But he (God) said unto me, "My grace
is sufficient for you, for my power is
made perfect in weakness."
II Corinthians 12:9a
Isidore of Seville (Archbishop of Seville who died in 636 A.D.—Sainted
by the Catholic church was considered by many historians to be the last scholar
of the ancient world. I found his
statement on teaching and grace to be right in line with Scripture when he
said, “Teaching unsupported by grace may enter our
ears, but it never reaches the heart. When God's grace does touch our innermost
minds to bring understanding, then his word, which is received by the ear, can
sink deep into the heart.”
When we think about the grace of God, there are a few questions to
ponder:
When we think about the grace of God, there are a few questions to
ponder:
1.
Is
grace found in the Old Testament Scriptures?
2.
Did
grace arrive only with the birth of Messiah, Jesus, the Christ, the Anointed
One?
3. What
is the essential purpose of the law given in the Old Testament?
Think about questions one and two as we take a look at question three.
I would maintain that it is impossible to separate the law from grace. The
two are inextricable. The law was given by God for two purposes: The revelation
of sin and the preparation for the Savior.
Scripture tells us that God’s
redemption plan was forged—it took shape—before the creation of the world:
In Ephesians 1:4 Paul tells us, “For he (God) chose us in him before the creation of the world to be
holy and blameless in his sight.” Salvation depends totally on God. We don’t
deserve it, we cannot influence God’s plan, it is a gift given before the earth
was created.
In I Peter 1:20 we learn that “He (Christ) was chosen before the creation of the world, but
was revealed in these last times for your sake.” God’s plan was not in light of
an oops…because man was disobedient. God’s plan for redemption was not plan
B—it was not a last straw or an afterthought.
The sacrificial atoning death on the cross of God’s Only Son was Plan A,
from the beginning, But before we get to the cross…we need to understand the
law. And we will do that by taking an Old Testament overview crash course.
Grace is God’s undeserved favor. Grace is what we desire when we have
blown it, made a mistake, broken a promise or ignored a warning. But the times
we most need grace, are often the times when the thou shall not brigade steps forth reminding us of our faults and
failures in keeping the law. And often, we ourselves are guilty of accusing
other law breakers rather than displaying a bountiful portion of grace.
What
is the Law? The Law, simply put, is a mixture of authorities, rules and
regulations that convey standards of living with consequences for any breaking
of said law. Aristotle called it reason
free from passion; more about justice than mercy and, by its very nature,
restrictive and binding. Grace, favor, kindness, freedom and blessing is not
often associated with the law.
Since our thoughts will revolve around God’s law and God’s grace, we
will be searching the Scriptures for tools that will help us understand how the
law of God relates to the grace of God—thereby helping to firmly establish our
hearts as a place of grace. While many may see the Bible’s Old Testament as
devoid of grace, we can surely find God’s stamp of grace across the pages of
human history from Genesis through Revelation.
In the next few posts we will focus on God’s law and its relationship to
God’s grace. I pray you will stick with me as together we delve into the Word
of God.
© Joyce Powell
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