You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.
2 TIMOTHY 2:1
On September 20, 1945, the USS Missouri sailed into Tokyo Harbor to receive and accept the formal surrender of the Imperial Japanese Army. The USS Missouri was not, however, the first ship to enter the harbor. The USS Revenge was commissioned to first sweep the harbor of all naval mines placed there to ensure the safety and success of the mission of world peace. A dear friend of my husband’s and mine, Will Templeton, was on that ship.
During the years of 1918–1939, land mines were developed and began to be used by military strategists. The average land mine costs less than three dollars, but naval mines cost thousands of dollars. Naval mines have caused damage to ships, submarines, and navy vessels, but they’ve also been responsible for maiming and killing 15,000 to 20,000 people annually.1
Presently, over 110 million undetonated land mines are hiding in multiple locations around the world, ready to cause grievous damage to the unwitting victim who happens to step on one.
Spiritually, undetonated land mines have been strategically planted to thwart, maim, and kill our progress in grace. To avoid them, we must be fully armed and supplied with grace, know the fields where they are planted, and avoid setting off one of these deadly weapons unwittingly!
Be Strong in Grace
Grace is not only our supply of whatever we need and whatever we lack for victory in life, but also our protection against the forces of life. Grace pulls us through the toughest times and assures us of victory. God promises this grace to us in Isaiah 43:2: “ ‘When you pass through the waters, I will be with you: and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you.’ ” Notice that God did not say that if you go through rivers or if you go through fires, then he’ll be with you and help you. No. He specifically and intentionally said when. Life is mined with lethal circumstances. The only means to survive them and be victorious in the process is God’s grace.
As I mentioned before, I grew up singing hymns, and I still love them. I love their doctrinal content and the spiritual richness of their lyrics. One of my favorites is “How Firm a Foundation.” The third and fourth stanzas of this hymn perfectly capture the power of grace to bring us through the deep rivers and fiery trials of life.
When through the deep waters I call thee to go,
The rivers of sorrow shall not overflow;
For I will be with thee thy troubles to bless,
And sanctify to thee thy deepest distress.
When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie,
My grace, all-sufficient shall be thy supply;
The flame shall not harm thee; I only design
Thy dross to consume and thy gold to refine.
Grace is our supply that brings us through the hard places of life. We not only come through these places; we come through better.
I can attest to this power of grace. Grace has pulled me through the hardest places in life, like rivers I was sure I could not ford. I felt overwhelmed by the current, the depth, and the width. They looked impossible to cross. Yes, we all have those tough circumstances we can’t see a way around or through. They’re overwhelming, and we think if we try to cross we’ll drown.
Four times in the Bible we read about God’s people passing through deep waters. In Exodus 14, the people of Israel crossed the Red Sea on dry ground after God parted the waters. He used the waters to deliver Israel from Egypt, reveal His amazing power to His people, and destroy the enemy forces against them.
In Joshua 3, the people of Israel crossed the Jordan River on dry ground. At that time the banks of the river were overflowing, and yet thousands of families needed to cross with their children, livestock, and goods. God told Joshua to have the priests bearing the ark of the covenant step in first. When the soles of the priests’ feet touched the waters, the Jordan River pulled back 20 miles north to the city of Adam, where the waters stood in a “heap” (Joshua 3:15-17). All the people were able to enter the promised land that day. Joshua had 12 men, one from each tribe, gather large stones and set up a memorial so the people would remember the miracle God did. This memorial would remind the people how God was in earnest to fulfill His promises to them (Joshua 4:1-8).
When Elijah was finishing his ministry, he came to the shore of the Jordan River accompanied by his successor, Elisha. When they reached the banks of the Jordan, Elijah took the mantle he was wearing and struck the water (2 Kings 2:7-8). Immediately the waters parted, and the prophets walked across on dry land. Soon after, a chariot of fire carried the older prophet to heaven. Leaving that site, the younger prophet was again confronted with the Jordan River. Elisha took the mantle that had fallen from Elijah and struck the water, saying, “ ‘Where is the LORD God of Elijah?’ ” (2:14). Even as he did this, the river parted, and the newly anointed prophet walked across on dry ground.
