God S Grace Shining Through Law

Christians throughout the centuries have struggled to understand the relationship between God’s law and His grace. Sadly, many have inadvertently neglected either the law and fallen into antinomianism or they have neglected grace and run amuck into legalism. God’s Grace Shining through Law will help Christians young or old to navigate through these two errors and live in joyful obedience to the Word of God. May this volume be both a warning signal and a welcome sign, challenging each of us to examine our standing before a holy God and encouraging our hearts to rest in the grace of God that is ours in the gospel. Table of Contents: Historical Perspectives on the Grace of Law 1. The Puritans on the Grace of Law – Joel Beeke 2. Augustine of Hippo on Law and Grace – William VanDoodewaard Experiential Implications of the Grace of Law 3. “Law Death – Gospel Life”: Erskine’s Vision for True Gospel Living – Gerald Bilkes 4. The Convicting Power of the Law – Stephen Myers 5. Freedom of the Law in the Heart – Clarence Simmons Practical Implications of the Grace of Law 6. The Civil Law: Outdated but Relevant – Michael Barrett 7. Christ in the Law – David Murray 8. Freely and Cheerfully, Part 1 – Michael Riccardi 9. Freely and Cheerfully, Part 2 – Michael Riccardi 10. Law and Mission: A Neglected but Foundational Biblical Pair – Daniel Timmer

Paul's letter to the Roman Church is, in a nutshell, a testimony of God's grace: the Gospel of God. It brings into focus not only the correct way to understand the New Covenant reality of grace, but also, perhaps more significantly, the correct way to understand the Old Covenant of law. The importance of this clarification cannot be understated. In fact, it was the dominant theme Paul continued to clarify to the church throughout his entire known ministry. To Paul, the Christian life was lived through the profound reality of grace.The New Covenant is the awakening of God's divine way of the Spirit, established at its appointed time through the finished work of his Son. Paul was convinced of this new era of grace, and, in a way that perhaps only Paul could do, he explained how all things found their reality in grace and how all things are achieved through the power of grace. Grace was not merely a nice word to Paul; it was the very nature of God. It was to Paul, and remains true for every generation, the all-encompassing power of the Almighty.'God's Grace Apart From Law' is an easy to read, conversational journey through the first three chapters of Paul's letter to the Roman church. If you want to gain a better understanding of how the New Covenant functions and how to correctly understand the relationship between God's grace and God's law, then this book will help you greatly. "Mooney presents us with yet another reason he is such a gift to today's church. This book exposes the fraud of self-made righteousness and invites us to the joys of truly knowing our perfect standing in Jesus Christ. So if you want to more fully celebrate God's grace, read this book and find your heart overflowing with gratefulness to your Jesus."Dr. Andrew FarleyBestselling author of "The Naked Gospel" and "God Without Religion"

Throughout the Bible, God’s law and His grace are interwoven. They are not at odds, as some think. What does the Bible really say about law and grace? The Bible reveals how God thinks. It contains laws that God gave “for your good” (Deuteronomy 10:13; Romans 7:12). They are beneficial family rules that show us how to love God the way He wants to be loved and how to love fellow human beings in the way that promotes the greatest peace and happiness. God’s laws are not a burden but a blessing (1 John 5:3). However, the truth is that no human being, except Jesus Christ, has perfectly obeyed God’s laws. Going against God’s perfect and holy laws creates a rift between us and our holy Creator. His perfect righteousness can’t coexist with the vile corruption of sin. The horrible stain of sin must be removed if we are ever to have the close family relationship that God so greatly desires. While the law defines sin, clearly showing us what actions are right and wrong, keeping the law—even keeping it perfectly—cannot remove the penalties for our previous sins and reconcile us to God. We are saved “for” good works, not “by” good works (Ephesians 2:10). God’s grace—His love and mercy and all of His generous gifts—makes reconciliation possible. Grace does not remove the beneficial laws but, through Christ’s sacrifice, pays the penalty of sin. It is not a case of law vs. grace. God’s revelation is that law and grace work together. So why do so many today believe grace abolishes God’s law or that they are at odds? In this section, we carefully examine the teachings of the Bible on law and grace to see what God really intended.

