Law & grace, an uneven match? (6)

Thank you for your comments, emails and Twitter/FB shares concerning this subject. Today I would like to finish this series about Law & Grace with part 6. If you want to read it all again, you can do so by clicking on the Bible study tab above. In short:

• Part 1: it is not law or grace, but law and grace
• Part 2: it is no longer necessarily about keeping or obeying the law, but about fulfilling the law
• Part 3: Treating others the way we want to be treated is the heart of the law and the prophets
• Part 4: through grace we have received the righteousness of Jesus so we can do the works He did
• Part 5: Love is the fulfullment of the law

As I mentioned before, Paul was a man who knew law AND grace as no other. He frequently taught on it. In Romans 6:10-14 He explains that sin should no longer reign in our lives (which results in being slaves) but grace (which results in being free)! Verse 14, For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace. The law is no longer our master (but still exists of course). The law does not reign over us anymore, but grace reigns. We live under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, because the fruit of the Spirit is LOVE... and love is the fulfillment of the law (Romans 13:10).

Living under grace is more than just the end of our old, sinful life, it is the beginning of a new, free life under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Living under (by, through) grace does not mean there is nothing more for us to do. On the contrary! Let's read what Paul writes to Timothy, (the Lord) who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began... we are called with a holy calling, to do good works. Not the works of the law, but the works of love: treating others the way we want to be treated. In everything we do, we can ask ourselves this question: How do I want to be treated? With love, respect, humor, care, generosity, goodness, kindness, patience? So, this is exactly how to treat others.

Well, I can probably write a few more months on this subject, but the Word of God explains it better than I can. I would like to end this series with Romans 8:3-4 (I am quoting the Good News Translation for clarity), What the Law could not do, because human nature was weak, God did. He condemned sin in human nature by sending his own Son, who came with a nature like our sinful nature, to do away with sin. God did this so that the righteous demands of the Law might be fully satisfied in us who live according to the Spirit, and not according to human nature.

Law & grace, an uneven match? (5)

Let's pick up where we stopped a week or so ago...

Treating others the way you want to be treated sums up the Law and the prophets, according to Jesus (Matthew 7:12). Such a lifestyle is the heart of the Law and the Prophets. When we live and act like that, we continue the works Jesus did when He was on earth. The fulfilling of the Law was not a one time event, it takes place on a daily basis. Grace has not taken the place of the Law, grace makes it possible for us to fulfill the Law. The apostle Paul knew this quite well and he explained it quite well.

I believe that his long, and sometimes difficult, writings about law and grace are being condensed into one sentence in Romans 13:10 (NKJV), Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. Well, that is a quite clear statement, isn't it? If we say we are not able to, or have no reason to, fulfill the Law we are basically saying we are unable to love! Because LOVE is the fulfillment of the Law. Maybe you have never seen or heard it this way, but I would like to encourage you to ponder this thought and include it in your prayers.

Of course Paul clearly explains in Romans 3:21-31 that we can only be justified by grace through faith, not by works, not by keeping or obeying the Law. But that is not merely the end of a legalistic life, it is the beginning of a life lead by the Spirit. With the accepting and understanding of His grace we do not nullify the Law, we establish the Law. Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law (Romans 3:31).

So, we no longer use the Law to tell others what they can or cannot do (legalism), but we treat others the way we want to be treated (love). Our reference is not a written code, but the grace/love that has been poured out in our hearts. When we start living like this (following the leading of the Holy Spirit, whose fruit is LOVE) things will begin to change.

In the next blog post I will take a closer look at a few other statements from the apostle Paul.

Thank you for reading along, and please share these posts with someone who might need to hear this.

Law & grace, an uneven match? (4)

Thank you all for reading along and thinking with me on this subject. It is so important to have a clear understanding of God's unending grace as it relates to His Law. It will help you to live in freedom within the boundaries of His rules. Freedom is not 'living without rules', that is anarchy (and if you want to read more on that subject, please check out the maintaining our freedom series I did on this blog last year).

[Picking up where we ended in the previous blog post...] Jesus did not come to abolish (wipe out) the Law, but to give full meaning to the Law, to fulfill the Law. He gives many examples to make clear how we should go from merely obeying, or keeping the law (living by the letter) to fulfilling the law (living by the Spirit). Our heart of stone (legalism) needs to be broken in order to receive a heart of flesh (lead by the Spirit). The Law will no longer be used to tell other people what to do or not to do, but as a foundation on how to treat others (as we want to be treated).

