Law and Grace: Mortal Enemies

sermonindex Sep 25, 2015

Law and Grace: Mortal Enemies
By: Dan Stone

Law and grace are mortal enemies. Religion asserts, "No, they aren't mortal enemies. They can flow together, like the Missouri and Ohio rivers flow into the Mississippi, and they become the Mississippi." Every place I've ever been in organized religion, I've found that belief. But Paul was saying, "NO? They never flow together. They've always been mortal enemies. They will always be mortal enemies. You can never marry the two. And you have to make a choice, Galatians. Are you going to live under 1aw, or under grace?"

Paul wasn't saying that if they stepped back into the law, they wouldn't be saved anymore. But he was telling them, "If you go back to the law, you're giving up the way of grace. Now, let me tell you something about the way of the law, Galatians: you have to keep it all."

They couldn't just pick out the law they wanted to keep. That's what I used to do. I'd pick out those parts of Mosaic Law, Sermon on the Mount law, Baptist law, my personal law, and whatever other law I thought I could keep at least some of the time. I didn't see that law and grace are mortal enemies. I didn't see that you can't live under both.

It made sense to me to be religious. It made sense to be an external Christian, trying to keep an external set of rules. I couldn't do anything else, because I had always been an external person. So were you. We all grew up as external people, defining ourselves in relation to other persons, things, and events that told us who we were. That's why as new Christians we were so prone to asking external questions: "What should I do?"

There's no life in the law. The only thing the law tells you is what you ought to do, but can't do. It will never relinquish its demand that you ought to do it, because it's a divine ought-to; God gave it to Moses. We'll keep ourselves under that divine ought-to, and the condemnation and death ministers (2 Corinthians 3), until we learn to live from the Person who dwells within us. Because there's nothing in our flesh that wants to say, "I can't do it. I can't keep the law through my own effort." Everything in our flesh says, "I want to try to do it, and with God's help maybe I can do it."

Like my friend Burt Rosenburg says, everything in that program is designed for futility, frustration, and failure. But they don't tell you that up front, do they? When you sign up, no one makes this announcement:

WE'VE GOT A WONDERFUL PROGRAM HERE, THE END RESULT OF WHICH WILL BE FUTILITY, FRUSTRATION, AND FAILURE! WHEN YOU HAVE COMPLETED THE COURSE, WE WILL GIVE YOU A DIPLOMA, SAYING:

"CONGRATULATIONS, YOU HAVE FAILED!"

I remember talking to a group and proclaiming, "We have succeeded! In what? In failing!" And everyone smiled. For we finally recognized that we had succeeded in what we were supposed to do, which was to fail. "Everyone is telling us that we failed in what we were supposed to succeed in. But the truth is we have succeeded in what we were supposed to fail in. Now, we can get on with it. We can get on with what is true life."

We usually quote Galatians 2:20 apart from its context. It immediately follows Paul's admonition to Peter concerning the law. When Paul said, "I have been crucified with Christ," he was referring to his death to the law. Paul was saying, "The old me died on the cross with Christ, and when I died, I died to trying to keep the law. Trying to keep the law is living according to the flesh, with me and my efforts as my point of reference. I died to myself as my point of reference. Now, Christ in me is my point of reference. He is living His life through me."

As believers, we no longer live under the law, looking to it to tell us what to do and not do, then trying our best to do it. Instead, we live on the faith principle, the inner life principle, of who really is our life-Christ. We trust that He directs us, opens or closes doors for us, and speaks directly to us, giving us a message or whatever is needed for the occasion. We trust that He is living through us. We may not feel it at any given moment, but we live by faith that He is our life.

From: Stone, Dan, The Rest of the Gospel: When the partial Gospel has worn you out. Dallas: One Press. 2000. pgs 143-145

P

proudpapa Sep 25, 2015

This is a life changing message :

The Spirit Of Law And The Spirit Of Grace by Denny Kenaston :

audio
https://www.sermonindex.net/modules/mydownloads/singlefile.php?lid=13205

text
https://www.sermonindex.net/modules/articles/index.php?view=article&aid=23603

H

Heydave Sep 25, 2015

Is the law an 'enemy' to grace?

"Therefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good."

"Has then what is good become death to me? Certainly not! But sin, that it might appear sin, was producing death in me through what is good, so that sin through the commandment might become exceedingly sinful."

