20/05/2021
"Are You Living Under Grace?"
Romans 6:14
Part 1
May 2, 2021
Romans 6:14 KJV
For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not "under the law", but "under grace".
Considering two scriptural exact expressions:
1. Under the law;
2. Under grace
What it means to "be under the law"?
This expression appears 12 times in the word of God(Rom.3:19;6:14-15; 1 Cor. 9:20-21; Gal. 3:23;4:4-5,21;5:18).
This expression could be applied as:
1. Under the law doctrinally and dispensationally, and
2. Under the law in principle or in practice
Who are under the law doctrinally and dispensationally?
➡️Israel in Time Past
Deuteronomy 4:1-2,5-8 KJV
Now therefore hearken, O Israel, unto THE STATUTES and unto THE JUDGMENTS, which I teach you(Israel), for to do them, that ye may live, and go in and possess the land which the Lord God of your fathers giveth you. [2] Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep THE COMMANDMENTS OF THE LORD your God which I command you. [5] Behold, I have taught you STATUTES and JUDGMENTS, even as the Lord my God commanded me, that ye(Israel) should do so in the land(of Canaan) whither ye go to possess it. [6] Keep therefore and do them ; for "this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations(Gentile nations)," which shall hear all these statutes, and say, Surely this great nation(Israel) is a "wise and understanding people". [7] For what nation is there so great, who hath God so nigh unto them, as the Lord our God is in all things that we call upon him for ? [8] And what nation is there so great, that hath "statutes and judgments" so righteous as ALL THIS LAW(the whole law,2 Chron. 33:8;Gal.5:3;James 2:10), which I set before you this day?
Deuteronomy 28:1-6 KJV
And it shall come to pass, IF thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the Lord thy God, "to OBSERVE and to DO ALL HIS COMMANDMENTS" which I command thee this day, that the Lord thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth:
BLESSINGS IF Israel would OBEY
[28] And all these BLESSINGS shall come on thee, and overtake thee, IF thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God.
[3] Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed shalt thou be in the field. [4] Blessed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy ground, and the fruit of thy cattle, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep. [5] Blessed shall be thy basket and thy store. [6] Blessed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and blessed shalt thou be when thou goest out.
CURSES IF Israel would DISOBEY
Deuteronomy 28:15-19 KJV
But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day; that ALL THESE CURSES shall come upon thee, and overtake thee: [16] CURSED shalt thou be in the city, and CURSED shalt thou be in the field. [17] CURSED shall be thy basket and thy store. [18] CURSED shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy land, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep. [19] CURSED shalt thou be when thou comest in, and cursed shalt thou be when thou goest out.
Deuteronomy 30:19 KJV
I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you LIFE and DEATH, BLESSING and CURSING: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:
Joshua 8:34 KJV
And afterward he read "all the words of the law", the BLESSINGS and CURSINGS, according to all that is written IN THE BOOK OF THE LAW.
Romans 2:17-20 KJV
Behold, thou art called a Jew, and restest in THE LAW, and makest thy boast of God, [18] And knowest HIS(God's) WILL, and approvest the things that are more excellent, being instructed out of THE LAW; [19] And art confident that thou thyself art a guide of the blind, a light of them which are in darkness, [20] An instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, which hast the form of knowledge and of "the truth in THE LAW".
NOTE and UNDERSTAND:
👉BLESSINGS upon Israel are dependent on the merits of their OBEDIENCE to the law. OBEDIENCE is rewarded with BLESSINGS(physical blessings in the land). On the other hand, DISOBEDIENCE is rewarded with CURSINGS.
👉This is how the law operates with Israel under the law.
Few examples under the law:
David
2 Samuel 22:1,21-23 KJV
And David spake unto the Lord the words of this song in the day that the LORD had delivered him out of the hand of all his enemies, and out of the hand of Saul:
[21] The LORD REWARDED ME ACCORDING TO MY RIGHTEOUSNESS: "according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me". [22] For I have KEPT THE WAYS of the LORD, and have not wickedly departed from my God. [23] For all his JUDGMENTS were before me: and as for his STATUTES, "I did not depart from them".
- David exactly knew how God would bless him. It was through HIS MERIT (in obeying the law)that he received the blessing of physical deliverance from his enemies.
