Posted on by jwlozano

The Difference is Grace

Lately, I have found myself thinking about the way Christians respond to the world around us. It seems that everywhere we look, there is criticism, judgment, and condemnation. People are quick to point out the sins, mistakes, and poor choices of others. Yet when I read the life of Jesus, I see something very different.

Jesus never ignored sin, but He never lost sight of the person behind it.

One of my favorite verses is found in John 3:17:

“For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.”

Jesus came on a rescue mission. He came for the broken, the hurting, the confused, the deceived, and the lost. He saw people not as they were in their sin, but as they could become through His grace.

That perspective should change the way we view the world around us.

Too often, Christians can become frustrated with unbelievers. We wonder why they do not understand God’s ways. We shake our heads at the choices they make. Sometimes we even hear people use harsh or derogatory language when talking about those who are far from God.

But Scripture gives us a different lens.

2 Corinthians 4:4 says:

“The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ.”

Think about that for a moment. The Bible says they are blind.

If we met someone who was physically blind, we would not mock them for being unable to see. We would not laugh at them for stumbling. We would not criticize them for needing help. We would show compassion. We would offer guidance. We would patiently help them find their way.

Why should our response be any different when it comes to spiritual blindness?

The lost are not our enemies. They are people who need Jesus.

One of the most powerful reminders of this truth is found in Titus 3. Paul writes:

“At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, He saved us…”

It is so easy to forget where we came from.

The longer we walk with Christ, the more tempting it can be to look at someone’s current situation and forget that we were once just as lost, deceived, and in need of grace. We were not saved because we were smarter, more moral, or somehow better than everyone else. We were saved because God, in His kindness and mercy, reached down and rescued us.

When I read Titus 3, I am reminded that the difference between me and someone who does not know Christ is not my goodness. The difference is His grace.

God’s kindness led me to repentance. His patience gave me time to grow. His mercy covered my failures. And if that is how He treated me, then that is how I should treat others.

The next time I am tempted to judge someone who is far from God, I want to remember where I came from. I want to remember the patience God showed me, the grace He extended to me, and the countless times He pursued me when I wasn’t pursuing Him.

The world doesn’t need more condemnation. It has plenty of that already. What the world needs is for Christians to reflect the heart of Jesus.

May we never forget that we were once blind too. And may we be willing to lovingly help others find the Savior who opened our eyes.

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Posted on by jwlozano

One Gospel: Don’t Trade Grace for “Jesus Plus” (Week 1)

Scripture references: Galatians 1:6–10; Acts 9; Acts 13–14; Galatians 2:16; 1 Corinthians 8:6; 2 Timothy 4:2; John 1:1, 14

Paul opens Galatians with a sentence that should make every believer sit up straight:

He says he’s astonished that they are “so quickly deserting” the One who called them by grace and turning to a different gospel (see Galatians 1:6–7).

That word “deserting” matters. Paul isn’t talking to unbelievers. He’s talking to people who have heard the gospel, responded to the gospel, and are now drifting from the simplicity of the gospel.

And Paul doesn’t treat it like a small issue.

He says that what they’re turning to is “really no gospel at all” (see Galatians 1:7). Then he repeats himself about anyone preaching another message (see Galatians 1:8–9). Paul is not being dramatic. He’s being protective.

Because when you change the gospel, you don’t just tweak a belief, you wreck the foundation.

The moment “one gospel” becomes “a different gospel”

To understand why Paul is so intense, you have to know what was happening in the churches of Galatia.

These churches weren’t just one congregation in one city. They were a collection of churches throughout a region Paul visited in his missionary journeys (see Acts 13–14). The believers were a mix of:

  • Jewish Christians (raised under the Law of Moses)
  • Gentile Christians (not raised under Jewish law)

When Jesus came, He fulfilled the Law. Salvation was no longer about trying to prove righteousness through rules. It was about receiving righteousness through faith in Christ (see Galatians 2:16).

But here’s where the conflict came in:
Some Jewish believers struggled to let go of the old way of measuring “holiness.” They believed Jesus was the Messiah, yes. But they still felt that Gentiles should also adopt certain Jewish markers, like circumcision and dietary restrictions.

So after Paul preached and left, teachers often referred to as Judaizers came behind him and told the Gentiles:

“Yes, Jesus saves… but you also need to do this and that to be truly right with God.”

And the moment the message becomes Jesus plus anything, the gospel gets blurred.

What is the gospel?

If we can’t define it simply, we’ll struggle to defend it clearly.

The gospel is this:

  • Jesus came
  • Jesus lived
  • Jesus died
  • Jesus rose
  • Jesus will return

That’s the message that saves. That’s the message that transforms. That’s the message the enemy works overtime to distract us from.

Paul told Timothy, “Preach the word… in season and out of season” (see 2 Timothy 4:2). And we know the Word is not just a concept; it is Jesus Himself (see John 1:1, 14).

So when Paul says “one gospel,” he’s saying:
Preach Jesus. Stay with Jesus. Don’t mix Him with requirements He never asked for.

The “not the gospel” list

Let me say this plainly:

There are many important topics in the Christian life. There are many practices that matter. There are many discussions we can have.

But not everything is the gospel.

The gospel is not:

  • the exact wording of a baptism formula
  • spiritual gifts as a measurement of salvation
  • denominational preference
  • political alignment
  • secondary doctrinal debates
  • personal lifestyle convictions presented as universal law

Those things may be part of discipleship conversations. But if we make them the entry point, the focus point, or the “proof” of salvation, we’ve changed the message.

And Paul won’t allow it, because love won’t allow it.

Paul knows the danger:
When the gospel is altered, the cross becomes small. Grace becomes suspicious. Freedom becomes fragile. And people end up trying to earn what Jesus already purchased.

So Week 1 is our foundation:

  • Christ alone saves.
  • Grace alone calls.
  • Faith alone receives.

And if we can anchor ourselves here, we’ll be able to recognize the things that try to creep in and cover up the gospel.

Next week we’ll talk about the first one: OPINIONS, and how quickly “my perspective” can become “God’s requirement” if we aren’t careful.