was with you, from the first day I came into the
province of Asia.
19
I served the Lord with great humility and with
tears, although I was severely tested by the plots of the Jews.
20

You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would
be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to
house.
21
I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must
turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus.

22
And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not
knowing what will happen to me there.
23
I only know that in
every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are
facing me.
24
However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if
only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus
has given methe task of testifying to the gospel of Gods grace.

25
Now I know that none of you among whom I have gone about
preaching the kingdom will ever see me again.
26
Therefore, I
declare to you today that I am innocent of the blood of all men.
27

For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God.
28
Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy
Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God,
which he bought with his own blood.
29
I know that after I leave,
savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare
the flock.
30
Even from your own number men will arise and
distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them.
31
So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I
never stopped warning each of you night and day with
tears.

32
Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which
can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who
are sanctified.
33
I have not coveted anyones silver or gold or
clothing.
34
You yourselves know that these hands of mine have
supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions.
35
In
everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we
must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus
himself said: It is more blessed to give than to receive. (Acts
20:17-35; NIV; emphasis mine)

In the above passage of scripture, we see that Paul had been
commissioned with the task of testifying to the gospel of Gods
grace (Acts 20:24; NIV; emphasis mine)

He then commits the elders of Ephesus to the word of his grace
(Acts 20:32; NIV; emphasis mine), which he claims can build you up
and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified (Acts
20:32; NIV; emphasis mine)

The point I am trying to make in citing the above scripture is that the
true gospel of grace (which Paul preached, and which he encouraged
others to do so) should ultimately lead hearers towards increased
sanctification (Acts 20:32; NIV), and not increasing immorality (Jude 4;
NIV).

After all, this is why God grants grace not so that people can remain
comfortable about their sinful lifestyles, but so that they may repent of
their sins and practice righteousness!

Though grace is shown to the wicked, they do not learn
righteousness; even in a land of uprightness they go on doing
evil and regard not the majesty of the LORD. (Isaiah 26:10; NIV;
emphasis mine)

In view of these false teachers, Jude exhorts believers to build
themselves up in their most holy faith (Jude 20; NIV; emphasis mine):

17
But, dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus
Christ foretold.
18
They said to you, In the last times there will be
scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires.
19
These are
the men who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do
not have the Spirit.

20
But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy
faith and pray in the Holy Spirit.
21
Keep yourselves in Gods love
as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to
eternal life. (Jude 17-21; NIV; emphasis mine)

Beloved, if you might be sitting under a preacher who preaches grace,
I urge you to please examine your lifestyle, and to honestly ask yourself
if your life has become more holy since the time you came under such
teaching. Or, on the other hand, has there been greater compromise in
your moral values?

Does your life exhibit more of the fruit of the Spirit
1
since the time you
came under such teaching? If not, this could be a warning sign that you
are sitting under a false teacher, for Jude points out that such teachers
are without fruit (Jude 12)

It is not worth risking your salvation by sitting under a false gospel of
grace! Move away from it and save yourself (and others if possible)
from its influence:

Keep yourselves in Gods love as you wait for the mercy of our
Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life. Be merciful to those
who doubt; snatch others from the fire and save them; to
others show mercy, mixed with fearhating even the clothing
stained by corrupted flesh. (Jude 21-23; NIV; emphasis mine)

All scripture is cited from the 1984 edition of the New International Version (NIV),
unless otherwise stated.
Written by: Roy Chan Yeow Chuan
Version dated: 16 October 2014
FREE for circulation and distribution; this essay was written as a public service.
For enquiries, write to: yeowchuanchan@gmail.com

1
For the fruit of the Spirit, see Galatians 5:22-23a: But the fruit of the Spirit is love,
joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.