OBEYING THE LAW...UNDER GRACE

Jesus came to fulfill the Law not to do away with it. How then can someone say we no longer live under the Law but under Grace? If we are not under the Law then NO we do not need to follow the Law, which would mean, for example, we do not have to tithe. We are sure many preachers would not like that.

The rurns us to the question what is Grace and living in Grace?

In the Old Testament we are told that Grace means: favor, supplication for, delightfulness, pleasantness, a free gift. The New Testament tells us: kindness, a free gift, to make graceful, endow with, to rejoice, be glad, joy, delight, show favor, to be thankful, to rejoice with, faith, faithfulness, to bear, carry, bring worth, goodly appearance, holiness, mind, understanding, reason, blessed, happy, in favor of, for the pleasure of, victory, to show to be righteous, compassion, pity, full, a healing, acceptable.

We are also told it can mean a boasting which can be either in self
achievements which is negative or about God's grace which would be positive.

To be without Grace means: ungracious, ungrateful, pain, distress, to be made narrow.

Grace is spelled God's Riches At Christ's Expense. There is much more to the picture then that. But how is the Law and Grace connected, and do we live by Grace or the Law.

The Law tells us what God wants done, this is the definition of 'good works.' It is a standard by which we should live. Let's look at 1 Cor 15:56: 'The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the Law.' The Law shows us what God intended.

The answer: focusing on the Law will get us nowhere. It is with Grace and the power of the Holy Spirit that we can do what God requires of us. We get Grace not by looking to the Law, but by believing through faith in Christ.

Romans 5:20-21 (KJV)20Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: 21That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.

It is by Grace that we are saved, the Law cannot save us. Look at the following scriptures.

Rom 3:20 (NIV) Therefore no-one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin.

Rom 3:28 (Wey) For we maintain that it is as the result of faith that a man is held to be righteous, apart from actions done in obedience to law.

Gal 2:16 (Wey) ...It is not through obedience to Law that a man can be
declared free from guilt, but only through faith in Jesus Christ. We have
therefore believed in Christ Jesus, for the purpose of being declared free from guilt, through faith in Christ and not through obedience to Law. For through obedience to Law no human being shall be declared free from guilt.

Jesus came to fulfill the Law and the Law shows us what God expects from us. The Law shows us condemnation. In the New Testament the Priest in the temples did not use the Law as God intended.

Rom 3:20b (Phi) ...it is the straight-edge of the Law that shows us how
crooked we are.

1 Tim 1:8 (Wey) Now we know that the Law is good, if a man uses it in the way it should be used.

1 Tim 1:8 (NIV) We know that the law is good if one uses it properly.

We pray that you can see from these two articles that we need both Grace and the Law. The two work together for us to live in Christ.

For it is by grace that you have been saved through faith,
and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God...
Ephesians 2:8

But grow in the grace and knowledge
of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
To Him be glory
both now and forever! Amen...
2 Peter 3:18

God Bless

recj/LJG