From Law to Grace

"Cursed is anyone who does not uphold the words of this law by carrying them out." Then all the people shall say, "Amen!" (Deuteronomy 27:26 NIV)

For all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse, because it is written, Everyone who does not do everything written in the book of the law is cursed. (Galatians 3:10 CSB)

For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it. (James 2:10 ESV)

But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses and the prophets long ago. We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are. (Romans 3:21-22 NLT)

For the law always brings punishment on those who try to obey it. (The only way to avoid breaking the law is to have no law to break!) (Romans 4:15 NLT)

I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain. (Galatians 2:21 KJV)

What then shall we say? Shall we continue in sin so that grace may increase? (Romans 6:1 BSB)

What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. (Romans 6:15 KJV)

If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. (John 14:15 BSB)

Knowledge of Sin Comes Through the Law

Yes, people sinned even before the law was given. But it was not counted as sin because there was not yet any law to break. (Romans 5:13 NLT)

But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, 'Raca,' will be subject to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, 'You fool!' will be subject to the fire of hell. (Matthew 5:22 BSB)

But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. (Matthew 5:28 NIV)

The law does not account for every sin.

For example, if a person has a very bad temper and gets angry easily, he does not break any law, unless he is so angry that he kills somebody.

A person who looks at a woman's cleavage (like what some famous person did recently and was caught in a video) has already committed adultery, but he does not break any law.

For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin. (Romans 3:20 ESV)

The Relationship of Law, Sin and Grace

And where there is no law, there is no transgression. (Romans 4:15b BSB)

To be sure, sin was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not charged against anyone's account where there is no law. (Romans 5:13 NIV)

Let us examine the relationship between law, sin and grace. Without the law, there is no sin. And without sin, grace will not be needed.

This is actually a universal principle, not something found only in Christianity.

For example, there is a law in Singapore that forbid bringing cooked meat from Malaysia into Singapore. If there is no such law, bringing cooked meat into Singapore from Malaysia will not be a transgression. If there is no transgression, then forgiveness is not required.

The law came along to multiply the trespass. But where sin multiplied, grace multiplied even more so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace will reign through righteousness, resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 5:20-21 CSB)

Jewish Believers Zealous for the Law

The next day Paul and the rest of us went to see James, and all the elders were present. Paul greeted them and reported in detail what God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry. When they heard this, they praised God. Then they said to Paul: "You see, brother, how many thousands of Jews have believed, and all of them are zealous for the law. They have been informed that you teach all the Jews who live among the Gentiles to turn away from Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or live according to our customs. What shall we do? They will certainly hear that you have come, so do what we tell you. There are four men with us who have made a vow. Take these men, join in their purification rites and pay their expenses, so that they can have their heads shaved. Then everyone will know there is no truth in these reports about you, but that you yourself are living in obedience to the law. As for the Gentile believers, we have written to them our decision that they should abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality." (Acts 21:18-25 NIV)

Jewish believers who are also zealous for the law is against Paul. Believers against believers. This is the result of idolatry. The Jews made their laws, customs and culture their idols. Christian believers must become Jews.

Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry. (1 Corinthians 10:14 BSB, ESV)

Salvation Without Keeping the Law

But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses and the prophets long ago. We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are. (Romans 3:21-22 NLT)

For the law always brings punishment on those who try to obey it. (The only way to avoid breaking the law is to have no law to break!) (Romans 4:15 NLT)

God told us that if we believe in Him, we will be saved. We are saved by what we believe, not what we do.