In each instance the water served as a means for God to showcase His glory and His earnest desire to bless His people and bring them into everything He promised. Grace transforms the overwhelming, overflowing, and overly treacherous rivers in our lives to pathways to God’s purposes, revelations of God’s power, and surety of His promises.
What about the flames? In 2017 almost 9000 fires erupted in California, causing billions of dollars in damage. Over 10,000 structures were destroyed, including homes, businesses, barns, and warehouses. Over 1,255,000 acres of land were burned, including orchards, vineyards, and fields for housing livestock. Some of the blazes burned more than 1500 degrees Fahrenheit. Firemen worked tirelessly to protect structures and the citizens of California from the destructive flames.
Fire—arbitrary and absolute—consumes everything in its path. The residents who returned to their burned neighborhoods found nothing to recover. The extreme temperatures left jewelry in mounds of silver and gold, and they melted even the safes made to safeguard these valuables.
Life has places very few people survive. God’s grace can not only sustain us through the most life-threatening, destructive, and devastating trials of life, but bring us through without the odor of smoke on us. In other words, no one observing us would ever guess the fiery trials we’ve faced or the fields with land mines we’ve crossed.
This is the grace in which you and I need to strengthen ourselves. We need to be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. Jesus has made this grace available to us. We’re not only to boldly enter the throne room of grace to receive it, but we’re to stockpile it, use it, and ingest it. Grace needs to go deep within us, where it can strengthen us. If not, we’ll be terrified by or even blown up by the land mines planted in the fields of life.
A ready supply of grace will keep us prepared and protected from all the forces that obstruct our relationship with God, maim our spiritual lives, and destroy our spirituality. Undetected, undetonated, and unscrupulous land mines are out there, and their effects can be devastating. In this chapter we’ll look at the harm seven spiritual land mines inflict, as well as at how grace is the perfect protection against their harm.
Land Mine Number 1: Legalism (Falling from Grace—Galatians 5:4)
The apostle Paul didn’t mince words when he wrote to the Galatians. Paul had gone to the region of Galatia with the gospel of grace. Publicly, he invited the young, old, women, men, slaves, and free to receive God’s offer of forgiveness, reconciliation, love, life, power, and heaven through Jesus. Many who heard Paul believed the word of God and received Jesus as their Savior. Paul later returned to Galatia, “strengthening all the disciples” there (Acts 18:23).
Paul had shared a tender relationship with these believers. Even while he was presenting the gospel, he was suffering from a severe physical affliction. The Galatians were so sympathetic to him that he believed they would have “plucked out” their own eyes and given them to him if that would have helped (Galatians 4:15). Yet something had abruptly changed the affection they had for Paul. Legalists had infiltrated the church. These men came with purported credentials and a false letter they claimed was written by Paul. These men told the believers in Galatia they needed to learn and submit to the Mosaic Law. They said “grace” wasn’t a sufficient basis for a relationship with God. They presented certain works, regulations, rituals, and rules they thought the Galatians needed to follow to truly be spiritual. These infiltrators further claimed they were the only ones who could lead the Galatians into deeper truth and help them be truly spiritual.
The Galatians began to fall to the seduction of these legalists. The effect was devastating. The works of the flesh began to manifest themselves again in the fellowship. The power of grace that produces the fruit of the Spirit gave way to the condemnation of the law, which has no power against sin. Competition followed. The Galatians began to “bite and devour one another” (Galatians 5:15). These hapless believers were attempting to be better Christians by trying to keep the Mosaic Law, and they were failing miserably. The old habits returned, condemnation loomed over them, and Christianity became burdensome!
In trying to live by the law, they had inadvertently left the grace of Jesus. “You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by the law; you have fallen from grace,” Paul told them (Galatians 5:4). Their attachment to the law had separated them from Jesus. Paul pointed out to them that if the law was able to justify men, then Christ died in vain (Galatians 2:21).
The truth is the law cannot justify anyone. The law is the law, simply a rigid standard of righteousness. Worse yet, no one can live up to the standards of the law, so trying to removes you from the power of grace. Jesus became a man so He could live the righteous life we couldn’t live and to die the death we all deserve so He could bring the grace of salvation to all mankind!
