GRACE AND LAW
JUSTIFICATION MEANS TO BE MADE RIGHTEOUS - JUST AS THOUGH WE HAVE NEVER SINNED
GRACE ACHIEVES WHAT THE LAW COULDN'T
GRACE IS DEFINED BY THE LAW
WE WOULD NOT KNOW WHAT GRACE IS WITHOUT THE LAW
THE LAW TELLS US WHAT WE DESERVE
GRACE IS UNDESERVED
GRACE IS GOD'S UNMERITED FAVOR
BY GOD'S GRACE AND MERCY, WE CAN BE MADE RIGHTEOUS BY FAITH IN THE LORD JESUS CHRIST
WE CAN APPROACH THE THRONE OF GRACE WITH CONFIDENCE AND RECEIVE MERCY
JUSTIFICATION MEANS TO BE MADE RIGHTEOUS - JUST AS THOUGH WE HAVE NEVER SINNED
Rom 4:25 He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.Rom 5:16 Again, the gift of God is not like the result of the one man's sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification.
Rom 5:18 Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men.
See Things that take place at Conversion
GRACE ACHIEVES WHAT THE LAW COULDN'T
John 1:17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
Rom 3:21 But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify.
Rom 4:16 Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham's offspring--not only to those who are of the law but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all.
Rom 5:20 The law was added so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more,
Rom 6:14 For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace.
Rom 6:15 What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means!
Rom 8:3 For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man,
Gal 2:21 I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!"
Gal 2:16 know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified.
Gal 3:11 Clearly no one is justified before God by the law, because, "The righteous will live by faith."
Gal 3:18 For if the inheritance depends on the law, then it no longer depends on a promise; but God in his grace gave it to Abraham through a promise.
Gal 5:4 You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace.
Phil 3:9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ--the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.
THE LAW REFLECTS GOD'S RIGHTEOUSNESS
Deu 6:25 And if we are careful to obey all this law before the LORD our God, as he has commanded us, that will be our righteousness."Psa 19:7 The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple.
Psa 119:142 Your righteousness is everlasting and your law is true.
Isa 42:21 It pleased the LORD for the sake of his righteousness to make his law great and glorious.
Ezek 43:12 "This is the law of the temple: All the surrounding area on top of the mountain will be most holy. Such is the law of the temple.
Mat 5:20 For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.
Acts 6:13 They produced false witnesses, who testified, "This fellow never stops speaking against this holy place and against the law.
Rom 7:12 So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good.
Rom 10:5 Moses describes in this way the righteousness that is by the law: "The man who does these things will live by them."
Gal 3:21 Is the law, therefore, opposed to the promises of God? Absolutely not! For if a law had been given that could impart life, then righteousness would certainly have come by the law.
THE LAW WAS GIVEN FOR OUR OWN GOOD AND PROTECTION - LIKE RULES FOR A CHILD
Rom 7:13 Did that which is good, then, become death to me? By no means! But in order that sin might be recognized as sin, it produced death in me through what was good, so that through the commandment sin might become utterly sinful.
Gal 3:24 So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith.
1Tim 1:8 We know that the law is good if one uses it properly.
THE LAW TELLS US WHAT IS RIGHT AND WRONG
Deu 30:10 if you obey the LORD your God and keep his commands and decrees that are written in this Book of the Law and turn to the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.
Deu 32:46 he said to them, "Take to heart all the words I have solemnly declared to you this day, so that you may command your children to obey carefully all the words of this law.
Josh 22:5 But be very careful to keep the commandment and the law that Moses the servant of the LORD gave you: to love the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to obey his commands, to hold fast to him and to serve him with all your heart and all your soul."
2 Ki 10:31 Yet Jehu was not careful to keep the law of the LORD, the God of Israel, with all his heart. He did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam, which he had caused Israel to commit.
2 Ki 23:25 Neither before nor after Josiah was there a king like him who turned to the LORD as he did--with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his strength, in accordance with all the Law of Moses.
Neh 10:29 all these now join their brothers the nobles, and bind themselves with a curse and an oath to follow the Law of God given through Moses the servant of God and to obey carefully all the commands, regulations and decrees of the LORD our Lord.
Psa 37:31 The law of his God is in his heart; his feet do not slip.
Psa 40:8 I desire to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart."
Psa 119:34 Give me understanding, and I will keep your law and obey it with all my heart.
Rom 3:20 Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin.
Rom 5:13 for before the law was given, sin was in the world. But sin is not taken into account when there is no law.
Rom 7:7 What shall we say, then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! Indeed I would not have known what sin was except through the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, "Do not covet."
Gal 3:19 What, then, was the purpose of the law? It was added because of transgressions until the Seed to whom the promise referred had come. The law was put into effect through angels by a mediator.
Gal 3:24 So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith.
1Tim 1:9 We also know that law is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious; for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers,
TO BREAK THE LAW IS SIN
1 John 5:17 All wrongdoing is sin, and there is sin that does not lead to death.
THE CONSEQUENCES OF SIN IS DEATH
Deu 24:16 Fathers shall not be put to death for their children, nor children put to death for their fathers; each is to die for his own sin.
Rom 5:12 Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned--Rom 5:14 Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who was a pattern of the one to come.
Rom 5:21 so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Rom 6:16 Don't you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey--whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness?
Rom 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Rom 7:11 For sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, deceived me, and through the commandment put me to death.
Rom 8:2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.
1 Cor 15:56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.
James 1:15 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.
1 John 5:16 If anyone sees his brother commit a sin that does not lead to death, he should pray and God will give him life. I refer to those whose sin does not lead to death. There is a sin that leads to death. I am not saying that he should pray about that.
