Probably no other subject has caused more confusion and separation in the church family than this subject! That might seem like a bold statement because to be referred to as “a Christian”, we would have to understand and accept that we are saved by grace through faith. In fact, that is the very cornerstone of Christianity. Then you might ask yourself, “why is there controversy? Is it just a misunderstanding of the terms “grace” and “law”, or is there something else contributing to this dilemma?” Well…that is the very question I want to explore during the next two weeks.
Let us begin by simply defining the terms. The “law” was given to Moses on Mt. Saini in the form of Ten Commandments. When the law was given it served three purposes. First it was civil law for the Israelites who were wondering around in the wilderness after being in bondage to the Egyptians for four hundred years. As a community they were in a state of chaos. Freedom presented many new challenges, so the law gave them the needed framework for living together in harmony.
It was also God’s law. Not only was it civil law, but God gave the Israelites (and all people) his standard for becoming acceptable in his sight. If they adhered to these laws, they were “being obedient” and consequently found favor with God. He also told them he would bless and protect them as a nation if they continued to be in line with His will.
And finally, and more subtly, it was used to exposed man’s sinful nature. As Apostle Paul points out in Romans, 7: 7-8,10; “Well then, am I suggesting that the law of God is evil? Of course not! The law is not sinful, but it was the law that showed me my sin. I would never have known that coveting is wrong if the law had not said ‘Do not covet.’ But sin took advantage of this law and aroused all kinds of forbidden desires within me! If there were no law, sin would not have that power. So the good law, which was supposed to show me the way of life, instead gave me a death penalty.” And again in Romans, 4:15 we are told, “But the law brings punishment on those who try to obey it. The only way to avoid breaking the law is to have no law to break!”
Notice in Romans 4:15 it says “try to obey it.” The fact is…the law is contrary to our human nature (sin nature). We can try our hardest to live according to this standard, but the futility of that endeavor is pointed out in Matthew 5:19; “anyone who breaks one of the commandments is guilty of breaking all the commandments.” Apostle Paul, even after his transformation from Saul to Paul, struggled with this issue, as he clearly laments in Romans, 7:15-18, 21. “I don’t understand myself at all, for I really want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do the very thing I hate. I know perfectly well that what I am doing is wrong and my bad conscience shows that I agree that the law is good. But I can’t help myself, because it is sin inside me that makes me do these evil things. I know I am rotten through and through…and no matter which way I turn, I can’t make myself do what is right. I want to, but I can’t. It seems to be a fact of life that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong.” Does that sound familiar?
From Mt. Saini to the death of Jesus Christ, the law and the issue of sin has been the dilemma of mankind. Under the Old Covenant (before the death of Jesus), the issue was dealt with in the Jewish culture by religious rituals, specifically the Day of Atonement. On that day each person would offer to God an animal sacrifice to cover their sins of the past year. Unfortunately the sacrifice only covered the sin but did not erase it, so the ritual had to be repeated annually. If the law was sufficient for making us right in God’s sight, there would have been no reason for Jesus to have come. But the fact is…we had from Creation to two thousand years ago to make ourselves right with God – but undeniably mankind kept sinking deeper and deeper into the quagmire of sin. Apostle Paul gives us the solution in Romans 7: 24-25; “Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord.”
The Scriptures tell us we cannot come into the presence of God if we are stained with sin. 1 Peter 1:16 tells us, “we have to be holy (without sin) because God is holy.” And why is that? Because sin spreads, contaminates kills and destroys. Therefore let us be ever thankful that we have a loving God who knows us better than we know ourselves, and one who wants a relationship –an eternal relationship with us. Because of his unconditional, unending and unfailing love, he did what the law could not do for us, and also what we absolutely could not do for ourselves. Romans 5: 6 tells us that “when we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners.” While Paul doesn’t specify exactly what constituted “the right time”, being “utterly helpless” certainly conveys our pathetic state.
So you may be saying to yourself, “OK. I get the picture. I know that sin is an issue. But I also know that Jesus died for my sins and I have eternal life. So where is the conflict?”
The conflict is in how the gospel of grace is presented. The issue of forgiveness of sin and eternal life is the message that draws most people to Christianity, and well it should. There is incredible comfort in that message. But there is more…much more, but many times churches don’t talk about the freedom that comes from being in Christ. That is most unfortunate, because it is that message that “sets Christians free.” And if that message is not joyfully proclaimed, many new Christians can continue to live in bondage to their “old self”, and also in bondage to the inevitable guilt, shame and remorse that accompanies that lack of awareness. In my mind that is an incredible disservice on the part of the message-carrier. So next week I will talk about the freedom that comes from our new identity in Christ. I invite you to tune in for the full “baptism” of grace.
May God bless you, and feel free to respond to this posting.
Dan Presgrave (a.k.a. Pastor Dan)
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