Objections To Paul's Argument

But if our unrighteousness highlights the righteousness of God, what shall we say? That God is unjust to inflict His wrath on us? I am speaking in human terms. (Romans 3:5 BSB)

What then shall we say? Shall we continue in sin so that grace may increase? (Romans 6:1 BSB)

What then shall we say? Is the law sin? Certainly not! Indeed, I would not have been mindful of sin if not for the law. For I would not have been aware of coveting if the law had not said, "Do not covet." (Romans 7:7 BSB)

Jesus And The Law

Jesus fulfils the law

Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I have not come to abolish them, but to fulfill them. For I tell you truly, until heaven and earth pass away, not a single jot, not a stroke of a pen, will disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. (Matthew 5:17-18 BSB)

Jesus clarifies the law

You have heard that it was said, 'Do not commit adultery.' But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman to lust after her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. (Matthew 5:27-28 BSB)

Jesus frees us from the law

For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful man, as an offering for sin. He thus condemned sin in the flesh, so that the righteous standard of the law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. (Romans 8:3-4 BSB)

What Is Legalism?

It is not wrong to love and obey the law of God. Neither is it legalism. What then is legalism? I found an interesting definition of legalism in this article "Jesus and the Law | Reformed Theological Seminary"

QUOTE (with minor changes to paragraph and spelling)
What then is legalism? Legalism comes in many shapes and forms. Let me mention four forms in which we still see legalism raising its ugly head today.

First of all, legalism is when someone teaches that salvation is by works. If somebody tells you that salvation is by law keeping, they are a legalist by Jesus' definition.

Secondly, legalism occurs when people attempt to add their own man-made human rules and traditions to the authoritative word of God. Mad-made rules added to the word of God take away from the authority of the word of God and they are one manifestation of legalism.

A third form of legalism is grudging obedience. Jesus is going to go into detail in Matthew chapter 6 about grudging obedience and His prime example of grudging obedience is going to be the Pharisees. These are the one who supposedly love the law, and yet He said they relate to God not as if He is their loving heavenly father, but they relate to God as if they're doing "x" so He will do "y". They'll do this so He'll do that. They're relating to God as if they can trap Him into being loving and kind towards them if they'll only do certain things. So that kind of grudging obedience is legalism.

And finally, legalism occurs when people confuse the weightier and lesser matters of the law and give great attention to the lesser matters of the law while ignoring the weightier matters of the law.
UNQUOTE

Law Cannot Save, Jesus Saves

The law cannot save.

Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. (Galatians 2:16 KJV)

Now it is clear that no one is justified before God by the law, because the righteous will live by faith. (Galatians 3:11 CSB)

For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin. (Romans 3:20 ESV)

The law brings condemnation.

For the law brings wrath, but where there is no law there is no transgression. (Romans 4:15 ESV)

Jesus saves by fulfilling the law on our behalf.

For what the law could not do since it was weakened by the flesh, God did. He condemned sin in the flesh by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh as a sin offering, in order that the law's requirement would be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. (Romans 8:3-4 CSB)

For the law is only a shadow of the good things to come, not the realities themselves. (Hebrews 10:1a BSB)

So the law became our guardian to lead us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. (Galatians 3:24 BSB)

When we are saved, our lives will reflect the law.

What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. (Romans 6:15 KJV)

This is how we know that we know him: if we keep his commands. (1 John 2:3 CSB)

If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. (John 14:15 BSB)

And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again. (2 Corinthians 5:15 NIV)

Law, Sin And Grace

The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. (1 Corinthians 15:56 BSB CSB ESV NIV)

for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life. (2 Corinthians 3:6b KJV)

For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are. (Romans 3:20 NLT)

What then shall we say? Is the law sin? Certainly not! Indeed, I would not have been mindful of sin if not for the law. For I would not have been aware of coveting if the law had not said, "Do not covet." But sin, seizing its opportunity through the commandment, produced in me every kind of covetous desire. For apart from the law, sin is dead. Once I was alive apart from the law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died. So I discovered that the very commandment that was meant to bring life actually brought death. (Romans 7:7-10 BSB)

Some preachers claimed that according to Apostle Paul in Romans 7:9, when you introduce the law, there will be a REVIVAL OF SIN! And that's not all. Apart from reviving sin, the law also kills and brings death!

Am I saying something good caused my death? Certainly not! It was sin that killed me by using something good. Now we can see how terrible and evil sin really is. (Romans 7:13 CEV)

Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. (1 John 3:4 NIV)

For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. (John 1:17 BSB ESV NIV)

The law does not bring death. Actually, the law magnifies grace by showing how evil sin is and how much we have been forgiven from.

