Grace and Law
EDITOR: Kindly allow me the space in your weekly to express my thoughts on a very controversial topic.
The religious world of religion is thrown in a tailspin over the understanding of God’s mercy and His eternal standards.
Isaiah 60: verse 2 says” For the darkness shall cover the earth and gross darkness the people:” The majority pith the two against each other, Grace versus Law is often mooted on social media platforms.
The topic is immutable since Grace is NEVER against the Law.
A working definition of Grace can be gleaned from Ephesians 2: 8 and 9……
‘For by grace are ye saved, through faith and that not from yourselves, it is the gift of God ; not of works so that no one can boast.’ We say its the unmerited favour of God, His mercy towards those who transgress the Law.
The attributes of the Law are spread throughout every verse of Psalm 119. I would like to address the functionality of the Law as given in Psalm 19, verses 7 onwards. ‘ The Law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. The statutes of the Lord are right rejoicing the heart, the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the Lord is clean enduring forever, the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.
More to be desired are they than gold, yea than much fine gold, sweeter also than the honey and the honeycomb.
Many synonyms have been used here for Law, testimony, statutes, commandment, fear, judgments and many more in every verse of Psalm 119.
Jeremiah 13:23 gives the reason why man opposes the Law which Romans 7:12 describes as Holy, …’
Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard his spot ? Then may you also do good that are accustomed to do evil.’ Paul continues the hypothesis in Romans 7: 21…’ I find then a law that when I would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the Law of God after the inner man; but I see another law in my members warring against the law of my mind and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin in my members. With ecstasy Paul echoes his deliverance: O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from this body of death ?
Verse 25 gives the answer, I thank God, through Jesus Christ our Lord, so then with the mind I serve the Lord, but with the flesh the law of sin.
The Law is the engine that moves our righteousness, while faith is the ignition that sets the Law in motion.
Dennis Trant ( aka Scrubb)
Comments
