Law & grace, an uneven match? (1)

In 2004, I started the writing of a series of books on the Ten Commandments in the 21st century, a book per commandment. Five books have been published so far... still five to go :) English is my second language, so the books are written in an uncomplicated manner without the use of difficult words (since I don't know any). During the writing process and the studying of related Bible passages I began to receive more and more insight on the subject law & grace. No theological explanations, but fresh insights on ancient truths.

In the upcoming weeks I will write a series of posts on this subject. Why? Because there seems to be quite some confusion, unclarity and even wrong teaching on this subject. Many evangelical Christians don't have a love for the Law, because to them 'living by grace' means doing away with the law. We are set free from the law, right? Faith has nothing to do with a bunch of rules, but everything with relationship. On the other hand there are denominations where the Law still rules and this can end in legalism = setting the obedience of the rules above the leading of the Holy Spirit. And perhaps many believers and churches are somewhere in between. We don't want to go from one extreme to the other. The Ten Commandments are old fashioned, the grace movement too good to be true, so we get stuck somewhere in the middle.

I have collected some thoughts about law & grace, in random order. Let's see whether you recognize some:

• The Law has been nailed to the cross
• We are set free of the Law, no more need of Old Testament teachings
• It is all grace, there is nothing we can or need to add
• A lawless society is a disorderly society
• I am living by grace and do not want to be legalistic, but...
• Everything changed after the cross
• But we cannot delete or ignore certain Bible passages

The grace teaching is nothing new, it is the teaching that we can only depend on Gods grace to be reconciled with Him. This was being preached 2000 years ago, and then by our church fathers and now in most churches. There are, however, many different interpretations. In certain circles grace is being kept for the elect or it is something God will bestow on people when He wants to do so, we can not grab it. In other circles grace is being taught as unmerited favor, we can not do anything to make God love us more. So, sit back and relax.

All of this can be debated, but does it mean we have to choose between law and grace? We either keep the law, or we accept His grace. Having both seems an impossibility. Are law & grace an uneven match?

Take time...

Thought it would be nice to treat you to some worship music from Holland!

Sit down, relax, listen....

Happy weekend! ENJOY.

Blogging buzz...

Things are always moving in the blogging sphere. We bloggers are always thinking, writing, publishing and learning. We go through ups and downs together. Most bloggers are hard working people, like you and me, without a celebrity status or mega sales of their (often self-published) books. We do have a common goal: to improve our writing and share the journey with each other.

Join me for the latest news and happenings.

• Fellow blogger Aileen Stewart announced on Facebook that her newest manuscript was rejected. Many of us have gone through that phase and I believe we can be a great help by encouraging one another. Aileen is a stay-at-home mom and she writes children's books. She's a great example of someone who keeps pursuing her writing dream. Feel free to visit her blog and give her a thumbs up for all her hard work.
• Blogger/writer Susan Reinhardt has a new website, make sure to check it out. She always has interviews, reviews and bits & pieces of publishing news. She recently toured the blog-o-sphere with her e-book release The Moses Conspiracy, which is now also available in paperback.
• My latest release My Neighbor's House received a 5-star review from Readers' Favorite, which can be viewed here. The reviewer wrote me a personal note, saying:  I loved this book and will work through it with a highlighter and journal. It is well-researched, well-written, and logical to follow. Thank you so much. I hope you write more. You can do me a huge favor by leaving your comment at the bottom of the review page, using your FB login. THANKS!
• Maria Morgan is another fellow blogger who recently launched her first e-book, a devotional called God Speaking. You can simply get it by signing up for her updates. She's asking for feedback from readers. Another great way to interact and learn from each other.

Is any interesting stuff going in your blogging/writing world that will encourage and inspire others? Please e-mail me and I'll announce it in the next blogging buzz.

Happy writing!

Serving Jesus in a culture of abundance

Last weekend I picked up the next book from my 'to-read' stack (which has become a wall that divides my room in two), The 180 Degree Christian by Carter Conlon, the senior pastor of Times Square Church in New York. An interesting read so far.

Conlon zooms in on our westernized Christianity. It feels kind of awkward and uncomfortable to look in the mirror of our own faith. Yet, at the same time I am recognizing a theme that keeps coming back in this present time. How can we practice basic Christianity in a culture of abundance?

No matter how sincere we try to focus, every now and then we all get distracted by life's worries AND luxuries at the same time. Let me know if anyone has found a way to avoid this :) I write about this struggle between our natural and spiritual life in my latest book My Neighbor's House. Honesty is the key when writing about all the stuff that will distract us from being focused on the great commandment and the great commission.

I remember how, years ago, I drove around in a USA city at night, for the very first time in my life. All the lights, all the bill boards, all the blinking and flickering signs... It was all new to me. I cried out to my husband: 'I can't see the traffic lights, there are too many colors.' It seems funny now, but isn't this how it feels to live in a culture where there is plenty of choices, plenty of everything? No wonder we sometimes loose sight of clear directions.

If you're ready to pick up a book (or two) on stewardship and holy living, you might want to consider The 180 degree Christian and/or My Neighbor's House.

Happy reading!

Take time to pause

Yes, in the middle of the week