What do you understand by grace? Do grace nullify law? Does
it mean that "grace" has replaced "Law" and the
"Law" is discarded? Does Christ death actually abolished the Law, and
give people license to continue in sin? What does the Bible really say? What
then shall we do and teach others?
The
misconception of grace and law has thrown many into confusion, with varying
interpretations. Many preachers and teachers of the gospel has erroneously
mislead people to believe that grace has abolish the law, thereby giving them
licenses to live there life the way they like, without paying attention to moral code of conduct. That is why we have so many
unbelieving-believers in churches today. People going to hell from the church.
The meaning of grace:
Grace is the undeserving favor of God bestowed on mankind. Grace goes beyond
forgiving someone who rob and probably rape your wife in your presence, to
include giving the person job in your company with company car and allowance.
If someone offend you, and you forgive and forget you are just merciful, that
not grace. Grace is going beyond forgiving an offender to favor the person.
But the
question now is, does grace nullify the law? Certainly not. Jesus, the
Lawgiver, said, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the
Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them” (Mathew 5:17).
The Law was not evil. It served as a mirror to reveal the condition of a
person’s heart ( Romans 7: 7). John 1:17 says, “For the law was given through
Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” Jesus embodied the perfect
balance between grace and the Law (John 1:14).
The Law: The law is
referred as God's moral code of conduct, it also refers
to the detailed standard God gave to Moses, beginning in Exodus 20 with the Ten
Commandments. God’s Law explained His requirements for a holy people and
included three categories: civil, ceremonial, and moral laws. The law was given
to reveals people sin to them, because where there is no law, sin is not
inputted on any man. Paul wrote, “Wherefore the law is holy, and the
commandment holy, and just, and good” (Roman 7:12). The Apostle John
wrote, “For this is the love of God that we keep His commandments
and His commandments are not grievous” (1 John 5:3). And Christ summed up the
matter, saying, “…if you will enter into life, keep the commandments”
(Mathew 5:17). In Matt. 7:21, He also said, “Not everyone that says unto Me,
Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that does the
will of My Father which is in heaven."
Does
Christ death actually abolished the Law, and give people license to continue in
sin? Roman 6: 1-2 says, ....shall we
continue in sin that grace may increase? God forbid, how shall we, that are
dead to sin live any longer therein. Paul clarified what Jesus had
taught: the Law shows us what God wants (holiness), and grace gives us the
desire and power to be holy. Rather than trust in the Law to save us, we trust
in Christ ability and righteousness to get saved and live above sin. We are
freed from the Law’s bondage by His once-for-all sacrifice (Rom. 7:6; 1 Peter
3:18). The law reveal sin to man, but does not give man power to keep it. It
reveal to man that no one can be able to keep God's standard and that we are doomed
without his saving grace. The bible says, that our self righteousness is like a
filthy rag before him.
So only by God grace through our believe in
Christ death and ability can we live a holy and pleasing life to God. For by
strength can no man prevail. False teachers who promote “grace” over obedience
are unaware that the New Testament was written for those whom God calls to
assume roles of great responsibility in His kingdom. And Jesus says if you love
me keep my commandments. The ending
part of John 3:16 says,,,,,, for whosoever believeth in him, shall not perish
but have eternal life. Jesus did not abolish the law as many assert, but he even
give a harder law,,, he said, you have been told not to commit adultery; but, I
say unto you, whosoever looketh at a woman to lust after her, has already
committed adultery with her in his heart {Mathew 5: 20-48}.
Christ fulfilled the Law on our behalf and offers
the power of the Holy Spirit, who motivates a regenerated heart to live in
obedience to Him {Mathew 3:8, Acts 1:8}.
James 2:26 says, “As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without
deeds is dead.” A grace that has the power to save also has the power to
motivate a sinful heart toward godliness. Where there is no impulse to be
godly, there is no saving faith. We are saved by grace, through faith {Ephesians 2:8-9}.. The keeping of the
Law cannot save anyone (Rom. 3:20; Titus 3:5). In fact, those who claim
righteousness on the basis of their keeping of the Law only think
they’re keeping the Law; this was one of Jesus’ main points in the Sermon on
the Mount{Mathew 5: 20-48}.
We are
saved through faith in God grace (Eph. 2:8): We are only sure of our
salvation when we start manifesting God's grace in our life. This is explained
further in Roman 6:14-15: “For sin shall not have dominion over you for you are
not under the law, but under grace. We demonstrate God grace in our
life only when we walk not after the flesh but after the spirit of God. Walking
after the spirit means living according to the dictates of the holy spirit.
Gal. 5:18: “But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.” that
is you are under grace, and those under grace are the only people saved. Roman
8:1: There is therefore now, no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus,
who walk not after the dictates of the flesh but after the dictates of the
spirit. But a person led by God’s Spirit will strive to follow that law, as
instructed by the holy ghost. When he occasionally sins, he repents and is
forgiven (1 john 1: 8-10, 2: 1-2).
By virtue
of obedience and grace, he is not under the penalty of the law. Paul
wrote, “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God”
(Rom. 8:14). When an individual seeks to obey God and come under the “umbrella”
of grace, the blood of Christ justifies, or forgives, all past transgressions. Genuine
repentance accompany with godly sorrow leads to remission of sin. Any sin not
genuinely repented is not remitted. Rom. 6:26, explains that the wages of sin
is death. Upon repentance, baptism and conversion, a Christian is forgiven by
the blood of Christ and immediately saved from the penalty of PAST
sins. So, in one sense, the person has been “saved,” at that moment,
from death.
Repentance is a continual state of mind. Thus,
forgiveness is also continual. Also, it is the Spirit of the living Christ in
Christians that will change them at the resurrection (Rom. 8:14-17), so that
they can receive eternal life. Christianity is a continual race, until you
finish the race, therefore, while still running the race we need a continual
sanctification. Continual sanctification is achieved by constantly focusing our
mind on the things above and not on the things in this earth. Colossians 3:1-2.
If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where
Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection (love) on things above,
not on things on the earth.
Stop deceiving yourself it is a false idea to
believe that “once under grace, we are already saved” and we should be behaving
as we like, to fornicate, defile ourselves up and down For Christ has paid for
all our sin, the one we commit before, now and the one we are to commit
tomorrow. Lies! forgiveness precede repentance and not confession. Paul
speaking the Corinth's, he said anyone that defiles the body of Christ shall be
destroyed. Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 6:9-11, Know ye not that the
unrighteousness shall not inherit the kingdom of God? be not deceived: neither
fornicators, nor idolaters,,,,,,,, shall inherit the kingdom of God. Grace
never abolish law but it rather reinforce it, and give human power to live for
God
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