THE LAW CAN NOT MAKE ANYBODY RIGHTEOUS BECAUSE WE HAVE ALL BROKEN THE LAW
John 7:19 Has not Moses given you the law? Yet not one of you keeps the law. Why are you trying to kill me?"
Rom 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
Gal 2:21 I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!"
Gal 3:11 Clearly no one is justified before God by the law, because, "The righteous will live by faith."
Heb 7:11 If perfection could have been attained through the Levitical priesthood (for on the basis of it the law was given to the people, why was there still need for another priest to come--one in the order of Melchizedek, not in the order of Aaron?
THAT IS WHY WE NEED GOD'S GRACE AND MERCY
Rom 3:21-8 But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished-- he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.
Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. On what principle? On that of observing the law? No, but on that of faith. For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law.Rom 8:3 For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man,
Gal 5:4 You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace.
Titus 3:7 so that, having been justified by his grace,we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.
WE CAN APPROACH THE THRONE OF GRACE WITH CONFIDENCE AND RECEIVE MERCY
Heb 4:16 Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
GOD'S GRACE AND MERCY ARE UNDESERVED
Rom 3:8 Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. On what principle? On that of observing the law? No, but on that of faith. For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law.
See lest we should boast
GOD SENT HIS SON JESUS CHRIST TO DIE ON THE CROSS TO PAY FOR OUR SINS
Isa 53:12 Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.Isa 53:5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.
Rom 6:10 The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.Rom 8:3 For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man,
ONLY CHRIST FULFILLED THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE LAW
Mat 5:17 "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.
Luke 24:44 He said to them, "This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms."
John 15:25 But this is to fulfill what is written in their Law: 'They hated me without reason.'
Heb 4:15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are--yet was without sin.
2 Pet 1:1 Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ have received a faith as precious as ours:
HIS DEATH PAID FOR OUR SIN
Rom 4:25 He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.Rom 5:16 Again, the gift of God is not like the result of the one man's sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification.
Rom 5:18 Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men.
JESUS WAS THE PERFECT SACRIFICE TO PAY FOR OUR SIN ONCE AND FOR ALLRom 3:25 God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished--
Eph 5:2 and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
Hebrews 9:22-10:14
In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. It was necessary, then, for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these sacrifices, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. For Christ did not enter a man-made sanctuary that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God's presence. Nor did he enter heaven to offer himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own. Then Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But now he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself. Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him. The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming--not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship. If it could, would they not have stopped being offered? For the worshipers would have been cleansed once for all, and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins. But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins, because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said: "Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me; with burnt offerings and sin offerings you were not pleased. Then I said, 'Here I am--it is written about me in the scroll-- I have come to do your will, O God.'" First he said, "Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them" (although the law required them to be made).
Then he said, "Here I am, I have come to do your will." He sets aside the first to establish the second.
And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God. Since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool, because by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.Heb 10:18 And where these have been forgiven, there is no longer any sacrifice for sin.
Heb 10:26 If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left,
1 John 2:2 He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.
1 John 4:10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.
Rev 5:9 And they sang a new song: "You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation.
Rev 5:12 In a loud voice they sang: "Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!"
IT IS ONLY BY BELIEVING IN HIM THAT WE CAN BE MADE RIGHTEOUS
Rom 1:17 For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: "The righteous will live by faith."Rom 3:22 This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference,
Rom 4:5 However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness.
Rom 4:9 Is this blessedness only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? We have been saying that Abraham's faith was credited to him as righteousness.
Rom 4:11 And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. So then, he is the father of all who believe but have not been circumcised, in order that righteousness might be credited to them.
Rom 4:13 It was not through law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith.
Rom 9:30 What then shall we say? That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith;
Rom 10:4 Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.
Rom 10:6 But the righteousness that is by faith says: "Do not say in your heart, 'Who will ascend into heaven?' " (that is, to bring Christ down)
Gal 5:5 But by faith we eagerly await through the Spirit the righteousness for which we hope.
Phil 3:9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ--the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.
Heb 11:7 By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.
WE ARE EITHER UNDER LAW OR WE ARE UNDER GRACE
Rom 6:14 For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace.
Rom 6:15 What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means!
WE HAVE ALL SINNED AND FALLEN SHORT OF THE GLORY OF GOD
John 7:19 Has not Moses given you the law? Yet not one of you keeps the law. Why are you trying to kill me?"Rom 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
THEREFORE, WE CANNOT BE MADE RIGHTEOUS THROUGH THE LAW
Rom 9:31 but Israel, who pursued a law of righteousness, has not attained it.
Gal 2:16 know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified.Gal 2:21 I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!"
Gal 3:11 Clearly no one is justified before God by the law, because, "The righteous will live by faith."
Gal 5:4 You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace.
Phil 3:9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ--the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.
WE ARE JUSTIFIED BY FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST - THIS IS GOD'S GRACE
Rom 3:28 For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law.
Rom 4:13 It was not through law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith.Rom 5:1 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
Rom 10:4 Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.
Gal 2:16 know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified.
Phil 3:9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ--the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.
Gal 3:11 Clearly no one is justified before God by the law, because, "The righteous will live by faith."Gal 3:24 So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith.
James 2:24 You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone.
REDEMPTION - MEANS TO BE BOUGHT BACK AND SET FREE
See Things that take place at Conversion
SANCTIFICATION MEANS TO BE MADE HOLY - TO HAVE THE CHARACTER OF GOD
See Things that take place at and after conversion
