Law and Grace

Genesis 2:16-17

The tree of knowledge of good and evil was not sinful, in and of itself. But since God created man with the power of choice, it was placed in the Garden of Eden as an alternative to obeying God. By eating the forbidden fruit, our first parents sinned against God and the result of this fall brought condemnation and death to them, as well as their posterity. This is the sin problem we inherited from Adam.

1 Corinthians 15:22 (first part)

The word “Adam” means mankind. This is because when God created Adam, He actually created the whole human race in Adam. Therefore, when Adam sinned, the whole human race was implicated in that sin. The result is that the death sentence passed on to Adam spread to all humanity.

Romans 5:19 (first part)

Because of the fall of Adam, all mankind is born with a nature that is sinful and incapable of obeying God’s holy law. This is our predicament under law.

Romans 2:13

Unlike the gospel, which justifies us by faith, believing in the law of God cannot save anyone. Being under the law means that we are required to obey its demands perfectly and continually if we are to qualify for life. If we fail once, it means that we come under the law’s condemnation, the sentence of death (see Galatians 3:10).

Romans 3:19

God gave the law in the first place to show humanity that we are born into a sinful race. Through the law we become conscious of the fact that we are all sinners condemned to death and are in need of a Saviour.

Romans 3:21-24

Under grace we are not saved by our performance but by faith in what Jesus did. This is God’s supreme gift to sinful humanity.

Romans 3:28

Justification by faith in the righteousness of Christ is the very opposite of salvation by works of the law. The two are diametrically opposed to each other. That is why the two methods of salvation (law and grace) cannot be reconciled.

Romans 11:6

The New International Version says, “And if by grace, then it is no longer by works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace.” In other words, we cannot be saved by both methods; it is either one or the other. To be saved by grace means “not I, but Christ.”

Ephesians 2:8-9

The New Testament makes it absolutely clear that man’s only hope of salvation is by faith in Christ. This is what it means to be saved by grace. We cannot earn it but simply accept it as a gift from God.

Romans 3:31

The word faith in this text is preceded by the definite article “the” in the original. Paul’s real question was, “Do we then make void the law through the faith?” By “the faith” Paul is referring to the doctrine of justification by faith and not the believer’s faith. In other words, did God ignore or bypass the law to save us? The answer Paul gives is a definite NO! God had to fully satisfy the law to save us. By His perfect obedience and His sacrificial death Christ met the full demands of the law on man’s behalf. This is how the law was established by grace.

Matthew 5:17-19

The Pharisees of Christ’s day accused Him of undermining or doing away with the law. Christ, in turn, made it clear that He came to fulfill all the demands of the law on man’s behalf, and then upheld it as the standard of Christian living.

Galatians 5:1

The Galatians became Christians through righteousness by faith, but false teachers convinced them that it is not enough to believe in Christ to be saved. They insisted that keeping the law was still required for salvation. This is the yoke of bondage.

Matthew 11:28-29

Christ was totally God-dependent when He lived on this earth. He made it clear that He could do nothing of Himself (John 5:30). Now He tells us Christians to take His yoke and depend totally on Him for salvation. This is the only way we can find rest or peace for our souls.

Galatians 5:13

Since our law-keeping does not save us, the great danger we face under grace is condoning sin. This is called “cheap grace.” But being saved by grace gives us no such liberty. Instead, it creates in us love for others and a hatred for sin.

Hebrews 8:10

Besides giving peace and assurance of salvation to the believer, God also puts His unselfish agape love in the heart of the believer, creating desires that are in harmony with the spirit of His law, which is love. This is also part of the New Covenant. This love manifests itself in good deeds to our fellow men (see Titus 3:8).

2 Corinthians 12:9

God’s strength does not depend upon our natural abilities. He can take our weakness and turn it into strength. That is why Paul could say to the Christians in Philippi: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (see Philippians 4:13).

Ephesians 2:10

God did not save us in Christ only from death to life or from condemnation to justification, but also from a life of sin to a life of good works. These good works do not save us but witness the salvation we already have in Christ.

John 13:35

When we love each other as Christ loved us, this is true commandment-keeping. If we speak like angels, understand all mysteries, do many good works, and even give our bodies to be burnt, but do not manifest the love of God, it will profit us nothing (see 1 Corinthians 13:1-3).

Revelation 14:12

Through the everlasting gospel, the Christians who are living just prior to the second coming of Christ will develop the endurance of the saints, have the faith manifested by Jesus, and demonstrate this by their unconditional love, which is the true fulfillment of the law (see Romans 13:10). May you be one of them.