Friday, February 7, 2025

The Law and Grace

 The Law and Grace

Feb 7, 2025


In the book of Romans, Paul talks a lot about the law (Torah). Now this is understandable as he was a Jew and was educated in one of the finest schools of the Pharisees, so he was an expert in the law. But the question is, how does the Old Testament law (Torah) apply to Christians?


Romans 10:4

4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.


In Romans 10, Paul is talking about salvation for the Jews and how it is that anyone can live a righteous life. It is this context that he says “Christ is the end of the law”, but this is qualified, “for righteousness to everyone who believes (in Christ)”. He is not sayingthat the law has ended, but that it is not applicable as a way to righteousness for one who believes in Christ. He clarifies this thought in his letter the Galatians where he compares the law to a tutor.


Galatians 3:24

24 Therefore the Law has becomeour tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith.


In this passage, Paul explains that the law is beneficial to us in that it teaches us to distinguish right from wrong. By studying the law we can determine what is acceptable to the Lord and what is offensive to HIm. What the law can not do is save us. It can show us the way, lead us to Christ, but then we must be justified by faith.


Another exposition of the law is found in Romans 8. 


Romans 8:1-4

1 Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you freefrom the law of sin and of death. 3 For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, 4 so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.


In this passage, Paul uses a different word. In chapter 10, he used telos to speak of the end of the law. Here he uses another word for end, (plēroō) which is translated “fulfilled” in the NASB. Thus he explains that the law has ended for us because Jesus fulfilled all of the requirements of the law. That is, the blood sacrifice required for the atonement for sins was provided by Christ on the cross. Therefore, there is no further need for blood sacrifices. We appropriate this atonement by faith and apply it in our lives by walking in the Spirit. The thing that the law could not do is provide us the power to live by the requirements it specified. It is only the power of the Holy Spirit that can give us that power to live it a way that pleases the Lord.


So we are back to Watchman Nee’s four points, Know, Reckon, Present yourself to God, and Walk in the Spirit. This provides us guidance on how to be saved by grace and then go on to live a holy life by faith. I pray that this helps you to understand more of what it means to live a “Normal Christian Life”, and to walk in the power of the Holy Spirit.


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