Creflo Dollar - What It Means to Fall From Grace - Part 1
Go with me to the book of Romans, chapter 11, and verse 6, I’m gonna read it in the King James, the NIV, and the Amplified. We’re gonna talk about what it means to fall from grace, but there’s some things we have to establish first, and the only way I know how to do it is through the scripture and through the word of God that we believe. What it… «What It Means to fall From Grace». We’ve talked about this in times past and it just gets bigger and bigger.
So, I want to start off by saying this, I read, I read this statement that, «Grace cannot be grace If making Christ Lord is made a condition for receiving eternal life,» and that would, that weirded me out, like «Okay wait, there’s a whole lot going on here». And literally spent days just meditating on it, fighting it, disagreeing with it, wondering about it. I, at one time I even called it heresy. I said, «This is, this is, no». And I was getting ready to work out one day last week, I walked in and I told Minister Ken, I said, «Listen». I said, «I got something that I’ve been trying to say, but I don’t know how to say it».
And then in what a few seconds, I understood how to say it. You know how Jesus walked in and he said to his mother, «My time has not come yet,» and then it came? And he turned water into wine? Here’s what it says, here’s what I believe is going on here, «Grace cannot be grace if there is a condition for receiving it. Grace cannot be grace if there is a condition for receiving it. No human effort or performance empowers grace». And yet, we’ve gone to churches where we think that God’s power is based on our behavior. We’ve gone to churches where we think, «Well, you know, I’m gonna show you the behavior so you can reap the benefits of His power. And oh yeah, by the way, and if you don’t do this, then it’s gonna short circuit His power».
And I am saying to you that God’s power is not based on your behavior. Good or bad. God’s grace is not based on what you do. No matter how many times I say that, there are still Christians trying to figure out what to do. What we do is we believe Jesus and we learn how to let him go ahead of us, and we yield to him, and what we do is whatever he leads us to do as a result of yielding to him. But we don’t do something to try to get him to do something good to us. We don’t do good in order to get good. Grace is not based on your salvation, but your salvation is based on grace.
Now, this is the big part where church is concerned. Somehow, now that we’re all saved and button up real nice, we think that the grace of God is available to us because we are saved. But then, that would then be putting a condition on grace. The grace of God is not based on your salvation. Your salvation is based on the grace of God. You were saved, Ephesians, chapter 2 and 8, «You were saved by grace through faith». Your salvation did not make grace available. You were saved by grace. Grace was given and then the the beauty of the gift of grace provided all of these things for you who believe. This my… here because we get in the church and we think, «Oh, that ain’t, that can’t happen because you ain’t saved. God ain’t gonna forgive you because you ain’t saved. There’s no way you could possibly because you ain’t saved».
How many of y’all remember when you were raised in hell that you bumped into to some goodness of God? And you when you was raised in hell, you bumped into some goodness? And they convicted you. You were like, «I don’t even know how that happened». I want to take you through the scripture and I want to show you that grace was extended to the whole world, even people who hadn’t yet received him. Grace was given to me before I believed, before I got saved. Grace was given to a fallen world. Are, are y’all following me here? All right, go through these real quick. Romans 11, verse 6, in the King James, NIV, and Amplified. I wanna spend a little special time with this.
King James says, «But if by grace, then it is no more of works; otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace; otherwise work is no more work». So, if you did something to get it, grace ain’t involved. You earned that. That’s yours. Look at it in the next translation, NIV, «And by and if by grace, then it cannot be based on works; If by grace, it cannot be based on works. If it were, grace would no longer be grace». Wow. And then they Amplified, «But if it is by grace (His unmerited favor and graciousness), it is no longer conditioned on works or anything men have done. Otherwise, grace would no more or no longer be grace [It would be meaningless]».
Wow. Come on, while we’re in the scriptures, let’s move through it. 1 John, chapter 2, verse 1-2. I want you to see what Jesus did for people that were not saved. I want you to see what people did for the world, for the whole world. 1 John, chapter 2, and verse 1, «My little children, these things right I unto you, that you sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; And he is the propitiation». He is the ransom that was paid for you. He is the peace offering that was paid for you. He is the compensation, that’s what propitiation means. He’s the compensation for all of your sins. He’s the sin offering for all of your sins.
