Not Under Law but Under Grace: Principles of Grace Living
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Christians are under grace as a rule of life
Christians are under grace as a rule of life
Obedience that is primarily motivated by love
Obedience that is primarily motivated by love
17 By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world.
Love has been perfected with us- Lit. “love has reached its goal” with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgement.
18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.
Because of our salvation we have been justified with Christ. We we were justified all of our sins were blotted out of God’s record book, and we were credited with God’s own righteousness. We are now under grace. And it is the perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross that has perfected us forever. Because of this we have God’s promise that all our sins and lawless deeds He will remember no more! God now loves us as children. We are under His grace. This new position, being united to Christ, being under grace, being loved by God casts out fear.
What does this mean for my daily living? It means obeying God does not give us any more favor with God than we already posses in Christ. God loves us, not because of our performance, but because of what Christ has done for us! God loves you because of Christ, because you are in Christ and under grace! You cannot undo that! No matter what you do! You are now under grace.
But you don’t know how badly I messed up last week! Me too!
Your obedience to God does not grant you any more favor with God. You already posses all the favor and love you will ever need in Christ. You are under grace!
If this is true, then what is keeping me from sin?
19 We love because he first loved us.
Grace motives us to obedience on the basis of love. We love because he first loved us. Obedience comes from hearts that have been overwhelmed by application of God’s love through the Spirit. And empowered by the Spirit of God we obey, not externally, but inwardly from the heart. We actually respond the way God deserves. We obey out of love for God. When we lovingly obey God gets the glory He deserves. Only He could do this work in our hearts. Only grace is powerful enough to accomplish this kind of change!
We love because he first loved us. This is a principle of grace living. This is the at the core of being under grace and growing in sanctification. Let me explain:
The process of sanctification is, in large part, fed by constant returning, ever more deeply, to the event of justification.
Dane C. Ortlund, Deeper
Justification is outside-in, and we lose it if we make it inside-out.
Justification is outside-in, and we lose it if we make it inside-out.
Here’s what I mean. Justification is “outside-in” in the sense that we are justified by being given a right standing that comes to us from wholly outside us.
Justification- a change in God’s records in which all our sins are forgiven, and the righteousness of Christ is credited to us. — Myron Houghton
By believing in Jesus Christ all Christians have been declared innocent of all charges justly brought against those who sin and fall short of God’s glory. —Douglas Moo
The Reformers highlighted this inside-out idea through the term “alien righteousness.” Martin Luther called it a “happy exchange.”
We are given Christ’s righteous record and he takes on our sin-ridden record; accordingly, we are treated as innocent and Christ was treated as guilty, bearing our punishment on the cross. We are thus “justified”—that is, declared faultless with respect to our legal standing. Despite being the offending parties, despite having no case to make out on our behalf based on our own merits, we are free to leave the courtroom. And no one can ever accuse us again. And this justifying verdict is something we can receive only by acknowledging that we don’t deserve it and asking for Christ’s record to stand in for ours.— Dane C. Ortlund
In terms of our sanctification, pausing to dwell deeply on our justification is of supreme benefit.
Scottish pastor Robert Murray McCheyne said, “For every one look at yourself, take ten looks at Christ.”
John Newton said that a single view of Christ “will do you more good than poring over your own wounds for a month.”
Sanctification is inside-out, and we lose it if we make it outside-in.
Sanctification is inside-out, and we lose it if we make it outside-in.
19 We love because he first loved us.
25 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.
27 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness.
5 having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.
2 Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith?
3 Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?
This inside-out sanctification is largely fed by daily appropriation of this outside-in justification.
This inside-out sanctification is largely fed by daily appropriation of this outside-in justification.
15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.
21 Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.”
23 Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.
24 Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father’s who sent me.
31 but I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father. Rise, let us go from here.
9 As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love.
10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love.
11 These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.
Example:
Giving: Under law as rule of life
Giving: Under law as rule of life
10 Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.
Problems:
Does not distinguish between the church and Israel
Misunderstanding: 10% of our money belongs to God, while 90% is ours to use as we see fit.
Giving: Under grace as a rule of life
Giving: Under grace as a rule of life
Truths:
100% of everything we have is given to us from God and He expects us to be wise stewards with 100% of our money, time, and abilities that He has entrusted to us.
Before adopting grace as a rule of life, we continue in our natural greedy ways, keeping as much as we can for ourselves.
Example: Should we give 10% of our gross income, or 10% after taxes? We use legalism as a tool to avoid generosity.
What does living under grace principles look like?
1 We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia,
2 for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part.
3 For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own accord,
4 begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints—
5 and this, not as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us.
6 Accordingly, we urged Titus that as he had started, so he should complete among you this act of grace.
7 But as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all earnestness, and in our love for you—see that you excel in this act of grace also.
Let me take a minute to apply this to our grace giving fund!
What Grace Giving is NOT:
1. A pledge you will be forced to fulfill
2. Part of your regular church giving that you designate to missions
3. Something anyone else will know about
What Grace Giving IS:
1. A Spirit enabled act of worship graced to you by God (2 Cor. 8 & 9)
2. A voluntary, cheerful, joyful act of loving obedience
3. It is a supernaturally sacrificial gift for gospel ministry
4. It is a supernaturally generous gift for gospel ministry
5. A prayerful plan to add significantly to the furtherance of the gospel
Believers today are not under law, either as a way of salvation or as a rule of life.
Instead, we are saved by God’s grace and not the law, and believers today are to live their lives by God’s grace, not by the law.
We are not under law, but under grace.
Live your life as one under grace. Rest in the wonders of your salvation, draw comfort from the eternal security that is yours in Christ based on God’s grace. Live your current life of sanctification by God’s grace. Let your obedience be motivated not by fear, but by love. Begin to learn what it means to be under grace and not under law!