What is the Hyper-Grace movement? The Hyper-Grace movement mixes truth with error, overemphasizing grace while neglecting holiness and other aspects. It is really no different than The Grace Life which came before it (which I believe was begun by Bill Hybels). It says that repentance and confession of sin is not necessary because Christians are eternally forgiven. While this may be true, this neglects what the whole of God's Word has to say. For example, without denying it and trying to explain it away, what do they do with 1 John 1:8-10; 2:1-6; and 3:1-10? Also, what do they do with Jesus' words to five of the seven churches in Revelation (especially 2:4), where He calls them to repentance?
Those within the Hyper-Grace movement view progressive sanctification as legalism, which demonstrates their lack of familiarity with, knowledge of, and understanding of the Scriptures. Have they ever cracked open their Bibles? Or are they using a Sharpie to highlight those verses they do not agree with while proof-texting others that fit their agenda? Sadly, Tullian Tchividjian is one of this movement's leading voices.
Those within the Hyper-Grace movement are much like Red-Letter Christians, except that the Hyper-Grace people lump Jesus' words before His resurrection in with the Old Testament, which they reject as not having anything to do with the Christian. Again, this demonstrates their lack of familiarity with God's Word. Without the Old Testament, we would not have the New Testament. How many times did Jesus and the apostles refer to "the Law and the Prophets" and "the Scriptures"? This was reference to the Old Testament, without which the New Testament would not exist.
The Hyper-Grace movement says that we are not bound by Jesus' teachings. Quite clearly the Bible is not their absolute and final authority. What do John 14:15, 21; 15:10; 1 John 2:3-5; 3:22, 24; 5:2-3; Rev. 12:17; and 14:12 say? It even teaches that believers are not responsible for their sin. This sounds like the revival of an ancient heresy from the early Church. How do those within this movement reconcile their belief that Jesus' words are not binding upon us with the purpose of the Holy Spirit, Who "will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you" (John 14:26)?
Hyper-Grace preachers claim that the Holy Spirit will never convict us of sin, which demonstrates how little they know the Holy Spirit personally. Apparently when you sin, because you are already forgiven, you do not have to be concerned about it. This teaching violates so much found in Paul's epistles, but maybe we are not supposed to listen to his words either. Maybe the Bible is not for Christians, but only for sinners? I pity the individual who ever champions that argument.
6 Signs of a Hyper-Grace Institution
- The preachers never speak against sin.
- The preachers only speak positive motivational messages.
- The preachers never take a cultural stand for righteousness.
- People who live immoral lives are allowed to teach and lead ministries.
- Key members of the institution are regularly living habitually sinful lives with impunity.
- The Old Testament is almost totally ignored.
Hyper-grace teaches that we do not need to deal with our sin because God has forgiven our sins: past, present, and future. But this teaching is unbiblical, demonstrating with utmost clarity the biblical ignorance of the individuals who promote it. They have quite obviously never read the Bible. While we are saved by grace, we are not free to sin. Paul makes this argument abundantly clear in Romans 6.
When one aspect of biblical truth is overemphasized at the exclusion of other biblical truths, we trip and fall into a deep ditch that can be difficult to get out of. If we want a balanced Christian life, we need to make Scripture alone our absolute and final authority, and to believe everything it says (even if that means we have to wrestle with it before submitting to it). It is possible to be "extremely big on Jesus" without being like a Pharisee and neglecting other aspects, even weightier aspects.
Some items that are not related to the Hyper-Grace movement are:
- speaking against the institutional church, and
- speaking against tithing.
Any preacher who attempts this argument is engaging in a logical fallacy, attempting to manipulate his flock and his listeners and/or readers. For what purpose? Because he is a liar and he regularly proof-texts the Bible while engaging in eisegesis. Most preachers will not tell you the truth on the issue of tithing, so if you desire to "know the truth" and have it "set you free," read these articles:
It also makes little sense to claim that Hyper-Grace institutions speak against the institutional church seeing as how every single one of them is institutional themselves. To speak against the institutional church would be to speak against themselves.