Grace Classics: Escape to Reality Greatest Hits, Volume 2 Read Online Free PDF Page A

bungles the prescriptions and gives each man the other’s
medicine. The man with cancer is given multivitamins and told to exercise daily,
while the healthy man is given an extensive course of chemotherapy.
Unsurprisingly, the sick man dies from taking the wrong pills while the healthy
man suffers unnecessarily.
    In this
parable the perfect physician represents Jesus. Jesus knows our every need and
always prescribes the perfect medicine.
    For the
self-righteous person that medicine might be a judicious application of the
law. The law is good if used properly and its purpose is to break our pride,
silence our self-righteousness, and reveal our need for a Savior. Ultimately
the law is meant to lead us to Jesus so that we may receive the gift of his
righteousness (Galatians 3:24, Romans 5:17).
    But the
law is of no use to the saint who has already been set free from the cancer of
sin. The ritualistic observance of regulations does nothing to promote godly
living and enslaves the free (Colossians 2:23). The best medicine for saints is
a healthy dose of God’s grace supplemented with the daily exercise of faith.
    In the
parable the confused pharmacist represents the preacher (or writer!) who
mistakenly gives grace to the self-righteous and law to saints. The result is
that both will be made worse off. The self-righteous unbeliever will be led to
believe that all is well even as death reaches for him, while the saint will be
led to believe that eternity hinges on his ability to deliver a good
performance for Jesus. Instead of walking in the freedom that Christ brings, he
will come under guilt and condemnation as he strives, and fails, to live at
Christ’s level. He will be miserable and his hair will fall out from stress.
    The
Bible is a repository of life-saving medicine, but confused preachers sometimes
mix up the medicine. With the best of intentions they do more harm than good.
     
    An example from Peter
     
    Let me give you an example from
the three chapters of 2nd Peter. In chapter 1 Peter expounds on the
forgiveness, grace and power that come from God. In chapter 2 Peter warns the
church about the false prophets and false teachers who are “among you” (v.1).
What do these guys look like? Peter says they are those who follow the way of
Balaam (v.15), are “slaves of depravity” (v.19), and who know about Jesus but
“never stop sinning” (v.14). In short they are sinners who know about the things
of God (like Balaam did), who are acquainted with the “way of righteousness,”
but they’ve turned their backs on it (v.21) and so remain under condemnation
(v.3). Peter distinguishes these “unrighteous” men from the “godly men that God
rescues from trials” (v.9).
    In
chapter 3 Peter turns his attention back to the saints four times referring to
them as his “dear friends.” If chapter 2 is full of fury at the ungodly
infiltrating positions of leadership within the church, chapter 3 contains
fatherly exhortations for the saints.
    Problems
arise when the medicine-dispensers confuse the dear friends of chapter 3 with the
slaves of depravity of chapter 2. Harsh, condemning words meant for the self
righteous are spoken over those whom Christ calls righteous. Instead of being
warned about the dangers of listening to false teachers and prophets, the saints
are treated as if they were false themselves. Like the healthy man in the
parable, they are given medicine that is not meant for them and the result is
they are left in a worse position than when they came in.
     
    An example from Jude
     
    Like Peter, Jude similarly draws a
line between “godless men” who deny Jesus Christ as Lord and his “dear friends”
who are loved and kept by Jesus. It’s important to note that both types of
people can be found attending church meetings for Jude says of these godless
men that they have “slipped in among you” (v.4).
    Again,
in the hands of a confused preacher, Jude’s warning for the saints can
be twisted into a