Law vs. Grace

I've done several studies into Galatians, James, John, Luke, Philippians, Timothy and Romans.  God has opened up His word to me like a flood!  So much has poured out on this journey.

This time, specifically, Law vs. Grace.  I have no doubt that it is because Christ followers battle that delicate balance daily.  And many times we wind up still going to one extreme or another!  What does the law do in our lives?  What is the purpose?  Why grace?  How do we experience, and give, grace?

After meditating on all those questions for a while, here is what I have begun to understand: God gave us the law in the Old Testament to guide and protect us, to make us holy and in fellowship with Him.  When the Israelites followed and obeyed, things were good and conversely, when they rebelled, things were bad.  The OT showed us our need for a Savior.  We, alone, are not capable of fulfilling the law.  We try and we fail.

Then Jesus comes and He fulfills the law, takes our punishment and pours out grace!  Wonderful!  But why is there still the law then?  We are set free from the law right?

Yes, but the Lord still uses it to show us "The Way".  The law is still for a Christ follower, it just isn't what saves us.  Christ begins His sanctification (the act of being sanctified which means set apart and free from sin) in us the moment we surrender our lives to Him.  Daily, He does a work in us and brings us closer to Him.  He fulfills the law in us, piece by piece.  And when He does, we experience holiness and freedom and abundant life.  The law still does the same thing as it did in the OT - it guides and protects us - but it doesn't save us...Christ does. 

I see the law like a test.  I give my children tests to see where they're at in a particular subject.  To see what they know.  Where they fall short are the areas we continue to work on.  It's like a mirror of their knowledge.  God's law works the same way.  It shows us where we are falling short.  If we struggle with lying (God's law says do not lie) then we know that's an area where God's grace needs to come in and heal.  It's the mirror of what's in our heart.

Sometimes, as Christ followers, we can shift our focus from Jesus, to what He's done in our lives. It's a subtle shift and one I do not think we intend to do but we do it.

For example: God convicted me on submitting to Mark.  As I submitted to him, I experienced joy and freedom and a deeper intimacy.  Naturally, when I look at struggling marriages I would encourage women to submit because that's what worked for me!  The problem is that it isn't submission that set me free, but Christ! Jesus sanctifying me and revealing my lack of submission, along with my subsequent obedience, has brought me freedom.  Make sense?  Because we confuse the work of the law and the work of Jesus fulfilling the law, we misdirect Christians and non-believers.  We point them to the behavior that needs fixing rather than Christ who fixes them (Grace!).  A subtle, yet dangerous, misguidance. 

Law, alone, brings judgement and resentment.  Grace just loves and looks at the heart. What if we, as Christ followers, stopped using the law in judgement of others and used it only as a test for us and what's in our hearts?  What if we really believed that our only commandments were to Love God and love His people?  Let God, alone, use the law to sanctify and change us. After all, it is His kindness that leads to repentance.