A Facebook friend shared: Jesus shows us a new way—GRACE—and therefore believers are no longer under the LAW. What she meant is that believers are now living in a period of grace ever since Jesus’ coming AND we are no longer required to obey the law. Is this true?
Let me try to show you why her argument does not hold water.
How did Jesus deal with the lady caught in the act of adultery? https://bit.ly/1eKirzG
Most of us are familiar with the account of the woman caught in the act of adultery (John 8:3-11). The crowd gathered around her and wanted to stone her. But Jesus showed her grace by saying, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.” While He forgave her out of grace, He also required that she forsake her sinful lifestyle. She must not continue breaking the law, Thou shall not commit adultery. So she still had to obey the law though she had experienced God’s grace.
Is Jesus merely the personification of grace or grace and truth? https://bit.ly/2KuShcs
The fact Jesus is the personification of grace and truth—not grace alone—has practical implications in the life of believers. We need to be reminded that Jesus is a reflection of both grace and truth (John 1: 14, 17).
Now, truth requires that we live according to His laws, the Ten Commandments. We will not be living for the truth if we merely accept God’s forgiveness (now who doesn’t want His grace?) but refuse to follow His laws. We would be hypocrites if we only want to enjoy the benefits of grace but refuse to live by demands imposed by the truth in our lives (obey His laws).
I can almost picture Jesus looking at the adulterous woman in the eye: Can you truthfully say that you will forsake your adulterous lifestyle after you have been forgiven?
What did Jesus say to those who think that He had come to abolish the Law? https://bit.ly/2umnCSP
Believers saved by grace need not arduously keep the law in order to earn our ticket to heaven. As Scripture says, "You are not under law, but under grace" (Romans 6:14).
However, that doesn’t mean we can do whatever we like. We are still held accountable under moral law as revealed in the Ten Commandments. Jesus puts it succinctly: "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfil them” (Matthew 5:17).
Is lawlessness a state that is encouraged and championed in the Bible? No.
We are made right with God through faith and not by obeying the law. “For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law” (Romans 3:28). The paradox is this: “Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law (Romans 3:31).”
Shall we continue to sin (break the law) that grace may abound? No. So, despite being saved by grace, we have to abide by the law. “What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it” (Romans 6:1-2)?
Being saved by grace does not mean we are to continue living in lawlessness
“For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.”
(Titus 2: 11-14)
Jesus condemns those who are lawless
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’
(Matthew 7:21-23)
Will God give grace-obsessed believers a pat on your back on judgment day and say, Well done, my lawless friend, you have been living by grace and have rejected God’s law? Will He say, Enter into eternal bliss with all its rewards?
On the contrary, believers saved by grace who fail to obey (abide by) God’s laws will face judgment.
To conclude, Christ came to fulfil the Law and we are advised to follow His words for the Law is good. For the Law is a plumb line that enables us to know what is righteous and what is not. So the Law stays; the Law is eternal and relevant for believers saved by grace.
To conclude, Christ came to fulfil the Law and we are advised to follow His words for the Law is good. For the Law is a plumb line that enables us to know what is righteous and what is not. So the Law stays; the Law is eternal and relevant for believers saved by grace.
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfil them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”
(Matthew 5:17-20)
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(Matthew 5:17-20)
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Are believers free from the law?
Answer: It's a 'YES' and a 'NO'.
Why ‘Yes’ and ‘No’?
OBEDIENCE TO LAW: NECESSARY UNDER GRACE?
Do you think living by grace means lawlessness and lawlessness is good?
ReplyDeleteThink again.
Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness (1 John 3:4).
Christ came to redeem us from lawlessness (Titus 2: 14)
Do not get carried away by the error of lawless people (2 Peter 3:17).
Christ: “I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness” (Matthew 7:23).