Often, preachers and teachers will use the word “hyper-grace” to describe, what they feel is, an unbalanced message about grace. But what does this word mean?
One of the meanings for “hyper” is to be extremely active. The word “grace” means unmerited favor or kindness. So hyper-grace means unmerited favor (or kindness) that is extremely active. Is this a fair characterization of our relationship with Yah?
In the fourth chapter of Romans, Paul says that Yahweh justifies the ungodly, when they place their trust in Yeshua, and He counts their trust as righteousness. Paul goes on to say that the ungodly person, who places their trust in Yeshua, is blessed because their iniquities are forgiven and their sins are covered, which means that Yahweh will not count their sins against them!
Does an ungodly person deserve for Yahweh to forgive them and remember their sins no more? No, of course not. Well, this sounds like favor that is extremely active.
After a person places his trust in Yeshua Messiah, he becomes a saint (a holy one). The Scriptures call us saints because Yah has set us apart (separated us) from the ungodly through regeneration. Once we become saints, does Yahweh expect us to be perfect and never sin? Once we become saints, does Yahweh count our sins against us so that He can judge us and condemn us for them, and take away our eternal life?
In Romans chapter 5, Paul says that justification, that is, being declared not guilty and given the legal status of being righteous, is a free gift. Paul goes on to say that grace reigns through righteousness unto eternal life by Yeshua Messiah our Lord. Consequently, in Romans chapter 8, Paul says that when we become saints Yahweh will not condemn us. Why not? Well, because Yeshua became our sins, past, present and future, and Yahweh condemned Him and punished Him for our sins!
Some object to the concept of Yeshua becoming our past, present and future sins. They say that Yeshua became our past sins, but not our present or future sins. They say Yahweh has forgiven our past sins, but not our present or future sins. In order for Yahweh to forgive our sins that occur after our regeneration, that is, our present and future sins, we must first repent from them and confess them. This is not true.
About 4,000 years ago, Yahweh reached out to Abraham and cut the covenant of Redemption with him. Now, Yahweh knew that Abraham could not hold up his side of the agreement and never disobey Him, so Yahweh put Abraham into a deep sleep. As Abraham was in a deep sleep, Yahweh walked through the blood alone and cut the covenant with Himself. Yahweh was saying that He would uphold both sides of the covenant of Redemption, that is, He was saying that He would keep His promises to Abraham or die, and He would also die on Abraham’s behalf to fulfill the covenant.
About two-thousand years ago, Yahweh became a man. This Jewish man was named Yeshua. When Yeshua Messiah died on the Roman execution stake, He fulfilled the Abrahamic Covenant (the covenant of Redemption) in His flesh. In Yeshua, Yahweh died for man in order to uphold his side of the agreement. This is why Yahweh is just, when He justifies us and declares that we are righteous and gives us eternal life.
Now, was our father Abraham’s justification and righteousness contingent upon his future repentance and confession? No, Yah put him in a deep sleep and gave him the gift of righteousness. Likewise, when we put our trust in Yeshua, we enter into His death and die with Him (Yah puts us into a deep sleep) and He gives us the gift of righteousness. Our righteousness is not contingent upon our future repentance and confession. As the writer of Hebrews says, we receive eternal redemption through Yeshua’s blood, and as John says, Yeshua’s blood continually cleanses us of all sin.
Well, that sounds like favor that is extremely active in upholding our salvation.
Yes, grace is extremely active in getting us into salvation, and grace is extremely active in keeping us in salvation.
Now,here is where some preachers and teachers fall short. When grace is extremely active in upholding a person’s salvation, that same grace is extremely active in transforming that person’s thoughts, behavior and life. This person will repent of their present and future sins because they are under the influence of extreme grace. Let no one deceive you, it is not possible for extreme grace to save a person and not also transform their life. A transformed life is the hallmark of extreme grace. If you do not see the hallmark of extreme grace, then extreme grace is not present.
Make no mistake. There is a vast gulf between eternity “past” with Yahweh and eternity “future” with Yahweh, and the only bridge between eternity past with Yahweh and eternity future with Yahweh is the bridge of sanctification. We must all travel across the bridge of sanctification in this life in order to reach our eternal future with Yahweh. If you are not on the bridge of sanctification, then you are not headed for a future eternity with Yahweh. How do we know if we are on the bridge of sanctification or not? Well, do you see the hallmark of extreme grace in your life? If you do, then you are on the bridge; If you do not, then you are not on the bridge.
So is the message of hyper-grace error? No, hyper-grace is Yahweh’s message to us. Yeshua’s very active extreme grace saves us, keeps us saved, and transforms us.
I love the message of hyper-grace, don’t you?
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