Law and Grace

Whenever I see a speeding police car, I wonder if the law no longer applies to policemen. Is it okay for them to break the posted limit? What about a soon-to-be dad racing his wife to the hospital? Or a person with an important appointment? Can some people legitimately break traffic laws but not others? Where do the powers that be draw the line?

The Laws of God are much clearer and without loopholes. No one can claim a good reason for lying, or that stealing was the only choice, or that they had to covet, or to curse God.

Actually, the Bible says if we break any one of these commands, we are guilty of breaking the whole Law. It seems that God considers His Laws as one unit, not a group. Break one of them and the whole Law is broken.

This was a serious thing for the Jews. They considered the Laws of God so important that they created 600 more to “protect” the ones Lord gave them. No work on the Sabbath became “no lighting a fire” and thus no cooking that day either.

Then, along comes Jesus Christ and turned everything upside down, at least in their minds. The Gospel preached by the Apostles says that we can please God — not by law-keeping (obviously no one could do that anyway), but by believing in His Son. I can imagine their reactions to these words . . . 

But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it — the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. (Romans 3:21–24)

Salvation is a gift. Righteousness is a gift. Redemption is a gift. Everyone falls short and everyone can be gifted with righteousness through Christ and faith in Him. Why then the Law? Other verses explain that the Law was given to show the Jews that they were sinners, not to provide them a way of becoming perfect.

But they didn’t like this “good” news. For them, the claims of Jesus were so contrary to their thinking that they crucified Him. Then, when He rose from the dead, they tried to cover that up and say it didn’t happen. When His disciples joyfully proclaimed it, they tried to kill them too.

When Paul wrote to the Romans, he had good news for them as well. The God that the Jews worshiped was not just a Jewish God. His law was for the entire world and His plan of salvation was also for everyone. Paul quoted the Old Testament to prove it.

Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, since God is one — who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith. Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law. What then shall we say was gained by Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.” Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness, just as David also speaks of the blessing of the one to whom God counts righteousness apart from works: “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin.” (Romans 3:29–4:8)

This is a complex passage. The important part is that Abraham simply heard what God said and believed him. This faith pleased God so He declared the man righteous, not because He obeyed the Law, but because He believed what God said.

Paul quoted Psalm 32 at the end of these verses. It says that God forgives those who break the Law. He covers their sin, not counting it against them. The New Testament fills this in: God put our sin on Jesus. Jesus bore the penalty we deserve, and by faith in Him we are forgiven, our sins covered.

I once thought that I was a good person and didn’t need a Savior. But everyone sins. How much good would I have to do for my good deeds to out-weight the bad? If sin was like speeding, where would God draw the line? Would it be okay to sin if I had a good reason? If I was a person of authority?

Those are excuses. Now I know better. Even if I sinned only once (sigh) that would be enough to make me a Law-breaker. God knows that no one could ever reach the standard of perfection that He requires. It is for that reason He sent Jesus. “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son. Whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.”