Law and Grace

MJWG Season 4 Topic 20

The moral laws, or mishpatim, relate to justice and judgment and are
often translated as "ordinances." Mishpatim are said to be based on
God’s holy nature. As such, the ordinances are holy, just, and unchanging.
Their purpose is to promote the welfare of those who obey.
As Ellen G. White explains: The will of God is expressed in the precepts of
His holy law, and the principles of this law are the principles of heaven.
The angels of heaven attain unto no higher knowledge than to know the
will of God, and to do His will is the highest service that can engage their
powers."
Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing, p. 109.
Grace
Grace is divine favor extended to those who stand guilty and condemned to die before
divine law. The necessity for divine grace arises from the sinner’s inability to satisfy the
demands of the law, except by his or her own death. Were it possible to change or
abolish the divine law, there would be no need for grace. The sinner cannot bridge the
gulf that his or her transgression of the law has made; the sinner cannot restore himself
or herself to favor with God. Law and grace are not contrary to each other. They are not
mutually exclusive. Grace offers salvation from the penalty of the law, through the
righteousness of Christ. It preserves both the honor and the majesty of the divine law
and government, while giving life to those who have violated the law and rebelled
against the government of heaven. Grace is not emancipation from the law, but it is
emancipation from sin and from the penalty of the law. Grace provides salvation not by
canceling the requirements of the law, but by cooperating with the law. The law
condemns the transgressor; grace meets the penalty and sets the sinner free.
Are we under Grace or under Law?
What is the function of Law in our Salvation?
“Now while we point the sinner to Jesus Christ as the one who can take
away sin, we must explain to him what sin is, and show him the necessity of
being saved from his sin, not in the. He must be made to feel that he must
cease to transgress the law of God, which is to cease to sin. Paul makes the
iniquiry many years after the death of Jesus Christ, “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 shall not covet”. Thus saying, Paul exalts the
moral law. When this law is practically carried out in everyday life, it is
found indeed to be the wisdom of God, it serves to detect sin. It discovers
defects in the moral character, and in the light of the law, sin becomes
exceeding sinful, revealing its true character in all its hideousness.” -EGW
(Review and Herald)
Deuteronomy 10:12-13
12 And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God ask of you but to fear
the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, to love him, to serve
the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, 13 and to
observe the Lord’s commands and decrees that I am giving you today
for your own good?
In the end of verse 13: keep these things Ie tov lak, that is, "for your
good." In other words, God is commanding the people to obey because
it is in their best interest to do so. God made them, God sustains them,
God knows what is best for them, and He wants what's best for them.
Obedience to His law, to His Ten Commandments, can work only to
their benefit.
The law often has been compared to a hedge, a wall of protection, and
by staying within that wall, God's followers are protected from a raft of
evils that otherwise would overtake and destroy them. In short, out of
love for His people, God gave them His law, and obedience to His law
would be "for your good”. (Ie tov lak)
Sky Diving Illustration
Grace is divine favor extended to those who stand guilty and condemned to die before
divine law. The necessity for divine grace arises from the sinner’s inability to satisfy the
demands of the law, except by his or her own death. Were it possible to change or
abolish the divine law, there would be no need for grace. The sinner cannot bridge the
gulf that his or her transgression of the law has made; the sinner cannot restore himself
or herself to favor with God. Law and grace are not contrary to each other. They are not
mutually exclusive. Grace offers salvation from the penalty of the law, through the
righteousness of Christ. It preserves both the honor and the majesty of the divine law
and government, while giving life to those who have violated the law and rebelled
against the government of heaven. Grace is not emancipation from the law, but it is
emancipation from sin and from the penalty of the law. Grace provides salvation not by
canceling the requirements of the law, but by cooperating with the law.
-EGW
So what’s the connection of Grace and Law?
The law condemns the transgressor; grace meets the penalty and sets the sinner
free. Grace honors the law by presenting the perfect obedience of Christ in place
of the sinner’s disobedience. Grace does not lessen the authority of the law, but
recognizes and maintains its authority by satisfying its claims. Grace forgives, but
it leads those who have been forgiven to serve God in newness of life, according
to His righteous will. Grace delivers the sinner from the condemnation of the law
in order that he or she may obey and honor the law by a new and holy life. The
Christian is to “grow” within the sphere of God’s grace. Of the relationship
between law and grace as determining a person’s preparation for eternal life, M.
B. Smith wrote: “In this life we are justified freely by His grace. . . . But in the
judgment grace is not the rule by which men are justified, but they will then be
judged ‘according to their works, whether they be good or bad” ( Review and
Herald)
God’s Law and God’s Grace are not in competition.

