GRACE AND THE LAW - (Part 2 – we must rule over Sin)

GRACE AND THE LAW

(Part 2 – we must rule over Sin)

In Genesis 4:7 is a statement which reads, “If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.” This is a very profound passage of the bible which carries an overwhelming meaning which must apply to the way we live. Sin was never designed to overcome men but it was destined to be defeated by man. In this passage, God was telling Cain that God expected him to do well and overcome sin. In other words, sin takes advantage of our failure to do good for it to turn tables against us. As long as we do good, we will always rule over sin.

Everyone knows what is good and what is evil. When Cain murdered his brother, he knew very well that he had succumbed to sin. He did not need to be condemned by any law but by his own conscience. The word of God says, “the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ” “Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.” John 1:17: Galatians 3:24. What these scriptures portray is the fact that Moses, through the law of God published God’s standard of doing well which standard led us to Jesus Christ who through his own righteousness delivered us, by grace, from the desire of sin through our faith in him. In that manner, we then rule over sin.

If we have this understanding, we will not see the reason for the conflict which exists between the restless legalistic Christians and the hyper grace Christians which is often displayed to extremes by the two groups. In fact, Paul who the hyper grace proponents claim to be their role model says, “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? Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. 

For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:  Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.  For he that is dead is freed from sin.  Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.  Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. 

Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.  Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. 

What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.  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?  But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness. I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness. For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness. What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death. But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

The law of God designates the comprehensive standard which God set through Moses which fully explains God’s requirements for a holy people thereby separating them from the rest of the world.  Whether it was civil, ceremonial, or moral, the law helped in defining sin hence it plainly confirmed that no human being has the capacity to decontaminate himself from sin, without the assistance of a redeemer, to adequately to satisfy God. Romans 5:13; 7:7.

It is not the legalistic approach promoted by the Pharisees or the modern-day legalists which is referred to as the Law in John 1:17-20 hence in Matthew 5:17 the Lord said, “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. 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. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say unto you, that except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.” It thus means that rather than contradict, the law and grace complement each other. It is only the traditions of men which legalists add to the good law of God which Jesus and the apostles spoke against. It is this hypocrisy which is not in tandem with grace hence the Lord said, “Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, this people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men. Mark 7:6-8.

 The website https://www.gotquestions.org/law-vs-grace.html says, “God has always been full of grace (Psalm 116:5; Joel 2:13), and people have always been saved by faith in God (Genesis 15:6). God did not change between the Old and New Testaments (Numbers 23:19; Psalm 55:19). The same God who gave the Law also gave Jesus (John 3:16). His grace was demonstrated through the Law by providing the sacrificial system to cover sin. Jesus was born “under the law” (Galatians 4:4) and became the final sacrifice to bring the Law to fulfillment and establish the New Covenant (Luke 22:20). Now, everyone who comes to God through Christ is declared righteous (2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Peter 3:18; Hebrews 9:15).

 The conflict between Jesus and the self-righteous arose immediately. Many who had lived for so long under the Pharisees’ oppressive system eagerly embraced the mercy of Christ and the freedom He offered (Mark 2:15). Some, however, saw this new demonstration of grace as dangerous: what would keep a person from casting off all moral restraint? Paul dealt with this issue in Romans 6: “What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?” (verses 1—2). Paul clarified what Jesus had taught: The Law shows us what God wants (holiness), and grace gives us the desire and power to be holy. Rather than trust in the Law to save us, we trust in Christ. We are freed from the Law’s bondage by His once-for-all sacrifice (Romans 7:6; 1 Peter 3:18).

There is no conflict between grace and the Law, properly understood. Christ fulfilled the Law on our behalf and offers the power of the Holy Spirit, who motivates a regenerated heart to live in obedience to Him (Matthew 3:8; Acts 1:8; 1 Thessalonians 1:5; 2 Timothy 1:14). James 2:26 says, “As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.” A grace that has the power to save also has the power to motivate a sinful heart toward godliness. Where there is no impulse to be godly, there is no saving faith.”

It is thus apparent that the keeping of the Law cannot save anyone considering that the law is merely a standard which, because of the nature of sin in men, we have all, since the days of Cain, failed to satisfy. Rather man is saved by grace, through faith as clearly explained in Ephesians 2:8–9 and Romans 3:20-26. Because the law is God’s own design, it brings us to Christ for which reason the grace of God will enable us to do good “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10; Titus 2:11-14. That is why good works follow salvation; they do not precede it.

The website https://www.gotquestions.org/law-vs-grace.html further says that, “Conflict between “grace” and the “Law” can arise when someone 1) misunderstands the purpose of the Law; 2) redefines grace as something other than “God’s benevolence on the undeserving” (see Romans 11:6); 3) tries to earn his own salvation or “supplement” Christ’s sacrifice; 4) follows the error of the Pharisees in tacking manmade rituals and traditions onto his doctrine; or 5) fails to focus on the “whole counsel of God” (Acts 20:27).

When the Holy Spirit guides our search of Scripture, we can “study to show ourselves approved unto God” (2 Timothy 2:15) and discover the beauty of a grace that produces good works.”

Further to receiving the salvation of Christ, we must allow Christ to live his life in and through us. In John 14:20 the lord said that he must live in us and we in him and he in the Father. In that way we will live the righteousness of the Father and of Christ. Paul writes, “So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.” At one time, in II Cor. 13:5, Paul once asked "Do you not recognize that Jesus Christ is in you?"

The above thus makes it clear that a Christian can live the life of Christ through the indwelling presence of the Spirit of Christ because "If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him." Rom. 8:9. If the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who indwells you" Rom. 8:10,11. When Christ lives in us, unlike Cain, we will be able to rule over sin.