"For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin."
(Romans 7:12-14)

So the scripture teaches that the Law is 'holy' 'Good' and 'Spiritual'. It is NOT our enemy, but true, it does not have any power in itself because of our flesh. The Law just shows us God's righteousness and our sinfulness.
It is our sinful flesh that is our enemy, not the 'Law'.

"For if that first covenant had been faultless, then no place would have been sought for a second."

"Because finding fault with them, He says: "Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah”” "
(Hebrews 8:7-8).

Notice that the New Covenant replaced the Law (Old Covenant) because He found fault with THEM (the people), NOT any fault with the Law.

I am not advocating we live by the law in any way, but it is wrong to state that it is our enemy or and enemy to grace.

"But we know that the law is good if one uses it lawfully,"
(1 Timothy 1:8)

I don't think the article you posted is balanced.

sermonindex Sep 25, 2015

Amen HeyDave.

There is much fault to be found with man apart from Christ.

But, no fault is found with men who are joined to Him.

That is why they are called saints and no longer called sinners.

Col 1:2 To the SAINTS and faithful brethren IN CHRIST which are at Colosse: ...

Only because of Jesus Christ (saints are IN CHRIST).

Rom_10:4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.

sermonindex Sep 25, 2015

"Because finding fault with them, He says: "Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah”” "
(Hebrews 8:7-8).

The Old Covenant had no provision for true holiness, or for mankind's lack of faithfulness. The Old Covenant could never give Life and it was NEVER intended or designed to do so.

Now the New covenant does away with the old with Better promises. The New Covenant actually provides the faithfulness that the old Covenant required but never addressed. If it did not, the new Covenant would be no better than the 1st one.

sermonindex Sep 25, 2015

1 Tim 1:5-11, "Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned: From which some having swerved have turned aside unto vain jangling; Desiring to be teachers of the law; understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm.But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully; Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, 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 whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine; According to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust."

I agree that the law is good - Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, 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 whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine; According to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust

sermonindex Sep 25, 2015

The is law is good....for the sinner....for the unrighteous man. But what exactly is the law good for?

Because it is supposed to lead man to Christ.

Gal_3:24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.

Gal_3:25 But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. (under the law).

H

Heydave Sep 25, 2015

Hi tuc,

I agree with your subsequent posts. It was the article that I thought was a bit unbalanced, giving too much emphasis on one angle without explaining the other side.

Yes the law is made for the unrighteous and law breakers. The righteous don't need an external law to constrain them as the law is written on their hearts and they fulfill the law as they walk by the Spirit. Therefore the law remains good and righteous, but not a means of producing righteousness, which can only be by the Spirit as Romans 8 explains.

I felt the article on the OP just contrasted grace and the law without explaining that grace will result in fulfilling the law in us. There is a big deception in parts of the church that thinks grace means just being free to be lawless.

J

JFW Sep 25, 2015

An analogy;

Without the CT scan (Law) I never knew I had cancer (sin)
I had cancer before I knew it, and it's evidences were clear tho I could ignore it until the CT scan made it undeniable. I was diagnosed (convicted) with cancer (sin).

Now can the CT scan cure me? No!
But for me to get angry with the CT scan for making me aware of a problem it in itself cannot cure is crazy.

What I need is an oncologyst (Jesus) to give me chemo (grace) to cure the cancer (sin)
The CT scan (law) was never intended to cure but to diagnose and it is quite efficient in doing what it was purposes for.

Now I go to my oncologyst (Jesus) and receive my chemo (grace) where my cancer (sin) increases so does my chemo (grace) treatments.

However now that I'm receiving treatment (grace) I still go back to get scanned (law) to make sure my cancer (sin) is staying dead.

John Wesley said it this way,... The law will lead you to Christ, and Christ will lead you back to the Law and this will continue until the work is completed (paraphrased)

The problem is often we are offering Chemo to people who don't believe they have cancer,... But let the diagnosis of stage 4 terminal cancer come and you won't have to offer,... They will beg for it!
"So the law is good if used lawfully" "it is for the sinner (cancer patient) and not for the righteous (cured)"

H

Heydave Sep 25, 2015

Hey fletcher, I like your analogy!
No analogy is perfect, but it's quite a good one in showing this function of the law. I do however think there is also more to the law than just a diagnosis tool, but it certainly is that.

sermonindex Sep 25, 2015

by Heydave on 2015/9/25 14:45:01
I felt the article on the OP just contrasted grace and the law without explaining that grace will result in fulfilling the law in us.

