So back when I was first introduced to the grace message (2011-2012ish) I saw the glory behind it and dove right in, watching Crowder videos back to back, listening to the drunk monk Vaughn, reading the well known grace books along with lesser known authors like Robert Capon, as well as indulging in the good’ol words of our South African brothers, Francois Du Toit and friends… But I also saw a potential danger. Humanism. If you don’t know what Humanism is, I suggest you go google it. Essentially, it puts emphasis on the value of humanity and things such as logic/reason, as opposed to things like the spiritual and supernatural. Now don’t get me wrong, the mirror revelation is a beautiful revelation about seeing yourself in/as Christ, but I have noticed a shift of focus from Christ to self in certain Christian/Grace circles. Some have even gone into strange existential, new age ways of thinking, a form of “I AM” apart from the Chief Cornerstone, as Paul says, “having a form of godliness, yet denying the power thereof.” This is folly. Apart from Him, you are nothing… But I digress.
Here’s the thing, whenever a new revelation is (re)introduced to the body of Christ, it does not suddenly negate previous things that the Father has revealed to Us. Revelation is layer upon layer, line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little, there a little, and Christ is the All in All, the fullness thereof. But so often people have taken a revelation that God revealed to them, or the body as a whole, and made THAT their all in all. They took a brick from the building and built an altar around it, and in so doing the piece which was merely a building block (a part) of the new Jerusalem has become a stumbling block to them. Remember, Wisdom is vindicated by ALL Her children, not just this one or that one.
Why do I bring this up? Lately I’ve seen a lot of talk about things such as the “human experience,” and I see where people are coming from. But in talking in this way I have also noticed that we’ve lowered our standards, we’ve brought God down to our level rather than recognize that He’s brought us up to His level. Jesus didn’t stay in the grave, He rose above all principalities and powers and is now seated at the right hand of POWER. How about we talk about the God experience. Like I said, I see where people are coming from. They go through circumstances, situations, hardships, etc., and they want to find a way to mentally reconcile their experiences with their beliefs, and so strange fire is born. A little leaven is all it takes, a little bit of leaning on your own understanding is all you need to build a doctrine centered on yourself. I would suggest that you take your understanding to the cross that you might receive His understanding. Let Him CRUCIFY your understanding that He may RESURRECT it as His own. So as far as all this humanistic thinking and self-focus is concerned, I would suggest that you shift your focus off of yourself and back to God, unless that’s too old school for you to even want to try. Remember, layer upon layer, line upon line, precept upon precept…
(Disclosure: I am not trying to condemn the grace message/preachers, I am simply writing about something I initially felt in my spirit, a “check” per se, and how I’ve seen it unfold. Not all “grace preachers” have stumbled on this stumbling block. Some still adhere to the sovereignty of the Most High God.)
Israel’s Writings 