Hyper Grace Movement

[Anon]

Anybody familiar with the hyper-grace movement?

 

The church school my kids attend, it is IFB but some of the people there seem to be following this movement.  I do not think the pastor does (well they just got a new pastor who seems straight, from a well known church you guys would recognize...the old pastor had issues and was made to step down) but the former youth pastor seemed to believe in the movement so therefore quite a few of the teens are sort of going that way.  The former youth pastor now has a secular jOB and is not faithful to church.  Sad.   Anyway....

 

Last night my two older boys brought home a Bible assignment as to whether the idea of daily confession of sins was a doctrine or a preference.  They were to write up their opinion with Bible backing it up.  We had quite a bit of discussion on it together, which was good...and after we gathered quite a few proof verses (I John 1:9, the Lords Prayer, some verses in Psalms, etc) my boys were convinced that the hyper grace movement is not Biblical.

 

Have you guys encountered this at all?

[John81]

It's around here to an extent but my direct encounters with it are limited. They seem to believe similarly to those who think that they are saved, and saved forever, so now they can live as they please because they have the liberty to do so through God's all encompassing grace. Most wouldn't put it that way, but that's basically what it boils down to.

 

These people seem to ignore calls to repentance, warnings of chastisement, correction or punishment for those who live in sin.

 

Some do seem to be very sincere, but they may be sincerely wrong in whether they are even saved or not. Most, I believe, would do well to be walked through the means of biblical salvation and verses on how followers of Christ are called to live and examine their faith based upon that to see if they are indeed even born again or not.

 

Hyper-grace is a dangerous teaching.

[HappyChristian]

Sadly, a good number of folks who leave the IFB turn to the hyper-grace movement.  Grace is used to excuse sin because Christ saved us and that's all we need...

[Anon]

Seems to be one of those teachings that just sort of slips in gently to where it's not really talked about...mostly just skirted around but by actions, the doctrine is taught.

 

I was glad to have the opportunity to discuss it with the kids and show them what the Bible truly has to say about it.   He said the other teens had no real answers other than verses like John 3:16....so they believe all sin is paid for once you're saved, but that repentance only has to occur once.

 

OBviously you remain saved, but we showed the kids how it affects your relationship with God, and can cause chastisement or even death if you continue to ignore God.

[Anon]

Sadly, a good number of folks who leave the IFB turn to the hyper-grace movement.  Grace is used to excuse sin because Christ saved us and that's all we need...

 

 

It would definitely be the OBvious knee jerk reaction to being raised in a very, very strict fundamentalist church.  I can sort of understand how that would happen.

 

Actually the former pastor of the church where my kids attend school....it came out he had issues with a temper and with anger and basically treated his staff very badly.  So again, likely the hyper grace idea was not helped by that type of attitude from the pastor.

[Salyan]

I'm not sure I'm familiar with this hyper-grace movement.... is it like Calvinism or more leading to new evangelicalism?

[John81]

This movement also fits in very well with those who "soul win" by telling people "just believe and you will go to heaven". Easy believism goes right along with hyper-grace. Just believe in your heart, no repentance necessary, no change of life involved, be happy you are saved and live as you want to because it's all good now.

[Anon]

I'm not sure I'm familiar with this hyper-grace movement.... is it like Calvinism or more leading to new evangelicalism?

 

Basically it's the belief that Jesus paid for your sins, past/present/future, and that's it.   Then after that you should kinda try to live for God, but that if you sin, you don't have to confess or be sorry because it's all automatically covered.   So it teaches a more free lifestyle...basically neoevangelicalism, but it's sort of a middle stairstep towards it.

[Salyan]

Huh... yeah, that does seem to demonstrate a misunderstanding of 1 John and the difference between salvation and a continuing close walk with God.

[OLD fashioned preacher]

Daily confession of sin to our Father??  Why wait all day and let it accumulate instead of getting right THEN!?  Oh yea, we might have to confess our lack of heart-felt acknowledgement of it as sin instead of giving time for conviction to cool down before our head-felt clicking off a list of today's sins needing the Lord's attention.

[Anon]

Daily confession of sin to our Father??  Why wait all day and let it accumulate instead of getting right THEN!?  Oh yea, we might have to confess our lack of heart-felt acknowledgement of it as sin instead of giving time for conviction to cool down before our head-felt clicking off a list of today's sins needing the Lord's attention.

 

 

I didn't mean it like that.....of course the sooner the better.

[OLD fashioned preacher]

It wasn't meant as a slam on your stand but that of hyper-grace

[OLD fashioned preacher]

It wasn't meant as a slam on your stand but that of hyper-grace

Well -- and people who actually take the attitude of "it's not my daily (or nightly) prayer time yet" or "it's still the song service (or preaching time) not the invitation yet". They might not say it that way but act in accordance with that attitude.

[LindaR]

Is the hyper grace teaching similar to what is called the "free gracer" teaching of Zane Hodges?

[beameup]

Too bad there is not a "walking in the Spirit movement".  Walking in the Spirit, you forget about yourself and automatically "focus" on the needs of others... which leads to "good works". 

I believe that the two go hand-in-hand, but that "hyper grace movement" is focusing on the doing of "good works", whether "walking in the Spirit" or not.

"Sinning" is a result of focusing on your self and its needs and desires.