I am in the process of reading a book by Steve Brown called “Three Free Sins”. It challenges many
of the false concepts in Christianity that have become entrenched in Evangelical culture. I will write a complete review when I am done with it. Suffice to say, it will make you think about what you believe is true.
Steve Brown has been a mentor to me for about 17 years (without his knowledge), and his teaching has been the inspiration for a lot of what I write on the church. He has even reached out to me and encouraged me when I was being attacked by some in the church. His teaching also moved me from rabid fundamentalist Republican to obnoxious Progressive Christian Democrat. The latter I am sure will not make him happy, since he claims to be right of President Reagan.
So reading his book today, Good Friday, has brought me to contemplate once again the meaning of the cross.
If you are a Christian today you are free, really free because of what happened this day over 2000 years ago, All of yours and my sins were eradicated. Not just the past sins, or the present sins, but all future sins. You are free. Our relationship with God was secured through what Jesus did on the cross, and God’s righteousness became our righteousness, and God’s holiness became our holiness because of Jesus and the cross. More than that, all the promises of God toward His people will come to pass for us because of Jesus.
God is not mad at us anymore!
In fact He is “quite fond of us!”
The cross of Jesus was God’s ultimate expression of love for His creations, us.
God loves us unconditionally, and completely, and he pours out His grace and mercy on us every day. We are free! Free to live and become what He has created us to be, free to risk, and fail. Free to love people unconditionally, without strings, or agendas And yes, free to even choose to sin because we have been forgiven.
But the more we walk in this amazing freedom and love, the less we might feel like sinning.
No more striving to be good, perfect, or holy. No making ourselves sick over the fact that we are
not holy, or righteous, or good enough for God. We aren’t and we never will be! And we don’t have to be. No more seeking “a blessing” from God by rigid obedience, or giving our money to a religious TV charlatan. God says yes and amen to everything we need because of Jesus.
We can’t ever measure up…stop trying, and let the love of God in Jesus bring you peace.
Musings of a "not so good" Christian 
Hey, how’s it going? I stumbled across your blog while ‘surfing’ recently …
I just wanted to point out the inconsistency between Steve Brown’s theology and Christ’s theology.
Jesus Christ says,
“Enter through the NARROW gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” Matthew 7:13-14 (NIV).
Also, Jesus teaches, (speaking of who will go to heaven)
“Strive to enter through the NARROW door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will NOT be able. … Depart from me, all you workers of EVIL!’ Luke 13:24-27(ESV)
Next, Christ teaches,
“NOT EVERYONE who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day … Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you EVILDOERS!’ Matthew 7:21-23 (NIV)
So Jesus taught that people who call Him Lord yet continue to do evil will not be able to enter heaven!
In summary, the teachings of Steve Brown and Jesus Christ contradict. This is so serious!! Our eternal destiny … millions … billions … trillions of years in heaven or hell … depend on whose teaching we choose to follow.
“So Jesus taught that people who call Him Lord yet continue to do evil will not be able to enter heaven!”
Thank you for your concern, I have been in the church as a born again Christian for almost thirty years. I have been a fundamentalist and a progressive, I have been a Catholic, Conservative Baptist, Presbyterian, and a Free Methodist. I have done everything in the church but run a woman’s ministry.
I know for certain my friend that Steve Broen does not teach that we can continue in evil. He teaches that Jesus has done it all and what we do is rest in His finished work. He changes us. To understand the depth of God’s love for us in Christ and His sacrifice moves us into wnating to sin less, and love others more.
I am sorry that you are blinded to what he teaches. It is the Gospel and it will set you free.
Hey Mark … I’ll admit that I have not read the book. But I watched the promo video and looked over the study guide.
This is a question from the study guide – Chapter 3.
“4. What is your reaction to Steve’s offer of unlimited free sins and admonition for you to go out and (quoting Martin Luther) “sin boldly”?”
It seems to me that Steve is encouraging Christians to go and “sin boldy”!!!
Am I wrong about that? You say above that he “does not teach that we can continue in evil.”
My brief assessment of Brown’s teaching is that Christians can treat God’s grace as a ‘license for immorality’, which clearly contradicts Scripture.
Thanks again for the comment and thanks too for admitting that you have not read the book. I would recommend that you do indeed read the book, and in fact listen to his Key Life Program, and Steve Brown Etc online if you really want to understand where he is coming from.
Taking a snipette from the study guide and basing your opinion on that does not do justice to his teaching.
His teaching puts Jesus at the center of Christianity, where He should be. Steve also opens the door to the possibility that we have been more focused on what we do or don’t do, rather than on the unconditional love and grace of God in Christ toward His children.
Thank you though for keeping the lines of communication open. It is rare.
Peace to you,
Mark Lee
Mark – thanks for the kind words … appreciate that.
I agree that Jesus should be at the center of Christianity. I’ve been wanting to ask you … what is your interpretation of Jesus’ Parable of the Sower?
Of the 39 different parables that Christ taught in the first three Gospels, only 7 parables are mentioned in all three Gospels (according to my John MacArthur Study Bible). And this parable, the Parable of the Sower, is one of those 7. So obviously, this parable is an extremely important component of Christ’s teaching.
In fact, Jesus said in Mark, “Don’t you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable?” Mark 4:13 (NIV). In other words, understanding this parable is key to understanding all the parables. (This is MacArthur’s commentary on this verse, which I agree with.)
So, how do you interpret the 4 different soils mentioned? What was Jesus teaching about the eternal destiny of each?
the Soil along the Road … will they go to heaven or hell?
the Rocky Soil … heaven or hell?
the Soil among Weeds … heaven or hell?
the Good Soil … heaven or hell?
Thanks again Mark for your kind words. Take care my friend.