And don't you think that grace and the Holy Spirit take us even further than just fulfilling the law?

Matt_5:20 For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.

Php 3:9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:

J

JFW Sep 26, 2015

Brother Dave,

Well I'm glad you enjoyed it. While there is clearly more to the Law than a diagnosis tool, I think we sometimes miss the simplicity of it all. I mean of all the people who were used to pen scriptures, Paul is more misunderstood than anyone. I wonder sometimes if it doesn't grieve him (assuming he is aware).

2 For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.
3 But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
4 For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.

P

proudpapa Sep 26, 2015

..."Let us look at a few of these differences. I have fifteen of them, believe it or not. But I don’t plan to spend a long time on them, because I’d like you to get the principle of operating under law, and operating under grace. I want you to see the difference between the two.

1. The spirit of the law demands. It allows no excuse, it must be this way, and no other! You'll do this, and you have no choice, no excuse! This is the way it must be, this is the way you must do it. The spirit of grace encourages. It comes alongside and encourages you in the direction of holiness and righteousness. "Go this way! That's right! That’s good! Keep on going! Keep your heart open! Just keep going! This is the way to go.” One is the spirit of law; the other is the spirit of grace. They have a tremendous effect on how we relate to people, don’t they?

2. The law condemns. Condemnation is judgment. Condemnation is heavy. It brings the heart down low. Grace convicts, enlightens the heart. It is that still small voice, that sweet prompting of the Spirit of God inside of the heart of God's people. The gentle Spirit comes along side, and enlightens the heart: "You know, you shouldn’t have done that.”

Think of it, think of how the grace of God works in your life. You make a mistake, you say something out of sort, and it might be five minutes and all of a sudden you have that little quiet moment there by the kitchen sink or at your workbench and the grace of God says: "You shouldn't have done that.” But the spirit of law condemns: "That was wrong! You are wicked!” and all of those kind of things that go along with it.

If we are moving in the spirit of law, that’s going to have a very different effect than if we're moving in the spirit of grace. I believe that when we work with people, God would have us work like the Holy Spirit, not like the law. Rather than condemn, judge, and give feelings of failure and judgment, come along side and give a gentle encouragement as the gentle wooing of the Spirit of God.

3. The law brings bondage. The word bondage means just what is says: Bound. The spirit of law brings bondage, it binds, it hinders. If you're moving under the principals of law, you're probably failing in your Christian life. You probably try, but fail, and try, but fail, and try, but fail. But the spirit of grace brings liberty. Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. That is, power to do God's will. Liberty: Emancipation Proclamation. You are free! You can do what you want to do now, you can do the will of God, you can serve the Lord, and you can have victory over your sin in your life! The spirit of grace gives liberty, freedom, or emancipation to do the will of God. The other brings bondage.

4. The spirit of law is never good enough. Did you ever feel that way? It’s never good enough. Well, that’s the spirit of the law. You always fail under the spirit of law. The principal of law is always never good enough. You always fell short of it. You maybe got it here, but you lost it here. You gained a little here, but you lost down here. But the spirit of grace is always excited by each step that is taken. The spirit of grace is acceptance, encouragement, praise. Often heard: "If you want to raise your children right, give them about 9 doses of praise, to every 1 dose of correction; then another 9 doses of praise, and then 1 dose of correction.” Why? Because the spirit of grace is an encourager, it’s always excited by each step that is gained. When you take even a baby step in your Christian life, the grace of God is right there to say, "That's good! That's right! You're going the right way! Keep on going! Don't quit now! Keep on going!” But the spirit of law, when you take one step in the right direction is right there to say, "That's not good enough. You could've done better than that. Why didn't you do it this way? What about your motives?” The spirit of law and the spirit of grace are very different one from another.

5. The spirit of law: Curses. You’ve failed. Judgment is coming! There's a payment due for that which you did wrong! You failed! But the spirit of grace blesses, and shows the way to victory, even in total failure. The spirit of grace comes along and says, "There's a way out! Get up! God will help you! Keep on going!” Ah, but the spirit of the law comes along side of one who fell and curses, and brings judgment, and tries to make the load heavier on top of them. Big difference between the two.

