Fight of the century: Law vs Grace

SOME folks are honestly confused about the relationship between the law of God and His grace. At the end of this discourse, the honestly-confused will either cease to be confused or cease to be honest. A decision has to be made each time one meets truth and God does not send His truth to embarrass anyone.

Each time God’s law is mentioned, ill thoughts and feelings develop in people’s minds. Maybe humanity has a natural resistance to authority.

When people hear the word “law”, their minds’ red warning lights come on and sirens go: “Legalist, legalist!”

But is it legalistic to have policemen patrolling our streets? Or is it legalistic to have traffic signs like “Give Way”, “Stop” and “red lights”? To me they signify law and order. Let me state from the onset, I believe we are not under the law but under grace.

Paul says, “Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression” [Romans4:15].

In other words, where there is no law there cannot be an offence. If I’m driving down the road and I come to an intersection, I look out for signs to either give way or stop. If there isn’t any, I proceed as normal.

If a traffic officer were to pull me over and accuse me of having broken the law, I’d take him to task for it because there was no sign, therefore, no law could have been violated.

Without the law, there cannot be an offence. Without the Law of God, there cannot be sin. One definition for sin is in 1 John 3:4: “Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law” [1 John 3:4].

The Bible further declares: “As it is written, there is none righteous, no, not one … For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” [Romans 3:10, 23].

We all have transgressed the Law and hence sinned and there is no hope for us. Oh wretched man that I am! All my righteousness is like filthy rags in His holy sight. When I look at myself, I don’t see how I can make it but when I look at Jesus, I don’t see how I can be lost. For only through faith in Jesus do we have the grace that saves: “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:” [Ephesians2: 8].

Grace may be defined as: pardon which you do not deserve; or unmerited favour; or further still as the unbounded love of God expressed in the gift of Jesus Christ. If you get what you deserve, it’s no longer grace but justice.

In other words, if you’re innocent of an offence but taken to court anyway and the judge acquits you, it’s not grace but justice.

Having established that we are saved by grace, the following text is from the last book of the Bible and the last chapter of that book and is with reference to the saved entering the Heavenly city: “Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city” [Revelation 22: 14]. Whoa!

The ‘saved by grace’ must also do His commandments! Watch carefully, lest you put the cart before the horse. We keep the commandments not because we want to be saved, but because we are saved. An apple tree does not produce apples to prove it is an apple tree, but because it is an apple tree. Similarly, a Christian does not obey the Law in order to be a Christian but because he/she is a Christian. The natural fruit of a born again Christian is to obey the Law.

When Paul said “For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace” (Romans 6:14), he was not writing to sinners out there in the streets stealing, lying, killing, robbing and committing all sorts of sexual immorality but to Christians in church already keeping the Commandments. This means that one who is busy doing those illicit acts is indeed under the Law.

“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?” [Roman 6:1,2].

In other words, when temptation to sin comes your way, you no more respond than a dead man would.

“What then? Shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.” [Romans 6:15].

Paraphrasing: Shall we transgress the law (sin), because we are not under the law but under grace? God forbid. This is written by the same Paul who is accused to have implied the law is “done away” with by saying, “We’re not under the law but under grace.”

Let’s suppose (this did not really happen to me), I am driving to visit my brother who lives 100 miles away from me and I’m due there for 12PM. So I leave home in good time but before long, I hit some road-works on the motorway. Traffic is solid and the motorway looks like a giant car park.

After 30 minutes of stop-start, it finally opened up again but by this time I realised I’m running late. So I step on it. I can’t afford to be late. I’m now driving at 85m/h then suddenly, I see blue lights behind me, I check my speedometer and start pulling over, no need to argue. I’ve been caught red-handed.

But much to my relief, the police car shoots past and stops the other guy who is in front of me. Then as I approach, the police officer orders me to pull over behind the other stopped driver.

The guy in front is answering back and gesturing at the officer, and I’m thinking “why is he making the officer angry?” Then the officer writes up a ticket and throws it at him and starting towards me.

Officer: “You, what’s your story?”

Me: “I have no story Officer”

Officer: “Are you also going to tell me that you were not speeding?”

