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NO MIXING: LAW AND GRACE

by ROBIN BOSCH  
5/18/2016 / Christian Living

" Ye are not under the law, but under grace."

Andrew Murray in his book "Two Covenants" stated,
There are three possible lives.
One "entirely under the law;"
one "entirely under grace;"
one "a mixed life, partly law, partly grace."
It is this last against which Paul warns the Romans. It is this which is so common, and works such ruin among Christians. Let us find out whether this is not our position, and the cause of our low state. Let us beseech God to open our eyes by the Holy Spirit....."

The Law of liberty, which is the Grace of the Lord Jesus Christ has freed us from the law of sin and death.(Ro 8:2) The law of liberty is totally different from the Law of Moses.

The Law of Moses commands that
"I mustn't.
The law of liberty states,
"I'm enabled not to."
Big difference don't you think?

The Law of Moses cannot save, liberate or deliver. On the other hand the law of liberty tells us that "All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any." (1Co 6:12)

The law of liberty is in fact, the law of the Spirit of life (Rom.8:2) which has set me free from the law of sin and death and which is the glorious liberty of the children of God." (Rom.8:21)

It's such a comfort to know we are not changed from the outside in, but from the inside out.

The Law appeals to our flesh -
the outward man; pleading, threatening and commanding, "Change or else!"
If you've been around long enough you'll know that this certainly rings true.

It's nothing less than a debilitating demand, driving one to despair.

Paul the Apostle almost said as much, crying out, "O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" (Rom 7:24)

He too was faced with a dilemma, highlighted by the fact that his soul (mind, will and emotion) was totally unable to be transformed by any outward command and demand.

Paul, knowing the law and being a professor of it, stated this fact emphatically " I am verily a man which am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, and taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers, and was zealous toward God, as ye all are this day.(Act 22:3)

But after his conversion on the road to Damascus, the Lord separated Paul, sending him into the deserts of Arabia. (Gal.1:11-17) It was here that that he was given revelation as to the difference between the Law and Grace - (the Old Covenant and the New Covenant)

Sometimes we too find ourselves in the desert (spiritually speaking.) We too feel dry, parched and alone. But you know what? Thats the very place where the Holy Spirit moves us into a deeper understanding of His Grace and a greater appreciation of what He means to us. It is during those times that we cry out, "Thank you, Thank you, precious Jesus."

Its in those dry times that we are able to hear the voice of the Lord the clearest. It is there where we enter His rest. All false projections and perceptions fall away, and the real river starts to flow. "He opened the rock, and the waters gushed out; they ran in the dry places like a river." (Psa 105:41)

"When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst, I the LORD will hear them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them.
I will open rivers in high places, and fountains in the midst of the valleys: I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water."
(Isa 41:17,18)

It's in the desert that we come to the end of ourselves, and end up plunging into the life giving waters of His wonderful Grace.

I believe that it was in the deserts of Arabia, under the tutelage of the Holy Spirit, that Paul came to the end of himself. All his legal learning, outward expression of piety, took a nose dive. He realized that no amount of effort, adherence to carnal principles, regulations, laws and twelve point plans would or could impress or make him acceptable to God.

For the first time he was stymied. His law keeping could not change him. He was unable to keep the law perfectly; as James states, "For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all." (Jam.2:10)

We can say in modern terms, he was "snookered," "checkmated " and it was game over for "legalistic" Paul. The letter of the Law killed him so to speak.

But thankfully he came to realize that his transformation could only happen:
- by the Spirit
- of the Spirit
- through the Spirit.
The Spirit of Grace became his teacher, revealer and sanctifier. (Tit.2:11,12)

Previous to that, Paul strained every spiritual sinew to conform to the extreme high standards of God. He now humbly surrendered to Gods "New" way, based on better promises and certain victory. (Heb.8:6)

"For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." (Rom.8:3,4)

Paul concluded that it was utterly futile to try and live the victorious Christian life by obeying the instructions of the Law. Eventually Paul by revelation was able to answer his own question, which was - ".....who shall deliver me from the body of this death." (Rom.7:24) and
exclaim with pure joy and relief,"......." I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord.(Rom 7:25)

Saul was given a new name (Paul) with a new message under a new Covenant.
New is new:
- No mixing
- No compromise.
- All or nothing.
The message clear - Grace through faith.

The Word of God tells us that flesh and Spirit do not mix. " For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.
But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law." (Gal 5:17,18)

When we walk under Grace, we are in reality walking in the Spirit, for He is called the Spirit of Grace. It is the Spirit that works the works of God. As we have read, the Spirit and the flesh are apposed to each other. They just don't gel.

So let us serve God acceptably. (Heb.12:28b) When we serve God with our feet in two camps, (one under the law and the other under Grace,) it's totally unacceptable to God. They are diametrically apposed to each other. When we find ourselves pandering to the old Covenantal dispensation in order to be accepted by God and attempt to serve God under the Law, we make the Lords death of no effect.( Ga 5:4)

On the other hand when we serve Him by Grace through faith alone, we humbly acknowledge that the price Jesus paid on the Cross is all sufficient. We thus reverence Him, with godly fear, (Heb 12:27) knowing that He is a consuming fire. (Heb12:29)

This means that if we insist on being under the law or even worse, mixing Grace and Law, we will be consumed, confused and condemned, not being fully persuaded that "the Righteousness of God in Christ Jesus" is all there is and all that can make us acceptable to God - nothing more and nothing less.

Anything less is made clear to us in
Rev 3:15 & 16 where Jesus says, " I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth."

Mixing is tepid -
Mixing is lukewarm -

Christians who mix Grace and Law do so because they reckon those who preach Grace through faith, cheapen Grace and are giving people a license to sin. This is so far from the truth it's astounding.

In his book "One Way Love" by Tullian Tchividjian he says the following:-
"Contrary to what some Christians today would have you believe, the biggest problem facing the church today is not "cheap grace" but "cheap law"
the idea that God accepts anything less than the perfect righteousness of Jesus Only when we understand that God's law is absolutely inflexible will we see that God's grace is absolutely indispensable
A high view of the law produces a high view of grace. A low view of the law produces a low view of grace."

What he is saying here is, "The law is relentless and uncompromising." We should have an extremely high regard for it. It's expensive and if we don't have 'Christ's Righteousness,' it will consume and condemn us. Its totally ruthless.

The Good News is we are ".....not under the law, but under grace."(Rom 6:14)

This is the message of the Gospel,
This is why Christ died for us -
This is why we are "......persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
(Rom 8:38,39)

For...."Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:
That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith" (Gal 3:13,14)
Amen.

I have been a believer in Christ for many years. It has only been in the last three or four years that I have received greater insight into the Grace of God. This has injected me with energy to tell others about the blessed "rest" we have in Christ. Grace is not a theology but is a Person-- Jesus.

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