There is a principle contained in Scripture that begins with our initial experience of salvation and continues to manifest in every area of life. That principle is expansion. Once we are set free in Christ our newfound freedom will take us on a journey to affect change in all areas of life, if we are willing. To engage in this journey, we will have to leave behind things we previously put stock in that no longer have a place in a life of grace.

 When the Apostle Paul explained to the Galatians why the message of grace replaced the law, he made a revealing statement, “Rather, I am a sinner if I rebuild the old system of law I already tore down” (Galatians 2:18). Paul was being challenged by Jewish believers who tried to lay upon new Gentile believers the requirements of the Law as part of their salvation. In a bold statement, Paul went on to say he died to the law and had stopped trying to meet all its requirements so that he might live for God. He was defining what a life of freedom in grace looked like.

With each new season where the Spirit is leading us into new territory, we will have to tear down something we had made into law. This tearing down is not a one-time event. It is required to move forward in grace into each new season of life. Old formulas of faith or ways of doing business or a narrow worldview are all subject to the demolition process of grace.

People are beginning to speak about moving forward after we emerge from the effects of 2020.  What does this mean? There are certain elements in this message of grace that will keep us moving forward in grace and not parking in a place of fatal familiarity.

Here are three things I see in those who will move forward:

• A willingness to leave behind old models of ministry that encumbered our individual and corporate potential and choosing not to return to their familiarity.

• A willingness to deconstruct old mindsets that perpetuate limitation at the expense of expansion.

• A willingness to step away from circles of fellowship that remain anchored in the past and continue to live in fear of the future. 

Choosing to not rebuild the past is present in every ground-breaking idea and each new era of Church history. Historians will look at this time and write about those who walked forward in the grace of God and did not try to rebuild what had served its purpose for a time but was no longer a viable Kingdom option. Those who choose to walk into this grace-filled future will be the true reformers. Follow their lead. The power of God’s Spirit is empowering their journey.