6. The spirit of law is critical, always finding something wrong. It’s a little bit like "never good enough,” but I think it’s worthy of a point in itself. The spirit of law is critical. It’s always finding something wrong. But the spirit of grace gives the benefit of the doubt. The benefit of the doubt? I thought of these verses over in 1 Corinthians 13 where it’s giving a definition of love, and it says of love (among other things): "Love hopeth all things, and believeth all things.” Love gives the benefit of the doubt. Love believes in the other. Love hopes the best of the other. The spirit of grace gives the benefit of the doubt, rather than looking for something wrong, trying to find something to put a finger on it, and being critical. If the grace of God is stirring in the heart of an individual, the first response will be, "Oh, there must be some other explanation,” or "Surely, there must have been a reason for that.” Wouldn't you like to have the benefit of the doubt? So would your brother, so would your sister, so would your children, so would your wife or husband! Wouldn't you like to have the benefit of the doubt? The spirit of law is critical, always finding something wrong.

7. The spirit of law remembers sin again, and again, and again. Just like in the Old Testament, under the law, they would offer their sacrifice on the Day of Atonement, but a year later they'd have to come back again, and offer it again, and a year later they came back, and offered it again. The spirit of law remembers sin. But the spirit of grace forgets it. "What was that? I don't even remember! What was it you did? I didn’t even remember it.” The spirit of grace forgets! The spirit of law remembers it, reminds you, reminds you again, reminds you again, and again, and again, and again, and again. The grace of God just forgets it, buried in the deepest sea. Separated as far as the east is from the west, so are my sins separated from me.

8. The spirit of law exposes sin, and then leaves you there. That's all the law could ever do. But the spirit of grace comes along side, and forgives and covers, where we're willing to deal with it. The grace of God will come along side and encourage you to repent, to be forgiven, and to cover it, so that it is gone, so nobody else finds out about it.

9. The spirit of law is rejection. And the spirit of grace is acceptance. Law drives you away. It will drive you away from God, it will drive you away from people, and it will make people want to run away from you. They won't want to be around you. The spirit of law is rejection. But the spirit of grace is acceptance. It says: "Come! Come to God! Come the way you are! Come and be forgiven! Come and be cleansed!”

Probably the greatest motivation of the growth in our Christian life comes from the acceptance that we have of the Heavenly Father, is it not so? I don't know of anything that motivates me more to go on in my Christian life than to know that God accepts me right where I am. I don't mean God accepts sin! But God accepts me right where I am. If I'm clear in my heart, God accepts me. Sure, maybe 6 months from now, He'll begin to show me something else I need to deal with, and I'll see it. But all those 6 months, God was loving me! He was accepting me! He was blessing me! He was encouraging me! That very acceptance caused me to have my heart open, so God could minister to me about another need in my life. The spirit of law makes you want to run away from God, but the spirit of grace makes you want to run to God.

10. The spirit of the law tends to be exclusivist. The spirit of grace is free to all! Hallelujah. "Red, brown, yellow, black and white, they're all precious in His sight!” But not so with law. The principals of law, and those who live after the principals of law, they tend toward being a sect, or they tend toward being an individualist. "This is how I see it, this is the way it’s going to be, and I don’t care if I have to be by myself, this is the way we’re going to do it.” It’s not that way with the spirit of grace. Rather it says: "Others, Lord, yes others. Let this my motto be.” Quite a difference between the two of those isn’t it?

11. The spirit of law has no mercy. When you have failed under the spirit of law, there is no mercy. But under the spirit of grace: there’s complete mercy. Release! Forgiveness! Encouragement! Acceptance! Total mercy through the blood of Jesus Christ. Total mercy compared to no mercy, no forgiveness. The spirit of law and the spirit of grace are very different.

12. Under the spirit of law the highest goal is performance. Under the spirit of grace the highest goal is a relationship. The one: performance. The other: relationship. There is a big difference between the two of those! If we are living our lives to perform, and we’re basing our acceptance on performance, when we don’t measure up we don’t feel God’s acceptance. Or if we base other’s acceptance on performance, when they don’t measure up, we don’t accept them. Because the highest goal is how you perform. Not so with the spirit of grace. With the spirit of grace the highest goal is relationship. O Lord, help us to see that one.

