Some time ago I posted a blog on grace and the definitions of it. One of those definitions was like a smack in the face to me. If you remember (if not you can go look) I said in that blog that there would be more on that idea in a future post. Welcome to the future.
The premise of this blog post will be "law is the opposite of grace?"
The reason this is such a shocker to me is that I, as a person and a Christian, am quite legalistic. So, therefore, the law is important to me. To Hear that the law is actually the opposite to God's grace is quite a difficult thing for me. But as soon as I read it I felt the Spirit of God in me confirming it to be true! The definition comes from the Bible College course I have been doing on line and it was based on Romans 6-8. So that's where I've turned for this.
The first hint I have found that these are, in fact, opposites comes in Romans 6:14 "For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace." It says that it is no longer law but grace that makes sin have no dominion over us! This is interesting for we often believe that it is by keeping God's law that we avoid sin but it is in fact by God's grace that we are free of sin!
Following this Romans 7:4 says "Likewise, my brothers, you also have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to Him who has been raised from the dead, in order that we may bear fruit for God." In other words when we are saved we die not just to sin but also to the law. This is so God can work in and through us. When we die we are no longer under the law and Galatians 2:20 says that we have been crucified with Christ so that it is no longer we who live but Christ who lives in us. We have died with Christ and so are dead to the law. We are now alive in the Spirit so our obedience and allegiance lies not with the law but with the Spirit.
Two verses later we see this, "But now we are released from the law, having died to that which held us captive, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code." The way of God is no longer obedience to the law but obedience to the Spirit of God in us. This Spirit (as God is the same yesterday, today and forever) will continue many of what are the laws into a life of obedience to Him but it is no longer the law that you are obedient to, it is the Spirit of God.
All interesting stuff, it seems like there is most certainly a distinction. Paul does go on and say that the law is not evil it just shows up the sin that is there.
The reason that law is the opposite to grace is because the law is about us working towards working to God ourselves. The law is about self effort. Salvation is not based on works but is based on the effort of God in what He did on the cross, not about our 'dirty rags' and what we can do to get ourselves to God.
Grace then is God at work, Louie Giglio's definition of grace. God at work is not us at work and the law is us at work. So it is the opposite; so legalism therefore is not life in the Spirit. Legalism is self effort.
Lord I pray those of us who are legalistic; myself on the very top of the list, will gain a fuller understanding of your Holy Spirit and how it is by grace we live a life in you. Help us (me) to see that legalism is futile and insulting to the God who would come to the earth to die for me. For me to try gaining heaven by my own effort and legalism is insulting the cross of Christ and what You did for me on it. Sorry for insulting you Lord. Forgive me and help me to live more in the Spirit of your life and love. Amen
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