One of legalism’s worst injuries is to cause those who step into it to fall from grace. It is the land mine all believers must beware. It can also be understood as the land mine of self-justification by any means other than grace! Only Jesus merits God’s favor, so only as we receive the righteousness of Jesus do we come into God’s favor (see land mine number three).
In John 6:28 Jesus was asked, “ ‘What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?’ ” In Jesus’s time the Jews were used to rigid instructions and “works” they had to do to attempt to court the favor of God. In effect, they were asking Jesus, “What does God want us to do, so that we can be right with Him?” Jesus’s word to them was startling, powerful, and gracious. “ ‘This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent’ ” (verse 29). Here, for all of us, is the work God requires and wants from us—to simply believe in Jesus, His Son. Everything else we need to be right with God follows from first believing in Jesus. This is the grace of God.
Dear friends, don’t let anyone tell you spiritual depth comes by following any methodology, tradition, or restriction. These can cause us to fall from grace. They might look inviting and promising, but in the end, they contain what can wreak devastation and harm us.
It’s not wrong to follow a certain way of reading your Bible, praying, or fellowshipping. When you adopt a formula or ritual, however, you can move from the main objective. We read the Bible to grow in the knowledge of our Savior. Reading it to merit God’s favor, or to try to be more spiritual than others, will not enrich our lives spiritually. The objective of all Bible reading is to learn about, remind ourselves of, and to meditate on the person of Jesus Christ.
Some people want to tell you “how” you should read the Bible. They discount the spiritual validity of anyone who doesn’t read a certain number of chapters a day, journal, or answer prescribed questions each time they read. Years ago I was introduced to a Bible reading method that employed all three. It kind of swept through our little church, presented as the “right way,” “best way,” and the “only valid way” to read God’s Word. Those who used this method claimed they received greater spiritual insights than those who did not.
Well, I wanted to be spiritual. I love Jesus, and I wanted to please Him. I picked up a one-year Bible, began to journal, and asked myself all the assigned questions. I’ll be honest with you—Bible reading became a drudgery. All the fellowship I’d been enjoying with Jesus through my devotional time with Him dried up. Now I was reading to get all the chapters in. I was writing and answering questions, but I wasn’t simply meditating and lingering anymore. Subtly, my objective had changed. I was reading to be spiritual rather than reading to spend time with Jesus. The demands were impossible to keep up. Some days required reading ten chapters, and that’s a lot of reading for a working mother, which I was at the time. Inevitably I fell behind and tried to catch up to keep the continuity. I began to feel spiritually brittle, frustrated, and condemned.
It all came to a head one day as I was chatting with my mom on the phone. She always had this marvelous intuition, and she could read me like a book. She sensed something in my voice and asked, “What’s wrong?”
“Oh,” I answered, deeply discouraged, “I’ve been trying that method of Bible study everyone’s talking about. I’ve been doing it three months now, and I’m just not feeling it. I feel so worthless and condemned. I’m not getting anything out of it.”
Her response wasn’t at all what I expected. A loud shout of “Hallelujah!” resounded from the other end of the line. “Mom, did you just shout ‘Hallelujah’?” I asked.
“Yes, I did! Cheryl, I’ve been trying to study that way, and I’ve been feeling so dry and condemned. I couldn’t put my finger on it, and the Lord just revealed it to me! That’s a great method for some people, but, honey, it’s not for us. Let’s go back to the way it was when we were enjoying our devotional time with Jesus.”
Oh, what a land mine my mother and I were saved from that day! Without realizing it, I was falling from grace. I was trying to justify my spirituality by the way I studied my Bible.
Methodologies extend beyond how we read our Bibles. Some want to relegate how we read, pray, fellowship, and live our lives.
My husband and I were sharing with a young man about how we love to walk on the beach and pray as a couple. He sought to “qualify” our prayer time. “Yes, but do you ever ‘pray through the temple,’ with your eyes closed and feeling the sand under your feet?”
“Oh, is that the most spiritual way to do it?” I responded. He looked a bit taken aback. “I’m afraid we don’t do any of those things,” I told him. “We simply burst into the throne room of grace and talk to God directly!”
