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THE LAW
IN ASSOCIATION WITH GOD’S GRACE.
THE NEW
TESTAMENT LAW IN ASSOCIATION WITH GOD’S GRACE
AND THAT
OF CHRIST.
Whenever a Christian is asked as to what is the meaning of ‘Grace’ in association with the work of the LORD, the answer is inevitably “Unmerited Favour”.
Now we do appreciate that when we come down to ‘tin tacks’
that, whatever we have received from God our Father is not due to MY
MERIT. Nothing could ever change that
situation : even to the giving of one’s life.
The fact is that God our Father so loves us and that through Christ, has
given us so much; this is Grace beyond all comprehension.
However, if one goes to the dictionary to find the meaning
of the word ‘grace’, we will not find, “Unmerited Favour” in regard to grace.
A strong word which gives the meaning of grace, is favour. This is in connection with the word blessed,
which means that the individual was in favour with God, therefore
experiencing His Grace.
An example of this is to be found in Luke 1: 41-45.
Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, called Mary and
the child within her as blessed, that is favoured of God. That is, that God’s grace was towards
her and the child, whom we know was Jesus.
Mary favoured God with her desire to serve.
Mary would have been chosen to bear the baby Jesus,
because of the fact that God would have known her life to be in right standing
with Himself, under The Law of The Old Testament.
Why was Jacob favoured by God over Esau? Because God knew Jacob and his desire
towards God. Jacob favoured the God
of Abraham and desired to know His favour and care of him.
Why was Able favoured by God over Cain? Because God saw Abel’s desire and favour
was towards the God of his Father Adam.
It was grace on the part of God the Father, because
these men, as well as many others, chose to please God. This was with those before the time of
the Law, as well as after the giving of the Written Law. The Grace of God is revealed in an operational
way. He provides His care and
protection which is closely knit with being Redeemer and Deliverer.
THE GRACE OF GOD OPERATING:
His grace was operational towards those because of
their desire to do right, and to those who repented from doing that which is
unrighteous.
For example we hear of people who are in a very dangerous
situation. They call out for help from
God and graciously He does so.
This is underserved favour.
It may well be that those God helped will not seek to know Him at all,
once the danger is past.
Remember, that it is most amazing that God should desire
to know us and to have fellowship with us.
GRACE BECAUSE OF FELLOWSHIP:
Before the Law was given, before Abraham, men found favour
or grace with God. God’s Grace
is His Favour in action.
Genesis 6: 8 Noah
found favour with God. This is
God’s Grace.
Genesis 14: 19 Abram
found favour. He was bless by
God. This is God the Father, who is The
Spirit of Grace, being gracious towards Abram because Abram favoured
God, over sin.
UNDER THE WRITTEN LAW GRACE OPERATED.
Under The Old Testament, those who kept the Written Law
were seen as righteous and God’s grace or favour rested on
them. He was their Redeemer : He was
their Deliverer.
Keeping The Law Preceded being made Righteous. Under The Old Covenant, one had to observe
The Law to gain Righteousness : whereas under The New Covenant WE
BELIEVE THE GOSPEL OF GOD, act upon it and as a result we are said to
have the Righteousness of God, and we receive The Praise of God. Romans 2: 29. We are in Favour or in God’s Grace, due to all this
work. Our position is IN CHRIST
and we are to walk as those who are Righteous, to maintain God’s favour
towards us. Note Hebrews 10: 26-31 and
Galatians 3: 1-14.
GOD’S LAW FOR FULL SALVATION:
The mechanics of the Cross and the Baptism with Holy
Spirit, have their results and these results or work achieved, by His Law,
in the realm of the Spirit, is written in the hearts and on the minds of the
believer. Hebrews 8: 10.
Note: The Cross
alone, does not result in the believer being Baptised with Holy Spirit. They are not automatically Baptised with
Holy Spirit as a flow on and part of the work of the Cross. It is not part of the work of the Cross.
The Baptism with Holy Spirit, (God’s Gift) of His Promised
Spirit, is not The Result of the work of the Cross – but because
of its work, we can be Baptised with Holy Spirit and its work is written in
us. Only then can we know the result of
God’s Law for Full Salvation and gain God’s Favour as a result.
