The First Principles of the Oracles of God
Grace and Law – Sermon Notes
JUNE BLOG NEWS – “…The video to accompany this message can be found on our Facebook Magazine at the Tribulation Soldier Coms…”
Before moving on to examine the Growing in Grace teachings, time must be
taken to first examine Grace itself. Establishing the Principles of Salvation,
the work and function of the Holy Ghost and the Grace of God will give a
sure foundation for growth in Christ. Without these being understood,
growing would be fruitless and lead to much misunderstanding and error.
Grace – The divine unmerited favor of Almighty God. The expression of
God’s goodness toward the undeserving and his riches bestowed upon the
sinner at Christ’s expense.
(Ephesians 2:8) “…by grace you are saved through faith: and not of
yourselves………it is the gift of God and not of works…”
Grace is part of the very basis of Christianity; men who deserve hell inherit heaven.
The Law – Given to God’s people ‘the Children of Israel’ in the Old Testament. Given to reveal the righteousness of God and the social and religious requirements of the people. This was a temporary design until the coming of Christ and served to show forth sin and death.
Jesus Christ concerning the Law.
(Math: 5:17) “…think not that I (Jesus) have come to destroy the law but to
fulfill…” What Christ meant by this was, that by His life and works on earth, he would obey every command, precept, and law in thought, word and deed from his birth to his death. By doing so, Christ would do what no man could do – fulfill the old law to satisfy God and bring forth a new agreement. For this law to pass away someone had to carry out the above, live a perfect sinless life and sacrifice himself, so others could receive the great favor of God by a new and living way, through His Grace.
(Rom: 7) “…for that which I do I allow not, for that what I would that I do
not, but that what I hate that I do…for the good that I would, I do not, but the evil which I would not that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no
longer I that sin but sin dwells within me….oh wretched man that I am who
shall deliver me from this body of death?…”
Explanation in brief: Keeping this explanation simple, what Paul was saying
was that because he was still flesh and blood (this body of death), when he
brought himself under the law, the law did exactly what it was designed to do, show up sin and death.
(Rom 7:11) “…for sin taking occasion by the commandment (the law)
deceived me and slew me…”
So if we put ourselves under any law, sin will revive.
YOU ARE NO LONGER UNDER THE LAW BUT UNDER GRACE
Illustration – An unsaved person is driving to church and all the way along the road there are speed-limit signs. She breaks the law more than once and is charged accordingly under the law. She gets to Church, gets saved and leaves to go home. Suddenly, all of the speed limits are gone, the police are there but they have no ‘law book’ to charge her with.
(I’m not advocating breaking the law of the land here, it’s just an illustration)
For us now like the woman, we have no law written against us therefore
when we sin, our sins cannot be imputed against us. Christ fulfilled the law
on our behalf to set us free, sin cannot be imputed where there is no law!
(Rom 6) “…what shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound, God forbid? How shall we that are dead to sin live any longer
therein…”
Paul wrote the above verse because he knew what the natural conclusion
would be, that we can sin and get away with it, which is half right. “…how
shall we that are dead to sin live any longer therein…” What Paul was
saying was why on earth having been set free from sin would you go back to sin seeing what it did?
So where does this end, lawlessness? No this ends in the words of our Lord
Jesus Christ…
“…IF YOU LOVED ME YOU WOULD OBEY MY COMMANDMENTS…”
“…for my commandments are not grievous…”
We may not be under the old law but we are as believers under a new and
living way, the Law of Love in Jesus Christ, not because we have to, because
we choose to.
