There doesn’t seem to be as much enthusiasm as there once was over sermons preached concerning the Law versus Grace. The true concept of what the Law was and what Grace is, is of no concern now, or is it? While we are no longer under the Mosaic Law of sacrifices and of offerings, we are most certainly under the law of Grace and its extension of mercy upon undeserving sinners such as we.

The Gentile nation wasn’t under the old law as the Jewish nation. However, both Jew and Gentile were and are saved by the same method - Grace! What a blessing and gift of God it is to be saved by the grace of God, realizing that it was not earned by man. Under the law, the Jewish nation thought they could earn their salvation by their own good works, but all they earned was death itself. The wages of sin is death, however, the gift of an all righteous, all loving God, is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

The truth we find penned down in Ephesians 2:8-9 by the Apostle Paul, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast” is not only found there, but many other places in his writings such as Romans 4:14-18. We find Paul saying (vs 16), “Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace ; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all.” Abraham being our father was in the sense of him being made “a father of many nations,” not in a covenant sense as was our Father - “God, who quickeneth the dead...”

Notice the principle established in Galatians 3:23-25, “But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.” If we read this passage carefully and study its meaning, one will find that it is not talking about someone’s individual faith, but rather the principle of faith which was established when Christ came and was God manifested in the flesh. Look closely at Galatians 3:23, “But before faith came, we were kept under the law...” The law demanded perfection which our nature of flesh and our nature of Spirit could not deliver as our “spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matthew 26:41).

Like many today, the Jews were attempting to save themselves eternally by their own works and righteousness. Faith in God has no place for boasting other than boasting in Him (the Lord), the one who saved us from our sins by His death, burial, and resurrection. May our faith remain strong in the light of His goodness and His righteousness.

“Think About It!”