First one is to be Redeemed, by the work of The Cross,
in order that, they receive the Promise of GOD, His Spirit. Galatians 3: 14.
Because one is first of all redeemed, Jesus’ Spirit creates
a favour with God because of Christ’s presence in the believer. The believer, on the other hand, is to love
Christ and obey his commands.
John 14: 13-17. One of
these commands is to be Baptised with Holy Spirit.
Acts 1: 4-5 N.I.V. On one occasion, while he was eating with
them, he gave them this command:
“Do not leave Jerusalem but wait for the gift my Father promised,
which you have heard me speak about.
For John baptised with water, but in a few days you will be
baptised with the Holy Spirit”. (placed
in, introduced into, the Holy
Spirit. Amp. Vers.)
When Baptised in Holy Spirit by Christ, and
consequently Baptised into the Body of Christ by God the Father the
believer declares ‘Jesus is Lord’, by the Spirit of God the Father
in them : and The Law of GOD For Full Salvation Is Complete.
John 15: 26 1
Corinthians 12: 3.
The believer, having been Spiritually circumcised from
death is now raised up,
placed in Life, forgiven all sins and placed in the
Body of Christ. He is made alive by
being Baptised into and with the Spirit of God the Father.
Romans 8: 11 1
Corinthians 12: 3 John 15: 26 Ephesians 4: 5-6
All this is the result of Believing That Christ Is The
Baptiser and submitting to Him for THAT WORK to be done : as when one is redeemed,
that believer is qualified to receive The Baptism with Holy Spirit. Then because one has completed the Law of
God For Salvation, it is written by God the Father in our hearts and on our
minds, by the presence of the Spirits of God and Christ. John 14: 23.
This is His Mark: We are the Righteousness of God. Where? In Christ. That is In ‘The Body of Christ’, NOT Jesus himself ; where all those who
have completed the Law of God For Salvation are seen as New Creation.
Where? In Christ.
Ephesians 4: 5-6
2 Corinthians 5: 17
Where we have our favour – Grace with God because of
Christ’s work. Romans 2: 29
Because I am a Son of God, I must walk
holy and in Righteousness and if I do – only if I do – this will Result
in one inheriting Eternal Life.
Only as I do God’s Will, do I know His Favour – His Grace
and all He is.
I will not, nor shall any other, inherit Eternal Life,
simply because I have been to the cross, or have even done great things, or
have been set free from Death’s Realm and its Law, or because I am a
Son of God (the reason why I have known such a great Salvation as a
result of the Cross and Baptism with Holy Spirit), UNLESS
I DO the Will of God the Father and only if I do that Will, the
result will be Eternal Life.
Matthew 7: 21-23
2 Corinthians 5: 10 1 John 5:
1-12
THE IMPORTANCE OF WORDS IN SCRIPTURE:
We have seen the words, ‘because’ and ‘the result of’, what they infer and in their meaning and in
their use.
A strong example of the use of these words is to be seen
in Romans 5: 12-21.
The Outline Of The Reason For The Gospel.
These verses are to reveal the great grace of our God; His mercy in the face of man’s rejection of
Him and His Righteousness.
The subject is man’s Trespasses, (under the Power
of Sin, He Sinned) and God’s Gift of Salvation to Mankind. (Through the work of the Cross and the
Baptism with Holy Spirit).
N.B.: The Promises
of God, or the Gift of God refers to the full work of Christ which results
in one receiving the Promised Spirit of God The Father.
Romans 5: 12 Sin
entered the world Because One
Man, ADAM, sinned
Death
entered man Because
Man Sinned
Death
came to all men Because All
Sinned
Adam to Moses As a Result of Man’s Sin.
Romans 5: 15 One
Man’s Sin Resulted in
Judgement and
Condemnation
followed. i.e.
resulted
in man being unfit
for
God’s use – condemned.
Romans 5: 12-13 Before the Law by Moses Because there was No Law.
Sin was not accounted.
(Yet
men were accounted
Righteous
because of
obedience
to God)
Men
were sinners Because
there was No Law.
They
still trespassed. The
result of being a sinner.
They
were under The The result
of one man’s sin.
Law
of Sin and Death.
v.