As I pondered this message, I had to think of many of the plain churches, and how they are so much on the performance side. If you come among them and you don’t look quite right, or you say "kids” instead of "children,” or a few things like that, there is this silent, mysterious wall that comes up. It comes up because of the theology of performance, and you didn’t perform right so things don’t go right. But let the grace of God come over our hearts as individuals, and as a church with relationship as the highest goal. Relationship with the God of Heaven, relationship with God’s people, and relationship with a lost and dying world out there!

There is a big difference between the spirit of law and the spirit of grace if you come and visit a church like that! The one you’ll go away wondering what happened, not feeling accepted. But the other you’ll go away saying, "They loved me! They accepted me just the way I am! I want to go back again! There’s something magnetic about those people!” I tell you what it is: it’s magnetic because it’s like God. That’s exactly the way God is with every one of us. God wants a relationship with us! That’s number one! He’ll walk with us when we have long hair! And He’ll walk with us before we get rid of our cigarettes! He’ll walk with us when we’re failing in this area. He’ll walk with us when we’re not as meek and quiet as we ought to be! And He’ll walk with us when we’re not as modest as we ought to be! Because number one on God’s list is a relationship!

We have to be the same way, because it’s godliness to be like God. Amen? So it’s godly to accept somebody right where they are. It’s godly to come up and put your arm around some fellow who has long hair who’s born again for only 2 weeks. It’s godly to come up and put your arm around him and bless him, and encourage him, and accept him, and love him. It’s God-like to do that. In the law, the highest goal is performance. We all come up with our own levels of performance, "You had better measure up with my level of performance...”

I had to think this one comes pretty close to home when you begin to ponder our children. I think we need to have some performance in our minds, I am not against that. But let number one be relationship. I don’t know anything that motivates a child to do what Mama and Papa say more than a sweet relationship with Mama and Papa! Nothing! But oh, the burden of a little child whose father and mother move under the principals of law, and sets up the rules of performance, and withdraw their acceptance, and their blessing, and their encouragement when the performance isn’t what it ought to be. Poor child. That child’s view of God will be very mixed up.

13. The spirit of law tends to details. The spirit of grace tends to flexibility. What do I mean by that? Well, I guess a good way to put it is: The Letter of the Law vs. The Spirit of the Law. You know letter of the law. We can follow the Pharisees, and study Jewish history, and it doesn’t take us long to find out what the spirit of law does if you leave it by its self. It will make up 5,000 Sabbath rules over the course of about 200-300 years, of things you should do and shouldn’t do. It’ll make a thick book to read so you can learn how to behave on the Sabbath! But in the spirit of grace is the principal, and in principal is flexibility. There is a big difference between the two of those. Law tends to details. You’ll do it this way, down to the detail. You’ll wear these, you’ll part your hair here, you’ll wear this kind of covering, you’ll wear black shoes and only black shoes. The principals of law tend toward details, but the spirit of grace, or the principals of grace, tends toward flexibility. There is flexibility on how it’s lived out.

14. The spirit of law tends to be negative. The spirit of grace tends to be positive. If you’re one who struggles with being negative I would encourage you to take a study of the Gospels and study the Pharisees. Do a study on the Pharisees in light of this whole matter of negative, doubtful, unbelief. You’ll find an answer to your need. Because the principal of law tends toward the negative, that’s just the way it is. Because you can never measure up, and there’s no faith where there’s law. They can’t dwell together! Where there’s a spirit of grace, there’s this positive, faith-filled, encouraged, up-lifted look toward the God of Heaven, trusting Him in the circumstances of life.

15. And last of all, we said it already but I think its worth making it a point. The spirit of law is like a Pharisee. The spirit of grace is like Jesus. Consider this: the Law creates rebellion, stirs up the flesh, and drains spiritual life. I don’t know how many times a brother or a sister who has been born again””I mean one of those fresh new births, when they’re about a month old in the faith””go back to their old church, sit in the service, listen to the message, and when they get out they feel like they need to go to church because all the life has been drained out of them. That is what law does. Read it there in Romans 7. It’s supposed to! God gave it so that it would create rebellion, so it would stir up the flesh, so that sin would be revived, so we could see our evil condition. But brothers and sisters, if we’re in the grace of God, if we’re washed in the Blood of Jesus, if we’re no longer walking after the flesh but after the Spirit, we should have no part with any of that which the law does, but rather the spirit of grace working in our heart to produce a holy life. I know that we’d all have to agree, that the end result of grace is always higher than the end result of law””always! It will always be higher; it will always reach higher than law."... - Denny Kenaston

