StriperAddict
Senior Member
THE FALSE “SAFETY” OF LAW
Human beings feel safer and more comfortable with walls, rules and boundaries. It puts us in our own little comfort zone.
While it’s true that laws and walls can keep us safer in the physical world, that doesn’t really hold true in the spiritual world.
People believe that law based living will keep a believer “in line”, keeping them “safe.” It provides a boundary, a fence, to let us know that we will be safe with God inside the fence of the commandments. Venture outside the boundary and punishment will be forthcoming.
On the other hand, Grace makes people nervous. Many Christians begin to fret and worry if the unadulterated grace of God is preached. With grace, the walls and boundaries come crashing down and fear abounds that believers will run amok without those boundaries. So the “yeah buts” come flying out in full force.
“Yeah but that doesn’t mean we can just do whatever we want!”
“Yeah but grace doesn’t mean you have a license to sin!”
“Yeah but you still have to obey the commandments!”
“Yeah but we still need to do the spiritual disciplines!”
See what’s going on? They are screaming for the walls to be put back up. “No walls!? All grace?? You can’t do that. You MUST have some walls up or Christians will go crazy!”
No, they won’t.
GRACE is what gives us true security and leads to a godly life, not laws and boundaries. See our verse below. Grace is what truly keeps a person in line.
How? Walls, rules and boundaries stimulate sin while grace does not. Put a fence up and we naturally want to know what’s on the other side. Make something a law and you want to know what happens if you break it. Law increases sin. It’s that simple. Rom 5:20!
THE FREEDOM OF GRACE
Grace tears down the walls and gives freedom. The Gospel of Grace is the true gospel that gives life to everyone who believes in Jesus. The walls come down, but the love of God for us that is shed abroad in our hearts keeps us in union with Him, satisfying us with the love and acceptance He gives to us in Him.
***Grace is all we need for salvation. Grace is all we need for our life in Christ each day. Grace is Jesus.***
I love the illustration Bob George used to give:
Compare a city dog vs a country dog. Living under law is like the city dog. In the back yard, there is a fence around the property and all the dog can think about is getting over that fence. The dog will try to jump over the fence, or dig under the fence. The dog will stick their nose through a hole in the fence just trying to experience something on the other side.
Living under grace is like a country dog.
Out in the country, there are no fences, no boundaries. It’s wide open space for miles. Where do you find the dog out in the country? Sitting restfully at his masters feet. The dog can go anywhere it wants, as far as it wants, but he’s learned the most satisfying place to be is resting with his master. That’s what Grace does.
While the religious world screams that grace must be “balanced” with law, with fences; the safest, most freeing place to be is resting at the Master’s feet. That’s a life of grace, enjoying the Master.
- David MossView attachment 1185140View attachment 1185141
Human beings feel safer and more comfortable with walls, rules and boundaries. It puts us in our own little comfort zone.
While it’s true that laws and walls can keep us safer in the physical world, that doesn’t really hold true in the spiritual world.
People believe that law based living will keep a believer “in line”, keeping them “safe.” It provides a boundary, a fence, to let us know that we will be safe with God inside the fence of the commandments. Venture outside the boundary and punishment will be forthcoming.
On the other hand, Grace makes people nervous. Many Christians begin to fret and worry if the unadulterated grace of God is preached. With grace, the walls and boundaries come crashing down and fear abounds that believers will run amok without those boundaries. So the “yeah buts” come flying out in full force.
“Yeah but that doesn’t mean we can just do whatever we want!”
“Yeah but grace doesn’t mean you have a license to sin!”
“Yeah but you still have to obey the commandments!”
“Yeah but we still need to do the spiritual disciplines!”
See what’s going on? They are screaming for the walls to be put back up. “No walls!? All grace?? You can’t do that. You MUST have some walls up or Christians will go crazy!”
No, they won’t.
GRACE is what gives us true security and leads to a godly life, not laws and boundaries. See our verse below. Grace is what truly keeps a person in line.
How? Walls, rules and boundaries stimulate sin while grace does not. Put a fence up and we naturally want to know what’s on the other side. Make something a law and you want to know what happens if you break it. Law increases sin. It’s that simple. Rom 5:20!
THE FREEDOM OF GRACE
Grace tears down the walls and gives freedom. The Gospel of Grace is the true gospel that gives life to everyone who believes in Jesus. The walls come down, but the love of God for us that is shed abroad in our hearts keeps us in union with Him, satisfying us with the love and acceptance He gives to us in Him.
***Grace is all we need for salvation. Grace is all we need for our life in Christ each day. Grace is Jesus.***
I love the illustration Bob George used to give:
Compare a city dog vs a country dog. Living under law is like the city dog. In the back yard, there is a fence around the property and all the dog can think about is getting over that fence. The dog will try to jump over the fence, or dig under the fence. The dog will stick their nose through a hole in the fence just trying to experience something on the other side.
Living under grace is like a country dog.
Out in the country, there are no fences, no boundaries. It’s wide open space for miles. Where do you find the dog out in the country? Sitting restfully at his masters feet. The dog can go anywhere it wants, as far as it wants, but he’s learned the most satisfying place to be is resting with his master. That’s what Grace does.
While the religious world screams that grace must be “balanced” with law, with fences; the safest, most freeing place to be is resting at the Master’s feet. That’s a life of grace, enjoying the Master.
- David MossView attachment 1185140View attachment 1185141