Is Grace Too Good to Be True?

Grace has always stirred up controversy. Say it's too big and too free, and someone's bound to push back. Stones get thrown, accusations fly: "You're watering down the truth… cheapening obedience… ignoring the Law." But maybe what we've misunderstood isn't grace—it's God Himself.

What if feeling far from God doesn't mean He's far? What if you've only got one spiritual nature—and it's new? What if Jesus gave the Sermon on the Mount to crush the religious, not inspire believers? And are crowns and rewards the goal of godly living?

In Part 2 of our "Grace Under Fire" series, we turn to Scripture to tackle these tough questions—and more. You'll see why the usual answers fall short, and how the New Covenant rewrites everything.

Discussion Questions:

1. If God's so close, why do we sometimes feel far from Him?
2. Do we have one or two spiritual natures? Why is this important?
3. React to this statement: The Sermon on the Mount amplifies the Law.
4. Does our freedom from Law include the Ten Commandments? What about godliness?
5. React to this statement: We don't need crowns and rewards as motivation.
6. If God isn't keeping score, why care about our attitudes and actions?
7. React to this statement: You can't lose your salvation, no matter what.
8. React to this statement: God's discipline is training for the future, not punishment for the past.