Law vs Grace????
A review of the basics
Are these really in
conflict??
Lessons on how to explain
what you believe!!!!
Deu
8:3
And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with
manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might
make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word
that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live.
Mat
4:4
But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread
alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
If
we were to teach this at at local New Covenant church today, this
is probably the reaction we would get…………….
Introduction:
Things we have been
taught through the years.
- The law has been
fulfilled so therefore its is now null and void.
- The dietary laws
have been done away with.
- The law was
nailed to the cross.
- We are under
grace not law.
- Sabbath has
changed to Sunday.
- The Book of
Galatians has voided the law.
- Romans chapter 7
has proven the law is no more.
- Romans 10:4
shows that Messiah is the ‘end’ of the law.
- Matt 22 shows
the Messiah giving 2 new commandments.
- John 1:17
proves that there is a conflict between law and grace
- Romans
chapter 2 proves the law is no more.
- The book of
Hebrews proves the law is not for us.
- The Old
Covenant failed, that’s why the New Covenant was given.
- The Old
Testament Sacrifices provided salvation.
- Acts 15
shows the Law has been abolished.
- Plus many,
many other ‘proofs’.
The
first thing you will have to deal with……………..
“You
can’t get saved by keeping the Law!!!”
Jesus
has fulfilled the law so it no longer applies to us!!!!!
- Mat 5:17
Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am
not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
- Mat 5:18
For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or
one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
- Mat 5:19
Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments,
and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of
heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be
called great in the kingdom of heaven
What we have been taught is
that the word ‘fulfil’ or ‘fulfilled’ means that is no longer
applicable to us, that its voided or has no practical place in the modern
day believers life.
The word fulfil or fulfilled
in this verse is the Greek word ‘Pleroo’ it is Strongs word 4310. The
definition given is…..
To make replete, to cram,
to fill up.
Lets look at some verses
that use the word fulfill or fulfilled:
- Php 2:2
Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same
love, being of one accord, of one mind.
-
Act 1:16
Men and brethren, this scripture must needs have been
fulfilled, which the Holy Ghost by the mouth of David spake before
concerning Judas, which was guide to them that took Jesus.
-
Rev 17:17
For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree,
and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be
fulfilled.
-
Lets focus on Matt 5:19….
Which is often ignored
Mat 5:19
Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and
shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven:
but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great
in the kingdom of heaven
Lets focus on the word
‘break’…..
The word break used in verse
19 is the Greek word luo…. Strongs word 3089.
It means to loosen, melt,
put off or annul.
So if the word break there
was replaced with the word ‘annuls’, would that damage the verse?
No it means the same
things as the Greek word… So lets look at it now…………
Mat 5:19
Whosoever therefore shall annul one of these least
commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the
kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same
shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven
Now it takes on a
completely different meaning………..
Hebrews
Chapter 8 vs 7-8 proves the law is no more.
Heb 8:7
For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no
place have been sought for the second.
Heb 8:8
For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith
the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with
the house of Judah:
See, that’s simple and
easy to understand, we don’t need the law.
Perhaps we should dig a
little deeper…….
Heb 8:7
For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no
place have been sought for the second.
Heb 8:8 For finding fault with
them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new
covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah:
Focus on the word ‘covenant’… Do you see
how its in italics….
That means it was ADDED by
the translators in an effort to explain the verse, however this was THEIR
opinion on what the verse means.
Why don’t we trust what
the verse says without the additions and see if their opinions match up.
Heb 8:7 For
if that first had been faultless, then should no place have been sought
for the second.
Heb 8:8 For
finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the
Lord, when I
will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of
Judah:
Now that we have removed the
added word ‘covenant’ the verse reads much differently. The word
‘them’ is a personal pronoun, it is properly used to identify people not
things.
So God didn’t find fault
with His covenant, He found fault with the people!!!!!!
Now that we understand verse 7-8 better, lets move on to verses 9-10
Heb 8:9
Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the
day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt;
because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith
the Lord.
Heb 8:10
For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of
Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind,
and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall
be to me a people:
These verses are used to
show that the law has been replaced with grace.
Please show me where God
said He was going to replace His Law???
No where in those verses
does God ever say that He will change His law, in fact if He changed His law
then He would be a liar……
He is simply going to
re-write His Law on our hearts instead of stone tablets.
Now lets take another look
at verse 8….
Heb 8:8
For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the
Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the
house of Judah:
This is not the 1st time
this verse was written…. Lets look into Jeremiah 31:31-33……
Jer 31:31
Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new
covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:
Jer 31:32
Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the
day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of
Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them,
saith the LORD:
Jer 31:33
But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house
of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their
inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they
shall be my people.
So lets read Jer 31-31
with the word Renew and see what we get…………
Jer 31:31
Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will renew the covenant
with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:
WOW, that means something
completely different than what we have been taught………
Maybe we have inherited lies
and things in which there is no profit!!!!
Lets take another look at
verse both Heb 8:8 and Jeremiah 31:31 again and focus on who this promise
was addressed to………
-
Jer 31:31
Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will renew the
covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:
-
-
Heb 8:8
For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith
the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and
with the house of Judah:
Both of these verses are
addressed to a specific group of people….. A group that most modern day
believers proclaim they are not a member of!!!!!