The LAW and GRACE

In my daily reading I came across an author who stated that the 'the law is limited, negative and fault-finding'. But I don't find that in the written Word, and I especially don't find that in the New Testament which has much to say on 'the law'. In the OT we find:


Psalm 19:7
The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul:
the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.

Psalm 94:12
Blessed is the man whom you chasten (correct, discipline),
O LORD, and teach him out of your law;

Proverbs 6:23
For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light;
and reproofs of instruction are the way of life:

But for those who believe the 'law is bondage' or the 'law is done away with' and now it is 'just GRACE', consider what Scripture says both about LAW and GRACE. Grace removed the 'death penalty' from the law. It did NOT negate or make the law void, but removed the fear of death, Christ having fulfilled that requirement of the law for us.

Colossians 2
13 And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh,
....He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses,
14 having wiped out the handwriting of requirements* that was against us,
....which was contrary to us.And He has taken it out of the way,
....having nailed it to the cross.
15 Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public
....spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.

* the rules and requirements of the law of Moses; carrying a suggestion
..of severity and of threatened judgment.

Removing the death penalty does not remove 'the law'. For those of us who vote, we often find a ballot measure we are asked to vote on for 'removing the death penalty' as a form of punishment. We are not voting to cancel the law, only to remove the severe judgment the crime deserves. The criminal still suffers judgment, but not the death penalty.

Matthew 5:17
17 Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets.
....I did not come to destroy but to fulfill
18 For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away,
....one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.

Matthew 23:23
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay TITHE of mint and anise
and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law:
justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done,
WITHOUT LEAVING THE OTHERS UNDONE.

Before considering LAW, consider first GRACE. Our JUSTIFICATION for going to heaven is that JESUS CHRIST paid the penalty for our sins, not that we 'justified ourselves' by 'keeping the law'. We know in our hearts that we have failed in 'parts' of the law. Have we ever taken God's name in vain? Have we been disobedient to parents? Have we committed adultery, coveted or stolen anything or murdered anyone, even by our accusations or slander? No matter how perfectly we have kept parts of the law, we have failed to keep the whole law perfectly, and if justification was by works, we are deserving of the death penalty. GRACE allows REPENTANCE from dead works as we receive JESUS CHRIST TO LIVE IN US.

...............................................................GRACE
....................................................... a................................. x
...................................... KINGDOM HEIR.....................LIFE
....................................................SEED............................LIFE

JUSTIFIED by GRACE
JUSTIFIED by the LIFE of the promised SEED, the KINGDOM HEIR
JESUS CHRIST
GRACE, not works, brings SALVATION, FORGIVENESS OF SINS,
and REMOVAL OF THE DEATH PENALTY

Romans 3:24
being JUSTIFIED freely by His grace
through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus

Romans 11:6
And if by grace, then it is no longer of works;
otherwise grace is no longer grace
But if it is of works, it is no longer grace;
otherwise work is no longer work .

Galatians 2:21
I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes
through the law, then Christ died in vain."

Galatians 5:4
You have become estranged from Christ,
you who attempt to be JUSTIFIED by law; you have fallen from grace.

Ephesians 1:7
In Him we have redemption through His blood,
the FORGIVENESS OF SINS, ACCORDING TO THE RICHES OF HIS GRACE

Ephesians 2
5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ
...(BY GRACE YOU HAVE BEEN SAVED),
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves;
...(it is the gift of God,

Titus 2:11
For THE GRACE OF GOD THAT BRINGS SALVATION has appeared to all men,

Titus 3:7
that having been JUSTIFIED BY HIS GRACE
we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

Hebrews 4:16
Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace,
that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Hebrews 10:29
Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose,
will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot,
counted the BLOOD of the covenant by which he was SANCTIFIED
a common thing, and insulted the SPIRIT OF GRACE?

In this we see that our JUSTIFICATION can only be by God's mercy and GRACE - -
and not from the LAW, doing works that can never justify righteousness. We do not judge by outward appearance, but knowing
that we have received Christ.

Continued - Part 2

SHALOM!