God's law was given so that all people could see how sinful they were. But as people sinned more and more, God's wonderful grace became more abundant. So just as sin ruled over all people and brought them to death, now God's wonderful grace rules instead, giving us right standing with God and resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 5:20-21 NLT)

Therefore I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven; that's why she loved much. But the one who is forgiven little, loves little." (Luke 7:47 CSB)

Behaviour For Special Occasions

Job interviews, VIP visits, weddings and worship. What does all these things have in common? These will cause a person to do the following:

1. Present the best;
2. Show respect;
3. Avoid appearance of evil.

We do these because we want to gain some benefit or praise, confirm to social expectation or religious fear.

Sabbath Law

Plant and harvest your crops for six years, but let the land be renewed and lie uncultivated during the seventh year. Then let the poor among you harvest whatever grows on its own. Leave the rest for wild animals to eat. The same applies to your vineyards and olive groves.

You have six days each week for your ordinary work, but on the seventh day you must stop working. This gives your ox and your donkey a chance to rest. It also allows your slaves and the foreigners living among you to be refreshed. (Exodus 23:10-12 NLT)

God Spoke To Israelites Directly

And the Lord said to Moses, "Thus you shall say to the people of Israel: 'You have seen for yourselves that I have talked with you from heaven. You shall not make gods of silver to be with me, nor shall you make for yourselves gods of gold. (Exodus 20:22-23 ESV)

You saw no form of any kind the day the Lord spoke to you at Horeb out of the fire. Therefore watch yourselves very carefully, so that you do not become corrupt and make for yourselves an idol, an image of any shape, whether formed like a man or a woman, or like any animal on earth or any bird that flies in the air, or like any creature that moves along the ground or any fish in the waters below. (Deuteronomy 4:15-18 NIV)

God spoke to the Israelites personally at Mount Sinai.

Ten Commandments Given To Israel Directly From God

And God spoke all these words, saying, "I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. (Exodus 20:1-2 ESV)

God spoke the Ten Commandments directly to the Israelites. He did not speak through Moses.

Now when all the people saw the thunder and the flashes of lightning and the sound of the trumpet and the mountain smoking, the people were afraid and trembled, and they stood far off and said to Moses, "You speak to us, and we will listen; but do not let God speak to us, lest we die." (Exodus 20:18-19 ESV)

A Panoramic View of the Bible And What We Can Learn From It - 6

The whole Bible can be summarized with four words - creation, fall, redemption, restoration.
The Bible described creation in two chapters (Genesis 1:1 - 2:25).
The Bible described the fall in one chapter (Genesis 3:1 - 3:24).
The Bible described the restoration in one and a half chapters (Revelation 21:1-22:5).
The bulk of the Bible is about redemption.

What does the overview of the Bible tell us about the God's commandments?

1. Initially there is only one commandment;
2. This commandment is a warning about a fatal danger;
3. All commandments of God are given to be obeyed. Disobedience brings sin;
4. There is no commandment against good things.

And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, "You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die." (Genesis 2:16-17 ESV)

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. (Galatians 5:22-23 ESV)

What Must I Do To Inherit Eternal Life?

On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?" (Luke 10:25 NIV)

A certain ruler asked him, "Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" (Luke 18:18 NIV)

Two person came to Jesus to ask Him what they must do to inherit eternal life. One was a Jewish lawyer (Luke 10:25-37) and another a rich man (Matthew 19:16-22, Mark 10:17-22, Luke 18:18-23).

Jesus did not give them right answer directly, which is, "You can do nothing to inherit eternal life."

Instead, He asked the rich man to give away all his wealth and the lawyer, who was a Jew, to love the Samaritan. To both of them, it was an impossible task. The rich man went away disappointed. We were not told of the lawyer's reaction.