Perhaps, without knowing it, you’ve succumbed to legalism, which is related to the land mine of falling from grace. The law doesn’t have to be the Mosaic Law; plenty of other laws are out there. Whenever you hear the promise of a greater way, a more spiritual methodology, or a ritual that goes beyond the simplicity of Scripture, beware!
Land Mine Number 2: Exploiting Grace (Using Grace as a License to Sin—Romans 6:1)
The Bible has much to say about those who “presume” on grace as a license to sin. This presumption is lethal. Jude warned about this land mine in his letter to the church: “For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ” (Jude 4).
Some people take too great a liberty with sin and attempt to justify it under the banner of grace. Having grown up in the church, I’ve heard more than one person say, “Well, since God is going to forgive me anyway, I might as well do it.” That’s presuming on the grace of God, and it’s a dangerous excuse. It shows that the person saying it is ignorant of the addictive and binding power of sin. Jesus said, “ ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin’ ” (John 8:34). Paul echoes this warning in Romans 6:16: “Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience to righteousness?”
Those who presume on grace think they can sin once with impunity. Like the people who think they can eat only one in Lay’s Potato Chips commercials, they think they’ll commit only one sin. But then they can’t resist sin after they indulge themselves. They fail to consider the “wages” sin charges, the captivating power of sin, and its corruptive nature. No one intentionally sins without causing great injury to themselves and to others.
Second, those who use grace as an excuse to sin are ignorant about the nature and purpose of grace. They have no idea grace is a divine quality meant to qualify us and empower us for divine service. One of grace’s functions is the forgiveness of sins, but that’s to qualify and empower those who want to fully please the Lord.
Third, they underestimate the glory of grace. They consider it a common thing. They use it like a rag to clean up messes, rather than the royal robe of our calling in Christ.
Using grace as an excuse to sin will result in someone being captured by the Enemy and held by his forces: “While they promise them liberty, they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by whom a person is overcome, by him also he is brought into bondage” (2 Peter 2:19).
Land Mine Number 3: Striving for Merit (Romans 11:6)
Writing to the Romans Paul said, “Even so then, at this present time there is a remnant according to the election of grace. And if by grace, then it is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace. But if it is of works, it is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work” (Romans 11:5-6).
When we try to merit—earn God’s favor—by what we do for God, we are no longer operating in grace or by grace. Striving for merit is the land mine that simply disintegrates grace. It’s an either/or proposition. We can either try to merit God’s favor, which is to attempt to win it by achievement, self-effort, and what we’ve done, or we can receive it by grace. We can’t do both.
I know people who try to point to their past achievements, the success of their ministry, or their present activity as proof they’re spiritual. Yet many godless people have done greater works, enjoyed better success, and are actively giving and volunteering in different charities. Their works are more in number and self-sacrifice than that of many Christians.
Do you remember the story of the rich young ruler? By society’s standards, this young man had everything. He was not only rich and young, but he had earned a high position. He was in earnest. He was moral. He was upright. He came running to Jesus, knelt before Him, and asked, “ ‘What shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?’ ” (Mark 10:17). Think about it. To the religious leaders in Jesus’s time, this man already had merited eternal life by his accomplishments and good works.
Jesus said to him, “ ‘You know the commandments’ ” (verse 19). Indeed, the young man knew the commandments and had kept them since his youth. Yet he recognized that something was still lacking. He knew he hadn’t merited the eternal life he sought.
Jesus then said to him, “ ‘One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me’ ” (verse 21).
All the young man’s past accomplishments, all his successes, all his morality could not merit the spiritual life he was missing. The answer was to sell everything he had achieved, gained, and merited, and then simply come back and follow Jesus. This is the way of grace.
Grace, by its nature, cannot be achieved. It can only be received. No one can legitimately point to any past accomplishment, successful ministry, or present charitable deed as validation of their right relationship to Jesus. People who are truly right with God will recognize that everything they have accomplished, any success, and any present kind act is because of God’s grace toward them, in them, and working through them. It’s all grace.
Paul, in speaking of his accomplishments, said, “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me” (1 Corinthians 15:10). Paul didn’t take credit for his past accomplishments, his ministry, or his present work. He recognized it all as God’s grace in him and with him. Should we do any less?
