Firstly, I am not personally responsible for my mother’s interpretation of the text. She is responsible and will need to give an account to God for how she has interpreted and applied the text. As far as 1 Timothy 2:12 is concerned, this is one of the texts that I have wrestled with in the past. I will be addressing this text in our upcoming series on “Gospel Living” August to October this year and I encourage you to stay tuned for how we handle the text. Thirdly, don’t draw your final conclusions on how we apply church governance by looking at a public website or hear say from others.

As I read the texts on homosexuality, they have a prescriptive nature to them, drawing on creation and defined in the same category as other sinful actions. Homosexuality as a sin is a closed handed doctrine, not up for liberal interpretation.

Grace!

Last week I was sensing something in my spirit which really needed some revelation. I thought it was anxiety – I prayed and the Lord spoke to me powerfully and said – “This sense in your spirit is not fear but faith – somehting good is going to happen soon – get ready! I’m going to bless you abundantly!”

We are launching a new seris in July simply called “Awakening” – we’re gonna be praying and fasting and seeking God for our city, our nation and for Europe too; believing for a powerful move of God!

Thanks again for the encouragement!

Tom Rawls
Lead Pastor – Proclaimers

Best regards,

Nick

I hear you but you clearly misunderstand what the biblical word ‘Grace’ means. Grace is one of, if not the key words of NT theology. There is saving grace which is freely given to us by God for our salvation (Eph 2:8). There is empowering grace which empowers us for holy living and the process of sanctification to become more like Christ. Grace is undeserved favor and unmerited love.

God’s grace, however, isn’t a cheap license to justify any sort of behaviour we deem relevant or appropriate to our lifestyle. Grace has been largely misunderstood by many people, even Christians. Grace is expensive and paid in full by Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. To claim to live by grace and willfully live in sin is a slap in the face of God.

J.I.Packer comments, “The word, ‘grace’ thus comes to express the thought of God acting in spontaneous goodness to save sinners.” To do so doesn’t mean he overlooks our sin but takes our sin on himself on the cross. You could be guilty of antinomianism (dealt with in Rom 6, 2 pet 2, Jude and 1 John) where you turn grace into licentiousness (Jude 4), meaning, you think that now you are under grace, it no longer matters what kind of lives people live. The antinomian rejoices in the free gift of righteousness but sees no reason to keep the law anymore. Far from giving us liberty to break the law, grace sets us free from the dominion of sin that we might keep the law (Rom 6:11-23). The Christian under grace is free from sins dominion (Rom 6:14). By virtue of his union with Christ and the power of the Spirit dwelling in him, the Christian is able to oppose and resist the urgings to sin that infect his moral and spiritual system, and by the Spirit put to death the deeds of the body, whether by commission or omission, to advance in Christ-likeness and please God (Romans 6:1-8:14).

One of the key things you should probably examine is what’s your definition of sin, as the bible defines it.

Secondly, Both liberal and literal theologians can’t be both right in their approach to interpreting Scripture. This is illogical. Creationists and evolutionists can’t be both right. They are fundamentally different and completely opposite in their belief systems and resultant conclusions.

Grace!

Best regards,

Nick