Hezekiah
2 Kings 18:1-7 KJV
Now it came to pass in the third year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, that Hezekiah the son of Ahaz king of Judah began to reign. [2] Twenty and five years old was he when he began to reign; and he reigned twenty and nine years in Jerusalem. His mother's name also was Abi, the daughter of Zachariah. [3] And "he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord", "according to all that David his father did". [4] He removed the high places, and brake the images, and cut down the groves, and brake in pieces the brasen serpent that Moses had made: for unto those days the children of Israel did burn incense to it: and he called it Nehushtan. [5] HE TRUSTED IN THE LORD GOD OF ISRAEL; so that after him was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor any that were before him. [6] For "he clave to the Lord, and departed not from following him", but KEPT HIS COMMANDMENTS, "which the LORD commanded Moses". [7] And "the LORD was with him"; and HE PROSPERED whithersoever he went forth: and he rebelled against the king of Assyria, and served him not.
- Hezekiah absolutely knew the blessings and curses of the law.
2 Kings 20:1-6 KJV
In those days was Hezekiah "sick unto death". And the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz came to him, and said unto him, Thus saith the Lord, Set thine house in order; for thou shalt die, and not live. [2] Then he turned his face to the wall, and prayed unto the Lord, saying, [3] I beseech thee, O Lord, remember now "how I have WALKED BEFORE THEE IN TRUTH(the truth of the law)and with a perfect heart, and HAVE DONE THAT WHICH IS GOOD IN THY( the LORD'S)SIGHT". And Hezekiah wept sore. [4] And it came to pass, afore Isaiah was gone out into the middle court, that the word of the Lord came to him, saying, [5] Turn again, and tell Hezekiah the captain of my people, Thus saith the Lord, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I WILL HEAL THEE: on the third day thou shalt go up unto the house of the Lord. [6] And "I will add unto thy days fifteen years"; and "I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria"; and I will defend this city for mine own sake, and for my servant David's sake.
- Hezekiah here received PHYSICAL HEALING and DELIVERANCE from the hand of the king of Assyria, their enemy. Again, it is through the MERIT OF OBEDIENCE(to the law)that blessings are received.
➡️Is this how God operates in this present "dispensation of the grace of God"? ABSOLUTELY NOT!
👉So sad to say, many Christians are living under the law in their practice. They indeed know that we are not under the law dispensationally, but they are living practically under the law.
👉Many Christians are also confused about what a dispensation is. They still think(as they were taught) that the law operates and that its blessings are in effect today.
👉Some who claimed to be under grace(dispensationally)are living unawarely(or perhaps awarely) under the law, in practice.
👉Say for example, many are still asking God for material blessings and prosperity, miracles, healings, deliverance, and so forth.
👉They think or believe that through giving tithes, going to church, being active to all activities and programs of the church and being faithful to God in everything would cause God to bless them in abundance.
Is this not living under the system of the law in Time Past? It is NOT THROUGH OUR MERIT that God has blessed us today. It is ONLY THROUGH THE MERITS OF CHRIST - THE MERITS OF THE CROSS OF CHRIST AT CALVARY.
➡️Let's read,understand and believe...
Ephesians 1:1-14 KJV
Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to "the faithful in Christ Jesus": [2] GRACE be to you, and PEACE, "from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ". [3] Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, WHO HATH BLESSED(past tense) us WITH ALL SPIRITUAL BLESSINGS IN HEAVENLY PLACES "IN CHRIST": [4] According as he(God the Father) hath chosen us IN HIM(Christ) before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: [5] Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children BY JESUS CHRIST to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, [6] To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted IN THE BELOVED(Christ). [7] IN WHOM(Christ) "we have" redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; [8] Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; [9] Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: [10] That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things IN CHRIST, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even IN HIM(Christ): [11] IN WHOM(Chrust) also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: [12] That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted IN CHRIST. [13] IN WHOM(Christ) ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: IN WHOM also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, [14] Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.(We will have again a full discussion on this in our next series).
👉Think about this:
Aren't we blessed enough IN CHRIST? Are you living UNDER GRACE? or UNDER THE LAW?
Grace and peace to us all in Christ.