So, we thinking, «Well, this is just talking about church people». He says, «And not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world that ain’t even saved». Are you following me? Everybody on the bus? Saint John chapter 1:29. Stay on the bus. We we got a ways to travel now. Saint John 1:29, «The next day, John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and he sayeth,» here’s what John, John, the Baptist says, he says, «Behold the lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the whole world».
Here is the torment of going to hell: going to hell when all of your sins have been taken away from you, and the only reason you went is because you wouldn’t receive the gift. You know how tormenting that is for you to get to hell when Jesus has taken away the sins of the whole world, not the sins of those of you who got saved? You think your sins were dealt with when you just got saved, and they were, but he said he came to take away the sins, this was made available to everybody in the world; Everybody in the world has had their sins taken away, but the only reason you go to hell because you won’t believe in the one who took him away. I know this sounds strange.
Come on, stay with me. Romans 5 and 8, Romans 5 and 8. A seminarian in here is gonna freak out today. You may try to pull your hair out by the time I finish. «No, no, no». It’s like, «yes, yes, yes». «But God commended his love toward us in that while we were yet sinners». What happened? When did, when did he die for you? When you was a sinner. He did what he did when you and I were sinners. He didn’t do what he did when y’all got born again, start talking in tongues, and start treating folks right. He died for you while you were a no-good-for-nothing, hell-raising, holy sinner. He didn’t need nothing from you for him to make that available. He said, I’m gonna make it available, then I’m gonna work on you to see if I can get you to receive it.
Come on. Titus, chapter 2 and 11. This is interesting here, «For the grace of God,» look at what grace brought, «that bringeth salvation». Salvation didn’t bring grace. The grace of God that brings salvation hath appeared to World Changes folks only. For talking in tongues people only. «The grace of God has appeared unto all men». So, everybody on the planet has access to this gift of grace. It’s appeared to every man. Unfortunately, not every man has received it or accepted it yet, but every man there is no man that will ever come on this planet. That grace has not been made available to him. Saint John chapter one and nine, Saint John chapter one and nine dog. I feel like we in class. What is this? That was the true light.
Now, the context here is John the Baptist was baptizing, and he was talking that Jesus is the true light, and that he’s just the witness of the light. And he said in verse 9, «That was the true Light, which ligheth every man that cometh into the world». Every man has access to this light. Every man. Hebrews, chapter 2 and 9. Hebrews chapter, 2 and 9. Are you getting, are you getting where I’m taking you right now? You understand this? Verse 9 says, «But we see Jesus,» who was made a little lower than Elohim, that’s God. The Greek word there is «Elohim,» «a little lower than Elohim for the sufferings of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death,» only for church people, «For every man».
And then finally, John 17 and 3. John 17 and 3, «And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and that they might know Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. This is eternal life, to know Jesus». That’s eternal life. To know Jesus, the day you get born again, you have stepped into eternal life. We relate to eternal life is how, the unlimited time or something. No, no, with Jesus is… yeah, Jesus is life eternal for those who have received him, and eternal life has been extended to every man. The world cannot know grace as long as they find sufficiency and merit in man’s efforts, in man’s works, in man’s performance.
You cannot know grace if you keep trying to earn what cannot be earned, and grace cannot be earned. There is no seven steps to earn grace. If you have seven steps to earn grace, it’s not grace that you’re earning. You’re earning maybe a paycheck, you’re earning maybe something, but you’re not earning grace because it cannot be earned; it is a gift that could only be presented by the eternal perfection of the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace could only be given by someone who has that. It was God, the Word, «In the beginning was the Word, the Word was with God, and the Word was God, and the Word became flesh,» and the Word that became flesh, delivered grace and truth to a bunch of people who didn’t deserve it.
And you’ve received a gift, if you’ve received it. A gift is available to you who don’t deserve it, and the one of the reasons why people are not saved right now is because religion has put so many qualifications and conditions on Jesus, and I’m telling you, it’s a lie. If you put conditions on grace, and I say Jesus now, because grace is not a principle, it is a person: Jesus, full of grace and truth. So, when I talk, grace, I’m not talking about a subject matter. I’m not talking about a curriculum matter. I’m talking about a person.
