"The Naked Gospel"

by: Andrew Farley

Seriously, next to the bible and Redeeming Love, one of the most fantastic books EVER! I am only a third the way thru it, but
I can't get enough! Everyone needs to read this! It is seriously like re-learning EVERYTHING I have ever known to be true. It is so God that this book came into our lives during this time of prayer and fasting. As it helps un-do the damage that the "law" has done to our thinking. And emphasizes the TRUTH of the GRACE we are under on this side of the cross.

The most interesting thing I have read tonight was the purpose of the LAW. It was not created for believers to follow as a way to "live by a moral standard of excellence" but for UNBELIEVERS! It is to shake an unbeliever into recognizing they are living in the dark. (Romans 3:19-20)

In the same breath, when a believer attempts to live by the law, they are for sure headed for failure. The "law" is an all or nothing proposition. "Whoever keeps the whole law, and yet stumbles at just one point, is guilty of breaking it all" ~ James 2:10. We will never be able to keep the whole law. This be the reason for the instatement of the NEW covenant. "Legalism will NEVER produce love". ~Andrew Farley. Paul talks in Romans about his own struggles keeping the law. "I would not have known what sin was had it not been for the law. For I would have not known what coveting really was if the law had not said, "you shall not covet." But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of coveting" Romans 7:7-8. Even a man of Pauls strength was set up for failure by the law. This being proof that there is no man equipped to follow the law. And thus be the promise to be SET FREE from the law and live under the new GRACE covenant with Christ. "If we live under the law, sin will dominate us. If we live free from the law (under grace) sin won't overpower us."~ Andrew Farley. If we use the LAW as a "guide line" to a moral standard of right living, we hush the holy spirit in us. It's like for instance, if you best friends move to Canada and in your sadness you begin to look thru old emails and pictures of your happy times, and to your surprise, they walk thru the door and are standing right in front of you. But, you continue to look at the hard copy version of your relationship with them, rather than making new memories. Why would you put your focus on something that is 2nd hand, when you have the real thing in front of your face?

It says in Romans 6:14 "Sin shall no longer be your master, because you are NOT under the law, but under grace". This is black and white to me. Jesus shed blood to COVER us from sin, to remove us from the LAW and bring us into a close personal relationship with him and the holy spirit. When the curtain tore, this was allowing us the ability to come AS WE ARE into his throne room. To be with him, even in our jeans, with tattoos, piercings, bad breath, sin stained clothes ect. AS WE ARE.

We don't EARN freedom. We can't work for GRACE. We died with Christ at the cross, and on this side of the cross, we are saved by his GRACE. HE PAID THE COST FOR OUR FREEDOM. Thus releasing us from the obligation to pay for it ourselves. Some might think that "Jesus plus perfection" or "Jesus plus being a rule follower" or "Jesus plus doing many works" will earn you a spot in heaven. Or a spot closer to Jesus in heaven. On this matter, I agree with Andrew Farley's statement.

"Jesus plus nothing, 100% Natural, no additives"




"I was called to be free" ~ galatians 5:13