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ReVision

Not Merely Good Feeling

Grace is so much more.

A Christian Guidebook: What Is Grace? (2)

For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame—who set their mind on earthly things. Philippians 3.18, 19

The grace of the cross
A useful memory device has it that grace can be understood as “God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense.” This simple acrostic reminds us that grace comes from God, and it comes lavishly, abundantly, and overwhelm-ingly to underserving people. It further asserts that these riches have been bought, paid for, and secured by the work of Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary. His death—the unjust murder of the only completely just One—is the tap that opens the flow of God’s riches to our souls.

What joy we know, and what great thanksgiving wells up within us, together with renewed devotion, as we contemplate the gracious work of our Lord Jesus Christ! We want to sing or shout,

Amazing love! How can it be
that Thou, My God, shouldst die for me?”

And we would be right to do so. The grace of God is intimately associated with the cross of Jesus Christ:

At the cross, at the cross, where I first saw the light,
and the burden of my heart rolled away!
It was there, by faith, I received my sight,
and now I’m so happy all the day!

All who believe in Jesus understand that His gracious work is for our good, that we might be free from guilt, shame, fear, doubt, and sin, to walk in the newness of life and hope in our risen and reigning Lord.

But it is precisely because grace is so good, and brings us such joy in the riches of our God, that it is easy to make feeling good the summum bonum and defining mark of true faith. All who make this mistake, choosing mere good feeling over life in the grace of the Lord, become not the beneficiaries of the cross, but its enemies.

Enemies of the cross?
This is what Paul warned the Philippians about in our text. Wherever Paul went, certain people—jealous of his ministry or wanting to subvert his work—preached another “gospel”. Selfishly ambitious themselves, they appealed to the self-interest of those who heard them, tickling their itching ears with a message aimed at making them feel good.

They preached the “gospel” to satisfy their own selfish desires; and they sought by the same means to attract followers. Paul’s words, they insisted, were weighty and powerful and difficult to hear (2 Cor. 10.10). Paul demanded purity, holiness, courage, self-denial, a willing embrace of hardship and suffering, and a bold stand for Christ. He insisted on the Law of God as the proper outworking of salvation. He demanded that sinful people be confronted and brought to their senses, even if it meant separating them from the Lord’s congregation for a time.

Where’s the fun in that?

The false preachers who sought to draw Paul’s converts to themselves proclaimed an easy “gospel”, a message that required only that those who heard it should be happy and free from any discomfiting obligations. “Believe in Jesus, and live free according to all your desires” was the essence of their words. And people from Galatia to Corinth to Philippi listened happily to such drivel, setting aside the Gospel as they had received it from Paul, and turning to another gospel, a form of near Christianity, which was easier, less demanding, and focused only on their feeling good.

Thus, they became enemies of the grace and cross of Jesus, and not beneficiaries of His Good News.

Examine yourself
So completely ensnared in this false gospel had certain believers become, that Paul rebuked the Galatians, admonished the Philippians, and warned the Corinthians to take a hard look at themselves (Gal. 3.1-4; Phil. 3.17-19; 2 Cor. 13.5). Had they really understood the Gospel? Had they indeed come under the influence of grace? Or were they seeking merely the good feelings that are associated with forgiveness and the hope of eternal life?

The danger lay in that, by seeking good feelings above all else, they had made a god of their belly, had become enemies of grace, and were on a course of destruction which would only finally be revealed when pronounced against them by the Lord (Matt. 7.21-23).

The gospel of the belly—of self-interest, most often sought in some form of feeling good about oneself—is not the grace of the Lord. Grace abounds in joy, it’s true, but joy and happiness are not the same thing. If you’re seeking from your faith mere happiness and good feeling, if you go to church because the singing makes you feel good, the preaching consistently tells you you’re “OK” with Jesus, and you enjoy your Christian friends, then you need to examine yourself and make sure you’re not worshiping the god of the belly rather than the God Who suffered, died, rose again, and calls us to follow Him in a life of self-denial, sacrifice, suffering, sorrows, and joy.

Happiness will come and go. If you’re changing churches or continuing in your present congregation because that’s where you’re happy, then it may not be grace that’s moving you, and it won’t be grace that you discover when you finally feel good about yourself. The god of the belly may use the language of grace and the Gospel of the Lord; but whatever “glory” you may realize will be instead your shame, for you will have set your mind on earthly things—mere happiness—rather than on the Lord Jesus Christ and the true, unfading joy of His grace.

Search the Scriptures
1. What’s the difference between happiness and joy? Which does the Lord promise His people? How would you support your answers from Scripture?

2. Look at John 16.33 and Acts 14.22. What is the role of such things in the Gospel of grace? Should we always expect to be “happy” during such times? But can we know joy? Explain.

3. “Happiness” can become an idol. Explain.

Next steps—Preparation: Spend time in prayer, asking the Lord to search your soul—heart, mind, and conscience—to see whether any elements or aspects of “near Christianity” are lingering there. Confess and repent of these as the Spirit leads.

T. M. Moore

Additional Resources
If you have found this study helpful, take a moment and give thanks to God. Then share what you learned with a friend. This is how the grace of God spreads (2 Cor. 4.15).

This part of our study of A Christian Guidebook is adapted from our book, Grace for Your Time of Need. You can order this book by clicking here or download a free PDF by clicking here. And while you’re at it, download the Leader’s Guide for teaching Grace for Your Time of Need by clicking here.

Support for ReVision comes from our faithful and generous God, who moves our readers to share financially in our work. If this article was helpful, please give Him thanks and praise.

And please prayerfully consider supporting The Fellowship of Ailbe with your prayers and gifts. You can contribute online, via PayPal or Anedot, or you may send your gift to The Fellowship of Ailbe, P. O. Box 8213, Essex, VT 05451.

Except as indicated, all Scriptures are taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

T.M. Moore

T. M. Moore is principal of The Fellowship of Ailbe, a spiritual fellowship in the Celtic Christian tradition. He and his wife, Susie, make their home in the Champlain Valley of Vermont.
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