Grace Factor - A Theology of Grace
Grace Factor -
A Theology of Grace and an Understanding of Sin
               
I am using a Wesleyan model of understanding.  I bring up again here a diagram to help us understand sin,  
grace, growth in grace, and ongoing sanctification.  (I used this diagram in the Christian’s Conscience essay.)  
(This diagram is from: Profiles In Wesleyan Theology, Leslie D. Wilcox, Vol 3:166, Schmul Publishing Company,
Inc., Salem, OH. 1985)

A man buys a house and property. According to his understanding, the property line goes straight back from his
house. On what he believes to be his land is a fruit tree, so he picks and takes the fruit. The neighbor sees this,
and comes out of his house furious and screaming, accusing his new neighbor of being a thief for stealing his
fruit! Unbeknownst to the new neighbor, the property line goes at an angle, and the fruit tree is clearly in the
neighbor’s yard.





































The question is: Did he sin? According to Wesley's definition he did not (in the sense of an act of rebellion), for it
did not carry the essential elements.

  • First, he did not know he was doing wrong.

  • Secondly, he did not willfully violate his neighbor, but yet, to all rights and appearances, the new neighbor
    broke the law and stole what was rightfully his neighbor’s. Now, once he was informed of the fact that he
    violated the law, then he owed his neighbor restitution for his loss.

So there are really two questions here:

  • Where is the boundary line?

  • Where is the person’s heart?

Lets now apply this principle to the various people that may come to our church door or that we may meet out in
public.  Lets assume the tree at the top represents any practice that you might consider sinful.  The question is
whether taking from this tree is inbounds or out of bounds with God. Depending on the issue we could argue
forever whether this is in bounds or not.  But the second question is:"Where is the person’s heart on this
issue?"  If in their heart he / she believes it is in bounds then he or she is not sinning, at least in the willful
violation sense of the word.  Sin, properly so called,  per Wesley, is a willful violation of a known law of God.

We are accountable for what we know and believe, not for what we don’t know and don’t believe.  Here are just a
few of the verses where Jesus talks about this.  Jesus states that because the people there had heard directly
from Him and had seen the wonderful works he had done there was no excuse for them not to believe (John 15:22-
24).  Jesus also says that because they were not blind but claimed to see their guilt remained (John 9:41)  
Additionally, James the brother of Jesus says that whenever we know what is right to do and do not do it for us it
is sin. (James 4:17).  In all of these examples only God knows the heart.  We do not.  But this also works the
other way....































Lets assume that the tree at the bottom  represents anything that we may or MAY NOT consider sinful .  But
what if the individual who takes from this tree knows and believes in their heart (whether their heart is
right or not) that what they are doing is out of bounds (or sin)?  Regardless of whether it is sinful or not to you or
me the individual is sinning  --Why?  Because they are going against what THEY BELIEVE is out of bounds with
God (see 1Corinthians 8 ).  So with this discussion the issue is not just where the boundary lines are.  The
question is "Is your heart right with God? or  Are you following Christ where he is leading you and convicting
you?

Does this mean the boundary line is unimportant?         No!!

Why?

  • Because all of us who have made Jesus our Lord (or our boss) are on a spiritual journey.

  • Because the goal of everyone who believes in Christ is to seek to be like Christ

  • Because seeking to be like Christ involves discovering where the boundary lines are.  It involves
    determining what is holy and what is not holy.

  • Discovering where the boundary lines are is part of what we call the spiritual journey or working out your
    salvation with fear and trembling. (Phillipians 2:12) (Phillipians 1:6)

  • Committing oneself to following Christ and staying within the boundary lines as God reveals them is called
    ongoing sanctification.

In this spiritual journey it is good to remember the following:

  • Everyone of us has issues of one kind or another to work through.

  • What you believe is an issue and what someone else believes is an issue will be different.

  • Part of the reason we have differences is because we are not all coming to Christ from the same place

Isn’t this a dangerous theology?

Yes, I suppose it is. I suppose it is possible that someone could justify anything with this.

Why embrace this kind of theology?

  • Because it is true.  

  • Because the reality is that we all need it.  

  • Because none of us is perfect in every way.  

Since this website’s main page is focused on sharing the love and grace of God with people who are gay, lesbian,
bisexual, and transgender, I am sure there are some questioning here how you can be gracious to those who are
(in your mind) openly going against scripture.  In response to that question I refer you to the question and  
discussion that follows.  (I would also refer you to my essay : Are You a Wecloming Church)

What if God were to judge us harshly just based on rules (whether known and embraced by us or not.)  Here are
some questions for you concerning rules.  (Note: I would take a much more gracious view than what I present in
these questions.)

1.  Do you tithe?  No?  The bible says that failing to tithe is robbing God and that robbers / thieves will not inherit
the kingdom.  (Malachi 3:8-10, I Cor 6:9-11)

How many Christians tithe?  How many would agree that failing to tithe is robbing God like the scripture says in
Malachi?  Wouldn't robbing God of His money to do His work be just as offensive to Him as other ‘sins’we talk
about.I am sure there are Christians that would believe tithing is mandatory.  I have also met Christians who
believe tithing is an Old Testament issue.  So who is right.  Either tithing is a command ie in bounds or it is not a
command ie out of bounds of God’s will.  One thing is for sure – many Christians do not tithe despite what the
scripture says.

