BY Argie Simonis
The whole heart of the message is that
- we are not saved by Grace but...
- Nor are we saved by Grace plus...
We are saved by Grace 100% through faith. God's part is His grace that He has given us, and our part is to believe. Of course the way we live is important, because sin has consequences, but when it comes to our salvation, when we believe and accept Jesus, our salvation depends COMLPETELY on the Grace of God.
That's how we stand justified before God. We are not justified because we are righteous or good, but we are righteous and do the right things because God has ALREADY justified us for FREE!
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All of us that who have accepted Jesus, we have come into marriage with Him:
"For as a young man marrieth a virgin, so shall thy sons marry thee: and as the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee." (Isaiah 62:5)
"And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb's wife." (Rev. 21:9)
This is where a problem arises. Many Christians live within law, rules and rituals. The Lord did not create us to live like this, but in relationship with Him:
"Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created." (Rev. 4:11)
If you are wondering what this will is:
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16)
"And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent." (John 17:3)
~~ That is exactly why we aremarried to Jesus when we accept Him into our lives. Before we were married to Jesus, do you know who we were married to? According to the Scriptures, we were married to the Law! We were not just under the Law, but we were literally married to the Law! ~~
I will show you this Biblically.
I believe that the main reason there is ignorance on the matter of Grace and Law, is because neither this message has been preached in the churches, or if it has been preached, it has not been preached properly.
See how clear Paul is:
"For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace." (Rom. 6:14)
This statement may seem plain and simple, and yet Paul devoted most of the 13 letters he wrote to explaining this verse that I read to you. That we are not under Law but under Grace.
This statement actually is found in all his letters and if you notice, this is what Jesus Himself explains in many of His parables: There is a new authority, a new administration in the Church. It is NO longer the Law but I, says the Lord.
~~ It is very important to understand that the Law is not evil because God Himself gave it. But the truth is that we are neither saved by the Law, nor are we saved by fulfilling the Law. This is only possible through the Grace of God. ~~
Don't forget that the Law is not just the 10 commandments. The Law that God gave to Moses consisted of a total of 613 decrees. If indeed you break one decree of the Law, it is as if you have broken the whole Law:
"For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all." (James 2:10)
"For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law." (James 2:11)
All these decrees are found in the book of Leviticus and Deuteronomy.
Let's take for example one of the 10 commandments: Do not steal.
Of course it is good not to steal. It is good for us and our whole family. In the same way, it is good not to kill, and not to lie, not to commit adultery, etc. That is why the Law is good. Because it tells you to do good things that will benefit YOU.
But what we ALL need to realize is that we are NOT married to a list of do's and dont's.
As Christians we are married to a person, to Jesus, and it is certainly much better to be married to Him than to be married to a list.
Look at what Paul says to the Jews who lived in Rome:
"Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law,) how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth?" (Rom. 7:1)
"For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband." (Rom. 7:2)
"So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man." (Rom. 7:3)
"Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God." (Rom. 7:4)
In other words, we have released ourselves from our marriage to the Law so that we can marry Jesus. Both men and women are the bride of Christ!
Let's look a little deeper into this now. What kind of spouse do you think the Law is?
- Do you think the Law is kind?
- Is it tender,
- loving,
- compassionate,
- merciful?
What the Law does is one very specific thing: It shows you your mistakes.
"But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed." (Gal. 3:23)
"Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith." (Gal. 3:24)
"But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster." (Gal. 3:25)
"For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus." (Gal. 3:26)
"For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them." (Gal. 3:10)
"But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith." (Gal.3:11)
"And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them." (Gal. 3:12)
"Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:" (Gal. 3:13)
The government of Heaven is not a Republic. It is a Kingdom, and the King is
- The one who sets the rules,
- He is Holy,
- Good,
- Just and
- He loved us to death.
Who wouldn't want to have such a King?
The Law that the King gave us shows us how high God's standards are for our lives and the relationship we should have with others.
-- The first 4 of the 10 commandments show us the relationship we should have with God and the other six the relationship we should have with other people.
-- The Law shows us the moral values we must have to enjoy a society of harmony and peace, how to enjoy a good and quality life.
~~ This is all the Law can do:
-- It shows us how high God's standards are for perfection,
-- our inability to meet those standards with our own abilities, and
-- frustrates us so much that in the end we come to Jesus, because only He can save us, because only He was able to fulfill ALL the Law. ~~
In other words, the Law is an ERROR-FINDER, a judgmental and authoritarian judge! And as if that wasn't enough, the biggest evil with the Law you know what it is? He is always right! The Law will come and tell you:
In other words, the Law is an FAULT-FINDER, a judgmental and authoritarian husband! And not only that, but do you know what the biggest problem with the Law is? It is always right! The Law will come and tell you:
- You did this mistake and that mistake... It will tell you you did this right, but you also did this and that and the other wrong.
The Law reminds me
--how wrong I am,
-- how weak I am and
-- how many times I have messed up.
But our new husband, Jesus, is NOT like that. He has FORGIVEN our sins. He REMOVED them as far as the east is from the west.
The bad thing about the Law is that you are married to it until death do you part. And it gets even worse: The Law will never die. Jesus said:
"Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil." (Matt. 5:17)
"For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled." (Matt. 5:18)
So, the Law is never going to die. So how do you break free from this marriage to the Law, since the Law never dies? It's simple: YOU die! We read it a while ago:
"Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God." (Rom. 7:4)
Paul here is of course not talking about suicide, but about dying to ourselves and our desires and thus we are no longer married to the Law, but to Christ.
"But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter." (Rom. 7:6)
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-- 1. THE LAW CANNOT JUSTIFY US.
"Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law." (Rom. 3:28)
Paul wrote his letter to the Galatians, because at that time some teachers came and told them that yes, they believe in the gospel that Paul preaches, that yes, we are saved by grace through faith, but they said that in order to mature in faith and to be sanctified or to maintain our salvation we must keep the Law.
Inother words, they taught that you are saved by Grace, but you keep your salvation by keeping the Law. Does this remind you of the teachings prevalent in many churches today?
"You are saved by Grace, but..."
In fact, a basic requirement they had was that they asked people to be circumcised. That is why Paul uses very strict language to the Galatians:
"O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?" (Gal. 3:1)
"This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?" (Gal. 3:2)
"Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?" (Gal. 3:3)
"Have ye suffered so many things in vain? if it be yet in vain." (Gal. 3:4)
"He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?" (Gal. 3:5)
~~ Any teaching proclaiming that we are saved by Grace + works, is herecy! ~~
Besides Christianity, EVERY other religion in the world teaches salvation, or perfection, or enlightenment, or whatever they call it, through works. This is precisely what differentiates us Christians from every other religion in the world.
~~ Christianity is NOT a religion. It is a relationship between man and God. Christ did not come to establish another religion, but to restore the damaged relationship with God that we had because of sin. ~~
We saw how we have been married to the Law. In other words, the Law was our first spouse and Christ the second. Watch now at what many Christians are doing. They try to satisfy their second spouse, Jesus, while still maintaining a relationship with the former spouse, the Law. Try to do this in the natural How is it working?
So we should both teach Grace properly, AND live it personally.
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-- 2. THE LAW CANNOT EMPOWER US.
"Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God." (Rom. 7:4)
"I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman." (John 15:1)
Here Jesus is talking about a fruit producing vine. There are useless weeds and there is the good, productive vine.
A little further down He even tells them:
"I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing." (John 15:5)
So as long as we remain married to Christ, we are fruitful.
"I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me." (Gal. 2:20)
"I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain." (Gal. 2:21)
If we could be justified by our works or could keep our salvation by keeping the Law, then why did Jesus die? If it so, then Christ died in vain. This is what Paul is telling us here.
I'll say it again, so I don't get you wrong: it's good not to steal, not to lie, and not to commit adultery, because all of these things will have consequences to your life, your marriage, your family, and your relationships, but that's NOT how you're saved, or you keep your salvation.
-- Have you started with the Spirit? That's how you should end. With the Spirit.
"But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter." (Rom. 7:6)
"Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life." (2Cor. 3:6)
~~ Jesus does not want us to be in a relationship with Him like soldiers, but be married to Him, who is a perfect, good and compassionate husband. ~~
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--3. GRACE BOTH JUSTIFIES US AND STRENGTHENS US
Many believe that a problem that arises when you start preaching the Grace that Paul preached, then people will begin to sin. In other words, they believe that if someone tells you that you are forgiven by Grace and that even your future sins are forgiven, you will sin more.
You know, if our future sins were not paid for, that means that Jesus would have to be crucified again. Some say that if you don't confess them, you won't be forgiven. Confession is a good thing to do. It is actually a commandment:
"Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." (James 5:16)
It is good to confess our faults to one another to cleanse our consciences from dead works (read Heb. 9:14).
Also, we don't need EVERY TIME we sin to confess or put that sin "under the blood" in order to keep our salvation.
If that were the case, I will ask you this:
-- what if you forget one? Are you going to lose your salvation and go to hell for a sin you forgot to confess?
-- If you have an accident and die before you can pray and ask for forgiveness, do you lose your salvation and go to hell?
Of course not! Watch what John writes in his first letter:
"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1John 1:9)
~~ Many misunderstand these 2 verses. The confession we read in Hebrews is a confession to cleanse our conscience from dead works, while the confession John speaks of here refers exclusively to salvation. Notice that this confession does not cleanse us from just one, but from ALL unrighteousness! It is these truths that set you free. They will change the way you see God, the way you see others and even yourself. ~~
So for those who believe that when you preach Grace people will sin, I will tell you this: It happens the exact opposite! If you preach the Law, THEN people will sin. I will show you this Biblically:
What gives power to sin?
"The sting of death is sin; and the STRENGTH of sin is the Law." (1Cor. 15:56)
In other words, if I begin to preach you the Law, what I am actually doing is giving power to sin. The more I tell you "You shouldn't do this", the more you want to do it.
For an instance, if you tell to your kid:
"This is something you shouldn't do."
Even if your child hasn't even thought about doing this, once you make it a law for him, you can be sure that he will think about it all the time and want to do it. This is how human sinful nature works.
It believes that where there is a law, God withholds or hides from you some things that He does not want you to try. This is basically what satan is telling you and this is how he uses the Law against you.
Paul explains this very well in his letter to the Romans:
"For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace." (Rom. 6:14)
"What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid." (Rom. 6:15)
In other words, what Paul is saying here is that if you are under the Law, sin will have dominion over you. And he goes on to say that the reason we shouldn't sin is that sin has consequences, and that's something we don't want in our lives:
"Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?" (Rom. 6:16)
When the Pharisees tried to entrap Jesus and asked Him what the greatest commandment is, He answered them:
"Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind." (Matt. 22:37)
"This is the first and great commandment." (Matt. 22:38)
"And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." (Matt. 22:39)
"On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." (Matt. 22:40)
~~ The greatest power on earth is Love and not the Law! ~~
And since the true definition of love has been greatly abused today, if you want to see what love really means, read 1 Corinthians chapter 13:
"Love suffereth long, and is kind; love envieth not; lovevaunteth not itself, is not puffed up," (1Cor. 13:4)
"Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;" (1Cor. 13:5)
"Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;" (1Cor. 13:6)
"Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things." (1Cor. 13:7)
Amen!
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