What About The Law & Grace? |
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About the Law, Jesus spoke (Matthew 5:17-20) to the Jews first that feared He was coming to destroy the Law, and then to those that disregarded it and hoped He would destroy it. He was telling them that He walked in obedience to the Law, and that He came to complete it, "to accomplish everything shadowed forth in the Mosaic ritual." He was not saying that we are no longer to walk in obedience to God. It is our motivation that has been changed. We now function out of a heart of love for our Savior, and because of this love we will follow God's commands (Matthew 22:36-40). In the Spirit-Filled Life Bible, there is a study note at the bottom of the page under Galatians chapter 3 which states: 3:10-14 -- Paul presents the alternatives of faith (v. 11) and law (v.12) as the means of justification. However, rather than justifying, the Law curses (v. 10) because it makes demands that no one can keep. Obedience must not only be absolute in every detail, but it must be continuous (v. 12). Through His death on the Cross, Christ did for us what we could not do for ourselves. His work, not ours, removed the curse upon us because of our disobedience of the Law (v. 13). By faith we receive the benefits provided by His death, including justification (v. 11) and the promise of the Spirit (v. 14). Ephesians 2:8,9 states that "...by grace you have been saved through faith...not of works, lest anyone should boast." So we know clearly by this scripture and many others that our salvation is not contingent upon our works. It definitely is a gift of God. But then we see in James 2:20-26, that "...faith without works is dead;" and Matthew 7:15-20, that a Christian shall be known by the "fruit" in their lives. This is not something to work our way into a good relationship with God, but something that will naturally flow from a life that is truly saved. In Romans 6:1,2,13-18, again we are reminded that all that we have is due to God's grace; but we are clearly instructed not to presume upon that grace -- "What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not!..." Because of our love for our Savior, we will endeavor to walk in obedience to His Word. Not out of a heart of guilt or condemnation, but because we love Him and want others to experience the love and life that we have experienced. Contrasting the rules and regulations often seen in the Old Testament, we see in I Samuel 15:22 that "...to obey is better than sacrifice..." |
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Resources: 1) The Uniqueness of Christ" Booklet uoc 2.) The Spirit-Filled Life Bible |
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