Personally I always thought that only Jesus Christ was able to fulfill the Law, since He was the only man without sin. But this is exactly where grace comes into the picture. 2 Corinthians 5:21 says, For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. Now, that is pure grace. Our sin in exchange for His righteousness. The same righteousness Jesus had when He walked the earth and taught His followers, is now ours. We have no excuse not to do what He did.

In light of that revelation it becomes easier to understand why Jesus said, Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father (John 14:12). I always struggled with this scripture, simply because I do not see it happening among believers and also because I thought works do not go well with grace... But now I understand why He adds (vs. 15) 'If you love Me, keep My commandments'... Summed up, that is: Treating others the way we want to be treated. According to Jesus, that commandment (the golden rule) is the heart of the Law and the Prophets. In other words, He is saying that living, or fulfilling the Law should be a daily thing for all believers. We can ONLY do so if we live, realizing and knowing for sure that His grace is sufficient for us.

My question for you is, do you have a heart of stone (maybe well intended legalism) or have you asked the Lord for a heart of flesh (that is being guided by the Holy Spirit)?

In the next post we will look at the apostle Paul's comments on fulfilling the law through grace...

Thank you for reading along, and please share these posts with someone who might need to hear this.

Law & grace, an uneven match? (3)

Thank you all for reading along, it makes it more fun for me to do this kind of series on my blog. Studying the Bible and offering a fresh insight on ancient truths. 

In the previous post we saw  how Jesus says about Himself that He came to make the teachings come true, to fulfill the law. I think we (Christianity, the church, the believers) have made the mistake in thinking this was a one time event, kind of a finished chapter. Law being replaced by grace. It is finished, right? But if we continue to read what Jesus has to say about it, we get a totally different picture. In the fifth chapter of Matthew He further explains what 'fulfilling the law' means for every believer.

For example verse 21 and 22, Jesus says: You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Jesus says 'but I tell you...' The Good News translation says 'but now I tell you...' Is Jesus speaking against the law of God? Is He contradicting the words of His Father? That cannot be so.

He gives many examples, as in verse 27 and 28, You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. Again Jesus says, 'but I tell you...' In other words: He announces a new area. He does not dismiss the law, but He shows the way the law should work in our hearts. He shows how we should go from obeying or keeping the law (living by the letter) to giving meaning to or fulfilling the law (living by the Spirit). It is no longer about a mere outer sign of obedience but about the inner condition of our heart.

Jesus teaches many valuable lessons in these first few chapters of Matthew to show people what will change with His coming. And then suddenly He comes with the most excellent summary of His long speech about law and grace, in one single sentence. Matthew 7:12,

So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.

The Good News translation says: because this is the meaning of the Law and the Prophets. Wow, treating other the way we want to be treated, that is the heart of the law, that is the full meaning, that is the fulfillment of the law. How simple can it be? We do not have to choose between law and grace, Jesus brought them together in a new way of life and so they come together in the life of every believer.

Maybe you have never seen it this way, or maybe you have learned it differently. Maybe you are thinking: 'Well Marja, only Jesus could fulfill the law because He was without sin. We could never do it...'

That, we will discuss in the next post.

Thank you for reading along, and please share these posts with someone who might need to hear this.

Law & grace, an uneven match? (2)

'We are no longer under the law. It is all grace!' Familiar words, I am sure you have heard them somewhere. The most logical question that would follow a statement like that, is: so, what then should we do with the law? No longer read it, skip it, ignore it? Well, we do not have to make such a difficult choice; law & grace go perfectly well together. Let's find out what Jesus has to say about it.

Probably the most known and discussed words of Jesus about the law, can be found in Matthew 5:17-18. He says, 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. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Well, is the earth still here? Does heaven still exist? Yes, of course! So the law has not disappeared, but the purpose has changed... from obedience (or keeping) → fulfilling

The Good News translation says it this way: Do not think that I have come to do away with the Law of Moses and the teachings of the prophets. I have not come to do away with them, but to make their teachings come true. Jesus came to make the teachings (thora, law) come true. We must keep our eyes on Him and listen to what He has to say if we want to learn more about this subject. It is wonderful to see how law and grace come together in Jesus Christ. The one does not replace the other, they will come true (are being fulfilled) in Him.

The apostle John wrote about Jesus: For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. The law came to us through Moses, grace and truth (also about the law) came to us through Jesus Christ. Let's keep Him central in the discussion about law and grace. Let's put everything, that has been written or said about it by other people, in the light of His words.