20 The Written Law was To gain the result, because of
Added. which, trespasses
might increase
(i.e.
awareness of sin increased)
When
Sin Increased Because
sin increased, so did
God’s
Grace. Because sin
Increased,
(knowledge of it) all
the
more.
Grace
Increased Because
God would have
it
that way.
So
That So
That
v.
21 Grace Might Reign. As The Result of the
The Favour of
God. Righteousness
of The One Man,
Jesus
Christ.
RESULTING
IN ETERNAL LIFE.
That is what occurred because of One Man’s Sin and the Result of it.
The Because can now be utilized in this way.
Because I am a Sinner, as a
Result of Adam’s Sin and I am condemned, I will accept God’s
Way of Salvation and that through Jesus Christ. I will accept His Gift of Full Salvation
BECAUSE of His Great Mercy and the great price of His Son, Jesus Christ,
that was paid for my Salvation.
I will receive God’s abundant provision of Grace and of
the Gift of Righteousness, to Reign in Life through The One Man Jesus
Christ; being the Result of confessing that I am a sinner and in need of
Salvation.
GRACE MIGHT REIGN TO
GIVE THE RESULT OF GOD’S GRACE AND THE GIFT OF
“THE FAVOUR OF GOD” RIGHTEOUSNESS
REIGNING INSTEAD OF SIN IN THE LIFE
OF
THE BELIEVER, TO WHOM GOD’S GRACE AND THE
GIFT
CAME BY THE GRACE OF THE ONE MAN JESUS,
AND
WOULD OVERFLOW TO THE MANY.
The Grace of God, complies to His Spirit of
Grace. Not a spirit of
understanding or compromise but Love.
Love for the world, for those of the world who would desire to be right
with Him and to know Him but because of the weight of trespasses, are
under the law of Sin and Death.
WARNING:
Let it be clearly understood that while ‘God so loved the
world that He sent His Son’ : that love was in the offering and those
who have not yet, and those who will not accept God’s Love offering, are under
the wrath of God and shall know justice in the Lake of Fire.
Revelation 20: 11-15
Galatians 3: 22 Galatians 3:
14
Those who did righteousness i.e. right by receiving,
through believing in God’s Law for Salvation, would remain in His
Favour i.e. His Grace.
It is worthy to note that the Spirit of Grace,
operates for those who seek to please and to obey Him. WARNING: BUT not for those for
whom Christ died, that knew salvation and even that of being Born Again, if
they deliberately continue on in sin, they are seen as insulting God Himself,
as they have trampled underfoot His Son and the great work done by which we
come out from under the law of Sin and Death into Life Itself.
We know The Father, as did the Son. Hebrews 6: 4-8 Hebrews 10: 29-33.
THE GRACE OF GOD AND THE GIFT, CAME
BY THE GRACE OF ONE MAN, JESUS.
Here is a question for thought. What was Jesus’ Grace?
The dictionary meaning among several meanings of the word
Grace, does not speak of unmerited favour.
‘The Grace of the One Man’, shows that
Jesus was in the state of being so influenced by God and God’s favour : that
God did receive the full favour of His Son, who was thus favoured and blessed.
Luke 1: 41-45, Elizabeth knew the grace/favour of
Mary in that she visited Elizabeth.
Grace is what we must operate in. Unconditional Love is an example. If we have the One whose Spirit is
called Grace and this is operational in and through us, then so must we
also be gracious : showing favour for God in all things, as Jesus did
: And Rejoice.
REJOICE IN THE FAVOUR OF GOD. Romans 2: 29.
Wonderful Love Directed Grace.
Romans 5: 15-18 The
Glory of God’s Abundant Grace:
BY ONE MAN’S TRESPASS
BY ONE MAN’S ACT OF RIGHTEOUSNESS WAS
MANY HAVE DIED and that JUSTIFICATION that brings LIFE FOR
MANY.
eternally.
Note: The Many
indicates that even though All men were born under the Power of Sin and were
sinners in the sight of God, all men did not stay in that spiritual position of
being under the Power of Sin and Death but escaped, turning to God, having
faith in Him.
It must be understood that while men like Abraham did not
know deliverance from the bondage of the Law of Sin and Death : he did by
desiring to favour God, condemn Sin and was accounted righteous by God.
