Post update

 I am going to be late with today's post. But it should be ready sometime early evening to by 10 pm EST.

Thanks for your patience. 

Not Under the Law but Under Grace?

We are taught this in church. Or at least in some that actually teach the whole Bible. 

But what actually is meant by that?

Let's have a look at what gotquestions.org has to say about it.

Law vs grace-why is there so much conflict among Christians on the issue?

One person says, “Salvation is by grace and grace alone.” Another person counters, “That idea leads to lawlessness. God’s righteous standard in the Law must be upheld.” And someone else chimes in with, “Salvation is by grace, but grace only comes to those who obey God’s Law.” At the root of the debate are differing views on the basis of salvation. The importance of the issue helps fuel the intensity of the discussion.

When the Bible speaks of “the law,” it refers to the detailed standard God gave to Moses, beginning in Exodus 20 with the Ten Commandments. God’s Law explained His requirements for a holy people and included three categories: civil, ceremonial, and moral laws. The Law was given to separate God’s people from the evil nations around them and to define sin (Ezra 10:11; Romans 5:13; 7:7). The Law also clearly demonstrated that no human being could purify himself enough to please God—i.e., the Law revealed our need for a Savior.

By New Testament times, the religious leaders had hijacked the Law and added to it their own rules and traditions (Mark 7:7–9). While the Law itself was good, it was weak in that it lacked the power to change a sinful heart (Romans 8:3). Keeping the Law, as interpreted by the Pharisees, had become an oppressive and overwhelming burden (Luke 11:46).

It was into this legalistic climate that Jesus came, and conflict with the hypocritical arbiters of the Law was inevitable. But Jesus, the Lawgiver, said, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them” (Matthew 5:17). The Law was not evil. It served as a mirror to reveal the condition of a person’s heart (Romans 7:7). John 1:17 says, “For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” Jesus embodied the perfect balance between grace and the Law (John 1:14).

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.

We are saved by grace, through faith (Ephesians 2:8–9). The keeping of the Law cannot save anyone (Romans 3:20; Titus 3:5). In fact, those who claim righteousness on the basis of their keeping of the Law only think they’re keeping the Law; this was one of Jesus’ main points in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:20–48; see also Luke 18:18–23).

The purpose of the Law was, basically, to bring us to Christ (Galatians 3:24). Once we are saved, God desires to glorify Himself through our good works (Matthew 5:16; Ephesians 2:10). Therefore, good works follow salvation; they do not precede it.

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.

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Sadly, today, some denominations/churches are legalistic. They teach that unless we do this or don't do that, we can not obtain salvation.

For example, years ago, I attended a church that didn't even celebrate birthdays.

Or going to doctors.

You were admonished to not work in the health field. 

The list in that church went on and on.

(I have talked about this in some of my other posts)

These things were sin.

And if you committed them without repentance,

You weren't going to heaven.

But that is legalism, and the Bible does not teach against these things.

Because it teaches that we aren't under the law

but under grace.

It's God who gives us grace.

It is by Him alone and not some man teaching against them.

Some churches teach that we have to get to heaven by our works.

That isn't true either.

When Jesus said, "It is finished" on the cross, and

it was finished. He had done all we needed to do to obtain salvation once we repent of the sin that He is against. 

We do not have to prove anything to Him, beyond that. 

Because we can't.

Thank you, Jesus.

Thanks for coming by today, Friends.

I pray you had a wonderful Easter (which I dare add that some don't believe in celebrating)

Remember, Jesus paid it all.

Have a blessed day!

What is so Good About...

...Good Friday?

 What is so good about Good Friday? What is it and why do we celebrate it? And why do we celebrate it?

What Does the Bible Say about Good Friday?

All four Gospel accounts contain entire chapters dedicated to Christ’s trial, crucifixion, burial, and resurrection. We don’t have enough time to dive into every verse and passage. However, I will include a portion of each Gospel account below.

“Now Jesus was standing before Pilate, the Roman governor. 'Are you the king of the Jews?' the governor asked him. Jesus replied, 'You have said it.' But when the leading priests and the elders made their accusations against him, Jesus remained silent. 'Don’t you hear all these charges they are bringing against you?' Pilate demanded. But Jesus made no response to any of the charges, much to the governor’s surprise” (Matthew 27:11-14).

“Now it was the custom at the festival to release a prisoner whom the people requested. A man called Barabbas was in prison with the insurrectionists who had committed murder in the uprising. The crowd came up and asked Pilate to do for them what he usually did. 'Do you want me to release to you the king of the Jews?' asked Pilate, knowing it was out of self-interest that the chief priests had handed Jesus over to him. But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have Pilate release Barabbas instead. 'What shall I do, then, with the one you call the king of the Jews?' Pilate asked them. 'Crucify him!' they shouted. 'Why? What crime has he committed?' asked Pilate. But they shouted all the louder, 'Crucify him!' Wanting to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. He had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified” (Mark 15:6-15).

“Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed. When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him there, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left. Jesus said, 'Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.' And they divided up his clothes by casting lots. The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, 'He saved others; let him save himself if he is God’s Messiah, the Chosen One.' The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar and said, 'If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.' There was a written notice above him, which read: THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS” (Luke 23:32-38).

“Later, knowing that everything had now been finished, and so that Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.” A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips. When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit” (John 19:28-30).

Why Is the Good Friday Holiday Called “Good”?

These are incredibly difficult passages to read, let alone to have been alive to witness these events. So why would we call Good Friday “good” when Jesus experienced such horrible pain and agony?

According to Christianity.com, some Christians do call Good Friday “Sorrowful Friday” as a somber reminder of the events. But what about the rest of the church?

We call Good Friday good for a number of reasons. First, we remember that Good Friday did not end on that Friday. We had Resurrection Sunday a few days later to look forward to. It is good in the sensethat we anticipate what would come to pass days later.

Secondly, we call Good Friday good because we cannot have the Good News of the Gospel without the bad news of sin first. Good Friday helps us to realize the gravity of our sinful nature and how much we need a Savior. People don’t need good news unless they’ve endured something bad before.  (source: Hope Bolinger/ Bible Study Tools)

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There was a time many years ago that I thought that Jesus didn't suffer that much on the cross. After all, He was God's Son. Right? Well, that is what you get when you don't read the Bible and learn the truth.

He did suffer

 great pain.

 More than you and I will ever know or appreciate.

But that is what is good about Good Friday, as the above article states.

He gave it all for us.

 And thank God we don't have to pay for the sins we have done or will do.

It's all covered by His precious Blood. Thank you, Jesus!

As we go about our day today, let us remember what it had to have been like for Jesus that day so many years ago.

We were on His mind then.

 Let Him be on our mind today.

 Thanks for coming by today, Friends.

    Have a blessed Good Friday!