The Glory of Grace
Grace made Glorious over LawAlthough the Law was made glorious it has no glory because of this:
Grace is abounding in glory and excels so much above the law that the law has been done away with and now we can use boldness in our speech.
But we need the law to bring people to repentance?
When have you ever seen the law bring any person to repentance? Was it the condemnation of your sin that made you turn because of the perfect law? or was it the over powering graces of Jesus Christ. For by grace you have been saved through faith and that not of yourselves it was a gift of God.
Galatians 3:24
"Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith."
Were the 10 commandments the reason you came to Christ or did not sin taking occasion by the commandment, deceive you? It was Philip who understood the law as our schoolmaster when he said
"We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth" John 1:45
It is Jesus whom Moses in the law used to bring us to Christ. Jesus is the schoolmaster in the law.
To Obey Christ
Since we are now servants of Christ where are his commands that we obey?
"Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before, This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them;" Hebrews
If this is true then each christian with their new nature of the indwelling of the Holy Ghost already has the commandments of Christ. Christians know what sin is when they have the Holy Ghost. How much more will they flee from sin with all their might. Sin is made but naught when the grace of Jesus is preached? It is because our iniquities are remembered no more that we can now boldly enter into the holiest places by the blood of Jesus.
The Freedom of Grace
"Now the Lord is the Spirit and where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty. But we all with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord are changed into the same image from glory to glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord."
Rejoice again I say Rejoice!
Add Your Comment(18)
The Glory of GracePosted by Correy Tuesday, March 14, 2006
After reading many creeds and belief statements
I decided to stick to my own
18 Comments:
Sin for the Jew, was simply not adhering to God's plan, His Law which He gave them.
The law was not given to make people righteous, for it does not have that power.
"The law was added so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more...For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace. What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means!...I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!"
Rom 5:20, 6:14-15, Galatians 2:21
It is true that Jesus freed us from the Law and gave us the opportunity to be made righteous through His Grace.
BUT
"Do not think that I (Jesus) have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them."
The Law, while not having the power to save is still important. If not then the Old testament is a waste of time and Jesus just told a fib.
"You must obey my laws and be careful to follow my decrees. I am the LORD your God."
We are not on even footing with God, even if we recieve His grace we still have to obey Him. It is foolishness to think that "Since I am saved I can do what ever I like, kill, steal, commit adultary, worship other gods... I am saved by Grace and not works, God will forgive me."
We cannot serve to MASTERS, either Jesus is our master or He is not and we serve Satan. If God is our master, then we obey Him, including His laws, hand written by God on the top of the mountain (Notice that the Law is the only part of scripture not 'inspired' but actually written by God) He must have thought it pretty important to write it Himself.
The gift of Grace does not require or even encourage us to ignore, abolish or degrade the law at all. Grace just allows us to be Justified as we can't ever earn salvation.
I dont think you were suggesting this PB but i would like to check none the less.
MDM
"The Law of Jehovah is perfect, converting the soul; the testimony of Jehovah is sure, making the simple wise." (Psalm 19:7).
"But we know that the law is good if a man uses it lawfully, knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous one, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, for fornicators, for homosexuals, for slave-traders, for liars, for perjurers, and anything else that is contrary to sound doctrine, according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust" (1 Timothy 1:8-11).
How do we use the law lawfully? When we use it to bring sinners to conviction not to become "fruit inspectors" of our brothers and sisters.
The law is good. We are the ones who fall short. The law becomes perfect when we realize that and turn to Jesus.
"Rejoice again I say Rejoice!", indeed and amen.
Puritan,
Haven't seen you comment lately. I have always enjoyed your views. Hope you visit soon.
"When have you ever seen the law bring any person to repentance?"
Every time I see a Christian, I see someone who has been convicted by the law of God. In some way or form, every Christian, in order to become a Christian, has to realise that they are a sinner. The way this happens is by the law, for 'by the law comes the knowledge of sin.'
Which wicked person, who is at emnity with God, is going to come to him if they don't think they need to? Imagine a doctor who says, 'Take this medication.' but does not explain why it needs to be taken. Would that patient take it? Not likely. But were the doctor to spend time detailing the disease, in all its horrifying details - that the results are terrible sickness and then death, and then offered the medication, it is quite likely the patient would be more than glad to take the cure. So it is with the Law. It is as Owen states in his Greater Catechism
Q 5: Whereto, then, doth the law now serve?
