Grace and The Law

Everyone agrees that it is through God's grace that we are saved. but what exactly is grace? Currently it is defined by most churches as "unmerited favor." We are "justified" by grace. In other words grace is an underserved "gift" from God forgiving us of our sins.

-What you will notice as you read every verse in the new testament on grace, that this definition isn't complete.
Notice this next verse:

-notice how grace is synonymous with strength or power. This verse reveals the dual meaning of grace. So not only does grace justify us, but it gives us strength that makes causes us to be righteous.

Is this definition of grace consistent in the rest of the Bible?

-Insert this new meaning of grace into this verse. If grace is the power that enables us to overcome sin, then it makes sense that Peter wants more of it for his church.

-here is another example where grace or power is poured out in volume where it is needed more...

- If grace merely means justification from sins, these verses would have a very strange meaning. Would Paul and Peter pray for an abundance of "justification" so that these churches could go on sinning in abundance? Or is he revealing the principal that when there is much sin, God provides strength and power to overcome sin in abundance.

Heres an odd question: did Jesus, who never sinned, need grace?

-clearly Jesus did not need forgiveness of sins, but yet it was grace, or power from His Father that enabled Him to endure the cross.

 

Another verse revewing the duell meaning of grace

See the pattern? Grace is clearly both mercy and the power to overcome sin!!

 

So does the power of grace the same as the power of the Holy Spirit?

Grace does the very things the Spirit does through sanctification. Righteousness means "right before the law"

 

-So now, the biggest question of all! How do we acquire the power that comes from grace? This story here lays it out perfectly:

 

-Notice how Jesus spent all night in prayer. Then the very next day people were healed by merely touching Him! Here is the ultimate example if what happens when we spend time with our God. It is this same power that Jesus healed the sick, and spoke our world into existance, that causes us to overcome sin.
- It is a very logical conclusion then that grace goes hand in hand with spending time with God.

Is this an unreaasonable leap to make this conclusion? How about when the disciples were unable to cast out the demon while Jesus and was on the mount of transfiguration. Jesus told them; "Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting."Mat 17:21

Here the disciples were spending time with Jesus, spreading the gospel, were casting out the demon exactly as Jesus had shown them, but were unable to do so because they had not spent enough time praying and fasting.

This makes perfect sense. Each day we spend time with God, we are filled with His power, and as a result, the law is written on our hearts. The more time we spend with God, praying and fasting, the more He will do with us, starting with overcoming sin in our lives

 

If Grace is the power by which we overcome sin, and we get this power by spending time with God..

Here is another clue about how to get grace:

Here we see that grace is given out in measure for the spreading of the gospel! If we wan't to really tap into this power, we need to make our Christian live's real and fulfill God's commission for us.

However do not misunderstand, although spreading the gospel is like taking your relationship with Jesus to the next step, it in no ways replaces the need for your personal time with Jesus. Look at the dsiciples trying to cast out the demons. their action may have been perfect, but they still lacked the power to over come the power of the devil. Nothing can substitute quality time with our saviour, not even church, evenagelism, 3 hour song and praise services, or even fellowship.

The next big question: What is the difference between righteous works and dirty works?

Typically amoung Christians today, legalism is viewed as the greatest of all sins. Preachers on the radio, and popular authors talk as though a person would be better off to be a drug dealer than a legalist.

• Here, it says that by having faith in grace, or the power God, we are saved. Notice how this verse contrasts the 2 forms of righteousness. Righteousness without God's power is merely "works" and if we can be righteous without God's strength, then we will boast. But if we are prepared by Jesus, and become righteous by His power, it is refered to as "good works"

And what are "Good works"? The works that come as a result of God recreating a new heart in us, or "writing the law on our hearts." When we are empowered by God, it becomes more natural to follow the law then to break the law.

-Here is a similar verse:

• Here we see the 2 kinds of righteousness being distinguished again.
Consider that righteousness means: right before the law.
One form of righteousness is our own, and the other comes from faith in God. In other words, if it comes from you, its works, if it comes faith in God, its righteousness.

