Bible Truth About Law and Grace

There are many professing Christians in this world today who will tell you that we need not keep God's law, the ten commandments anymore, as we are now under grace. Is this true? What does the Bible teach us? I believe the Bible teaches that law and grace work together, and that grace does not in any way do away with the law of God. It is amazing how many Christians will tell you that you are putting them back under the law by telling them that they should be keeping God's Commandments, and yet that is exactly what the Bible teaches. Please understand that I am talking about God's Ten Commandments, not the ceremonial laws that Jesus replaced by His sacrifice.

Exodus 20:6 ...'And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.'

Proverbs 3:1 ...'My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments.'

John 14:15 ...'If ye love me, keep my commandments.'

It is understanding that legal matters can be confusing, but when you take a look at God's Ten Commandments, you will see that they are very simple indeed. But unfortunately, we live in an age where professing Christians turn the grace of God into a license to sin. They excuse their sin by saying that no one can keep God's law so there is no need in worrying about it and that we are not under law but under grace. But the Bible warned us of these people who turn the grace of our Lord into an excuse to sin ... Jude 1:4 ...'For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.' ... The professing church is now full of these people.

Please have a good long think about this following verse from Paul ... Romans 8:1 ...'There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are IN Christ Jesus, who walk NOT after the flesh, but after the Spirit.' ... Do you see what Paul is saying here? He is saying that there is no more condemnation for those who are IN Christ Jesus. It is only those people who are IN Christ Jesus, who walk NO MORE after the flesh who are not under condemnation. In other words, these are those who are dead to sin, they live each moment for Christ and they are actively turning away from sin by KEEPING God's Commandments. But know that it is not just the people themselves keeping God's law, but the Holy Spirit dwelling in them helping them to keep it. If you are still holding on to sin in your life, then you are still under condemnation, because the Bible says that it is those who are IN Christ, not those who just believe in Him that are free.

If the law could be done away with, then Christ need not have died!

We need to remember that it was through Christ that this world was created, and it was through Him that the Bible Ten Commandments were given. Now if the Law could be done away with, then there would be no reason for Christ to die for our sins. Have a real good think upon that point. God could have just changed or abolished His law without Christ needing to die for us breaking His law. But what did Jesus say about His law?

Matthew 5:18 ...'For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.'

Has heaven and earth passed away? No. Therefore the ten commandments still remain today, including the sabbath commandment.

So what are we saved by? We are saved by grace, there is no disputing that fact. We are saved by grace alone, and not by our own works ... Ephesians 2:8 ...'For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.' ... No man can save himself by keeping the law of God, it is only by the shed blood of Jesus that we can be saved. So what shall we do now that we are under grace? Shall we forget the law of God and not worry about sinning? ... Romans 6:1-2 ...'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?' ... Did you catch that? How can 'we' who are now under grace live any longer in sin? Can we continue to sin, as we are under grace? GOD FORBID!!

Roman 7:7 ...'What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.' ... You see, the purpose of the law is to point out sin in our lives and bring us to Christ. Also, with the law written on our hearts, and with the Holy Spirit dwelling in us, we can avoid sin. Let me put it this way; If you were walking past a shop with some goods on a table outside that shop, and you thought, "hey, I could just take this, no one is watching". But with God's law written on your heart, you know that it would be stealing and a sin, and therefore if you were keeping God's Commandments, you wouldn't do it. Or would you now feel free to steal because you are under grace? Of course not.

Romans 6:12-13 ...'Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God.'

Galatians 5:16-17 ...'This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.'

Galatians 5:18 ...'But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.' ... In other words, if you are TRULY walking in the Spirit, then you will not fall under sin, and therefore become under the law, where the penalty for sin is death!

Galatians 5:19-21 ...'Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that THEY WHICH DO SUCH THINGS SHALL NOT INHERIT THE KINGDOM OF GOD.' ... Now why would Paul say in one breath that we are under grace and no longer under the law, and then in another breath say the above? Because God's law and grace work together. Those who are under grace and walking in the Spirit, are keeping God's Commandments.

I love this next verse from Paul that shows law and grace working together ... Romans 3:31 ...'Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.' ... Through faith and the grace of God, we ESTABLISH the law!

Now there are some that say Christ's blood covers even our future sins WITHOUT repentance. Is this true? I say God forbid!! ... Romans 3:24-25 ...'Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are PAST, through the forbearance of God.' ... For sins that are PAST, not future. Jesus died for sins that are past. He didn't die so that we can continue in sin. And the next verse confirms this point even more ... 1 John 1:9 ...'If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.' ..... IF we confess our sins.

Hebrews 10:26-27 ...'For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.'

Yes, we are now under the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, but this does not mean we can continue in sin. How can we continue to walk after the flesh, knowing the cost of sin to our Saviour? No, we must now establish God's Commandments and walk after them in the Spirit. And if we claim to love the Lord, then He says that we should be keeping His law ... 1 John 5:3 ...'For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.' ... How do we know that Jesus, through the Holy Spirit is dwelling in us? ... 1 John 3:24 ...'And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.' ... We know because we are keeping His Commandments.

Most Christians who say that they are now keeping the "spirit" of the law misunderstand the concept of the spirit and the letter teaching in the Bible. For some twisted reason, they believe that keeping the spirit of the law "enables" them to continue breaking God's holy law.

"Many people known as Jews thought that they could keep God's law in the flesh and obtain eternal life. Many people known as Christians think they can break God's law in the Spirit and obtain eternal life. The Bible proves that both lines of thought are in error. Both groups of people have 'trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace.' (Hebrews 10:29). Those who seek salvation by works of the law are despising the Spirit of grace by rejecting it. And those who continue in sin are despising the Spirit of grace through it's abuse." (Richard Rives - Too Long in the Sun)

Romans 3:31 ...'Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we ESTABLISH the law.'

Law and grace work just fine together.

I plead with you to find out the truth about being under grace and become a TRUE follower of Christ Jesus by keeping His holy law in spirit (in your heart).