In one of his recent comments on the e-church website, “Sin-warriors – far too many church 
goers! Stephan Joubert proves once more that he is one of the most distinguished and sought-after religious leaders in our country — most distinguished for spreading the cancer of heresy and most sought-after in winning the “Andrew Murray Prize” for his distinguished heresies. His newest prize-winning story goes like this. After having done a thorough Google search on the words “sin” (904 million hits in 13 seconds) and “grace” (131 million hits in 12 seconds) he comes to the wonderful conclusion that:-
Far too many churches focus all their energy on the game plan of the opposition, instead of on spreading God’s amazing grace. In this process many believers have turned into bigger experts on sin than on God. Some church people even have their own list of the ‘Top Ten’ sins of the day. From sunrise till sunset they fight against the latest sins and the most recent signs of moral decay in society. Public outbursts against sin have had limited success throughout history. It probably only appeased the sentiments of the fully convinced, but in terms of life changing impact the results haven’t been promising. It didn’t draw throngs of new converts back to church, or radically change the value systems of society for the good. Isn’t it time then for a new term, one that really aligns with God’s latest moves? In other words, isn’t it time for a grace revival?
It is entirely impossible to understand and appreciate the profundity of God’s grace without a thorough knowledge of sin and its consequences. In fact, lost sinners who have been convicted and repented of their sins against God and Him alone are the only ones who have come to know and understand and experience God’s unmerited grace. Those who have not been convinced of their sins and its devastating consequences in hell cannot appreciate God’s grace until they repent and plead for forgiveness for their sins. Paul notably says in the book of Romans.
Romans 5:20 But then Law came in, [only] to expand and increase the trespass [making it more apparent and exciting opposition]. But where sin increased and abounded, grace (God’s unmerited favor) has surpassed it and increased the more and super abounded,
Wow! Isn’t that the most wonderful expression of God’s grace? It is evident that God’s grace (unmerited favour) is inexorably linked to sin, even to the extent that where sin has increased God’s grace has increased superabundantly. Nonetheless, Paul warns in the following chapter that we dare not continue in sin so that God’s grace may abound. God’s children have died to sin and therefore can no longer live therein. Furthermore, it is a proven fact that those whose sins abound to overflowing learn to love the Lord more when they receive forgiveness for their sins. To explain this phenomenon, Jesus once told a Pharisee the following story.
Luke 7:35-50 And one of the Pharisees desired him that he would eat with him. And he entered into the Pharisee’s house, and sat down to meat. And behold, a woman who was in the city, a sinner; and when she knew that he was sitting at meat in the Pharisee’s house, she brought an alabaster cruse of ointment, and standing behind at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment. Now when the Pharisee that had bidden him saw it, he spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have perceived who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him, that she is a sinner. And Jesus answering said unto him, Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And he saith, Teacher, say on. A certain lender had two debtors: the one owed five hundred shillings, and the other fifty. When they had not wherewith to pay, he forgave them both. Which of them therefore will love him most? Simon answered and said, He, I suppose, to whom he forgave the most. And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged. And turning to the woman, he said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered into thy house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath wetted my feet with her tears, and wiped them with her hair. Thou gavest me no kiss: but she, since the time I came in, hath not ceased to kiss my feet. My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but she hath anointed my feet with ointment. Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little. And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven. And they that sat at meat with him began to say within themselves, Who is this that even forgiveth sins? And he said unto the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace.
Now fancy that, Stephan. Where an abundance of sin is forgiven, the love of the much forgiven is greater than the love of those to whom little is forgiven. Ah! but Stephan Joubert, together with his Pied Piper Ron Martoia, have invented “a new term, one that really aligns with God’s latest moves.” It is called a “grace revival.” In order to verify the validity of the Joubert term “grace revival” we must ask ourselves whether the revivals in the passed were anything other than “grace revivals.” As far as I can recall there wasn’t a single revival in the past that was brought about without the grace of God. Perhaps Stephan Joubert may want to clarify his new term and tell us whether the revivals in the past were brought about without God’s grace. If they were indeed the product of God’s grace then we cannot leave sin out of the equation because, as the woman in Jesus’ narrative in Luke 7 clearly demonstrates, God’s grace abounds where there is forgiveness of an abundance of sins. Who is Stephan Joubert following — Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God or the Pied Piper, Ron Martoia? . . . who said:
Despite decades of tweaking evangelistic methods, there is little evidence that many Christians are experiencing true life change, Ron Martoia told church leaders Jan. 29. Perhaps . . . that failure is because Christians in the Western world have been prone to think of salvation as a “point-of-sale” transaction that focuses on getting to heaven instead of appreciating that Jesus came to fulfil the Old Testament promise of shalom, a concept that suggests wholeness, wellness, and peace. Preaching about forgiveness from sin becomes increasingly ineffective in a postmodern world where a sense of guilt and obligation is less often operative. In contemporary American culture, one can no longer assume that people identify themselves as sinners in need of grace. “People may not think of themselves as sinners going to hell, but they seek wholeness and recognize they’re not there,” he said. (Read the entire article here.) (Emphasis added)
Anyone who wilfully ignores or downplays the devastating effect of sin and its consequensces on the lives of people are openly and publically putting Jesus Christ and his cross to shame. Oh yes, do not be mistaken, they love to talk about the crucifixion, the burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and how to follow Him but very subtly reject the things they profess to believe. Gentlemen (Stephan Joubert and Ron Martoia) how many times do we have to remind you that the cross of Jesus Christ was God’s only way to satisfy his holiness, his love, his righteousness and at the same time his magnanimous hatred of sin? In Psalm 85 the psalmist describes how these attributes of God were perfectly satrisfied when he says: “Mercy and truth are met together; Righteousness and peace have kissed each other.” God had to prepare a body for his Son so that your and my sins and the rest of the world’s sins could be judged in his flesh on the cross. His body was rent asunder for the forgiveness and remission of our sins and only those who receive it by faith are saved and will be in heaven with Him some day. So Stephan, the bottomline is: If you want to be a bigger expert on God and his grace, you will necessarily have to become a bigger expert on sin and its consequences for the people you want to reach for Christ.
GOD’S GRACE (UNMERITED FAVOUR) ABOUNDS
WHERE SIN INCREASED AND ABOUNDED AND WHERE LOST SINNERS
(LIKE THE WOMAN IN LUKE 7) IN MOURNFUL AND TEARFUL SORROW FOR THEIR
SINS BOW DOWN TO KISS THE NAIL PIERCED FEET OF
JESUS CHRIST THE SON OF GOD.
Psalm 2:12 Kiss the son, lest he be angry, and ye perish in the way, For his wrath will
soon be kindled. Blessed are all they that take refuge in him.
Stephan Joubert, I beg of you, stop following the Pied Piper Ron Martoia and begin to follow Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God.