The Law points out our sins and condemns us.

The Grace freely given points us to forgivenss and salvation.
We are saved by the Grace of God, thus, we live in harmony with the
law.
The law is not over us, to condemn us, but under our feet, to be a guide
for our path. In saying that, it is the moral law, as reflected in the Ten
Commandments, to which I refer, which we have the pleasure of obeying
to the glory of God and out of gratitude for our salvation.
-Rev. Richard D. Phillips
If the Spirit of God lives in you, than you will live to please God. It will be
the desire of your heart to please Him. You don’t do it out of guilt or fear,
but because you know His love for you and out of gratitude and love for
Him, you want to do what He wants you to do. You want to obey Him
because you have learned that He is a good and loving God and that He
wants the BEST for you
Our Lord combined law and grace by displaying that the basic principle
under­lying the law of God was love, which is grace in action (Matt.
22:37-40). The rela­ion between the coexistent principles of law and
grace is grounded in the transform­ing power of love. This relationship is
summed up in this lovely statement from Sister White:
"God's law is fulfilled only as men love Him with heart, mind, soul, and
strength, and their neighbor as themselves. It is the manifestation of this
love that brings glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace and good
will to men. The Lord is glorified when the great end of His law is
attained. It is the work of the Holy Spirit from age to age to impart love
to human hearts, for love is the living principle of brother­hood. . . .
Results of Grace?
It gives remission or pardon for our sins (Romans 3:25). It brings eternal
life to those who believe(Romans 5:21). The believer gives up on sin
(Romans 6:1-4), and does the works that God ordained (Ephesians 2:8-
10). Our obedience to God’s will as expressed in His law is the natural
fruit of our salvation.
Grace forgives, but it leads those who have been forgiven to serve God
in newness of life, according to His righteous will. Grace delivers the
sinner from the condemnation of the law in order that he or she may
obey and honor the law by a new and holy life.
Romans 3:24-25
Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in
Christ Jesus, 25 whom God set forth as a [b]propitiation by His blood,
through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His
forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously
committed.
All that man can possibly do toward his own salvation is to accept the
invitation, 'Whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.' No sin
can be committed by man for which satisfaction has not been met on
Calvary. Thus the cross, in earnest appeals, continually proffers to the
sinner a thorough expiation."—The SDA Bible Commentary, Ellen G.
White Comments, on Rom. 3:20, 21, p. 1071. (Italics sup­plied.)
You may observe all these precepts, to the best of your ability,
conscientiously; but if you look no further than the law for salvation,
you can never be saved. The hope of eternal salvation hangs upon
Christ”
Our God is a God of Love and a God of Justice.
James tells us “There is One lawgiver, who is able to save and to
destroy; who art thou that judges another?) (James 4:12)
Thus, the Author of Grace is also the Author of Law and that is Jesus
Christ.
And so, we BELIEVE in Salvation by the Grace of God through faith in
Jesus and that the law is not our saviour but it is Jesus Christ. And
because Jesus Christ saved me, I will keep His law in gratitude of His
mercy and grace.
GRACE
Jesus, a Divine being came down here on earth, became a human baby,
lived a sinless life, then died on the cross, bearing in Himself the
penalty for our sins and evil so that we can have the promise of eternal
life.
Before us is this great truth: the grace given us in Jesus Christ on the
cross. And what does God ask from us in return? "Now all has been
heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his
commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind" (Eccl. 12:13, NIV).
It was the hill that was pierced by the cross
It caught the Blood that fell
It bore the weight of the sins of the world
and the Son of God as well
It heard the voice of the Lamb without blemish
and it says He cried "It is finished"
Calvary's cry is come to this place
Calvary's cry is still Love and Grace
Two thousand years can never erase the sacrifice
"Come and be saved " is Calvary's cry
This is the ground that was claimed for the lost
in a great eternal plan
we testify there is no other way
and it's here we take our stand
the Truth is calling all who will listen
make your way to the hill of redemption
• Calvary's cry is come to this place
• Calvary's cry is still Love and Grace
• Two thousand years can never erase the sacrifice
• "Come and be saved " is Calvary's cry

• After all this time, nothing has changed

• it thunders with mercy
• it whispers your name
• Calvary's cry Calvary's cry
Calvary's cry is come to this place
Calvary's cry is still Love and Grace
Two thousand years can never erase the sacrifice
"Come and be saved " is Calvary's cry