2. Do you do work under the table (avoiding taxes)?.  The bible says to give to Caesar’s that which is Caesar’s and
give to God that which is God’s. (Matthew 22:17-22)

How many Christians work under the table?  How many Christians would justify this? Wouldn’t failing to give to
Caesar that which is Caesar’s amount to tax evasion?  Does any Christian want to validate that it is holy and
right to cheat on taxes?  Wouldn't this be thievery per I Cor 6:9-11?   Is it not true that stealing from the
government along with just being wrong would also hurt our witness?   Here again, this is an issue that Christians
do not agree on.  What is in bounds and what is out of bounds on this issue in terms of God’s will?

3.  Are you remarried after divorce?  Jesus calls remarriage adultery.  (I am  part of this group.  So I am
certainly not seeking to condemn you here.) The bible says that adulterers will not inherit the kingdom.  
(Matthew 5:31-32, Matthew 19:8-9, Mark 10:10-12, Luke 16:17-18, and I Corinthians 6:9-11)

How many Christians have remarried after divorce?  I know of pastors who have divorced and remarried.  But
doesn't Jesus say “No” to this?  And isn’t it true that we have only recently allowed this in the church in the last
100 years or so?  I understand the reasons we did this and I believe they are good reasons.  But who is right?  Is
remarrying after divorce in bounds or out of bounds with God?

4. Are you, or a loved one who is a Christian, addicted to alcohol or drugs knowingly or unknowingly? The bible
says that drunkards will not inherit the kingdom.  (I Corinthians 6:9-11)

We now know a lot more about the perils of addictive substances.  We  know about the long path of recovery.  We
also know that a person typically must hit the bottom and come to the end of themselves before they can even
begin the process of recovery.  (I have experienced some of this myself in the past.)  A journey out of addiction
will take time and effort.  First one must recognize that they have a an issue with alcohol or drugs.  Then they
must make effort to resolve the issue.  But this will take time and prayer and support.  It may involve relapses.
But scripture doesn’t say all of this.  All the scripture says is that drunkards will not inherit the kingdom. So
which is right, our modern understanding, or scripture?  Which understanding is in bounds?  Which is out of
bounds?

5. Are you sleeping around?  The bible calls that sexual immorality. Those who commit sexual immorality will not
inherit the kingdom.  (I Corinthians 6:9-11)

Many Christians are chaste and wait until marriage to have sexual relations.  But many others are not.  Are you
prepared to condemn them?  I have been in bible studies where the claim has been made that this is immoral but
not condemned but if you are in a gay relationship that relationship is immoral and you are condemned.  But on
what grounds do we say this?  The bible makes no such distinction.

6.  Do you smoke? Smoking is harmful to your body and could bring about an early death.  The bible says that
your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit.  Anyone that hurts the temple God will deal with even if it is you.  
(I Corinthians 3:16-18)

There are many Christians who have not kicked the smoking habit.  Smoking is very addictive.  I used to
smoke.  Was I condemned when I did?  Where is smoking in terms of being in bounds or out of bounds?

Do we really think we can ignore Romans Chapter 2?    

Romans Chapter 2 warns us that we who pass judgment on others have no business doing so because we do the
same things (see Romans  2:1-4).   None of the above items is less sinful than the other.  So why all the fuss over
homosexuality?  If you are passing judgment on others, be aware that Jesus warns Christians that they will be
judged the same way they judge others. (Matthew 7:1-5)

So what are you going to do with the above list? (This was the short list)

  • Realize that we who are Christian don’t all agree about what is sinful.  For much of what I listed at the
    beginning of this paper as well as the list above you will find disagreement among Christians

  • Even when we do agree, we don’t typically put it in the face of those we are meeting.  Jesus didn't so why
    should we.  Any such confrontation will only happen after time has passed and relationships have been
    built.  

  • It would be good for all of us to remember that when we fail the law in one part we fail it in all parts (James
    2:10-11) .  

  • We also should remember that scripture is the great leveler.  All sin is sin. (Romans 3:21-23)

I have spent all of this time to bring us down to a simple truth:  We are either moving toward God, (through faith
in Christ) from whatever station we are at in life or we are moving away from God.  Righteousness and holiness is
when we are knowingly moving toward God.  Sin is when we are knowingly moving away from God.  This is how
the people of the Old Testament were holy and righteous before God and this is how people today are holy and
righteous before God through Christ.  Holiness either works throughout the bible or it doesn’t work at all.

So we have a decision to make here.  We can embrace a theology of grace that recognizes the spiritual journey
and recognizes that all of us who believe in Christ are all journeying toward Christ.   Or we can pass judgement
on others and, by so doing, pass judgment on ourselves.  You can do whatever you want to do.  As for me, I am
going to embrace a theology of grace.





For further study......

I would refer you to my paper titled: Are You a Welcoming Church and these two links.  This link is to a Side B
Gay Christian man’s perspective and this link is to a Side A Gay Christian man’s perspective.  I would also refer
you to the books and links on the GLBT reference page.
Missional Church