~ Motivated by Pride vs.
Motivated by Love ~
introduction: The Apostle Paul wrote the Book of Galatians
to the believers of this local church at a time when they were beginning to
reject the gospel of grace and were instead moving backward toward obedience of
the Mosaic Law as the means of winning favor with God. Paul’s purpose in
writing was to point out the dramatic differences between Law and Grace.
Motivated by Pride vs.
Motivated by Love
LAW ~ “For if anyone thinks
himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. For not
even those who are circumcised keep the law, but they desire to have you
circumcised that they may boast in your
flesh. But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord
Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been
crucified to me, and I to the world” (Galatians 6:3, 13-14).
GRACE
~ “For
you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an
opportunity for the flesh, but through
love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in
this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as
yourself’ [Leviticus 19:18]" (Galatians 5:13-14).
summary: The bottom line of understanding Law vs.
Grace is a theology of “DO or DONE!” Are you still trying to DO things to earn
your salvation, or do you understand that it was DONE for you on the Cross of
Calvary by Jesus Christ—you only need to accept/trust His provision on your
behalf?
“Being justified freely
by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” (Romans 3:24). “Not by works of righteousness which we do, but according to His
mercy He saves us” (Titus 3:5a).
notes: (1) The fourth Tuesday of each month during
2013 ALN will look at one aspect of “Law vs. Grace” as seen in the Book of
Galatians.
(2) In
addition to this series of 12 posts on Law vs. Grace, you might take a look at
two previous ALN posts. Law
vs. Grace (July 6, 2010) and Law
vs. Grace, 2 (July 5, 2011), as well as The
Core Message of the Bible #2 (February 1, 2011).
~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW
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