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
Did you ever see something go wrong around you and... Read More
Prayer from a child's simple bedtime prayer, to the prayers... Read More
Some people go to physics and spiritual readers for advice... Read More
IS FAITH - NOT VITAMIN C WHAT'S MISSING FROM YOUR... Read More
Does this ever happen to you? You ask God for... Read More
Spending 'Quiet Time' with the LordFrom the beginning of my... Read More
"Our mind is capable of passing beyond the dividing line... Read More
Carl Jung, 20th century psycho analyst and dream researcher, said:... Read More
Ok, let's start with the amazing story of Robbie and... Read More
Limiting beliefs, just like positive, empowering thoughts, provide a foundation... Read More
The Mystical Experience"The mysteries of life become lucid ? and... Read More
"Everything in the universe is a pitcher brimming with wisdom... Read More
In this series I would like to take you through... Read More
It is tough being here on this plane. You have... Read More
Many of you already own several lucky charms or talismans.... Read More
Enlightenment, which is as varied as each individual's fingerprint, is... Read More
"Spirit is beyond the void of space. This realm, beyond... Read More
Let us face reality squarely in the face by acknowledging... Read More
It is within us to... Read More
"This is my commandment, that ye love one another, as... Read More
It will all be clear in a minute, but first... Read More
So, none of us arrived with an Owner's Manual, neatly... Read More
Whenever we have the opportunity to make human assessments, the... Read More
Who Are you?Have you ever asked yourself the question 'Who... Read More
1. The name Michael means, "Who is like God". In... Read More
family-safe home cleaners Arlington Heights ..As we go through life we all have to deal... Read More
When the body of Christ isn't protected we become vulnerable... Read More
Originating in what is now modern India; Tantra is at... Read More
How many of us rush blindly through our days, fall... Read More
1. The name Michael means, "Who is like God". In... Read More
I am often asked to explain what I mean by... Read More
Have you ever felt like throwing up your arms and... Read More
I was walking down the street the other day, walking... Read More
Not going to church has the advantage of having free... Read More
The words 'new age' and 'spirituality' can have people running... Read More
Second Isaiah, so called because his book of prophecy was... Read More
Christianity: White man's religion?Martin Luther King referred to Sunday as... Read More
You are a dual being. Part eternal spirit and part... Read More
???Now is the time for all good men to come... Read More
One cannot read the account of Benhadad and Hazael in... Read More
Sometimes we're already free but we don't realize it. We... Read More
Far to many people have become "followers" rather than BEING... Read More
If we are honest with ourselves, we would have to... Read More
For as many of you as were baptized into Christ... Read More
In the spring of 2003, I spent three weeks in... Read More
I have been reading a lot lately about the concepts... Read More
"They're crazy!" That's what they're saying about us. The majority... Read More
Have you ever experienced a traumatic event? I'm sure the... Read More
What is success? It probably means different things to different... Read More
The human race had their beginning, and I had mine... Read More
Spirituality |