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

GotQuestions.org

Subscribe

Download

Share

00

00:00

Law vs. Grace, why is there so much conflict on the issue? We're going to answer that question.

00:07

One side says, salvation is by grace, and grace alone. The other side counters, that idea leads to lawlessness,

00:15

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

00:24

God's law. At the root of the debate are differing views on the basis of salvation.

00:29

The importance of the issue helps fuel the intensity of the discussion. When the

00:34

Bible speaks of the law, it refers to the detailed standard God gave to Moses in Exodus 20.

00:41

God's law explained his requirements for a holy people and to define sin, clearly demonstrating that no human being could purify himself, revealing our need for a savior.

00:53

By New Testament times, the religious leaders had hijacked the law and added it to their own rules and traditions.

00:59

Keeping the law as interpreted by the Pharisees had become an oppressive and overwhelming burden.

01:05

Jesus came into this legalistic climate, do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets,

01:11

I have come not to abolish them, but to fulfill them. The law was not evil, it served as a mirror to reveal the condition of a person's heart.

01:20

John 1 .17 says, For the law was given through Moses, grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

01:28

Jesus embodied the perfect balance between grace and the law. God has always been full of grace, and people have always been saved by faith in God.

01:38

God did not change between the Old and New Testaments. His grace was demonstrated through the law by providing the sacrificial system to cover sin.

01:47

Jesus was born under the law and became the final sacrifice to bring the law to fulfillment and establish the

01:55

New Covenant. Now everyone who comes to God through Christ is declared righteous. The conflict between Jesus and the self -righteous arose immediately.

02:06

Many who had lived for so long under the Pharisees' oppressive system eagerly embraced the mercy of Christ and the freedom he offered.

02:14

Some, however, saw this new demonstration of grace as dangerous. What would keep a person from casting off all moral restraint?

02:23

Paul set the record straight. What shall we say then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase?

02:29

By no means. We are those who have died to sin. How can we live in it any longer?

02:34

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.

02:43

There is no conflict between grace and the law when properly understood. Christ fulfilled the law and the

02:50

Holy Spirit motivates a regenerated heart to live in obedience to him. Where there is no impulse to be godly, there is no saving faith.

02:59

We are saved by grace through faith. Once we are saved, God desires to glorify himself through our good works.

03:07

Therefore, good works follow salvation. They do not precede it. Conflicts between grace and the law can arise when someone misunderstands the purpose of the law, redefines grace, tries to earn his own salvation or supplement

03:21

Christ's sacrifice, tacks on man -made rituals and traditions to his doctrine, or fails to focus on the whole counsel of God.

03:30

When the Holy Spirit guides our search of Scripture, we can study to show ourselves approved unto

03:35

God and discover the beauty of a grace that produces good works. That answers the question,

03:41

Law vs. Grace. Why is there so much conflict on the issue? Research this question further on our website,

03:48

GotQuestions .org. Give a thumbs -up and be sure to click subscribe. Meanwhile, if you'd like to study more, click the bell and check out these other questions.