Beware trying to justify yourself before God with past accomplishments, success, or Christian service. This justification is not only invalid; it removes grace from your life.
Land Mine Number 4: Receiving the Grace of God in Vain (2 Corinthians 6:1)
In 2 Corinthians 6:1, Paul pleaded with the Corinthians “not to receive the grace of God in vain.” He then wrote to them about the great benefits he’d received through God’s grace working in him. God’s grace had commended or qualified him as a minister of Jesus Christ, and he listed the workings of God’s grace in him in 2 Corinthians 6:4-10:
In much patience, in tribulations, in needs, in distresses, in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, in fastings; by purity, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Spirit, by sincere love, by the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armor of righteousness on the right and on the left, by honor and dishonor, by evil report and good report; as deceivers, and yet true; as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold we live; as chastened, and yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.
We aren’t meant to attempt service or the Christian life independent of grace. The reservoirs of grace are opened to us, and we can draw as much as we need rather than limit the amount of grace we use. Some people are selective with grace. They use it only in some situations and rely on their own strength in other situations. To do so is to receive the grace of God in vain. God’s grace is to be drawn from constantly and in great measure to meet all the demands of life.
Notice that Paul drew on God’s grace for patience, purity, knowledge, longsuffering, kindness, honor, the power of the Holy Spirit, and love. He called on grace in tribulations, needs, distresses, stripes (lashings), imprisonments, and tumults. Grace supplied him with the word of truth and the armor of righteousness. It sustained him through honor and dishonor, evil reports and good reports, slander and truth, obscurity and fame. It sustained him with life, joy, and the ability to enrich others though he possessed nothing.
Paul wanted the Corinthians to enjoy the rich benefits of God’s grace in all situations.
I know I tend to lean on my own strengths in some areas of my life. I try to do for God rather than accomplish something by God working in me through His grace. In those times I find myself feeling defeated when the thing I attempted, or thought I could do so well, fails. I’ve learned to recognize those times as when I went rogue. I had the supply of grace but simply didn’t use it.
The daughter of a good friend of mine made her mother a beautiful Irish chain quilt. She put quite a bit of labor into this queen-size covering, and the result was gorgeous. The young woman had specifically chosen fabrics she knew her mother would like and colors that would complement her mother’s décor. My friend adored the quilt, but much to the daughter’s dismay, she immediately packed it in a protective covering and put it in a cupboard for safekeeping.
One day my friend’s sister-in-law came for a visit. Later, when she went to clean the room the sister-in-law had used, she found the woman had discovered the beloved quilt and used it. She was heartbroken! The quilt had comforted, warmed, and been enjoyed by someone else. Immediately she washed the quilt and spread it out on her own bed. No longer would she keep that quilt in vain!
It’s lethal to draw on God’s grace only for some of our circumstances. God’s grace is in abundant supply and meant to be used in every circumstance.
Land Mine Number 5: Insulting the Spirit of Grace (Hebrews 10:29)
The author of Hebrews warned against another lethal land mine—to insult the Spirit of grace. The Hebrew believers were in danger of returning to the law, rituals, and traditions of the Old Covenant. These believers were suffering persecution for their reliance on the grace of Jesus Christ. There was pressure from without to capitulate to the Jewish authorities in Jerusalem and go back under the Mosaic Law. The author of Hebrews goes to great lengths to show them the superiority of the grace they received through Jesus. He also warns of the consequences of trying to return to a law-based relationship with God that omits the grace of Jesus. Ultimately, trying to serve God by means of the law is to insult the Spirit of grace (Hebrews 10:26-39).
An insult is worse than a slight or rejection. Insult is a deliberate put-down. It’s not just saying, “Grace is not needed”; it’s saying, “Grace is unwarranted and worthless.” This might seem like an obvious part of this land mine to you, but many in the church deny the value of and need for grace. I think this is because of a misunderstanding about the glory, necessity, and function of grace.
Others are convinced that if people receive grace and live in grace, they will be uncontrollable, unhindered, and unrestrained in their behavior. Some serving in church leadership even discourage grace.