A:...to drive us unto Christ.
Hey PB,
Interesting post. I just wanted to mention that the old covenant (Mosaic Law) was written into the hearts of the Jews as well.
Deuteronomy 30: 11-14
Deuteronomy 6: 4-6
As you know, even though the law was written into their hearts, they were still disobedient.
The only way we can turn away from sin is through God's infinite grace. We can't do it alone. If we try to do it on our own, we will fail.
Dennis
Magi:
It appears you missed the point of this post which I was trying to drive home. 2 Cor 3:10-12
Rob:
Perhaps you are not seeing my thrust behind the Christ of whom moses talked about in the Law. Just think about how many Jews, even Muslims who know the Law but this law as a schoolmaster never bought them to Christ. It always does this: Romans 7:11 If you have a Vines dictionary or bible dictionary look up the meaning of repent. You will notice that true conviction of the trespass of the law only comes from Christ no one else and this after we have turned from our wicked ways by the power of the Spirit. I never thought I needed to come to Christ and I was wicked I didn't even know who he was even though I had read many parts of the bible. He was veiled to me and not only that the more I read of moses and the law the greater the veil over my face became. I didn't know what I was looking for had it not been Jesus who called me by his grace. For he says "I sought those who were not looking for me"
theden:
They are the children of the flesh and these are not the children of God. However they are not all Israel which are of Israel. For a man is a Jew if he is one inwardly.
Michael:
What sort of translation are you using to get Jehovah in Psalm 19. The word Jehovah is only used a few times in the KJV rendered from YHWH and never in the other translations except perhaps the old American Standard. Anyway if it is the law without Jesus that brings us to Christ surely there would be a lot more converts. Your verses only make sense when they are wrought in Christ the only one to bring true and real conviction of Sin is Jesus when he takes it away and he does the work of repentence in us by the Holy Spirit. The law could never bring true conviction of sin but rather deception and death.
I thought I was on the King James tab in the program I use. I guess I was on the next tab over which is the old American Standard.
I thought your point is the point I was trying to make.
When a person preaches sin, the law, then the Spirit convicts of that sin. This is using the law lawfully.
Look at who the law is addressed to. It's a long list of sinners followed up by an all encompasing "anything else that is contrary to sound doctrine".
Bring the 10 commandments out like 10 big cannons aimed striaght at the concience of man and watch the Spirit goto work!
Michael:
"Bring the 10 commandments out like 10 big cannons aimed striaght at the concience of man and watch the Spirit goto work!"
I use to think this because of the schoolmaster verse in Galations. It is the preaching of Christ and him crucified not moses and the 10 commandments. Unless they are conveyed with Christ and his completion of them. "But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself." We exalt Christ and lift him up for he is mighty to save not moses because it places a veil over their faces. The Holy spirit who does the work of regeneration in the sinner is magnified when Jesus is lifted up.
The law reveals the depravity of man and the glory of God, thus convicting us.
Christ reveals the righteouness of God's grace, thus converting us.
PB, I agree that it is Christ's spirit who works regeneration in the heart of the believer, and that knowing of the law in itself will not convert. On the other hand, God uses means, and there is no salvation without turning from sin, and there is no turning from sin where there is no knowledge of sin. I maintain that in some way, some how, every true Christian has been convicted by God's law and have seen their need for a saviour.
"The law reveals the depravity of man and the glory of God, thus convicting us.
Christ reveals the righteouness of God's grace, thus converting us."
good point Gordon.
Without the law there could not be lawlessness or sin. Jesus did not come to abolish the law but to fulfil it.
Just because the grace and sacrifice of Jesus is more glorious than the law it does not make the law any less important or relevant to the Christian.
The following is a poor analogy I know, but it does hint at the relationship.
Without water and food a person will die in a matter of weeks if not days. But without air a person will die in minutes. Just because air is more important for life does not mean that food and water are no longer needed.
Jesus is the one who gives life. But in order to live fully and bear fruit, and be the light or salt of the world, the Christian needs the Law as well.
Gordon & Magi:
The scripture makes it clear that moses has already been preached everywhere.
What then makes the difference between someone who is convicted of Sin and comes to Christ and the billions who do not?
