29. Law and grace – I
A. Background
|
|
Ex. 20:1-17 |
the Ten Commandments |
|
|
Deuteronomy and Liviticus |
ordinances and statutes |
|
|
Ps.19: 7 - Rom. 7:12 - 1Tim.1: 8 |
the law is good |
|
|
Lev.1 |
offerings |
|
|
Lev. 6:1-30 |
When a person sins….. |
Old laws were given to govern men’s lives, but the Pharisees made a burden of it (613 laws governing the Sabbath alone!).
|
In today’s life people demand: |
- civil rights |
) |
Give me |
|
|
- equal rights; and |
) |
what |
|
|
- moral rights |
) |
I deserve! |
B. In the sight of God you deserve death and everlasting separation
N.B.: Everything outside of hell is Grace.
|
|
1Cor. 4:7 |
everything you have, you received. God is the Giver of all good gifts. |
|
|
Gal. 2:16-20 |
not justified by works (legalism), but by faith (grace). |
|
|
Gal. 3:10,13 |
Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law. |
|
|
Gal. 3: 21-29 |
the law was our tutor (schoolmaster), v. 24. |
|
|
Gal. 3: 3 |
…..begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? |
|
|
Eph. 2: 8 |
…..by grace you have been saved…..not of yourselves, it is the gift of God. |
C. Reigning in life
God wants us to reign in life and be free from condemnation.
God wants us to do new things -- restoration of the church.
He wants to make us ministers of the New Covenant (no longer the old commandments).
Rom. 5:12-17 - Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned - for before the law was given, sin was in the world. But sin is not taken into account, when there is no law. Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those, who did not sin by breaking a command, as Adam did, who was a pattern of the One to come.
But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace, and the gift, that came by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! Again, the gift of God is not like the result of the one man’s sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. For if, by the trespass of one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one Man, Jesus Christ (NIV).
|
|
We should reign in life - Rom. 5:17 |
) |
this is |
|
|
More than conquerors |
) |
God’s offer |
|
|
He always leads us in triumph |
) |
and promise |
We often put ourselves under pressure (because of our human nature), and judge ourselves “under the circumstances”. We live under a cloud of condemnation - that feeling that we’re “not making it”.
We have a temporal and human viewpoint and perspective, but God has made us more than conquerors, and has caused us to reign!
Rom. 5:18-20 - Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. 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 (NIV).
What do we have to do? Nothing but to receive and be receivers.
D. The trap of legalism
When you go up a gear (in faith), God is telling us “new things”. And you get to understand God’s grace, His forgiveness - and your opportunity to reign. You respond, but: how do you respond?
As you create new aspirations, when expectations are at their highest, there are two doors, two directions we could follow: a right one and a wrong one. At that good point, where you say “I want to be the best I can be”, you could still be going through the wrong door, as you fall back into reigning in law rather than reigning in grace.
How would you fall back into the law? By “doing things” - imposing things on yourself, putting yourself under certain regulations (expectations) in order that you might reign in life. E.g.: “I will” read the Bible, turn the alarm clock forward, wake up early, etc., or “get fit” as a new year’s resolution. You are immediately putting yourself under rules and law, which will ultimately condemn you.
We need to understand, that the way we reign in life, is not through imposing laws on ourselves; it is through receiving the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness (Rom. 5:17). When we have understood this, we stand on clear ground. Then we can say with Paul: …..this grace in which we stand…..(Rom. 5: 2).
Legalism:
brings judgement of others (dress, quietness in church, reverence to God, etc.);
operates out of a sense of duty.