The Law vs. Grace

The Law vs. Grace

“The Law” is found 183 times in the New Testament. That is amazing to me. It’s only found 137 times in the Old Testament. So why is there all this talk about The Law in the New Covenant?

Bottom line: The Law is still relevant. Without The Law, how would men know they need a Savior? Without The Law, how could we ever truly appreciate Grace? As far as I can tell, there are two ways to get God’s approval. The first is to live The Law flawlessly; perfectly; not one single mistake, ever! Before you think you have, or can, I’ll let you down gently. You cannot keep The Law.

The second way to gain acceptance by God is to be baptized into Christ. The Holy Spirit is the only way to be baptized into Christ. The only way the Holy Spirit will baptize you into Christ is if you are willing to give up your life and become identified with Christ in His death, burial, resurrection, ascension, and seating at the right hand of Father, and then receive the gifts of the Holy Spirit that Jesus sent after He ascended to Father. This is all made possible by the Grace of God alone. Nothing you do will qualify you for rebirth. It is only through the provision made by Jesus.

The mark, or sign, of agreement to New Covenant rebirth is water baptism. This seals the experience for you, and testifies to the world that a change has occurred.

The real issue with The Law comes after you choose option two. There seems to be much confusion regarding the role of The Law in the Believer reborn through Grace. This is not a new problem.

Acts 15:24-29 (ESV) Since we have heard that some persons have gone out from us and troubled you with words, unsettling your minds, although we gave them no instructions, it has seemed good to us, having come to one accord, to choose men and send them to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. We have therefore sent Judas and Silas, who themselves will tell you the same things by word of mouth. For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay on you no greater burden than these requirements: that you abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what has been strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell.”

The early church dealt with this very same issue. Some said, “We’re glad you got saved. Now follow The Law!” The apostles and elders made it very clear. The Law does not apply to the New Covenant.

Galatians 6:11-15 (ESV) See with what large letters I am writing to you with my own hand. It is those who want to make a good showing in the flesh who would force you to be circumcised, and only in order that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ. For even those who are circumcised do not themselves keep the law, but they desire to have you circumcised that they may boast in your flesh. But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation.

The real truth is this: Even those under The Law, after receiving a revelation of the Grace of God, were not condemned by The Law. Look how Jesus responded to those accusing Him of violating the commandments.

Matthew 12:3-8 (ESV) He said to them, “Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, and those who were with him: how he entered the house of God and ate the bread of the Presence, which it was not lawful for him to eat nor for those who were with him, but only for the priests? Or have you not read in the Law how on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath and are guiltless? I tell you, something greater than the temple is here. And if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless. For the Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.”

David and the priests did things contrary to The Law, and yet they were without blame. They were operating out of love for Father rather than working to please Him. If you are “In Christ” and He is “Lord of the Sabbath” then everything you do In Him is done in Grace and therefore is not under The Law.

2 Corinthians 5:14-17 (ESV) For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.

From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

Anything you can do in the love of Christ is acceptable to God. Anything you do outside of that is a dead work. Let us allow the Holy Spirit to complete what He started when He baptized us into Christ. Now let Him renew our minds to the liberty we have In Christ, and pursue everything Jesus provided in our rebirth that is found in Him.