For that matter, smoking Marijuana for certain illness and pain may be appropriate, but again that is in a medical sense, not recreational. Questions to Ponder: Where in my heart to I need more Grace? Energy states tend to do the same. The beloved apostle records these words in John 1:17: For the law was given through Moses; grace and … Standing firmly on God’s Word is our goal and yet it is as hard to do as riding a horse bareback. 6:31. Both cannot coexist. Stop trying so hard, or not trying at all. However, the truth is that no human being, except Jesus Christ, has perfectly obeyed God’s laws. The conversation is usually about how grace and law can coexist and whether too much emphasis upon grace undercuts the requirements that we obey the law of God. Instead use your new found freedom to shine the righteousness God. Jesus is a Jesus of grace not of the law and He is not with you as you struggle doing the works of the law. –Forgiveness does not mean condoning what someone did to you. Like Paul in 11Corinthians 7 & 8 unanswerable logic, the emphatic declarations of the Epistle to the Galatians are God's conclusive answer. If you are not showing the fruit of God’s Spirit by walking in obedience to His Word, by having the joy of the Spirit and by having a desire to please the Lord Jesus, please find someone who can lead you to the Lord Jesus. Grace is where God initiates and provides everything necessary for salvation, and where He initiates and provides everything necessary to live as a functioning member of the Body of Christ. It is amazing how many Christians will tell you that you are putting them back under the law by telling them that they should be keeping God's Commandments, and yet that is exactly what the Bible teaches. John 1:17 — Law and Grace. One calls for the suppression of rights and one upholds rights! I hope I’m helping people understand that these are not polar ends of some controversy, but rather … So Lori brought it home and was so happy as she showed it to me and said, “I would love to have a new Bible every year because I love to highlight and mark it up as I read it.” She started with the book of Galatians and this was its introduction: “The Christians at Galatia had become so involved in the message of the Judaisers that they had even become involved in Jewish festivals and ceremonies. The Law and Grace cannot co-exist even as Christianity often times tries to make the two do so. Some are so far off the truth that they are sitting in the mud of unrighteousness proclaiming “love wins” and everyone is going to heaven, and their counterparts are “black and white” legalists declaring that no one can be a Christian and drink wine, dance or smoke a cigar. Section one discusses the authors and his world, which has to do with the world of Paul. I don’t look at someone’s knowledge and good quotes to denote they are filled with the Spirit but I look for the fruit of the Spirit. Here is Ken’s reply. Dealing with the essential inferiority of the law as compared to the Gospel of grace (4:21-31), the example of Ishamael and Isaac is given. I appreciate the grace versus law article yet I must say smoking is indeed a sin. writer discusses Paul’s view of the law and covenant, his view of grace and salvation and his view about Christ’s freedom from the law through grace and the relevance of this interpretation for Christians today. Pharmakos definition in Greek means drugs and more specifically drugs that were used to enhance one’s mind, give a euphoric feeling, etc. The conversation is usually about how grace and law can coexist and whether too much emphasis upon grace undercuts the requirements that we obey the law of God. Would Jesus smoke? Furthermore, I don’t believe that just because spurgeon had good notes that they qualifies him as someone who was filled with the Spirit. Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. Galatians 5:21 That means we cannot say or believe that we can have both. Definition of Grace. 22:21), and are indwelt by the Spirit of grace (Heb. This book helps us see evidence of God's grace throughout Scripture so we see that far from encouraging sin, grace fuels and empowers the obedience that God commands. Hey Christian, you do understand don’t you that the Christian life is impossible? Cast Out Hagar (The Law) - 20 February 2011 - Duration: 6:31. Galatians 5:20 list the word witchcraft. Christian, do not let anyone tell you that you are missing out on the Christian life if you don’t keep the do’s and don’ts of the Regular Baptists. 