Grace in Practice is a challenging call to live life under grace -- a concept most Christians secretly have trouble with. Paul Zahl pulls no punches, contending that no matter how often we talk about salvation by grace, in our "can-do" society we often cling instead to a righteousness of works. Asserting throughout that grace always trumps both law and church, Zahl illuminates an expansive view of grace in everything, extending the good news of grace to all creation. Conversationally written and filled with fascinating insights, Grace in Practice will reward any Christian who seeks to understand the full measure of God's grace and the total freedom it offers.

""What shall we do?"" was the question people asked John the Baptist as they came to be baptized. Others asked this question of Jesus during his ministry in Galilee, and of Peter on the Day of Pentecost. After two thousand years, even many confirmed Christians remain confused. May a Christian work on the Sabbath? Is the Sabbath Saturday or Sunday? Must we eat Kosher? Paul said that Christ fulfilled the Law, so what are the rules for today? Must Christians still follow the Ten Commandments, or have all the commandments been abolished in favor of ""love""? If there is no Law, is anything still a sin? What are we required to do, or forbidden to do, and how much can we get away with, and still be saved? The New Testament, especially in the practical teachings of the Apostle Paul, contains adequate answers to many of these questions and provides principles for making Godly decisions even on debatable matters never dreamt of two thousand years ago.

God's Grace: A Gift Freely Given was written for each and every person who is trying to figure out what "amazing grace" is all about. Grace is God's special gift that has been purposefully packaged for you in the book called the Bible. In this book, you will discover that no matter who you are, what you believe, or what you've done, God's saving grace is yours, freely given. No strings attached. The author reveals the answers to questions such as: What is the meaning and purpose of God's grace? Why is grace entirely dependent upon the Creator for its existence? What is the relationship between God's grace and your obedience? Why does God's grace create such strife and contention? How does a false view of grace affect your view of God? What is the relevancy of God's grace in your daily life? If the answers to these questions pique your spiritual curiosity and palate, then this book's for you!

Not Under Law but Under GraceBefore launching into scriptures about this subject let me point out that Paul was reminding believers that God's grace empowers them more to overcome sin. It is NOT saying that they no longer have to keep the law. Again Paul is reminding them that because of grace they now have MORE power, not less, to overcome sin and lawlessness.Romans 6:14, For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace. (NIV)Romans 6:14, For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. (KJV)Romans 6:14, for sin over you shall not have lordship, for ye are not under law, but under grace. (YLT)The aim of this chapter, is to help you think through the book of Romans as well as others and get an insight into the thought and doctrine of Paul. As mentioned before, Peter comments that some of Paul's wisdom and teaching is hard to understand and some people twist it to their own destruction (2 Peter 3:15-16). In this lesson we try to represent Paul's doctrine accurately and clearly.You often hear the argument that we are "not under law but under grace." But what does it mean to be under grace? Does this mean we no longer have to obey the Ten Commandment laws or the other Moral Laws in the Old Testament?First let's define what sin is according to the Bible. 1 John 3:4 says, "Whosoever commits sin transgresses also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law."Therefore, if there is no Law then there can be no sin, and for even further clarity Romans 4:15 says, "Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression."To give clarity to Romans 6:14 above we also look at Romans 5:21 and Romans 7:6-7;Romans 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."Romans 7:6-7, "But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code. What shall we say, then? Is the law sinful? Certainly not! Nevertheless, I would not have known what sin was had it not been for the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, "You shall not covet."Notice that Paul uses Commandment #10 of the Ten Commandments to illustrate this last New Testament scripture! So the law as stated in the Old Testament is still supposed to be used to overcome sin. But we do so in the Spirit, under the Lordship of Jesus under His grace.I hope you noticed the following key words that I underlined: Master, Dominion, Lordship, Lord, Serve, Spirit, Grace. Now the following is the key to understanding Paul's saying that we are "not under the law, but under grace": Before Christ the people of God's covenant were under service to the written code or the law. They were bound up in sin and the law was not enough (by itself) to free them from the power of sin. Under Christ, people - if they choose for Christ - would be freed from being bound in sin. The law was there (and still is there) to show them how far short they fell from God's righteous law. And the penalty of what breaking that law required was punishment and spiritual death (Hell or Sheol in the Old Testament). "The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in (through) Jesus Christ our Lord." (Rom 6:23) So by receiving Jesus Christ we receive the grace of God. And so we put ourselves under the Lordship of Christ "under His grace."