During my freshman year of college, my faith was greatly tested. One challenge was from the professor who taught my New Testament history class. The subject was the story in John 8 about the woman caught in adultery, and he told us it didn’t belong in the Bible because it was fabricated. As justification for his hypothesis, he said the Greek used for this story was inconsistent with the other Greek John used in his Gospel. He also stated it didn’t appear in most ancient manuscripts.
This rocked my faith. I grew up with the firm conviction that “all Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, instruction in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16). To start qualifying and disqualifying passages in the Bible was a slippery slope. Obviously, those who originally chose the cannon of Scripture thought it belonged right where it was.
I called my dad and asked him about the validity of John 8, verses 1 through 11. He said a body of evidence supported its validity. He lacked the exact data, but he knew a young man who had co-written apologetic books with Josh McDowell, and he was sure he could supply me with the facts I needed.
Before long I was being paged to my dormitory phone. (Obviously, I’m old and went to college before there was even such a thing as a cell phone!) A cheery voice was on the other end of the line. “Hey, Cheryl. This is Don Stewart. I heard you have some Bible questions for me.” Dad had asked Don to give me a call. As he listened intently, I told Don what I’d heard in class.
“Well, Cheryl,” he said, “the body of evidence to support the story in John 8 is greater than the criticism against it.” He explained that the story was mentioned in some of the early letters of the church fathers dating back to the first century, and that it wouldn’t be uncommon for John to wax eloquent when he told a story like this one.
Don listed other evidences, but the one that captured my attention the most was this: It’s believed that, rather than being added to the Bible, the story was removed by certain early church leaders. By the first century of Christianity, false teachers were already infiltrating the church and trying to corrupt it. Many of these infiltrators were legalists. These men considered the grace of God too heady and dangerous for the general Christian public, and the story of the adulterous woman was too daring for them. They feared if this story were repeated in Christian circles, it would result in infidelity among the wives, who would justify their unfaithful behavior and presume on the grace and forgiveness of Jesus.
These men didn’t understand the purpose, power, and protection of grace. They saw grace as license to sin, and this gracious story about Jesus only fortified that premise in their minds.
Though the passage has been disputed by some theologians as to its authenticity and placement in the Gospel of John, Augustine, an early church father and theologian, wrote about not only what happened, but why: “Some were afraid of the passage, lest it should lead to laxity of morals, and so had erased it from their codices.” Ambrose and Jerome, also early church fathers, held the same view. Most Bible scholars authenticate this story, but many place it in the Gospel of Luke because of its exquisite Greek.
As Don spoke, I was taken aback that men would try to remove the grace of God from the Bible!
In many churches today, methodology, ritual, traditions, philosophies, and works have become a substitute for grace. The result is perilous to spiritual understanding, health, and power. To omit grace from God’s Word and work is to insult the Spirit of grace!
Land Mine Number 6: Bitterness (Falling Short of the Grace of God—Hebrews 12:14-15)
What does it mean to “fall short of the grace of God”? It means to refuse to extend God’s grace to others and therefore not receive the grace of God in and on our lives. The measure we mete out grace to others is the measure of grace we’ll receive from God and other believers. Jesus said, “ ‘Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you’ ” (Luke 6:38).
I want as much grace as I can possibly hold. To receive grace, I must extend grace. This means I must overlook shortcomings, cover sins with love, and forgive often.
Hebrews 12:15 warns us about the danger of falling short of the grace of God because of a “root of bitterness springing up.” This Scripture says we must pursue holiness by “looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled.” How does a root of bitterness spring up? Springing up suggests a sudden outgrowth bursting through the soil. Yet something was going on underground before that little shoot appeared. Beneath the surface a seed was germinating. The seed was being given placement, nourishment, and enough moisture to thrive. Out of the seed came the first sprout that pushed and pressed against the soil until it finally broke through the ground and could be seen.
The seedling of bitterness is buried in the heart usually because of a certain insult, slight, or infraction the recipient refuses to forgive and release. Instead, the seedling is given a place in the soil of the heart. It then receives attention when the recipient keeps thinking about the infraction again and again. Tears of anger and resentment moisten it. Unforgiveness attaches itself as resentment. Resentment becomes a grudge. The grudge turns into bitterness. Bitterness shoots up, breaking through the ground of the heart and making itself apparent by obsessively discussing the subject, with tone inflections and corrosive words.