Me: “No Officer, I was speeding”

Officer: “What speed were you doing then?”

Me: “When I saw you, I was doing 80m/h.”

Officer: “Do you know that you committed an offence?”

Me: “Yes Sir”

Officer: “Then, what are we going to do about it?”

Me: “Please forgive me, I beg you, have mercy on me.”

Officer: “What! Why should I let you go while I gave the other guy a ticket and you committed a similar offence?”

Me: “Well he didn’t ask, I’m asking. Even God sometimes let some go.”

Officer: “Mate, come with me to my car”

I really don’t want to go into his car, I have my own. Besides, his doors don’t open from inside. But I don’t have a choice because I’m under the Law. Life is not easy when you’re under the Law. I follow him into his car like a little boy. He sits there holding my licence.

Officer: “Mate look behind you.” I see another traffic officer issuing a speeding ticket to another driver.

“You see, if I just let you go, my colleague there would have wondered what it is with me. But now you’re in my car, he doesn’t know what I’m doing. Promise me now, if I let you go, are you going to abide by the national speed limit?”

Me: “Yes, Sir, I promise!”

Officer: “Ok mate, I’ll let you go, I’ll radio my colleagues down the road to watch out for you and should you be caught speeding again, we’ll throw the book at you do you understand?”

Me: “Yes Sir, and thank you very much.”

As I continue down the motorway, I am careful not to mess up with the grace the officer has given me. I do all I can to stay on the right side of the Law. Other drivers are speeding past me, probably wondering why I am keeping to the legal speed limit. They don’t know about the grace I have received from that man.

I will uphold the law more than anybody else because I’ve been pardoned, I’m under grace. Oh how much I treasure it! I am not under the Law but under grace, and therefore careful to keep the Law.

Similarly, because of what Christ did for us at Calvary, we ought to uphold the law more than those who have not experienced His pardon.

“What then? Shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.” [Romans 6:15].

I have seven words: (1) Sin (2) Law (3) Grace (4) Christ (5) Gospel (6) Preacher (7) Church. Let’s link them to illustrate how each relates to the others.

Sin is the transgression of the law. Without the law, there is no sin.

Grace is pardon for sin, which is the transgression of the law.

Christ died to give us grace, which is pardon for sin, which is the transgression of the law.

The Gospel is the story of Christ, who died to give us grace, which is pardon for sin, which is the transgression of the law.

The Preacher preaches the Gospel, which is the story of Christ, who died to give us grace, which is pardon for sin, which is the transgression of the law.

The Church is where the preacher preaches the gospel, which is the story of Christ, who died to give us grace, which is pardon for sin, which is the transgression of the law.

Watch this: If you do away with the Law, you also do away with sin because sin is the transgression of the law.

If you do away with sin, you also do away with grace because grace is pardon for sin, which is the transgression of the law.

If you do away with grace you also do away with Christ (You’ll be saying He died for nothing) who died to give us grace, which pardon for sin, which is the transgression of the law.

If you do away with Christ, you also do away with the gospel, which is the story of Christ, who died to give us grace, which is pardon for sin, which is the transgression of the law.

If you do away with the Gospel, you also do away with the preacher (hey, what’s there to preach?) because he preaches the Gospel, which is the story of Christ, who died to give us grace, which is pardon for sin, which is the transgression of the law.

If you do away with the preacher you also do away with the church because that’s where the preacher preaches the Gospel, which is the story of Christ, who died to give us grace, which is pardon for sin, which is the transgression of the law.

Christ says: “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil” [Matthew 5:17]. In other words, don’t even think that the law has been destroyed. The law stands forever and always points us to sin but cannot save us, in the same way a mirror will show you the unwanted spots on your face but not wash you.

After being made aware of our sinfulness/dirt, we go to the “fountain, filled with blood, drawn from Immanuel’s veins and sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains.”

If anyone tells you that the Law has been done away with, or nailed to the cross, you ought run outside; check if the sky is still there and kick the ground if it’s still there too.

If both of them have not passed away, you know the speaker is not telling the truth. “For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled” [Matthew 5:18].