4:10), know the grace of the Lord Jesus (Rev. Your part is to believe and receive what God has already accomplished through Jesus Christ.. We do not obey the law in order to be saved but because we are saved. The true function of the law was to serve as a guide to lead men to Christ (3:23-29), and it helped prepare the world for redemption (4:1-11). So when I see that the law is reflecting his heart, and his grace toward me wants me to follow his heart, then grace is actually the fuel for the Christian life. The three essential principles which can never coexist with pure grace are: ANY RECOGNITION OF HUMAN GUILT. God must be free to exercise grace without the slightest limitation because of human demerit and sin; for grace would no longer be grace if its benefits are withheld from the sinner in the least degree because of sin. Could we envision him smoking a cigarette? You can ride a long way at times tightly to the mane of your stallion, but it is almost impossible to get up the hills and through the woods without getting knocked off a couple times and having to get back on. Paul insisted that the two systems were not to be combined. Defilement comes from the heart not what you eat or drink. The apostle Paul found himself between the era of the Law and Grace and God used Him, and his Pharisaical training to be the ideal writer of the horse of truth on these matters. LAW AND GRACE, WORKS AND CHRIST. !… So if you are mixing law and grace, you are not under grace but under the law. To consider our flesh dead and to be alive in Christ, no longer focused on the bodily appetites but on doing the will of God. Grace should push us to NOT want to abuse our body (God’s temple) to get it high, cause lung cancer, and bodily problems via smoking cigars. And so, difficult as it may be, committed Christians must take a stand against this mounting threat to our Faith and our freedom. I would have to study the Pharmakos issue more, but I think we can both agree that not all drugs are bad for a person. If you are depending on your own goodness, whether it be for salvation and entrance into heaven or daily sanctification and entrance into God’s throne, then you have fallen from grace. Neither could the law secure right standing with God or establish the covenant. Conforming to God’s Word Rather than to the World. Lori’s 87 year old Mom recently asked Lori what she wanted from her home when she passed on and Lori told her all she wanted was her old KJV Bible. Galatianism - the mingling of law and grace; the teaching that justification is partly by grace, partly by law, or, that grace is given to enable an otherwise helpless sinner to keep the law. Therefore, if we liken humankind in its present stage of development to an adolescent youth, and if we further believe that God is at least as kind, loving, intelligent, and forgiving as a decent human parent, then the law of justice dictates that it is appropriate for God to have mercy and grace … A cup will do you no good in … Had to die daily to the works of the Flesh. That the only chance you have of being happy, whole and fruitful is to plug directly into the source of life itself, Jesus Christ. Legalism and grace cannot coexist. Christians should not be going around judging each other on non-habitual things that we disagree wit find for ourselves would be sin. 2. The law points out sin, and grace saves from sin. It is certainly sin in almost all cases, but I am unwilling to say it is always sin … unless one wants to categorize that anything that does not glorify God is sinful. In the Declaration of Independence we are told that all men are created equal, but I think that this is actually one of the great lies that our society perpetuates. What is the relationship of law to grace and how do we reconcile the commands in the Old Testament law with grace. Thus, in my limited and ever growing understanding, I see smoking a cigar as evidence of the work of the flesh versus a work of the spirit. The law is like a container for God’s grace through Christ. Certainly many of them back then did not know how bad it was on the body to smoke, but if Spurgeon could smoke with a clear conscience, I am not about to call all smoking sin :). It must dominate all of society and all of society’s institutions. If this is a reflection of his character and care, then grace is not earned by obeying the law, but because God is extending his grace towards me, I desire to walk with Him. The reader of Galatians first needs to know the background—the unusual circumstances that caused Paul to write this epistle (letter) to several congregations in the region of Asia. This is the very reason we are under grace. Crossway is a not-for-profit Christian ministry that exists solely for And when I understand that—that this is the safe path that God has given to glorify and enjoy him—then what grace is doing is not freeing me from that, but actually helping me understand God’s goals for my life. We experience the grace of God (1 Pet. Father please bless this time with You and the study of Your Word. Why? LAW AND GRACE CAN NOT COEXIST (Galatians 4:21-31) Before we begin our study let us pray, Dear Heavenly Father, Holy Father we come into Your presence in the Name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Grace and sin can coexist, but Grace and legalism can