Law demands, grace enables.
Wayne Duncan
We can achieve now under grace what was never possible under the law.
Not only did the law set a standard that no one besides Jesus could ever keep, but it did not lift a hand to help. The law and commands with the many requirements demanded much but provided no means, no power to effectively do what it so adamantly demanded. Law demands. No matter how well you do, the law always confidently asserts "I demand more". And because the law is the law, and God gave the law, which is perfect, the law is always right, which makes us always wrong. The result is a pending condemnation, and certain sense of failure. At times the condemnation will be to much to bear and we will resort to a false righteousness called self righteousness. A false sense that we are meeting the grade. Then scriptures like James 2:11 10For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it, sobers us back into reality, and the law does what it is designed to do. The law being a composite whole, declares us guilty at every failing no matter how great or small, making our every success a failure. This was the purpose of the law, to stir up sin, to crush us and kill every self righteous notion we may have.
But thank be to Christ Jesus, who rescues us from this by fulfilling the law, thanks be to God who cancelled the law, with its demands and legal requirements at the cross.
Colossians 2:13-14 (ESV) And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, 14by cancelling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.
This staggering act of Jesus on the cross cancelled those legal demands that stood against us.
Grace enables.
Obedience to the law could never set you free.
Acts 13:39(ESV) Let it be known to you therefore, brothers, that through this man forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, and by him everyone who believes is freed from everything 39from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses.
What could we not be freed from?
Condemnation, and a conscience of evil. The law could never produce a residing sanity in our relationship with God. This old way required perfect obedience that would only produce a temporary confidence before God.
Hebrews 9 contrasts the old covenant and the new covenant the opening words of the chapter are... 1Now even the first covenant had regulations for worship...it speaks about the old covenant. The writer then goes on to say something that should attract the attention of every reader.
8By this the Holy Spirit indicates that the way into the holy places is not yet opened as long as the first section is still standing 9According to this arrangement, gifts and sacrifices are offered that cannot perfect the conscience of the worshiper, 10but deal only with food and drink and various washings, regulations for the body imposed until the time of reformation. 11But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come then through the greater and more perfect tent ( not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) 12he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption. 13For if the sprinkling of defiled persons with the blood of goats and bulls and with the ashes of a heifer sanctifies for the purification of the flesh, 14how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God. 15Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant (ESV)
There is so much here, but one thing it teaches us is that the old covenant was inferior to the new covenant. That the blood of goats only provided temporary covering for sins. Jesus blood provides a permanent residing forgiveness.
Why is this so important?
The old never cleansed the conscience. It left you always feeling guilty, unworthy and sin conscious. We now have a clear conscience before God. He does not want us to be sin conscious, that was the role of the law. Now He wants us to be righteousness conscious, for that's what are, and how He sees us through the blood of Jesus.
The glorious new covenant provides a cleansed consciousness and a constant pronunciation from God that we are righteous, pure and holy before him, for we believe in Jesus. Guilt is now gone!
Romans 10:4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes
Its not just the removal of the law, but the replacement of something infinitely more effective and powerful.
14how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God
Grace enables. We can do now what we never could do when we were stuck in dead works, which is trying earn the love acceptance, and favour of God. You need a clear conscience if you want to serve God effectively.
Now that we know we have the love acceptance and favour of God, we can believe for the power needed to live a supernatural life.
Galatians 5:18 (ESV) But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
We now can do what we never could under the law. We now have a new nature, that is righteous, wants to please and serve God, and has the power to do so. Every believer is placed in Christ, and the same power that raised Christ from the dead is living in you. You have been blessed with every spiritual blessing in Christ. Its done its yours. You can do all things through Christ who strengthens you.
What do you want to do? What do you want to see? How do you want to be used? It's yours.
What do you want to change, what patterns, strongholds, destructive habits, addictions?
The change is certain and possible, for you are in Christ, the disqualifying accusations of the law and its demands are removed, and your qualified for every good and perfect gift from the father.
Living with a residing confidence will keep you confidently entering into greater degrees of His presence. Every time we encounter the presence of God we are being refreshed, we are being strengthened, we are being changed from one degree of Glory to another. Every time we are filled and refilled with the presence of Holy Holy, something is happening to us, and we come away with a greater revelation of God. A greater revelation of His love and power and will. Every time we encounter the person of the Holy Spirit we come away more aware of our righteousness, and more aware of who we are, for the Spirit points to Jesus. Jesus always points us to the Father, and there we will always find love and acceptance. At the throne we always find help in our time of need...His throne is the throne of mercy and grace. This is all part of the normal Christian experience.
Grace makes it all possible. Grace says its all ours freely through belief in Jesus. Grace qualifies. Law disqualifies. Jesus has qualified you.
Colossians 1(ESV) 11May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, 12giving thanks(Or patience, with joy giving thanks) to the Father, who has qualified you(Some manuscripts us) to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. 13He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, 14in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins
He has strengthened you.
He has given you patience and joy.
He has qualified you to share the inheritance.
You are a saint of light.
He has delivered you from the kingdom of darkness.
You are in the kingdom of the beloved.
You have been redeemed, one and for all.
You have been forgiven.
You are positioned for victory and superior effectiveness in life.
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