He was one of the many in the Old Testament. (Refer to the Criteria of the Blood in
relation to this). It does have a
strong bearing.
N.B. Whatever was
God’s Requirement for Righteousness, wherever and whenever it is applied –
Righteousness was possible because God says so.
The Trespass and The Gift : a powerful spiritual work, in both
cases. Simply by one breaking God’s
commandment and the other by fully obeying His God and Father’s Will to the
very end.
This surpassed the natural and affected the Spiritual
Realms.
This is powerful in that its effect upon all mankind is
amazing. But what is more so, is the amazing
grace of our God, in the face of so much trespassing.
THE RESULT OF SIN…..IS JUDGEMENT, BRINGING CONDEMNATION.
N.B. The Gift
was not given because of mankind’s righteousness.
The gift
followed trespasses, not because of righteousness.
This is
God’s favour undeserved by us.
Because of the love of His Creation of those He knew of
mankind who did desire to please Him, but found the shackles of The Law of
Sin and Death binding and could not be released, they were accounted
Righteous in His sight – to gain His Eternal Promises – to Enter Heaven.
It is by Christ’s Work, that
God’s Favour of Grace is seen as pure Favour not undeserved.
The gift was given to those in trespasses whose
rightful judgement should be The Eternal Lake of Fire. But to those who believe the Gospel,
no matter how deep in trespasses, they can know full forgiveness, all because
of God’s plan of full salvation purposed in love and abundant
grace that is fully realized when the believer comes in faith to Him.
All through the obedience and the grace of the Lord Jesus
Christ in that he favoured highly His God and Father’s will above that of his
own. It was not that he had no will of
his own, for it was his will that did His Father’s Will. Romans 5
In life we often believe that because we have been ‘good’,
so to speak, that we deserve a gift.
Here we find that we are like filthy rags in the sight of God and we
deserve the justice of our trespasses but this is when grace is operative; when
we first do not deserve it, when we receive the Spirit of Christ. It is only when we know Baptism with Holy
Spirit that one shall know, (not by our righteousness), the praise of
God. Romans 2: 29
THE FAVOUR OF GOD: We pass from being those in the Death Realm,
to those in Life and knowing the favour of God. All this because of what God and His Son have done for us. By believing we have become Sons of God and
co-heirs with Christ. What a glory is
given to us and Grace is to reign.
Because of our continual favour to our God, as Jesus did :
this enables us to know God’s favour reigning in and through us because we
as Sons of God are walking Righteously.
And this happens because of being made the righteousness of God. Philippians 3: 9-10.
This righteousness which we must reveal in all aspects of
our lives is the honour of our Loving God and His Son. For not to walk righteously shall bring the justice
kept for those who have not believed God.
To walk right before God, making no use of sin, is to honour the
greatness of our salvation. We are
to persist, never forgetting this fact.
Hebrews 10: 29-31, warns us.
God’s grace can only reign with us as we do His Will in
all things, obeying Him in Love and Trust.
So as The Written Law of God brought forth trespasses and
because of these trespasses – not the result of them, God’s Love energized by
His Spirit of Grace, sent His Son – as His Gift.
When His Gift is received, he (Jesus) can bring man to His
God and Father as they believe God and His promises.
This grace – this great, wonderful favour, we can
know because of the result of Christ’s work. We can only know favour by ‘MY BELIEVING’ in that
work. By committing myself as a Son of
God I shall remember the great salvation given to us as those who are
Sons of His first created Man Adam, who by his disobedience, we were put out of
Favour: yet as men desired for and favoured God – God gave favour to them ;
from Genesis to today.
No matter what man could do, he could not erase the guilt
and spiritual position that he was in due to his sin. But only by God’s own way of setting us free, are we free
and know God’s favour – His Grace.
This favour is not to be seen as ‘unmerited’, for Jesus,
as our Adam, brought us to the position of being sons of God. He is our brother and we sit with those made
Holy and blameless and so in Life as Sons of God, we by our obedience to God’s
Commands and Will sustain that favour as Sons.
Did man deserve this?
God’s love said ‘Yes’. Yes,
to those who desired to know Him.
No, to those who continue in wickedness, for they
shall have their reward: while the righteous take in the Favour of their
GOD.