The apostle Paul for example wrote extensively about law and grace. No wonder really, because he was a scholar (a theologian, a pharisee) and then he came to a living faith in Jesus Christ and personally experienced His grace.  So, law and grace came together in his life as well. He writes in Romans 3:31, Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law. The KJV says, we establish the law. Wow, this got me thinking... Jesus came to fulfill the law, or to make the law come true. We, as His followers, uphold what He did. We establish or confirm the law. (we will get back to that in a later post)

In the next post we will look at some more words Jesus had to say about the meaning/purpose of the law.

Thank you for reading along, and please share these posts with someone who might need to hear this.

Law & grace, an uneven match? (1)

In 2004, I started the writing of a series of books on the Ten Commandments in the 21st century, a book per commandment. Five books have been published so far... still five to go :) English is my second language, so the books are written in an uncomplicated manner without the use of difficult words (since I don't know any). During the writing process and the studying of related Bible passages I began to receive more and more insight on the subject law & grace. No theological explanations, but fresh insights on ancient truths.

In the upcoming weeks I will write a series of posts on this subject. Why? Because there seems to be quite some confusion, unclarity and even wrong teaching on this subject. Many evangelical Christians don't have a love for the Law, because to them 'living by grace' means doing away with the law. We are set free from the law, right? Faith has nothing to do with a bunch of rules, but everything with relationship. On the other hand there are denominations where the Law still rules and this can end in legalism = setting the obedience of the rules above the leading of the Holy Spirit. And perhaps many believers and churches are somewhere in between. We don't want to go from one extreme to the other. The Ten Commandments are old fashioned, the grace movement too good to be true, so we get stuck somewhere in the middle.

I have collected some thoughts about law & grace, in random order. Let's see whether you recognize some:

• The Law has been nailed to the cross
• We are set free of the Law, no more need of Old Testament teachings
• It is all grace, there is nothing we can or need to add
• A lawless society is a disorderly society
• I am living by grace and do not want to be legalistic, but...
• Everything changed after the cross
• But we cannot delete or ignore certain Bible passages

The grace teaching is nothing new, it is the teaching that we can only depend on Gods grace to be reconciled with Him. This was being preached 2000 years ago, and then by our church fathers and now in most churches. There are, however, many different interpretations. In certain circles grace is being kept for the elect or it is something God will bestow on people when He wants to do so, we can not grab it. In other circles grace is being taught as unmerited favor, we can not do anything to make God love us more. So, sit back and relax.

All of this can be debated, but does it mean we have to choose between law and grace? We either keep the law, or we accept His grace. Having both seems an impossibility. Are law & grace an uneven match?

Restrictions indicate opportunities

Dutch bicycle

My mother, who is now eighty years old, is in good health. She still rides her bicycle to church and walks to my house for coffee. Well, not this week ;) because we have tons of snow blocking all traffic. Years ago she lost most of her eyesight, so she cannot read small print or do cross stitch. However, she does not focus on what she cannot do; she focuses on what she can do!

This perspective is the main thought behind my book series on the Ten Commandments. The commandment not to desire our neighbor’s house, for example, doesn’t put a ban on human desires; it gives us the opportunity to steer our desires in another direction. Therefore, as in the other books in this series, I am never focusing on the negative command (don’t do this) but on the positive urging of God’s Spirit, who will always guide us in what we can do and should be doing.

In the Today’s English Version (more commonly known as the Good News Bible) that I often use, the word covet is replaced with “desire.” The Tenth Commandment, as described in Exodus 20:17, simply says, Do not desire another man’s house; do not desire his wife, his slaves, his cattle, his donkeys, or anything else that he owns. At first sight this commandment looks like an easy one to understand. Just keep your thoughts and hands off of other people’s belongings, and you will be fine. When, however, we seriously think about such a moral code, a thought arises. If we are not allowed to desire stuff that belongs to someone else, we certainly must be allowed to desire certain things that don’t belong to anyone necessarily, which tells me there are right and wrong desires.

That makes sense, doesn’t it? If the Bible tells us not to do the wrong things, it will surely teach us how to do the right things. Restrictions indicate opportunities. My mother knows this as no other. Disabled people often understand this best because they learned the hard way. Certainly we can learn something here as well...

