Romans 11:6
Though it needs no paraphrasing (it is that simple), I will add my own little twist to this amazing verse:
“If we are saved by grace, then there are no more works involved in it, because if there are works then grace isn’t really grace. But if we are saved by works, then there is no room for grace (free favor), because if there is any grace then all of our works don’t really work”.
Can this be plainer? It is incredible that this verse is in the Bible, the New Covenant at that, and it is preached on and commented on so little. When I see it, I am incredulous that we are not making a much bigger deal out of the absolute necessity that works and grace stay forever separate.
What man calls “balance” God calls “mixture”, which is why there is no way to strike a balance between law and grace. Some hear of God’s grace and they counter it with, “Yes, God’s grace is good but you need to use God’s Law to show people how to live”. They are saying that too much grace is bad for you. Let’s see what God’s word says:
“For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ” (John 1:17) – This means that truth will always fall on the side of grace and Jesus is truth (John 14:6). For this cause, grace is not a doctrine but a person; and His name is Jesus! Too preach too much grace is to preach too much Jesus.
“The strength of sin is the law” (1 Corinthians 15:56) – Sin gains both strength and momentum when the Law is applied. This is why God gave the Law, so that man would see his inability beneath such a heavy load of sin. Do you want a sin revival? Insert the Law (Romans 7:9).
“For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world” (Titus 2:11, 12) – Grace has “appeared” and it is currently “teaching us”. Grace appears in the form of Jesus and Jesus is constantly teaching us. Notice that grace teaches you how to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts and it even teaches you how to live righteously. Opponents of grace say that you will never learn these things without the Law. The Apostle Paul said otherwise.
“No man putteth new wine into old bottles; else the new wine will burst the bottles, and be spilled, and the bottles shall perish” (Luke 5:37). The New Wine is the Holy Spirit of the New Covenant, which can never be housed in the wineskin of the Law under the Old Covenant. The Old Covenant cannot house the power of the Spirit which is why you live by the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil under the Law, but you have your senses exercised to DISCERN (not just to know) both good and evil under the New Covenant (Hebrews 5:14).
Finally, notice Jesus’ message to the church at Laodicea:
“So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth” (Revelation 3:16) – Lukewarm water is made by combining hot with cold. Jesus would rather you either embrace the warmth of grace or the coldness of the Law, but to try and marry the two is spiritual confusion and adultery. Let’s put works in their rightful place, which is to show others that we are already saved, not to show God that we are good enough to save (James 2:18).
Though it needs no paraphrasing (it is that simple), I will add my own little twist to this amazing verse:
“If we are saved by grace, then there are no more works involved in it, because if there are works then grace isn’t really grace. But if we are saved by works, then there is no room for grace (free favor), because if there is any grace then all of our works don’t really work”.
Can this be plainer? It is incredible that this verse is in the Bible, the New Covenant at that, and it is preached on and commented on so little. When I see it, I am incredulous that we are not making a much bigger deal out of the absolute necessity that works and grace stay forever separate.
What man calls “balance” God calls “mixture”, which is why there is no way to strike a balance between law and grace. Some hear of God’s grace and they counter it with, “Yes, God’s grace is good but you need to use God’s Law to show people how to live”. They are saying that too much grace is bad for you. Let’s see what God’s word says:
“For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ” (John 1:17) – This means that truth will always fall on the side of grace and Jesus is truth (John 14:6). For this cause, grace is not a doctrine but a person; and His name is Jesus! Too preach too much grace is to preach too much Jesus.
“The strength of sin is the law” (1 Corinthians 15:56) – Sin gains both strength and momentum when the Law is applied. This is why God gave the Law, so that man would see his inability beneath such a heavy load of sin. Do you want a sin revival? Insert the Law (Romans 7:9).
“For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world” (Titus 2:11, 12) – Grace has “appeared” and it is currently “teaching us”. Grace appears in the form of Jesus and Jesus is constantly teaching us. Notice that grace teaches you how to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts and it even teaches you how to live righteously. Opponents of grace say that you will never learn these things without the Law. The Apostle Paul said otherwise.
“No man putteth new wine into old bottles; else the new wine will burst the bottles, and be spilled, and the bottles shall perish” (Luke 5:37). The New Wine is the Holy Spirit of the New Covenant, which can never be housed in the wineskin of the Law under the Old Covenant. The Old Covenant cannot house the power of the Spirit which is why you live by the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil under the Law, but you have your senses exercised to DISCERN (not just to know) both good and evil under the New Covenant (Hebrews 5:14).
Finally, notice Jesus’ message to the church at Laodicea:
“So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth” (Revelation 3:16) – Lukewarm water is made by combining hot with cold. Jesus would rather you either embrace the warmth of grace or the coldness of the Law, but to try and marry the two is spiritual confusion and adultery. Let’s put works in their rightful place, which is to show others that we are already saved, not to show God that we are good enough to save (James 2:18).