The fallout of bitterness is falling short of the grace of God. Rather than receiving God’s grace to forgive and move forward, the land mine of bitterness’s objective is to keep the injured party at a distance from the help grace affords. Bitterness often masquerades as justification. We’re drawn to it by a compulsion to nurse our hurts and grievances. Lurking beneath the bitterness the lethal shrapnel contained in this land mine are jealousy, gossip, accusation, condemnation, judgment, and resentment.
One of the deadliest aspects of these grace killers is the collective damage they do. They not only maim the one who is bitter, but they maim those who are nearby. They cause disruption and trouble, and they kill the grace in others too.
It’s important to make sure the land you traverse is cleared of the bitterness that can cause you to fall short of God’s grace. That will mean a daily inspection. Here are some questions to ask yourself:
Do I have negative reactions in my heart when I hear a certain name mentioned?
Do I feel the need to share my cause against this person with others?
Do I endeavor to win people to my side against this person?
Am I constantly curious about this person’s activity?
Do I constantly belittle and look to find fault with this person’s accomplishments or actions?
Do I feel the need to talk about this person’s past failings?
Do I enjoy hearing about this person’s faults?
Do I feel gratified when this person fails?
Do I incessantly repeat the same story about this person to others?
Affirmative answers are signs of grace-killing thoughts and behaviors. To be rid of them, you’re going to have to admit bitterness lies beneath the surface. You’re not only going to have to do a sweep of your life to find this land mine, but maybe even detonate it by confessing and repenting of your bitterness.
Remember, the amount of grace you give to others is the amount you will receive in return.
We can avoid this land mine by cultivating the grace God gives us, praying for grace, and giving the fruit of God’s grace to others. Cultivate grace by remembering the Champion of All Grace and the grace He’s given to you. Take the seeds of grace He’s given you—the forgiveness of sins, the blessings, the mercies, the kindness, the gentleness, and the freedoms—and plant them as often as you can in as many lives as you can. The more grace you plant, the more grace you will reap.
When I was a teenager, a certain pastor was removed from his pastorate for some petty reasons. To this day, I remember my dad’s reaction to the situation. “Well,” he said in his usual measured manner, “I always felt he was too harsh in his preaching. There was so little grace. He never planted grace in his congregants, and now they don’t have the resources of grace to give back to him.”
Pray to be filled with grace. When we show grace to others, we’re manifesting the Spirit of grace resident within us.
Remember and meditate on the Champion of Grace. Think about how Jesus saved you, forgave you, continues to forgive you, overlooks your failings, and blesses you despite your shortcomings. This meditation on Jesus will result in greater grace for others.
Land Mine Number 7: Doing it Independently of Grace! (Exodus 33:16)
Here is one of the greatest land mines of all—attempting to ford the rivers or survive the fires of life without God’s grace. In my life, I have learned, if I don’t have the divine grace to go through it, I need to get out of there.
God supplies the grace and even prepares us with an ample amount of grace for every battle we face. When I don’t have the grace, I’m in the wrong battle.
God supplies us with the grace for every battle in life. Whether it’s the battle of fear, the battle of survival, financial battles, battles of health, relational battles, legal battles, or confrontational battles, all the grace we need to have to experience God’s peace and victory is supplied to us. However, when I don’t have this grace, I need to either refortify my supply or retreat from the battle.
More than once I’ve been in situations where I felt my grace ebbing. One time an unreasonable woman confronted me. She was yelling, accusing, and screaming. I knew if I stayed in her presence I would lose my cool. I prayed for the grace to walk away without saying a word. God gave it to me. I’ve been on women’s boards where I felt unproductive and attendance was difficult. I lacked the grace. God moved on my heart to resign.
Grace is an indicator of whether we’re fighting the right battles. If you don’t have the grace to ford the river or walk through the fire, then turn around and find your way to the throne room of grace and wait there for further instructions!
