The understanding about the difference between Mosaic law and Christian Grace being of the most importance, the devil has made sure that this subject has been thoroughly mixed up and darkened behind a mist of religiosity. The bible teaches clearly that Christ has fulfilled the law. But through the backdoor it has been brought in again. Others, on one other hand, abuse grace as a pretense for their own aims. Motorcycle accidents
Scripture itself states: "You're saved by grace through faith and that not out of you; it's the gift of God." Luther discovered that clearly. We cannot save ourselves through our good works. One sin is enough to precipitate you into hell, for God is totally holy and cannot have anything to do with sin. So it will be not at all a concern of the good outweighing the bad. We're sinners to the bone and need the grace of Christ. We can only be saved by virtue of His sacrifice on the cross of Calvary.
Abraham was not underneath the law of Sinai. He was under God's mercy, a grace within view of Grace following the Cross. David understood that there's an increased law, the main one of grace, when he pronounced that "blessed is the person whose sins have been forgiven, whose transgressions have been atoned for." He was twice guilty of death under Mosaic law, but the Spirit of God gave him a vision of God's Love.
Israel was underneath the law by their own choice. "All that God demands, we will do." Mosaic law was never imposed upon the heathen. If a gentile wanted to approach God, he'd to become Jewish. The temple was meant to be a light for the nations, but the Jews--certainly in the time of Jesus--wanted to keep it for themselves.
The negative side of regulations was that it only exposed sin just like a light uncovers vermin. Mosaic law doesn't save. All of the sacrifices brought in ancient times were but pictures of Christ's sacrifice. "The blood of goats and rams doesn't atone." The apostle Paul, in his letter to the Galatians, calls what exactly of regulations simply "the principles of the world" ;.All philosophies and man-made theologies are types of law. And the proponents themselves couldn't keep them in a consequent fashion.
The positive side of Mosaic law was that it gave one wisdom, knowledge and insight and up till today, to some extent, the moral laws of for instance Leviticus 18 remain binding; with no punishment of death needless to say on adultery, homosexual practices and other sins.
The apostle Paul writes in chapter 8 of the epistle to the Romans: "Regulations of the spirit of the life in Christ Jesus has saved me from regulations of sin and death." Grace, then, is its law, regulations of Christ. For "Regulations came through Moses, but grace and truth through Jesus Christ" ;.Regulations of Moses could be the harbinger of sin and death. It provokes to sin and its judgment is death. It proclaims: "Cursed is he that will not stay in every that's written in the law." Certainly, so far as Mosaic law is worried, we are all accursed and doomed for eternity. Alone already because of the tenth commandment. The entire world thinks: "It is OK to consider the menu, provided that you eat at home." But if you are angry along with your fellow man, then you have already murdered him in your heart, as Jesus explains in the Sermon on the Mount.
In terms of the idea is worried this one must first become known to oneself through regulations of Moses and then, hopefully, find grace; that goes too far. The murderer on the cross got converted simply by witnessing Christ Himself. One must go right to Christ when possible, not with a (long) method of gloom and doom. That is clearly the message to the Galatians. Actually, Paul states, if you want to keep regulations (also along with grace) then you preach another gospel and you bring yourself not only underneath the curse of regulations, but in addition underneath the curse of Christ. (That does however not signify everybody that believes this, is lost. But most definitely are, because their theology prevents them from true conversion ((which in ways they confirm themselves))... )
Christ is exactly the same Person, both in the O.T. as in the N.T. So He was for Abraham and Enoch before that. Abraham, Jesus said, looked for His glorious Day and for the City built without hands and he found it. Nevertheless the Israelites, in their pride and false self-assurance, boldly proclaimed that they would fulfill God's holy demands. They fell from grace, since it were. Paul warns and convicts the Galatians of an identical thing. He points them how you can the fruit of the Spirit: "love, joy, peace, forbearing with emotions, usefulness, goodness, faith, humbleness, temperance. Against such things there's no law, but those of Christ have crucified the flesh (that could be the 'old man, the initial Adam') alongside the passions and (wrong) desires." Elsewhere he states: "Love could be the bond of laws" ;.Combined this holds out for all of us that when we've the love of Christ in our hearts we fulfill all laws and nothing may be held against us. Of course this was primarily true of Jesus Himself, but we can study on Him.