 

When we spend consistent time with God, we are blessed with power and strength from Him, which enable us to keep the Law. But what happens if and when we foolishly go for a period of time without spending any time? Maybe we go to church, or talk about God with a friend for a few minutes, but neglect the one on one time. Eventually we run out of power. Then we go on what I call "damage control." This is where you know what is right and wrong, and keep from doing anything to stupid. Is there any harm in this?

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This verse is referring to both those who aren't Christians as well as us now. If we neglect our relationship with God, we can only bring "fruit unto death."

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• If you do not have the power of grace today, you "cannot please God", and will only bring "fruit unto death"
All these verses make it plainly clear that God wants us to only depend upon His strength to keep the law.

• How does this change your definition of being "saved by grace"?
- rather than sinning and sinning and getting no where, then out of frustration saying "its ok that I'm sinning because I am saved by grace" we should be saying: "I sin because I am not spending enough time with God, and not tapping into the power of grace."

in other words, if i sin today, its because I haven't been spending enough time with God. I need to spend more time.

Rather than getting discouraged when you stumble, realize that your dependance on overcoming sin is fully dependant upon spending time with Jesus everyday. If you forget to spend time with God for a couple of days, but manage to keep out of trouble, your works are merely works. On the other hand, if you are empowered because you are setting adequate time aside with God each day, the result of the power he gives you is seen as righteous works.

• If it is true that, being saved by grace means being saved by spending time with Jesus, shouldn't it be clearly obvious throughout the Bible? Or how about a Huge bold statement sayinig "SPEND TIME WITH GOD!" Well believe it or not, there is such a statement in the Bible written in extremely bold font.

Can you figure out where it is?. . . . . . . . .

 

 

 

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Obvious isn't it. Here God took his own fingure and wrote it in stone, then handed it Moses, and even started the command with the word "remember," knowing that we would forget.

• The 4rth commandment, where God has actually demands that we set aside one entire 24 hour day a week to spend with Him. Now with the new understanding of grace, doesn't it make perfect sence why God wants to ensure that we spend lots of time with Him? The Sabbath is a holy day, a day "made for man" as a gift, just as the Holy Spirit is a gift. It is even "hallowed" just as halloween has been hallowed for Satan.

Grace is Powere and the best opportunity to tap into this power is to keep the Sabbath holy. If we keep the Sabbath as God intended, we will be blessed in a way that we cannot experience on any other day of the week. This is why Jesus spent time training his people about the sabbath, and showed them the error of the ways of the Pharisees who had ruined the Sabbath with the laws they had heaped on it.

For the sincere Christian who is frustrated how their walk with God has struggled, this is GOOD NEWS! Rather than being frustrated by continual failures, you now know how to tap into the power of grace.

-So, if Grace is the power to overcome sin, and we get this power from spending time with Jesus, ,and the best opportunity to receive this power is the Sabbath, consider the chilling thought: the same preachers today who are saying that grace is merely justification, and a liscence to sin, are the same ones telling people that keeping the Sabbath is legalism. How completely backwards is this!

Do you get it? they are saying that in order to be saved by grace, you shouldn't spend time with Jesus.

Is all this trivial or of vital importance to God?

- look at the solemn warning the Bible gives about people who do not believe in grace as a power.

Lets just put these 2 verses together:

- In the last days, people will pervert the meaning of grace, by denying it is power to overcome sin, thus making it an excuse to lead sinful lives.

 

Any doctrine in the Bible can be twisted and used as a liscense for sin. Today grace is used as a reason for Christians to lead lukewarm lives. Even the idea that being saved by spending time wth God could be used as a liscense to sin. I could say "i will spend time with Jesus each day, then go endulge in sin during the rest of the day. I"ll keep the sabbath then live a sinful life on the other 6 days."

Paul actually adresses people with this kind of thinking:

Ahhh, so if grace is the power to overcome sin, this verse shows that sin is also a power. A master has power over his slaves, and if you are a slave to sin, you are under its power.

So what is the key to leading a righteous life under grace?