Law-versus-Grace | Pastor Peter Thomas

Law versus Grace

Saturday, May 20, 2017
From: Pastor Thomas
Denver, Colorado (USA)

Pastor Peter Thomas | JESUS Only | Acts 2:38

"Law versus Grace" by Pastor Peter Thomas

Law versus Grace

Praise the Lord, Dear Reader. Pursuant to conversations about law versus grace, this will help the honest heart. Grace in the New Testament does not abolish God's laws. Our calling is based on grace. God's law was not abolished by Jesus Christ's sacrifice. While most want freedom to sin, the law stands in the way of them and sin. They just cannot get away from the law. Therefore, people would love for it to be abolished, so they can live freely and sin.

Romans 7:7
What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.

Romans 8:2
For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

We (who are in Christ) are not under the curse of the law. For (2 Corinthians 5:17) we are a new creature. The WORKS OF THE LAW are SUMMARIZED in Hebrews 9:10 and Galatians 2:16 below.

Hebrews 9:10
Which stood only in meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal ordinances, imposed on them until the time of reformation.

Galatians 2:16
Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.

So when people bring up that we are not under the curse of the law (the works of the law) in Galatians 3:10, those works of the law are sacrificial ritualistic practices, along with carnal ordinances summarized above in Hebrews 9:10 and Galatians 2:16. Note the verse carnal people try to use to sin: Galatians 3:10 (See below).

Galatians 3:10
For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.

Again, we (who are in Christ) are not under the curse of the law. Not everybody anyway who goes to church are in Christ. We are not under the curse of the law (the work of the law) described above. Note Galatians 3:13 below.

Galatians 3:13
Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:

There is a difference between the Law of God and the law of Moses (aka the Levitical rituals or works of the law). These laws are in Exodus chapters 21 through 23, also in Leviticus. Further, the Ten Commandments were not part of the law of Moses. Civil laws (ordinances, statutes, precepts, judgments) and sacrifices were established on God's Commandments, the central part of God's law. The Old Covenant came out of God's Law (The 10 Commandments are God's spiritual laws).

A few other scriptures for your consideration:

Romans 7:12
Wherefore THE LAW IS HOLY, AND THE COMMANDMENT HOLY, and just, and GOOD.

1 John 5:3
For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.

Matthew 19:17
And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.

Grace is not a license to do whatever you please.

Grace - unmerited pardon of past sins and forgiveness upon genuine repentance; divine mercy and forgiveness ---

If one say that they are under grace, it means God has extended divine mercy and forgiveness after true repentance. Grace is not a license to disobey God's law. God forbid.

Galatians 5:18
But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.

Yes, I live by the law. THE LAW OF THE SPIRIT. Again, Romans 8:2 - "For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death". Therefore, they cannot tell me anything about "we are not under the law", when they are not even in Christ Jesus. If you are in Christ Jesus and you fight the law so you can sin and live like the world, you are condemned. Don't take my word for it. Let's see what Jesus had to say in John 3:19.

John 3:19
And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

Being "under the law" means under the penalty of the law.
Again, Galatians 5:18 - But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.

Anything that was abomination to God in the Old Testament is abomination unto the Lord in the New Testament. One such example is the stipulation in Deuteronomy 22:5, regarding the differentiation of women's clothing from men's clothing. WOMEN SHOULD NOT WEAR TROUSERS (PANTS). Vice versa, neither should a man put on a dress, skirt, or anything that pertains to the female. ALL THAT DO SO ARE ON THEIR WAY TO HELLFIRE !!!

Deuteronomy 22:5
The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman's garment: for all that do so are abomination unto the LORD thy God.

Acts 2:38
Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

At that time when one repents, receives baptism and conversion, then he or she is forgiven by the blood of Christ and saved immediately from past sins. ( See Ephesians 1:7 below ).

Hebrews 9:15-22
15 - And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.

16 - For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator.

17 - For a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth.

18 - Whereupon neither the first testament was dedicated without blood.

19 - For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and of goats, with water, and scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book, and all the people,

20 - Saying, This is the blood of the testament which God hath enjoined unto you.

21 - Moreover he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle, and all the vessels of the ministry.

22 - And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.

Ephesians 1:7
In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;

For by grace you are saved through the faith of Christ. Note Ephesians 2:8-9 and Galatians 2:20.

Ephesians 2:8-9
8 - For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

9 - Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Galatians 2:20
I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

Live under GRACE through FAITH, followed by WORKS.

Matthew 3:8
Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:

Acts 26:20
But shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance.

Jonah 3:10
And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not.

Jude 3-4
3 - Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.

4 - For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.

Lasciviousness - inclined to lustfulness; wanton; lewd: license to sin ---

Wanton - sexually lawless or unrestrained; loose; lascivious; lewd ---

Most people that oppose the law are not coming with a clean heart. The Law and the Spirit are against them any way you look at it. There is no license to sin, whether under law or grace.

Contending for the Faith,

Pastor Peter Thomas

Statement of Faith | Pastor Peter Thomas