In my latest release My Neighbor's House, as well as in my previous books, I want to offer a helping hand in reading and interpreting the commandments (which we often see as restrictions) in relation to what the Holy Spirit is saying (which is often very liberating). Hopefully this will enable us to look beyond the commandments. Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 3:6, The written law brings death, but the Spirit gives life. He knew this like no other. A written law can be kept or broken; a spiritual law will teach us something. In case of the Tenth Commandment, the Holy Spirit will show us what is behind that law and will make us understand the purpose. The Holy Spirit will teach us a valuable principle about desires.

Please don’t just look at God’s commandments as a written law but as a spiritual law that will bring us to a higher and healthier level of living. I pray that as individuals, as a church AND as a nation we will grasp this!

Benefit package (4)

This post wraps up the great benefit package, as presented in Psalm 19, that is ours when we live according to God's Word. Verse 8b is my favorite: The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes.

The commands of the Lord are not dull or dark, they are radiant! Radiant means bright with joy and hope. Our problem is, as was the problem of the religious people in Jesus' time, that we have added too many man made rules that sucked the very life out of God's Word. Often we value tradition more than the life giving words of God Himself. In Mark 8-9 Jesus says: You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to human traditions. And he continued, You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe your own traditions!

I meet so many people who have a hard time with what God commands, but their anger and fear is often based on what religion taught them, not on the teachings of Jesus.He urged his disciples: If you love Me, keep My commands (John 14:15) and he is still urging us today. Why? Because the commands are radiant, giving light to the eyes. They will bring a sparkle in our eyes, a joy in our step and His love in our hearts!

Jesus is the center, the reference point for every teaching, no matter what the subject. We cannot have grace without Him and we cannot fulfill the commands without Him!

Benefit package (3)

In the previous  two posts we looked at the benefits of Gods law. For the New Testament generation the law is not something that brings condemnation, it is something that brings life... but only if we see it in light of what Jesus Christ has done. He din't come to do away with the law, He came to fulfill it. Romans 13:10 says, Love is the fulfillment of the law. If we say we are unable to fulfill the law, we are saying we are unable to love.

In Psalm 19 we can read that the law revives our soul and makes us wise. If furthermore says (verse 8), The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart.

Yes, they are right and give joy to the heart. Who doesn't want a fresh re-fill of joy? Joy is fruit that the Holy Spirit desires to produce in our life. Joy is something the world cannot give, never! It might give us happiness, fun, pleasure or laughter... but joy is a divine virtue that only God can bring about in our heart. Studying AND applying Gods precepts will bring joy to our hearts. That is why the Lord wants to write His greatest commandments on our hearts: Love Him first and your neighbor as yourself! That will bring a joy no one or nothing can take away from you! 

Again, I want to urge you: don't shy away from learning more about God's law and grace. The books in The Ten Commandments Series will bring joy to your heart!

Benefit package (2)

The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple (Psalm 19:7b)

God's statutes are trustworthy, they don't change with the weather or the latest trends. They can be relied upon, circumstances nor situations have any influence on God's written statutes. What was true yesterday, is true today and will be true tomorrow. Time has no influence on God's statutes, which is actually a very comforting thought.

Besides being an anchor in turbulent times, God's statutes will make the simple wise. Now that is a benefit of studying AND applying God's commandments that we should not deny. Who doesn't want to be wise?

Again, as in the previous post, I would like to challenge you to dive into God's Word (maybe with the help of one of my books) and find out how law and grace come together in Jesus Christ.

Benefit package (1)

Walking through the Bible I opened the door of Psalm 19 and there, smack in the middle of David's praise, I found the blessings for studying and applying God's command-ments. Since my books are based on the Ten Commandments, I thought it would be interesting and helpful to share with you the benefits of studying His Word. I'll call it the benefit package 101.

The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul (Psalm 19:7)

The law of the Lord is not boring, outdated, or even uninteresting... it is perfect. As the apostle Paul later wrote: the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good (Romans 7:12). God's law has not changed, the meaning has changed. In Old Testament times it was there to point people to their shortcomings and need for a savior. In New Testament times it is there to help us build a better and more godly society. The law now needs to be written on the hearts of the people.

The law is not only perfect, it is also reviving to the soul. We no longer keep or obey the law, we fulfill it by living it. And in doing so our soul gets revived, our soul gets watered, so we can flourish and refresh others. Are you longing for a revival deep down within you? Are you longing for a refreshing rain that will encourage and lift you up?

I challenge you to read one of my books and e-mail me whether it was reviving to your soul or not...