GRACE DOES NOT DISPENSE WITH LAW
The eternal purpose of God is taught in the Book of Romans: (1) Law is a universal concept, (2) Sin is universal, (3) there is a Law of Faith, and (4) Justification through atonement. Romans and Ephesians deal more with God’s grace than any other epistles. Without grace (the free and unmerited gift of God), neither faith nor works could achieve anything. God’s unwavering desire to save man with His perfect justice in punishing sin, was resolved by Jesus Christ who intervened by His death, burial and resurrection (I Cor 15:1-4).
Since the old law of Moses could not take away sin through its blood of bulls and goats, therefore Christ came into the world and offered His own blood as the perfect Lamb of God to take away sin (Heb 10:1-4). His grace is primary; our faith and obedience in repentance and baptism are man’s secondary response in receiving the forgiveness of our sins (Romans 6:3-4; Acts 2:36-38). “Faith alone is dead,” for the new “law of Christ” requires obedience (Gal 6:2; James 2:12, 26). Being set free from the law of Moses, “the law of sin and death,” does not mean that Christians are now under NO LAW. Read the books of Romans and Galatians.
We purify our souls by “obeying the truth…the law of Christ,” (I Pet 3:21; Gal 6:2).
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