Magi: You may need to re-think "Without the law there could not be lawlessness or sin." Romans 5
Rob:
define Repent "to perceive afterwards and is in total contrast to perceive beforehand"
In otherwords we are saved by grace and this knowledge that we are now clensed from all unrighteousness and Jesus has turned our lives around causes us to repent. We repent because the Lord has changed us we don't repent and then change. This is the same with the Law for it could only bring us to dispair and more guilty of Sin however when Jesus changes us this is when we are truly convicted and this after we are saved by grace. Another interesting point is that we are granted repentance and others are not such as Esau. Therefore Grace is so much abounding in glory over the Law that it is done away with for those in Christ. The Law is for the lawless and those outside of Christ. For Jesus has fullfilled the law for us that we may live by faith.
Puritan, given that you hold to the Calvinist point of view and I do not, you will probably differ with me on this point (that's ok, we will still be friends won't we?)
I believe that saving faith and repentance occur simultaneously at the moment of salvation.
If I may quote what I heard an old preacher once say, "The thing that makes grace so glorious is the guilt that made it so necessary."
Gordon:
I know a lot of guilty people and I am sure that you do to that never came to Christ. Are you sure that the guilt the law produces makes the difference for one to come to Christ?
Saving faith and repentence do occur at the moment of salvation this is true.
I am not going to cast you away over this post. I don't know of one church in brisbane/Australia that would talk about grace like this post even/especially reformed churches. The law is one of those sneaky things. It is often easier to puff ourselves up in the law then to hand it all over to walking by grace. Bretheren are defined to me by Christ and his work in them :)
"For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.
The law was added so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."
The Law was given so that would see our sinfulness and that our sinfulness would increase, thus we might know how much we need His Grace. When Jesus came he showed us even more righteousness than can be found in the Law and thus how much more again that we need Him.
Magi
I assume you wrote this in response to my point
Magi You may need to re-think "Without the law there could not be lawlessness or sin." Romans 5
You have created another question for yourself to answer and that is that sin increases where the law is. So I will leave the above and go onto this one.
The way I see the context of Romans 5:19-20 is like this:
"The law was added so that the trespass might increase."
Notice the full stop. trespass is a little bit different to sin in definition hence all translations use this word or transgression. Transgress is a word that only has meaning when there is a law. eg you can't trespass or transgress a law that does not exist. Therefore when the law was added the trespass increases. This sentence is not talking about sin increasing.
OK now after this full stop it goes on and says:
"But where sin increased, grace increased all the more."
The point of this next sentence is not in connection to the law it is in connection to grace. In other words if sin increases so does grace.
Again the law doesn't make us sin nor does it bring sin into existence. I know a verse you like which says "Whatever is not of faith is sin." Also just reading Genesis there are countless examples of Sin. In my opinion when the law was brought forth it did actually help Israel for a time. But of course the transgression increased.
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Moving on:
"When Jesus came he showed us even more righteousness than can be found in the Law and thus how much more again that we need Him."
Now the above statement is good on one level which I assume you meant. Namely that we are sinners in need of a savior. You already know that I don't think that sin makes you seek Christ. I believe that it is the Christ in the law that is our schoolmaster that leads us to Himself. For condemnation could never achieve this nor could guilt.
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Finally this is what I would love you to see in regards to law and grace.
In light of this:
"When Jesus came he showed us even more righteousness in the law"
Jesus did not come to show us more law. But rather a verse I know because you quote it all the time "But to fulfill the law"
Christ is the end of the law for righteousness which means there is no more law for the Christian.
Now I know what you are thinking, But Christ did not abolish the law and you are right -->For the unbeliever<-- but not for the Christians the law IS abolished for them.
Here are some verses which may help you see this however again it has got to be spiritually discerned.
Ephesians 2:14-16
For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations.
2 Corinthians 3:13
And not as Moses, which put a veil over his face, that the children of Israel could not steadfastly look to the end of that which is abolished (law of moses):
Kind Regards
interesting discussion PB ...
a comment was made:
When Jesus came he showed us even more righteousness than can be found in the Law and thus how much more again that we need Him
need him for what... To help us keep these even heavier rules... Or to show us who we are now in him...the later will produce the former
But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."
I believe this verse is saying that as sin increases through the law...grace increases all the more through righteousness
Notice how grace reigns through righteousness and not through sinfulness. The power of grace is in the righteousness we have in christ, not in our sinfullness...which is why we are no longer guilty
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