I used to mix law and grace. I believe that most Christians do until they come to see the futility in trying hard to be good enough while claiming to believe in salvation by Christ alone. By the age of 22, my defeat was absolute. The law had done what it was supposed to do: it had convinced me that I was a sinner without hope apart from grace and God's power.
Grace alone transforms and self-effort and law keeping are useless. Living by grace is a journey and a process, but one that has revealed the compassionate love of God, as well as the riches of His glory, and the power of His mighty Spirit in our lives.
Today I came across a video explaining the difference between living under law and living by grace and wanted to share it for those who feel that they are not experiencing the power of God in their lives. If we live under law than we cannot experience grace; Paul says that we have fallen from grace and are in a powerless, condemned condition (because the law can only condemn, never save). The two are mutually exclusive.
2 Corinthians 3 explains that living under the law is actually the "ministry of condemnation" while living by the Spirit (through faith) is the ministry of Life! The Spirit alone writes God's laws on our hearts. This means that our heart's desires are transformed by His indwelling Spirit which imparts the very nature of Christ in us. This means that we begin to desire what God desires (all that gives true life) and to despise what God despises. In our sin nature, we desire what brings death. When I try to be good it actually brings my sin nature to life and I desire that which is contrary to God. But as I live by His Spirit through faith, He changes my heart from the inside our. He is writing His laws on our hearts by His Spirit.
Of course, this is a growth process that Jesus likened to the growth of a seed into mature fruit-but it is by His Spirit. When we trust more in ourselves than in Christ, we cannot access this divine life. We are left to experience the power of the sin nature and failure when we live by the law (i.e. God will accept me when I do this and don't do that...). And if we are living by the law and we succeed, at least outwardly, we will only become prideful in our self commendation which will lead to more sin in our heart.
The only thing that we should be mixing are the promises of God with faith, never law and grace. The two will never mix. But if you take the promise of God, that He has made you a new creation in Christ Jesus, and sin shall no longer be a master over you, and mix in your faith than in time your heart will begin to look more like Jesus than Adam. His word does not fail. His promises are eternal. Read Psalm 119 and see how the psalmist looked to God to change his heart. We see a forshadowing of this grace in Psalm 119. He seeks God with his whole heart while also looking to God and trusting God for true heart change; incline my heart towards your laws etc. God alone can transform our hearts and break our chains. He did it in Christ.
Check out this great teaching and ask God to open your eyes to see. God bless you!https://youtu.be/0K3VS8zlet0
Grace alone transforms and self-effort and law keeping are useless. Living by grace is a journey and a process, but one that has revealed the compassionate love of God, as well as the riches of His glory, and the power of His mighty Spirit in our lives.
Today I came across a video explaining the difference between living under law and living by grace and wanted to share it for those who feel that they are not experiencing the power of God in their lives. If we live under law than we cannot experience grace; Paul says that we have fallen from grace and are in a powerless, condemned condition (because the law can only condemn, never save). The two are mutually exclusive.
2 Corinthians 3 explains that living under the law is actually the "ministry of condemnation" while living by the Spirit (through faith) is the ministry of Life! The Spirit alone writes God's laws on our hearts. This means that our heart's desires are transformed by His indwelling Spirit which imparts the very nature of Christ in us. This means that we begin to desire what God desires (all that gives true life) and to despise what God despises. In our sin nature, we desire what brings death. When I try to be good it actually brings my sin nature to life and I desire that which is contrary to God. But as I live by His Spirit through faith, He changes my heart from the inside our. He is writing His laws on our hearts by His Spirit.
Of course, this is a growth process that Jesus likened to the growth of a seed into mature fruit-but it is by His Spirit. When we trust more in ourselves than in Christ, we cannot access this divine life. We are left to experience the power of the sin nature and failure when we live by the law (i.e. God will accept me when I do this and don't do that...). And if we are living by the law and we succeed, at least outwardly, we will only become prideful in our self commendation which will lead to more sin in our heart.
The only thing that we should be mixing are the promises of God with faith, never law and grace. The two will never mix. But if you take the promise of God, that He has made you a new creation in Christ Jesus, and sin shall no longer be a master over you, and mix in your faith than in time your heart will begin to look more like Jesus than Adam. His word does not fail. His promises are eternal. Read Psalm 119 and see how the psalmist looked to God to change his heart. We see a forshadowing of this grace in Psalm 119. He seeks God with his whole heart while also looking to God and trusting God for true heart change; incline my heart towards your laws etc. God alone can transform our hearts and break our chains. He did it in Christ.
Check out this great teaching and ask God to open your eyes to see. God bless you!https://youtu.be/0K3VS8zlet0
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