At first glance it does seem that law and grace are opposed. Even the Bible seems to be divided into two sections the Old Testament (law) and New Testament (grace).
The Old Testament and especially the first five books are all about law. How God expects righteousness from everyone. In fact God gives man the Ten Commandments in this section of the Bible. Surely this means that God expects man to live up to the Ten Commandments in an effort to please Him. Right?
Well if you take the Bible as a whole you begin to understand that the Ten Commandments were never given as a way to please God. God knows us, and our limits. They were given as a way to show us how far short we fall, a measuring stick to show us just how much we need Him.
Sound a little hopeless? It is hopeless to think that we can keep the Ten Commandments. Jesus showed us that in his teachings. "If a man hates it is the same as murder in the sight of God." Think about that. If you want to live under the Law then a white lie has the same penalty as murder!
It is pretty obvious that it is mans pride that makes him think he can keep the Law!
Forget about "It means strive for perfection" try that in a court of law. Smile!
Galatians 2:21
"I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!"
The good news is that the law makes us realize just how much we really need God! It is the righteousness of God's Son that makes us acceptable in God's sight, not anything we have done.
Ephesians 2:8
"For by grace you have been saved through faith, and not of yourselves, it is the gift of God."
Because of that, we can concentrate on doing what God put us here on Earth for, instead of being under the burden of striving for something just out of reach!
God loves his creation and wants us to be free and productive for Him. We do not need to worry about genes, heredity, sexuality, or environment.
Just relax in Him and learn who we are in God and He will show us what is best for us!
Chris Hampton
Alpha Life Fellowship
http://www.alpha-links.com
The Question Really picture this in your mind.... Someone tells... Read More
I had visions of my daughter for about five years... Read More
It's an almost unbelievable thought, but could you be getting... Read More
As Christians, we know we need God in every aspect... Read More
No one appreciates mothers enough. In this life, that's a... Read More
We come into this world alone, we experience physical life... Read More
Faith is the remarkable force that gives us the empowerment... Read More
Among those arriving to the stadium early were two old... Read More
On one side there is a dark cloud. It is... Read More
Some of my greatest teachers have taught me that faith... Read More
While I do hope to avoid arguing the merits or... Read More
You may ask, "What are hot buttons anyway?"Hot buttons are... Read More
How many Christian people do you know who are bearing... Read More
"But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and... Read More
In a recent case study which I also summarized in... Read More
"I would rather regret some of my failures in life... Read More
In a recent article entitled "Some Evidence of How We... Read More
If I speak in the tongues of men and of... Read More
"The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken... Read More
My fiancee' and I frequent a restaurant in L.A. called... Read More
In my yard are quarter-circles of grass growing taller than... Read More
I am not saying this because I am in need,... Read More
This article is the 1st part of an open response... Read More
I have been reading a lot lately about the concepts... Read More
The greatest frustration in a Christian's life is not being... Read More
shuttle from O'Hare Alexander ..Some men see things as they are and say, "Why?"... Read More
Perhaps one of the most wonderful assertions that can be... Read More
Adam had it right when he covered himself with fig... Read More
In the early 90's I had a spontaneous Kundalini Awakening... Read More
Realisation and repeated memorization of the true knowledge is the... Read More
The word means different things to different people. Is it... Read More
An acrostic prayer poem.The Lord loves me and is gracious... Read More
For we do not have a high priest who is... Read More
I have been counseling people on weight loss, exercise efficiency... Read More
Rose Ann Schwab is an internationally and world renowned professional... Read More
Everyday I am challenged to find the good in things:... Read More
I once read a story about a Catholic priest who... Read More
Celebrities and common people all over the world are known... Read More
We see it all the time in people's lives some... Read More
Did you happen to see the made-for-tv movie, "Jesus," that... Read More
Matthew 3:7-10 John Rebukes the Pharisees and Sadducees7 But when... Read More
It was in the middle of the night and the... Read More
I have a confession.I used to have doubts about God's... Read More
My wife, our friend and I went to listen to... Read More
Some people go to physics and spiritual readers for advice... Read More
Life, no matter how we choose to look at it,... Read More
As a child growing up, whenever I was worried about... Read More
Hello, My name is Mellody Davis and here is my... Read More
"Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy? Caught... Read More
An Introduction to MatthewSETTINGHave you ever been promised something wonderful,... Read More
Spirituality |