never coexist. Yikes… easy to say… now we need to believe it and live it out! The great preacher Charles Spurgeon once said, “Well, dear friends, you know that some men can do to the glory of God what to other men would be sin. There is no higher level of spirituality than walking in the Spirit that God has given to you. You need to let go. We should live peaceably with all people (Rom. To instead grab a hold of the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus; that law that is now written on our hearts, that we might walk in the freedom of our newness of life. So many say grace is there to keep the law, but the bible states in the New Testament that if you fail to keep one of the laws you have broken them all. Pharmakos is where we get the Word pharmaceutical for but with a slight difference of it being used in the Greek to describe drugs that were used to achieve a euphoric feeling or high. Yes sir as I mentioned before, Pharmakos in Galatians 5:20 is a work of the flesh. It takes time, not to be freed from sin but to learn how to walk in your new found freedom so that the joy of the Lord may shine through you. That man was definitely filled with the Spirit and a powerful witness for His Lord. Historically, English separation of powers was actually done between the Crown and the Parliament. Please don’t fall prey to those who would have you think that you need some second work of grace so you can speak in tongues, or need to exercise quiet solitude and meditation to find a higher level of spirituality. If anybody can show me in the Bible the command, ‘Thou shalt not smoke,’ I am ready to keep it; but I haven’t found it yet.”. The apostle Paul devotes almost an entire letter to the Galatians challenging them not to go back under the old law that is weak and fading away. They got hooked on it when they were young and although they do not smoke often or habitually anymore, they have to have that drag on their cigarette from time to time, especially during stressful times. ----- page 2 ----- It is essentially the same as saying all things decay. If Jesus had been content with coexistence he might have escaped crucifixion. And the commandment, which was to bring life, I found to bring death. I hate anything and everything about smoking and can’t stand to be around the putrid and disgusting stuff, but when the Christian boys once a year pull out the Poker cards, whisky and cigars, I am never invited, but I am not about to call them sinners or unsaved because they are exercising a freedom that I do not have. How can sharia law and Constitutional law Coexist? –Bitterness and Grace in the heart cannot coexist. Jesus is not with you. Standing firmly on God’s Word is our goal and yet it is as hard to do as riding a horse bareback. A true Law is permanent and irrevocable, and once you come under a Law (such as the presently-available Law of sin and death and the presently-existing-but-not-yet-available Law of grace) you can never escape it. When you sit slightly too far to one side of the truth it is easy to slip off, so the believer is always making adjustments trying to stay balanced in the full Word of God, not just one verse, or one chapter or one book. No longer focused on sin, but righteousness. You cannot be under grace while still under the law. Learn more or donate today at. the purpose of proclaiming the gospel through publishing (He asked me to post this for him. Paul writes that it is God's grace that frees us from the law's bondage (Romans 7:6) and empowers us with not only the ability to live righteous, but the desire to as well. God’s laws are not a burden but a blessing ( 1 John 5:3 ). Think of the relationship between law and grace as you would a cup filled with refreshing cool water. You are either not saved or you have some big set of sins that have so encumbered you that you cannot live the Christian life as God intends you to live. Law is outside me—something I can point to and say, "That's what I've got to do." Does Satan have you right where he wants you either so focused on how unworthy and sinful you are, or worse yet, so focused on not sinning that it perturbs you to watch your brother or sister in Christ sip on a glass of wine? We cannot fully understand grace without understanding justice. In the passages for today we see something about justice and grace. –Forgiveness does not mean the absence of anger and pain. The word witchcraft is the English translation of the Greek word Pharmakos. I could list a multitude of truth issues like election, eternal security, depravity, church polity, submission, but nothing throws believers off the horse of truth more than Grace versus the Law. If anyone can can live a perfect life in the flesh let me know. These grace and law conversations typically try to put grace and law in some kind of antipathy or tension with each other—I’m showing how grace actually fuels the Christian life. Joseph Prince Recommended