The document contrasts a religious and rule-keeping relationship with God with one based on grace. It argues that a religious approach relies on fear, guilt, and shame to control people and discourages growth. In contrast, a grace-based relationship allows one to find acceptance in God's love rather than performance, enjoy life, and know God personally. The document encourages embracing freedom from rules and instead living freely through love for others.

1. Religious vs. Grace &
Rule Keeping Relationship
Brent Lokker
May 17, 2014
Blazing Fire Church

2. Christ defines your faith;
He is your freedom from anything
the law could never free you from!
Find your firm footing in this freedom.
Do not let religion trip you up again
and harness you to a system of
rules and obligations!
Galatians 5:1 (The Mirror)

3. Religious vs. Grace &
Rule Keeping Relationship
Kills
Compares &
Tears down
Am I Doing Enough to
please God?
Keeps God at a
distance
Believes that Sin
separates us from God
Gives Life
Celebrates &
Builds up
Jesus has made me
Enough! I am pleasing!
Christ IN You! Col
1:27 Holy Spirit IN
you! 2 Cor 1:22
Nothing can separate
us from God’s love!

4. “God has enabled us to be ministers
of a new covenant--not of the letter
but of the Spirit; for the letter kills,
but the Spirit gives life.”
2 Corinthians 3:6 (NIV)

5. dove.com/realbeautysketches

6. Religious vs. Grace &
Rule Keeping Relationship
Kills
Compares &
Tears down
Am I Doing Enough to
please God?
Keeps God at a
distance
Believes that Sin
separates us from God
Gives Life
Celebrates &
Builds up
Jesus has made me
Enough! I am pleasing!
Christ IN You! Col
1:27 Holy Spirit IN
you! 2 Cor 1:22
Nothing can separate
us from God’s love!

7. Romans 8:35-39
The Message Bible
Do you think anyone is going to
be able to drive a wedge between
us and Christ’s love for us?
There is no way!”

8. “Not trouble, not hard times, not hatred,
not hunger, not homelessness, not
bullying threats, not backstabbing, not
even the worst sins listed in Scripture…
None of this fazed us because Jesus
loves us. I’m absolutely convinced that
nothing—nothing living or dead, angelic
or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or
low, thinkable or unthinkable—absolutely
nothing can get between us and God’s
love because of the way that Jesus our
Master has embraced us!”

9. Religious vs. Grace &
Rule Keeping Relationship
God is angry when you
sin and looking for all
the wrong things you do
Your Salvation is
always in question
Judges & Condemns
yourself and others
Is about Punishment
Finds Reasons to Divide
God is training you to
use your freedom to
love yourself & others
You Know that God’s
Love won’t let you go!
Loves & Accepts while
helping others to grow
Is about Restoration
Knows that we are one

10. Christian brothers and sisters,
you were chosen to be free.
Be careful that you do not please
your old selves by sinning
because you are free.
Live this free life by
loving and helping others.
Galatians 5:13 (NLV)

11. Religious vs. Grace &
Rule Keeping Relationship
Takes Life and
yourself WAY to
seriously
Out of fear, Uses
guilt and shame to
keep people in line
Discourages you--that
you’re not further
along in your journey
Exhausting & Makes
you want to quit
Takes time to enjoy
life and relationships
and laughs more
Tells people who they
are until they believe
it and live it
Knows that God is
working in all things
in your life
Life-giving and makes
you want to worship!

13. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BTOeuH-iEJ8

18. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nlYlNF30bVg

22. Religious vs. Grace &
Rule Keeping Relationship
Takes Life and
yourself WAY to
seriously
Out of fear, Uses
guilt and shame to
keep people in line
Discourages you--that
you’re not further
along in your journey
Exhausting & Makes
you want to quit
Takes time to enjoy
life and relationships
and laughs more
Tells people who they
are until they believe
it and live it
Knows that God is
working in all things
in your life
Life-giving and makes
you want to worship!

24. Religious vs. Grace &
Rule Keeping Relationship
Takes Life and
yourself WAY to
seriously
Out of fear, Uses
guilt and shame to
keep people in line
Discourages you--that
you’re not further
along in your journey
Exhausting & Makes
you want to quit
Takes time to enjoy
life and relationships
and laughs more
Tells people who they
are until they believe
it and live it
Knows that God is
working in all things
in your life
Life-giving and makes
you want to worship!

25. Religious vs. Grace &
Rule Keeping Relationship
Your Heavenly Father
is not approachable--
you better take care
of it yourself
God has His eye on
you--That’s a bad
thing
Follow Rules and
learn facts about who
God is
Performance-based
leaves you love
starved
Papa has all the time
in the world for you
and loves to take care
of you!
God has His eye on
you--That’s a very
good thing!
Follow Jesus and
Know God personally
and experientially
Acceptance-Based you
are love drenched!

27. “But when the kindness and love of
God our Savior for humanity were revealed,
it was not because of any upright actions we
had done ourselves; it was for no reason
except His own faithful love that He saved
us, by means of the cleansing water of
rebirth and renewal in the Holy Spirit
which He has so generously poured over us
through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that,
justified by His grace, we should become
heirs of hope of eternal life.
This is doctrine you can rely on!”
Titus 3:4-8

28. If you’ve been
trying to be a good
person or even a
good christian,
it’s time to meet
jesus and trade
your life for his!

29. Say the welcoming word to God
--”Jesus is my Master!”--
embracing, body and soul, God’s work of doing in us
what he did in raising Jesus from the dead. That’s it.
You’re not “doing” anything, you’re simply calling out to
God, trusting him to do it for you. That’s salvation.
With your whole being you embrace God setting
things right, and then you say it, right out loud:
“God has set everything right between him and me!”
Romans 10: 9-10 (The Message Bible)