Christian Living 101. 4.13.2025 The meeting of Grace Christian Church. We meet in person and stream services every Sunday at 10:30 AM EST in Manalapan, New Jersey.
Main Idea:
Go back to the basics of Christian living—it’s not about knowing a lot about God, but about knowing God Himselfthrough faith, revelation, and relationship.
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1. Why Basics Matter
• In both education and faith, mastering the basics is more important than knowing a little about many things.
• Many Christians chase knowledge (facts and theology) instead of true spiritual revelation.
• Like in the Garden of Eden, we still choose between the tree of knowledge and the tree of life.
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2. The Real Christian Life
• The Christian life starts with faith in Christ—and continues by the same faith (Col. 3:4).
• It’s not about following rules (even Christian ones) or trying to keep the Ten Commandments.
• Living by faith means Christ lives through you (Gal. 2:20). This is the key to spiritual growth.
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3. The Trap of Legalism
• Many churches unintentionally lead people back into “law-keeping” by emphasizing rules, duties, and performance.
• Paul confronted Peter for falling into this trap—he stopped eating with Gentile believers to please legalists (Gal. 2:11–14).
• Rules don’t make us holy—faith in Christ does. Legalism only increases sin (Rom. 5:20, 7:8).
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4. Justification by Faith
• We are made right with God by faith in Jesus—not by works, law, or behavior (Gal. 2:16).
• Once we’re justified, we don’t get more righteous over time—we just grow in living out what’s already true.
• Any attempt to add laws or rules to grace is deception.
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5. Living by Faith, Not by Law
• Christian disciplines (like prayer, devotions, serving) are good—but they are not laws or measurements of righteousness.
• They should be desired, not demanded.
• God’s goal is to conform us to Christ (Rom. 8:29) by living through us, not by us striving on our own.
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Final Thoughts:
Stand firm in your faith.
Don’t give in to pressure to perform or conform to religious standards.
Jesus is not just your Savior—He is your life.
> “I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me…” (Gal. 2:20)
