love – Grace Evangelical Society

Do You Remember the Poor? (Galatians 2:9-10)

June 23, 2022 by Shawn Lazar in Blog - charity, Galatians, love, poverty

When James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that had been given to me, they gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised. They desired only that we should remember the poor, the very thing which I

Weaving a Tapestry of Love: Lynda MacGibbon on Loving Your Neighbors

May 17, 2022 by Shawn Lazar in Blog - love, vocation

How do you love your neighbors? Since we do not have to work to earn our salvation (Eph 2:8-9; Gal 2:16), grace people are freed up to simply love our neighbors however they need to be loved. But how do you do it? In My Vertical Neighborhood, Lynda MacGibbon tells the story of moving from

Joseph Prince on the Difference Between Knowing and Loving

August 30, 2021 by Shawn Lazar in Blog - grace message, grace revolution, head heart, Joseph Prince, love

I think Joseph Prince is at least Free Grace friendly. I wrote an article about him many years ago, but I plan on updating it after reading some of his newer books, such as Grace Revolution: Experience the Power to Live Above Defeat. I think he has come closer to a Free Grace soteriology, but

The Christian Life Is Often Filled with Dirty Feet

August 5, 2021 by Shawn Lazar in Blog - Christian Life, love, ordinary, service, small is beautiful

Let’s admit it—the Christian life and Christian service are not always thrilling. Both are often merely ordinary. And yet, faithfulness in ordinariness can please God. Think of Ruth. The Book of Ruth takes place during the period of the Judges when big, important events were happening in the life of Israel. And God has much

Three Words That Summarize the Christian Life: Believe, Abide, Love

May 12, 2021 by Shawn Lazar in Blog - abide, Believe, Christian Life, love

Most religions are extremely complicated because their works salvation systems depend on you following intricate laws, rituals, and to-do lists in the hopes of climbing the ladder to heaven. By contrast, Biblical Christianity (and, by implication, Free Grace Theology) is simple. How so? I think you can summarize the Christian’s “duty” with these three words—

Overcoming Sinful Strongholds

December 8, 2020 by Shawn Lazar in Blog - love, punks, Sin

Q. I read your blogs about growing up (see here and here). Do you believe a Christian can have strongholds in his or her life, and if so, do you have some Biblical information on that topic that you can share sometime? A. I’m not entirely familiar with the term “strongholds,” but I think you

Sanctification Through Falling Deeper in Love: A Lesson from Anthony Norris Groves

August 27, 2020 by Shawn Lazar in Blog - Anthony Norris Groves, love, Sanctification

How can you be holy? How can you live a “deeper” life with Christ? I am reading a biography of Anthony Norris Groves, written by G. H. Lang. So far, it is excellent. Groves was one of the pioneers of the faith missions movement—he went to the mission field without salary or support and depended

Would You Give Up Your Church Buildings to Show Love?

August 21, 2020 by Shawn Lazar in Blog - love, Matthew 5:40, Philippians 4:5, Robert Chapman

We know that eternal life is a free gift—an extraordinary, extravagant gift—given simply on the condition of faith in Christ, totally apart from any works that we can do (Rom 6:23; Eph 2:8-9). But then what? What comes next? The short answer is: love. Freed from the burden of having to earn your salvation by

A Church Can Be Doctrinally Sound, But Unloving (Revelation 2:1-7)

July 23, 2020 by Shawn Lazar in Blog - doctrine, Ephesians, Ephesus, love, Revelation

Did you know that a church can be doctrinally sound and yet be without love? That’s not an idea I find easy to entertain, because I care so much about doctrine. But that is what Jesus said to the Ephesians: To the angel of the church of Ephesus write, ‘These things says He who holds

Will You Not Be Accepted? (Genesis 4:3-7; Matthew 5:21-24)

April 8, 2020 by Shawn Lazar in Blog - love, offerings

After the fall, two brothers brought offerings to the Lord, but only one was accepted: And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the Lord. Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the Lord