I see many Christians here refer to law versus grace, and I'd like to know what exactly you guys mean by that. Thanks in advance.
2007-10-23 07:26:25 · 14 answers · asked by Cosmic I 6 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
It means that according to New Testament teaching, no one can attain righteousness - right standing in God's eyes by the keeping of a set of rules, but righteousness can only be attained as a gift received from God on the basis of the redemptive work of Jesus Christ, by grace, through faith.
"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."
Ephesians 2:8-10
2007-10-23 07:33:55 · answer #1 · answered by wefmeister 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
The Law is referring to the Law God gave Moses for the people of Israel. Starting with the 10 commandments. It formalized further as outlined in the old testament (Writing as a Christian, you may get a different answer for a Jewish person). In the old testament, the way people could be saved and come closer to God was by doing good works defined as following the Law as close to the letter of th e Law as possible. However, perfection is impossible because we are of a sinful nature. Grace is the state of not only being forgiven (not being punished/getting what we desreve for our sins) but being given evn that which we do not deserve - new life in Christ by being forgiven via the ultimate sacrifice He made to pay for our sins. Grace is manifested in the Gift God gave us in Christ when He didn't have to bother with us at all - That is Love.
2007-10-23 07:36:23 · answer #2 · answered by momminator 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The key to understanding this issue is knowing that the Old Testament law was given to the nation of Israel, not to Christians. Some of the laws were to make the Israelites know how to obey and please God (the Ten Commandments for example), some of them were to show them how to worship God (the sacrificial system), some of them were to simply make the Israelites different from other nations (the food and clothing rules). None of the Old Testament law applies to us today. When Jesus died on the cross, He put an end to the Old Testament law (Romans 10:4; Galatians 3:23-25; Ephesians 2:15).
In place of the Old Testament law, we are under the law of Christ (Galatians 6:2) which is to, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments” (Matthew 22:37-40). If we do these two things, we will be fulfilling all that Christ wants for us to do, “This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome” (1 John 5:3). Technically, the Ten Commandments are not even applicable to Christians. However, 9 of the Ten Commandments are repeated in the New Testament (all except the command to observe the Sabbath day). Obviously, if we are loving God we won't be worshipping other gods or worshipping idols. If we are loving our neighbors, we won't be murdering them, lying to them, committing adultery against them, or coveting what belongs to them. So, we are not under any of the requirements of the Old Testament law. We are to love God and love our neighbors. If we do those two things faithfully, everything else will fall into place.
Recommended Resource: Bible Answers for Almost all Your Questions by Elmer Towns.
2007-10-23 07:51:52 · answer #3 · answered by Freedom 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋
It would take the entire Bible to properly explain that question; For there are also two sorts of biblical Law and two sorts of biblical Grace to sort out in such an allegoric mystery biblically called a shew(plural of show): a comparative teaching in the fashion of navigating through the ultimate matrix (so "much more" than Harry Potter = childish stuff) unto a grace us end for you all (you and all the KofG within you), which is not only allegoric comparison of two things (twain shew), but eventually allegoric comparison of three things (God shew), with the third aspect being neither of the twain: God is not a man that he should lie or die. Allegory: God is neither Jesus nor Christ; Yet ww reconciliation "unto God" is notably "through" Jesus --> Christ --> (unto) God.
For example, remembering it's allegory, "charity never faileth" is the "greatest" of "three things"; And it's neither of what's great or greater in 1Corinthians 13:13.
3. Charity - greatest (pure Grace, female gender)
2. Hope - greater (NT Law) sometimes fails some
1. Faith - great (OT Law) always fails everyone
POINT:
Repeating Law is Law Law.
His Grace is NOT Law Law.
To simplify it, let us compare two Gods,
as if Law vs Grace: on High and Higher:
Grace: I will never leave you nor forsake you: Hebrews 13:5
Law: I will forget you and I will forsake you: Jeremiah 23:39
Law <--vs--> Grace are also compared as two last days:
Grace: the day(light) of God is light void of darkness: 1Jn 1
Law: the day of the LORD is darkness, and not light: Amos 5
Bottom line is Grace(the only true God) prevails among all;
With not even any mention of Law in the end that is written:
The GRACE of our Lord Jesus Christ with you all. Amen.
2007-10-24 00:49:07 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I am not sure of the context you are using but I believe "law" as it relates to the "law vs. grace" would refer to the formal doctrines of the church and its people dating back to the Hebrew Penteteuch. "Grace" would refer to the concept that since man cannot possibly meet the requiements of that formal doctrine he must be redeemed by a worthy third party (e.g. Jesus Christ) who, as a matter of His own choice, decided to personally represent those who wish to stand before God and receive His grace. I have seen grace also defined more secularly as "not getting the punishment we truly deserve."
For more insight on this concept take a closer look at the actual questions that set up the parables of Jesus as He often responded to questions related to your question with those parables.
2007-10-23 07:36:30 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Being under the dispensation of law, there was no forgiveness of sin and being disobedient to "the law" usually ended in death by the priests. Under the dispensation of grace, true forgiveness of sin is given by God and anyone who disobeys is given time to change the issue at hand. This is true grace. If action is not taken to make issue better, then sin would be punished. God bless you.
2007-10-23 07:38:18 · answer #6 · answered by carly sue 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The plan of salvation was established since before the creation, which means God did not change. The old testament sacrifice was type and shadow of the coming messiah. John said "Behold the lamb of God which takes away the sin of the world" The israelites were under grace in that if they obeyed they were protected, but God always saved a remnant
2016-04-10 00:07:03 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It means that while we know we cannot be good enough to earn our way to eternal life, we are able to be close to God through His grace. We believe He sent His son Jesus to take the punishment that we deserve. In other wordes, while the law says the wages of sin is death, grace says we are forgiven and are welcome onto God's kingdom through Jesus. This is the grace that Christian's refer to.
2007-10-23 07:35:18 · answer #8 · answered by believer 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
What is meant by this term law versus grace is from the biblical principle laid out in the book of Romans which says that no man is justified by the law which Moses had given. This is because all men have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, is what the Bible tells us. Since man has no ability to justify himself or make himself righteous before God, God has given us the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ, God in the flesh, to die on the Cross for our sins. This is grace, that is, as often you might hear, "a gift we do not deserve". Grace is God justifying His children by making proper atonement for their sins on the Cross, by offering up the perfect sacrifice for sins, Himself.
So to wrap this up, the law is basically God's way to show man he is completely unable in his own strength to meet the righteous requirement of God through his own "good works". Grace is simply, a free gift we dont deserve. It is God making a way for us to be righteous, by becoming "sin for us, that we might be the righteousness of God in Him." Grace is God making His children holy and able to stand before Him in judgment because of the price He paid on the cross.
2007-10-23 07:38:18 · answer #9 · answered by Billy Edwards 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It means that in the Old Testament days, Jews lived by the "law" and were forgiven their sins by following the law. These are rules of atonement, dietary rules, sacrificial rules etc. With the New Testament, God bestowed salvation through grace of God. God fulfilled the law by sacrificing his only son, not just for Jews but for Jews and non-Jews alike. The sacrifice of Jesus atoned for the sins of all and all one needs to do is accept that sacrifice through faith and one is saved. Faith without works, however, is dead. So, to prove one's faith, one must do good. Having faith, and going about doing evil means that your faith is not really faith. It's dead.
2007-10-23 07:31:35 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