What It Really Means To Be Under Grace

I’m Not Under Law

Romans 6:14-15 For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace. [15] What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means!

         I would like to know how many people who say, “I’m not under law” can also call God’s law what the Apostle James called it.

“The Law of liberty”

“the perfect law.” He says the doer of it will be blessed. (James 1:25).

I wonder how many people agree that…

God’s Law Is Gracious

         When Moses saw God’s glory, he saw it with his ears in these words:

Exo 34:6  “The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, [7] keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin....”

I wonder how many people know that

Israel Found God’s Grace

Jer 31:2 Thus says the LORD: “The people who survived the sword Found grace in the wilderness—Israel...”

         What is grace?

Charis

 … is the New Testament Greek word for grace. It means unmerited favor, gift, thankfulness. To “say grace” or to “return grace” thanksgiving. Eucharist has the word charis in it. It means thanksgiving. A charismatic person is a gifted or graceful person. A graceful dancer is a gifted dancer. Grace is gifted ability. So if you say you’re under grace, you’re saying you have more ability.

More Grace Is More Power Over Sin

James 4:6 “But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, ‘God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.’”

         Some people have more grace than others. And some have more grace than they used to have. And some are going to get more grace… “grace for grace” (John 1:16).

The Bible Says

Giving Is A Grace

…in 2 Corinthians 8. God says, “see that you abound in this grace” (8:7). So grace can abound or be little.

Acts 4:33 says,

Great Grace Was Upon The Apostles

 “and with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all.”

Acts 11:23 says

Grace Can Be Seen

 “When [Paul] came and had seen the grace of God [on the church], he was glad...”

Acts 13:43 says

Grace Makes People Follow The Apostles

 “…many of the Jews and devout proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas, who, speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of God.”

Acts 18:27b says,

“Faith Comes Through Grace.”

Also, Eph 2:8-10 “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”

Gal 5:4 says,

One Can Fall From Grace

 It says, “you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace.”

         The reason they fell was because they only had common grace. The only reason anyone ever falls from grace is because they never had special grace. They only had common grace.

They Were Never Of Us

John says, “They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us” (1 John 2:19 ESV).

Grace Is Not License To Sin

Have you ever heard someone say, “Don’t put that guilt trip on me! I’m not under law, I’m under grace”? Jude says false teachers “change the grace of our God into a license…” (Jude 4 NIV). They say, “Well, since we are not under the law but under grace, we do not need to keep the Law any longer.” Is that really what grace means? They have changed grace into a license.

Grace Provides Dominion Over Sin

God says, “For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.” (Romans 6:14-15) Being under grace is the very reason why we don’t have to sin.

The person under grace will never get defensive and say, “Don’t put that guilt trip on me.” David was under grace. When Shimei cursed and accused him, he said, “Leave him alone. The Lord sent him.”

Some seem to think that grace is the same as mercy.

Grace Is Not The Same As Mercy

         Mercy is the result of grace, but it is not the same. Suppose a murderer has been sentenced to death. While he waits for execution the man is under the guilt and condemnation of the law. But just before the execution date the governor decides to pardon him.  Now he is no longer under the law but under grace. The law no longer condemns him. He is considered totally justified as far as the charges of the law are concerned. He is free to walk out of the prison and no policeman can lay hands upon him because the governor’s grace resulted in mercy.

But

No Man Can Be Pardoned Until Public Justice Is Satisfied.

God told Moses He by no means clears the guilty without satisfaction. (Exodus 34:7) Grace cannot pardon without first satisfying the law. It’s called “atonement.”

The Law Is What Grants Grace

         The whole plan of redemption is according to God’s law. The blood sacrifices foreshadowed the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. God’s law requires satisfaction, and God’s law also provides it with the blood of Christ. In that sense the law brings liberty. Paul said he was not “without law toward God, but under law toward Christ” (1Cor 9:21).

The “Law Work” Produces Grace

No one ever receives special grace who has not experienced the “law work” first. The law was our schoolmaster that brought us to Christ and it still is for those not under grace.

Here’s How The “Law-Work” Produces Grace.

1.) The sinner is first awakened by God and starts seeking salvation. 2.) The Holy Spirit applies more common grace by convincing him of sin, righteousness, and judgment. This pressure increases until he is brought to the end of himself. 3.) He sees no way out. At this point he can either defend himself, or yield to God’s judgment. 4.) To receive special grace and get power over sin, the convicted sinner surrenders unconditionally. He says, “Whatever you say, Lord. I’ll praise you even if you send me to hell.”  That is being under grace.

God’s Law Is

The Foundation Of That Experience

Without a firm foundation the house will fall. Without the Old Testament the New has no meaning. Everything Jesus and the apostles said and did was based on the Old Testamen. Even the doctrine of salvation by grace through faith apart from the works of the law is taken from the Old Testament. Old Testament people were saved the same way we are today… by grace through faith.

How Does Grace Respond To Law?

In gratitude and love the man under grace loves the law that brought him to grace. “Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law” (Romans 3:31). The law is established and upheld in the life of grace. This truth is so simple and so obvious that it should require no repetition, but the devious reasoning of those who try to avoid obedience makes it necessary to repeat, repeat, repeat. True faith always results in obedience to God’s law.

What It Really Means To Be Under Law

         God rains on the just and on the unjust alike. Let me illustrate this with two kinds of alcoholics. One is under law and the other is under grace. The one under law made a decision for Christ and joined the church, but he still has a physical compulsion to drink. He constantly battles it and is miserable, but he’s a dry alcoholic. Eventually he falls off the wagon. The problem is that he never received special grace. He made a decision but he was never delivered. He was never a true convert. He only received common grace. False converts do not endure to the end.

What It Really Means To Be Under Grace

         This almost happened to Wally. He made a decision for Christ, joined the church, quit drinking and was miserable. Under law, he was constantly fighting the physical impulsion to drink. Finally he knew he could not resist any longer. He was still under law. But without giving in he came to the utter end. He was now clearly convinced that only God could make a camel go through the eye of a needle. He lay on his bed that night knowing his life was over unless God did a miracle. Suddenly, he heard an audible voice say, “Wallace! Now I’m going to do something for you.” The physical compulsion to drink disappeared and he never drank again.” He was now under special grace… a true convert.

            I only use the alcoholic as an example of what must happen to every one of us, not just alcoholics. That is what it means to be under grace instead of law.