https://www.sermonindex.net/modules/articles/index.php?view=article&aid=23603

https://www.sermonindex.net/modules/mydownloads/singlefile.php?lid=13205

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Heydave Sep 26, 2015

Quote by Julias21
_________________________________________________________________________
"And don't you think that grace and the Holy Spirit take us even further than just fulfilling the law?"
__________________________________________________________________________

Yes I do think it takes us much further, so we would by that then fulfill the law and much more righteousness beside. The law says do not murder. Grace says do not even speak or think evil of your neighbour.

sermonindex Sep 27, 2015

Exactly!

The law basically governs the outward actions of men while the law of Christ governs the inner man and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

The law says, "do not commit adultery, but Christ says if you look upon a woman with lust you have commited adultery IN your heart.

Jesus truly is the end of the law to all who believe. They have been called to a much higher law.

The law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus.

Romans 8:2
For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

M

makrothumia Sep 27, 2015

Did Paul view the Law as a mortal enemy of grace?

No, he viewed the Law was as "guardian" and "tutor". These are not enemies of the Father, but servants assigned to help raise the heir until he was ready for the "adoption".

When the Father deemed his son ready for "adoption", he would then "declare him a son" (the Greek meaning of adoption) and release him from the "guardian" and "tutor".

The declared son was now legally recognized as heir of the estate and shared the authority of the family with the Father.

The Law is a "veil covering the heart" to those who have not yet turned to Christ and men who attempt to turn others away from faith in Christ to the works of the Law are "anti-Christs".

However, the Law itself is and will always be, "holy, righteous, and good." Paul encouraged Timothy to devote much time to the "public reading" of scripture (which contained the Law of God). These scriptures (writings) that contained the Law and the Prophets were "profitable" for "instruction, reproof, and training in righteousness."

The Law itself is not a "mortal enemy of grace", but men who do not "use it lawfully" can be enemies of grace.

The Law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul, the commandments of the Lord are true making wise the simple, the judgments of the Lord are true rejoicing the heart, ....and more to be desired are they than gold.... sweeter than honey and the honey comb.

Our Lord Jesus loved the Law of the Lord and we too should love it. He warned us not to think He came to destroy the Law or the prophets, but to fulfill them. He did not consider the Law of His Father an enemy to the grace and truth He was filled with.

The real mortal enemy of grace is "sin", and this "sin" in the flesh is why the Law was weak and unable to make men righteous. Paul viewed the Law as "good" and this is how we should view the Law.

Men who "miss the mark" and attempt to turn others away from the grace of Christ are "sinning", they are "anti-Christ". They are not using the Law "lawfully". They are the mortal enemies of grace - not the Law itself.

makrothumia

P

proudpapa Sep 27, 2015

Did Paul view the Law as a mortal enemy of grace?

Paul clearly taught that the Christian is not to live under the Law.
ADD:( Paul taught by coming under law we are falling from Grace, and that is how the law is a mortal enemy of grace)
and that is the Biblical truth that the artical is making.

I am thankful, for everything that Tuc has been posting.

Y

yuehan Sep 27, 2015

To avoid confusion, the article could have had a more precise title:

"Living under Law v.s Living under Grace: Mortal Enemies"

Which one are you currently living under? (Romans 6:14)

J

JFW Sep 27, 2015

Saints,

Would some of you please answer a question for me,...
Can you find/explain that Law is the mortal enemy of grace WITHOUT quoting the apostle Paul?
Using only the text of the other NT writers.

Thank you in advance~

Y

yuehan Sep 27, 2015

JFW - I wouldn't use the phrase "mortal enemies" to describe the relationship between law and grace (though my previous post about "living" under them still stands).

But throughout the New Testament, there is a strong contrast drawn between law and grace, Moses and Christ. The law cannot regulate human action, but an excellent tutor to make us realize our need for Christ.

"The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ." (John 1:17)

You can also look up James 2:8-13, where he contrasts mercy (grace) with judgement (law). There is also the distinction between the Mosaic law and the "law of liberty".