For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, "Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them." Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for "The righteous shall live by faith." But the law is not of faith, rather "The one who does them shall live by them." Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us - for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree" - so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith. (Galatians 3:10-14 ESV)

Only Jesus can save. We can do nothing.

Meritocracy Favours The Elites

For we who worship by the Spirit of God are the ones who are truly circumcised. We rely on what Christ Jesus has done for us. We put no confidence in human effort, though I could have confidence in my own effort if anyone could. Indeed, if others have reason for confidence in their own efforts, I have even more!
I was circumcised when I was eight days old. I am a pure-blooded citizen of Israel and a member of the tribe of Benjamin - a real Hebrew if there ever was one! I was a member of the Pharisees, who demand the strictest obedience to the Jewish law. I was so zealous that I harshly persecuted the church. And as for righteousness, I obeyed the law without fault. (Philippians 3:3-6 NLT)

The Apostle Paul gave a list of accomplishment he could have confidence in the flesh:

1. With respect to birth and pedigree, circumcised on the eighth day, from the people of Israel and the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews;
2. With respect to observing the Law, a Pharisee who strictly obeyed the Law of Moses;
3. With respect to zeal, persecuting the church;
4. With respect to righteousness under the Law, blameless.

For those who believe in work and meritocracy, they must be like Paul, who was not only self-disciplined, hard working, principled and zealous, he was also born of the right parents and pedigree.

Christianity does not favour the elites.

Christianity is for those who are hopeless, those who cannot make it in life. For an elite like Paul, he must give up all the works of the flesh in order to gain the righteousness that is from Christ.

But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith - that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead. (Philippians 3:7-11 ESV)

Cannot Be Saved By Own Righteousness

The following quote was taken from a sermon of Adrian Rogers in YouTube, Adrian Rogers: When the Spirit Speaks - RA2318, starting at time 17:00.

QUOTE
Now think with me for a moment. If you can be accounted righteous before God by doing good deeds, by giving your money, by helping the poor, by being religious, being kind, if you can be counted righteous for doing that, listen to me, why did Jesus die? Why did he suffer on that cross if you can be saved by your own righteousness? I submit to you that if you can be saved by doing good, then Calvary was the blunder of the ages.
UNQUOTE

I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain. (Galatians 2:21 KJV)

The Sabbath Years

"For six years you shall sow your land and gather in its yield, but the seventh year you shall let it rest and lie fallow, that the poor of your people may eat; and what they leave the beasts of the field may eat. You shall do likewise with your vineyard, and with your olive orchard. (Exodus 23:10-11 ESV)

For six years you shall sow your field, and for six years you shall prune your vineyard and gather in its fruits, but in the seventh year there shall be a Sabbath of solemn rest for the land, a Sabbath to the LORD. You shall not sow your field or prune your vineyard. (Leviticus 25:3-4 ESV)

Righteous Man As Defined By The Law

"Now suppose a man is righteous and does what is just and right: He does not eat at the mountain shrines or raise his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel. He does not defile his neighbor's wife or come near a woman during her menstrual impurity. He doesn't oppress anyone but returns his collateral to the debtor. He does not commit robbery, but gives his bread to the hungry and covers the naked with clothing. He doesn't lend at interest or for profit but keeps his hand from wrongdoing and carries out true justice between men. He follows My statutes and keeps My ordinances, acting faithfully. Such a person is righteous; he will certainly live." This is the declaration of the Lord God. (Ezekiel 18:5-9 HCSB)

This is a righteous man:

1. He does not commit idolatry;
2. He is sexually pure;
3. He does not oppress;
4. He cares for the poor;
5. He does not commit usury;
6. He is just;
7. He keeps the commandments of God, acting faithfully.

It seems easy to fulfil and many, like the rich young ruler, thought that they can fulfil these KPI. But can they withstand the scrutiny of God?

And as he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him and asked him, "Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" And Jesus said to him, "Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. You know the commandments: 'Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.'" And he said to him, "Teacher, all these I have kept from my youth." And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, "You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me." Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. (Mark 10:17-22 ESV)