The laws of God are immutable and self-operating. The grace of God is equally available for His children.
Many sects in Christendom belief that the grace of God afforded man by Jesus Christ have made the law no longer biding on man.
What is the view of God and correct understanding of Paul’s teaching in His Epistles?
Modern Christianity postulates that obedience to the Law does not earn salvation, therefore, man no longer need to obey the Law. However, this is alien to Biblical teachings.
Many Christians point to Paul’s teachings that there is no justification in obeying the law. Epistle of Paul to the Galatians chapter 2 verses 16 & 17 is an example, it says:
“Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Jesus Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.
But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is therefore Christ the minister of sins? God forbid.”
Paul here is emphasizing on the law of circumcision, which is the covenant of God with the Jews, and should not necessarily be extended to other nations. These verses is a clear message from Paul that even if we believe and seek the grace of Christ and we still wallow in sins, we are not of Christ, because Christ is not associated with sins. The lesson here is that sin is disobedience to the law, logically anyone who is a sinner is disobedient to the law of God. We must first and foremost do away with sins to abide with Christ. That is, law must be obeyed but not the circumcision law that was specifically appointed for the Jews by God.
In Romans 3:31 Paul went further to say:
“Do we then make void the law through faith? Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the law.”
Paul brought his arguments to conclusion that grace and faith can never nullify the law, that in actual fact, they sustain it. Unfortunately, many Christians fail to realise the importance of Paul’s conclusion on this issue, for the simple fact that it is a vivid assertion that grace or faith do not do away with the law. The Holy Bible must be interpreted correctly not by the flesh, but by the infusion and knowledge of the Holy Spirit.
Paul in Romans 6:1-2 also said:
“What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?”
Paul went further and asserted in Romans 6:15 that:
“What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not!
Should we continue to sin by disobeying the laws of God, yet we want the grace of Christ to increase in our lives? Paul said no, God forbid. Or should we continue to sin against God, because we are under the grace of Christ? Where laws exist, man must obey. The grace of God afforded mankind through the crucifixion of Jesus Christ is an antidote to assist man to obey the laws of God, not to discard the laws.
One of the sections of Scripture that clearly reveals Jesus’ teaching on Law and grace is the one in which an adulteress was dragged before Him to see if He would pronounce the penalty upon her demanded by the law—death by stoning (John 8:1-11).
Pressed by the accusers to make a judgment, He told them, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first” (verse 7).
When all the accusers had left without condemning the woman, Jesus, the only One who truly was sinless, did not condemn her either. “Go and sin no more,” He told her (John 8:11).
What did Jesus teach about law? This is revealed in the above account. He did not say to the woman that she was free to carry on as before, as if she hadn’t been pardoned. He wanted her to change her way of living—to repent. Essentially, He said, “Go and sin no more”.
The word “sin” reveals the answer. Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.(1 John 3:4). Jesus told her to live from then on by the 10 Commandments. This teaching is confirmed by other examples in the Gospel accounts.
Jesus revealed to the wealthy young man that to gain salvation required keeping the laws of God as written in the Moses’ 10 commandments (Matthew 19:16-21). Jesus personally kept all the 10 Commandments, including the Sabbath law (Luke 4:16).
Clearly, Jesus taught his disciples and everyone by example that God has set a reasonable standard of behaviour for His children. That standard is the 10 Commandments.
When the Pharisees tried to trick Christ into saying something against the law, He did not deny the law its place. “Then one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying, ‘Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?’
“Jesus said to him, ‘“You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.” This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: “You shall love your neighbour as yourself” (Matthew 22:35-39). Here Jesus quoted Old Testament scriptures that summarized the message of the 10 Commandments.
By this explanation Jesus Christ did not say that his subsequent death shall negate the laws of God. Christ kept the 10 Commandments, and He taught others to do the same. And that leaves people who have a bias against the law in a difficult position. How do they reconcile Christ’s teaching to abide by the law with the notion that Paul taught that grace does away with the law?
It is a wrong understanding that has caused many to mistakenly assume the apostle Paul modified and changed Christ’s teachings. Yet Paul was quite clear on this subject.
In conclusion hear the verdict of God through the Holy Spirit, it reads:
“Man, from time immemorial have always found excuses or defence to escape punishment for going contrary to the rule and laws of God.
When Adam disobeyed God and he was confronted, he blamed his shortcomings on the woman given to him by God.
So has man continued to find excuses, to be able to do what he desires and to escape the punishment of God?
God saw all these and chose to send Jesus to the world to die for the sins of man and to erase this notion from man; yet man again anchor his excuse to sin against God on this special grace of the coming of Jesus, under the pretext that Christ has come and abolish all the laws which holds man captive to sins and wrong doing.
This is a wrong notion, for Jesus himself spoke in the book of Matthew 5:17 concerning this that he has not come to change or abolish the laws of his father, but to perfect them; that is to enforce them and bring them to the understanding and adherence of His people.
To imagine or to assume that the coming of Christ has put an end to the laws of God is a ruse and a misconception.
The Ten Commandments are as effective and as useful as it was in the time of Moses.
Jesus Christ summarised these in a few words ‘Love the Lord your God; Love your fellow man.’
When a man loves God, he shall not go foul of His laws, and thereby live without sin.
When a man loves his fellow man, he shall not do anything to harm or hurt him, again, thereby live without sin.
Where then is the abolition of the law?
How has the summary of Jesus’s command changed or corrected the laws that have been before him?
The devil always seeks for ways to deceive man and to bring ridicule to him and it is only by being disciplined and spirit filled that you can see into the game plan of the devil and avoid it.
Whatever was the teaching of Paul in the contest was either misquoted or misunderstood for God is not an author of confusion and His laws are constant. Yes, grace abounds and He, by grace can overlook some of man’s shortcomings, but that does not mean that man should take liberty for license to do what is wrong before Him.
Learn from this. Raphael.”
The grace of God afforded man through Christ, did not negate obeying the laws of God by man. Our faith in Christ coupled with the grace of God is an antidote to disobedience to God’s laws. These give man the courage and confidence to overcome the antics of the devil and the weakness of the flesh. Grace and laws of God work in harmony for man’s successful earthly sojourn. Without the grace of God man cannot do God’s will (obey His laws), without doing God’s will on earth, the world will be under the will of the devil.
Let us pray: Lord, we come to you in grateful Adoration. Be Thou exalted, O God. May the Holy One open to us the doors of His Divine Grace to be able to uphold His laws. May we have encounters with His word, power, glory and divine works. May His light shine upon us and remove every darkness and dark areas in our lives. May we be in harmony with the will of our Heavenly Father, now and forevermore. Amen.
One response to “The Laws and The Grace of God”
Thank you for sharing this truth and the wisdom crafted in diseminating same.
Blessings, peace and love always.