Tag: evangelical

Mike Parsons

You’re on dangerous ground when you take the evangelical position that the Bible is inspired, inerrant and infallible. Nowhere in the Bible does it claim that all its writings are inerrant, infallible and inspired.

For example, where does it say in the book of Isaiah that it was inspired by God? It doesn’t. Do I believe Isaiah prophesied with the inspiration of the Spirit? Yes, I do. Did he write it as a direct dictation from God? No, I don’t think so. He wrote and expressed what he felt God was saying to him, filtered through his own understanding. Would Isaiah have understood that the suffering servant was the coming Messiah? I don’t think so. But he wrote it because God inspired him to, or spoke to him about it.

We don’t need another book of stuff to argue over, or create more doctrines of God about!

Too much grace!

Many preachers warn against “greasy grace” but rarely show the same concern for excessive legalism. They always seem more worried about too much grace.

When it comes to Limitless Grace, this is not just grace upon grace; it’s the divine enabling power that works within us. As we grow in the awareness of this limitless grace, it transforms how we think and live. Limitless Grace, alongside triumphant mercy, is rooted in God’s unconditional love. If God’s love is unconditional, as it is, then his grace must also be limitless.

Unconditional love is God’s desire to work out that love for our good, to restore us to the place he intended from the beginning—a relationship with him, face-to-face, in innocence. Ephesians 1:4 speaks of this restoration to face-to-face innocence in love. If God’s love were conditional, grace would be limited. But because love is unconditional, grace must also be limitless.

God’s grace empowers us to return to our original purpose and identity by removing every obstacle that hinders us. Often, we think of ourselves through the lens of our upbringing, experiences, or societal expectations, which impose limitations. But God’s grace enables us to see ourselves as he sees us, unshackled by those hindrances.

I used to try to renew my mind by sheer effort, but it never worked because I was trying to fix the problem using the same flawed thinking. God renews our minds by giving us transformative experiences, revealing his unconditional love and limitless grace. These experiences change how we see him and, in turn, how we see ourselves.

Some misunderstand grace as “greasy grace” or “cheap grace,” as if it excuses any behaviour. But grace isn’t a cover for wrongdoing; it’s the empowerment to live differently. Grace is limitless because our capacity to act contrary to God’s love is vast. Yet, God’s grace is greater, ensuring we can always be restored to that place of innocence and relationship with him.

Grace is not about what we deserve or earn—it’s about God’s love for us. Critics of grace often argue that it promotes permissiveness, claiming it suggests that “God will love us no matter what we do, so it doesn’t matter how we live.” While it’s true that God’s love for us never changes, our actions do have consequences. They affect us—and others. That’s why God empowers us to live according to who we truly are in him, rather than who we think we are.

Unfortunately, much of evangelical Christianity is focused on law rather than grace. They see grace as “cheap” or “greasy,” fearing it excuses behaviour. But grace is not about fear of consequences or external control. I once spoke to a very evangelical man who admitted that the only thing stopping him from certain actions was the fear of God finding out. He was operating out of fear, not love.

God doesn’t want us to act rightly because we’re afraid of punishment; he wants us to live from a place of understanding and embracing his love and grace. When we see things as God does, we won’t want to do things that harm ourselves or others. That’s the true power of grace—it transforms us from within.

Grace does not excuse sin

Grace empowers us not only to avoid wrong choices but also to refrain from actions that contradict love. This empowerment is essential, yet some misunderstand it, accusing those who teach about unconditional love of promoting “greasy grace.” They claim God cannot excuse sin because he is righteous and holy. But what they misunderstand is that grace doesn’t excuse sin; it forgives us for it—even before we’ve committed it.

Grace allows us to see our actions from God’s perspective, enabling us to choose differently when we recognise something is harmful to ourselves or others. God loves us so deeply that he doesn’t want us to remain in harmful patterns. His grace renews our minds, helping us think differently and act differently.

The legalistic mindset focuses solely on law-based consequences—what happens if you do or don’t do something. It misunderstands God’s grace entirely. Grace doesn’t “cover” sin in a superficial sense; it forgives sin and empowers us to live beyond it. Sin, in this context, is not merely wrongdoing but a loss of identity. God has already forgiven us for being in that lost state and wants to restore us to the reality of who we truly are.

Triumphant mercy works alongside grace to overcome everything we do that contradicts God’s love. Mercy doesn’t ignore or tolerate wrongdoing; it works to bring us into a new way of living. This is why grace and mercy are empowering—they enable us to move beyond harmful patterns, not by fear or obligation but through love and forgiveness.

Evangelical perspectives

The idea of “greasy grace” reflects a complete misunderstanding of grace. Critics often claim that teaching about unconditional love and grace gives people an excuse to do whatever they want. But the reality is, people already do what they want. True grace transforms what we want, aligning our desires with God’s heart. Personally, I surrendered my free will years ago because I didn’t want to choose things in opposition to God. My desire now is to live in alignment with God’s love and purposes, not out of fear or duty but out of a shared desire to please his heart.

Unfortunately, evangelical perspectives often distort the meaning of grace, reducing it to an acronym or a rigid formula. Some view it as a way for God to tolerate us because of Jesus’ sacrifice, as though Jesus came to save us from God. But Jesus didn’t come to save us from God—he came to save us from ourselves and the consequences of living in a lost identity. The salvation he offers isn’t about avoiding an eternal punishment but about freeing us from the consequences of an independent path that leads to harm and separation from God in our perception.

Grace is often misunderstood in the evangelical framework because it’s tied to the idea that faith is something we must generate. However, faith itself is a gift that allows us to believe what is already true. Grace, grounded in unconditional love, has no prerequisites for us to receive it. It’s already there for us. When we accept it, we begin to enjoy its benefits, but it has always been available regardless of our actions.

Much of evangelical thinking wrongly assumes that grace is only extended after we perform certain actions—repentance, renunciation, or asking for forgiveness. But God has already responded to our independence by stepping into it, fully identifying with our lost state. The “wages” or consequences of independence were death—separation from God from our perspective, not his. God has always seen us through the lens of love, but we have viewed ourselves as separated from him, creating the illusion that we must earn our way back.

Legalistic, works-based religion arises from this flawed belief. But the truth is, there’s nothing we can do to make grace true—it already is. When we realise and accept this truth, we can enter into the joy and freedom it offers. Our acceptance doesn’t create grace; it simply allows us to experience it.

So critics of grace often frame it as a license to continue doing whatever we want. Yet true grace is the opposite—it’s the empowerment to live in alignment with God’s desires, in relationship with him, and free from fear, duty, or obligation. Grace changes the desires of our hearts because it allows us to know and experience God’s heart. This transformation empowers us to live as God intended—not as a requirement but as a joyful response to his love.

{Further topics are covered in the video].