When Israel first came to the border of Canaan, Moses sent 12 spies into the promised land. Ten of the spies returned with discouraging news. The land God had promised was fertile, vast, and good, but giants were in the land and fortified cities. The spies greatly discouraged the people because of the forces against them. The other two spies, Joshua and Caleb, were excited about the land they saw and certain that victory was inevitable because of God’s promises. They sought to encourage the people.
The congregation of Israel sided with the ten discouraging spies and murmured against Moses, God, and the whole enterprise (Numbers 13).
Moses gave the children of Israel a strong rebuke with an added punishment. Because they had refused to enter the land God promised them, they would die in the wilderness and their children would inherit the good land (Numbers 14:1-38). This didn’t sit well with the congregants of Israel. They realized they had made a big mistake, and they organized themselves into an army and tried to enter the promised land anyway. This was an even worse mistake, and Moses had warned them against it. Here is the account from the New Living Translation:
When Moses reported the LORD’s words to all the Israelites, the people were filled with grief. Then they got up early the next morning and went to the top of the range of hills. “Let’s go,” they said. “We realize that we have sinned, but now we are ready to enter the land the LORD has promised us.” But Moses said, “Why are you now disobeying the LORD’s orders to return to the wilderness? It won’t work. Do not go up into the land now. You will only be crushed by your enemies because the LORD is not with you. When you face the Amalekites and Canaanites in battle, you will be slaughtered. The LORD will abandon you because you have abandoned the LORD.” But the people defiantly pushed ahead toward the hill country, even though neither Moses nor the Ark of the LORD’s Covenant left the camp. Then the Amalekites and the Canaanites who lived in those hills came down and attacked them and chased them back as far as Hormah (Numbers 14:39-45).
The first time the Israelites came to the border of the promised land, the grace of God was with them to defeat the enemies. After they drew back in disobedience, however, the grace was taken away. Then presumptuously, they thought they could still defeat the enemy without the presence of God’s grace.
It’s always dangerous to presume on God’s grace. We need to be sure we have the presence of God and His grace when we’re going up against hostile forces. When I don’t feel the grace, I pray for the grace to keep my mouth closed, and to get out of the situation and back to a grace place as soon as possible. I would suggest the same directives for you when you find yourself lacking in grace.
It’s best to recognize the land mines treacherous to grace and the fields they’re planted in so you won’t step on them. But if you happen to step on or have stepped on one of these lethal explosives, healing grace is waiting for you.
Sometimes the best way to know how lethal these land mines are is to have been injured by them in the past. Those who have been hurt by these land mines are often the best proponents of grace.
Life is full of battles. Paul traveled through many fields laced with deadly explosives. He writes about persevering through five whippings with 39 lashes each, three beatings with rods, and being stoned; being shipwrecked three times, spending a night and a day at sea, and journeying often; facing perils in the water, from robbers, from his own people, from the Gentiles, in the sea, in the wilderness, and by false brethren; weariness, toil, insomnia, hunger, cold, thirst, and other incredible hardships (2 Corinthians 11:24-28).
Yet he not only endured these battles, but was valiant in them by the grace of God. God’s grace doesn’t exempt us from hardship, but it can lead us valiantly through life. We need to be aware of the land mines strewn in the fields of life that seek to destroy the power and protection of grace. We should avoid them at all costs!
Lord, thank You for the great grace You have shown me. Please reveal to me the riches of Your grace so I can plant the seeds of grace everywhere I go and in every life I meet. Keep me from burying land mines that could result in the destruction of grace in the lives of people I know. Keep me from stepping into the fields where these land mines are planted. Forgive me for my lack of grace. Thank You again for the way You rescued me by Your grace when I wandered into those minefields. You are forever the Champion of Grace! In the gracious name of Jesus, amen!
For consideration:
1. From your life, describe the river you have crossed or the banks you’re standing on.
2. Note and explain the positive effects grace has on the fires in our lives.
3. Use the following verses to identify and comment on how you can avoid these land mines:
• Galatians 5:4
• Romans 6:1
• Romans 11:6
• 2 Corinthians 6:1
• Hebrews 10:29
• Hebrews 12:14-16
• Numbers 14:41-42
4. What land mines have you encountered?
5. What steps would you suggest to avoid land mines to grace?