Works Without Grace Are Dead

We cut expenses wherever possible, including some painful staff layoffs. We tightened our belts and ramped up efforts to teach the congregation good financial skills. But still we struggled to pay all the bills, and eventually we couldn”t.

In September 2008, the church couldn”t pay both the mortgage and the payroll taxes. I chose to pay the mortgage, reasoning it was better to avoid the local fallout of failing to pay it. Besides, in previous years we had received several large year-end gifts, and I was certain we could catch up on the payroll taxes in the final quarter of the year.

But giving did not increase as soon as I projected, so I didn”t pay the payroll taxes at all from September through December 2008. The year-end gifts did not come through. And, worst of all, I didn”t tell the elders what I was doing. I lied, leading them to believe the finances were better than they actually were. I continued this deception until May 2009, when I finally came to my senses and confessed my sin.

Since then I have often asked myself how I could have deceived and lied to the elders I loved and respected. Why didn”t I go to them sooner? Why did I believe this was within my control? Why was I afraid? Why did I make the finances of the church my personal responsibility?

Works, Not Grace

I have come to discover that in my years growing up in the church I had become motivated more from a theology of works than a theology of grace. I had begun to wear a mask that everything was OK and I could handle anything that came my way. I stuffed my fear of failure deep inside me and projected that I was capable, was committed to the church, and was a good person. I had come to depend on my own ability and to believe that when I succeed, I am good and when I fail, I am bad and no longer capable.

But without the grace from God to fail, failure to perform brings judgment instead of grace. Such a theology of works creates an environment that is ripe for a broken-world experience.

Some might respond by saying, “But Todd, faith without works is dead” (James 2:14-26). I agree, but works without grace are dead also. And this is the trap we often fall into. We know faith without works is dead, therefore we “strengthen” our faith by our acts of service to God through the church. Then a sin enters our life. We pray to God for forgiveness and then look for ways to serve, to show God our sincerity. The next time we sin, the cycle repeats, and before long the cycle has repeated itself so many times that we convince ourselves this is the path to righteousness. (Faith with works, but works without grace.)

So how do we break the cycle? I believe we must return to the practice of confession and forgiveness in a more open setting within the church.

Public, Not Private

The Catholic church got it right when they made confession and forgiveness a regular part of church life. However, in our zeal to profess a theology that Christ is our only mediator, we have made confession and forgiveness more of a private matter; something that is strictly between us and God that we do before Communion in order to make sure we do not partake of the emblems in an unholy manner (1 Corinthians 11:27).

If you study the Scriptures, you find the early church made confession and forgiveness a priority for the life of the church. Confession and forgiveness in the early church was not done privately between a person and a priest, nor was it done privately between just one individual and God. Instead, confession and forgiveness was done in community. I believe that is what is needed to reclaim the theology of grace of the New Testament church.

One of the things I have greatly appreciated is my restoration team”s vision that there should be a public service of restoration. I am grateful to my elders for catching that vision and recognizing the important role it played in my full restoration.

My sin was public and had damaged many relationships within the church, and so they saw the importance of a public service that allowed me to openly and finally confess my sin fully to the congregation and ask for their forgiveness. The restoration team also recognized the scriptural necessity to publicly offer their forgiveness as a response to my confession and as acknowledgement of my acts of repentance.

However, the elders went a step further””which I greatly appreciate. As part of my restoration service, the elders included a time of Communion, signifying the unity we have under the blood of Jesus. Then the elders invited the congregation to linger, so individuals could express their forgiveness toward me, and also so the elders could pray with anyone who felt the need to confess the sin within their own lives.

The elders are currently exploring ways they can incorporate a service of confession and forgiveness into the regular life of the congregation. It is my prayer that many more congregations see the need for regular confession and forgiveness done in community, and look for ways to put that into practice. Who knows, this just might be the beginning of a wave of revival!

This whole experience has taught me that my Lord Jesus has unconditional acceptance of me as I am, not as I should be. He loves me whether in a state of grace or disgrace, whether I live up to the lofty expectations of his gospel or I don”t. He comes to me where I live and loves me as I am.

Thank you, Jesus!

Todd Parmenter works and lives in Lincoln, Illinois, with his wife of 28 years, Pam. They are exploring opportunities to help other ministers and leaders who have experienced a broken world.