for you. You have been made a new creature who is freed from sin and dead to sin, now go out each moment of the day and begin to live out your new reality. That you cannot have something new while you still hold to the old. And notwithstanding what brother Pentecost has said, I intend to smoke a good cigar to the glory of God before I go to bed to-night. Imagine a world without Muslims! You write: “No one can be a Christian and be a smoker.” which could not be further from truth. As much as he loved the laws of Judaism and the easy nature of living within a set of “do’s and don’t” and rules, he refused to allow Peter and the others to throw the yoke of the law upon the Church. If you just say, "It’s what you have to do to make God happy with you," then you’ve not really understood the law. And hence the reason for the post. (When grace becomes permanent it will be called the Law of grace.) Now I will agree with you that one who smokes habitually, especially cigarettes is not displaying the fruit of the spirit and is not caring for the temple of the Holy Spirit that God has given them. Communism cannot live side-by-side with religion, because it cannot abide any rules and principles other than those set by communist leaders. Against this error, the most wide-spread of all, the solemn warnings, the. In Corinthians talks about sexual immorality not food and Drink. No. Required fields are marked *. In ecology, the competitive exclusion principle, sometimes referred to as Gause's law, is a proposition named for Georgy Gause that two species competing for the same limited resource cannot coexist at constant population values. Her Mom told her she can’t read it anymore and wanted her to have it now. You can ride a long way at times tightly to the mane of your stallion, but it is almost impossible to get up the hills and through the woods without getting knocked off a couple times and having to get back on. Hello Ken. Law and grace do not work in competition with each other but in perfect cooperation. I believe the Bible teaches that law and grace work together, and that grace does not in any way do away with the law of God. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: Your email address will not be published. I still can’t picture Jesus, Paul, Peter, John, or any of the apostles “rolling one up” and calling it okay because we have grace. Especially, in democracies it is… Now, what is the law? Yes, based on my understanding we are saved by grace through faith but the entire book of James deals with “true faith” versus “false faith/dead faith” being evidenced by works. My reference to smoking possibly not being sin for some is related to the great preachers of old, many who needed their pipes and others their cigar fro time time. One of spurgeon’s fruit is missing and contra-wise the work of the flesh evidenced, the work of drugs/witchcraft that is. I speak this all in love not to debate but for a healthy discussion. Can you clarify that because I understand that people other than Jews will be getting saved during the Great Tribulation. 12:18), but we ought not reduce this peace to a glib assertion that all paths lead to God. No longer focused on the “do’s and don’ts” of religion, but instead allowing the Word of God to be living and active inside of us: “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”  (Hebrews 4:12). God's grace transforms us (2 Corinthians 5:17), not to lawless living, but to true life experienced … Why are Americans expected to be tolerant when Muslims are not tolerant?~RJH Is Islam Guilty of INFEDELPHOBIA? It was only during the middle of the fourteenth century when a “bicameral Parliament” [1]was established. If there’s nothing wrong with spurgeon smoking a cigar then there can be nothing wrong with a crackhead, heroine user, etc. He currently leads the administrative committee of the Presbyterian Church in America. His perfect righteousness can’t coexist with … For the simple reason that we are saved by grace through faith, as a free gift. The beauty and the goodness of who he is is reflected not only in the grace of God but in the law of God. They are all narcotics and recreational drugs which pose much harm to the body purposefully. ? There is no justifying, cleansing grace in it. Bryan Chapell is the author of several books, including Christ-centered Preaching and Holiness by Grace. Grace is the wonderful truth of God's character through Jesus which is shown to us, comes upon us, and is manifested in us. Standing firmly on God ’ s one or the other, and grace, do. Now we need to believe and receive what God has already accomplished through Jesus Christ with flesh. Against God ’ s laws with your flesh daily t read it anymore and wanted her to have now. Address will not be under grace. produce life through publishing gospel-centered, Bible-centered content we reconcile commands! 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