So, every time you see Jesus doing anything, that’s grace. Grace showed up, wrapped up in flesh, to present to fallen man, something he can’t earn or deserve. Grace showed up to say, «I am going to do for you what you cannot do, I’m going to give to you what you cannot earn, and I’m gonna take you to a place you cannot go without me, and all I want you to do is believe it». And you keep saying, «I believe, but then, you know, God helps those who help themselves». All grace has ceased. You won’t know grace now because you keep going back to something you have to do to deserve it. And that freaks church minds out because you got to do something, you got to do something, and then, you go to the obvious thing.
«Well, well, what about this? Do you just sit around»? No, you don’t sit around. You trust God, and then, you trust God to show you what to do. You trust God, and you trust God to lead and guide you. You trust God. Our life is a life of trusting God. It’s not a life of, «Let me come up. I got five things I know I can do to get myself, get God to do something good for me». And then, if the good should happen because of grace, and at the same time, you did three or four things, you’re gonna give credit to the three or four things that you gave. That’s why he said, «Don’t boast».
You were saved by grace, not of yourself. It’s a gift of God. So, you can’t boast about the gift of God because you didn’t do nothing to get the gift of God. But we got, listen carefully in church, there’s a lot of boasting. Lot of boasting. Boasting about what you did in the prayer closet, boasting about, you know, what you gave, and how, «You ought to do like I do». That’s what we’re getting to, «Do like I do. If you would give like I give, then you have the business like I have». And I know people giving better than you giving and they still ain’t got what you got because it is not predicated on your effort. If you understand, if you understand that, say amen. Man’s resources ends. When that happens, provision to satisfy man’s need begins.
Let’s look at the first miracle in John, chapter 2. First miracle in John, chapter 2, verse 3, and then 7 to 9. Verse 3, and then 7 through 9. Alright, now watch this. Here’s the miracle: you remember that, water to wine. «And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus said unto him, 'they have no wine.'» Something happens when you have no more performance. Look what happened. Verse 7 through 9. Of course, Jesus responded to the closest person to him and said, he said to his mother, «Woman that ain’t none of our business». «Jesus said unto them, 'fill the water pots.'»
Now, at least Mary was wise enough to say, «Alright, it might not be none of my business, but whatever he tell you to do,» and that’s the way of grace. That’s what we should be doing now as Christians. «Well, what do you do»? Whatever he tells you to do? «Well, I can’t hear him». Well, spend more time with him. You not hearing him is not an excuse for you to go on and try to perform, so you’ve created your own method of how to walk with Christ. «Jesus said, unto them, fill the water pots with water and they filled them up to the brim, and he said, unto them, 'Draw out now, and bear unto the governor of the feast.' And then they bear it out,» did everything he said, «when the ruler of the feast…»
I tell you what, it’s important to do what God says. I’m just thinking about the time when we had a Friday night service over in the school, where we had our church started, and in the middle of the service, God said, «Go to Atlanta Baptist,» which was that chapel over there, «and say this to them». And I went over there and I said what God told me to say. And they came out of their meeting and they said, «How would you like to move in on Thanksgiving»?
What if I wouldn’t have did that? What if I thought, «Well, no, I’m gonna get my lawyers together, and I’m gonna get them,» I already had them. I had this lady for two years. She couldn’t get no money nowhere, selling bonds, and that it wasn’t working. Well, we didn’t qualify for nothing. We were too young and too broke to qualify for anything. It was gonna take a miracle. I went to CNS Bank. Anybody remember the CNS Bank? I went to CNS Bank, down the street. I told the lady, I said, «I need a loan,» after God told me, «Don’t borrow no money,» and I went in there, I’m gonna help him out. He don’t know I’m in the physical world and we need, we need a loan. We, we can’t be Shaka Zulu in here, and these people ain’t be black but no Shaka Zulu here. You gotta give some money.
And I went on in and I said, «Ma’am, you know, I need money». She said, she said, looked at the record, she said, «Ooh, you don’t qualify for nothing». And I said, «I mean, not even, not even $5? I ain’t qualified for nothing»? And she, and she said, you ain’t never gonna get this money for this. And she did something to me and I stood up over a desk and I said, you watch and see. Now. Wait, wait, wait, wait. I had to go through all of that. And then I said, «Alright Lord, we’ll do it your way». Don’t, don’t have to be turned down by the world before you back up and finally submit to God.