Christ suffered and died so that His Father could award grace to those who have sinned–broken His Law (1 Jn. 3:4). Question: Having awarded man grace for having broken His Law, thereby necessitating the death of His Son, would God then allow man to break that same Law because of grace? If we answer “Yes,” then how can we explain the Biblical verses put forth in the previous posting that directly addressed the grace-Law situation? In John 17:17 Jesus said that God’s Word is Truth. Those verses come directly from God’s Word–His Truth. The church’s answer: “Well, that’s what my denomination teaches.” Contrary to church opinion, just because billions of people have believed a lie for thousands of years does not turn that lie into truth. God’s Word is Truth.

In this final posting it is imperative that we are clear on the subject of grace and law. We are not awarded grace leading to conversion by obeying the Law.  However, once the process begins, we obey the Law in order to maintain conversion, grow in grace, mature in the conversion process unto righteousness, maintain and grow in righteousness unto holiness, the end result of which is salvation. Salvation then is the END RESULT of obeying the Master from Whom salvation comes. This is brought forth in Romans 6:17-22 where the Apostle Paul tells the church at Rome that, though they had once been slaves to sin, they had obeyed God’s Law and were now slaves to righteousness, which if maintained would develop into holiness, the END OF WHICH IS ETERNAL LIFE. The formula for salvation is as follows: man realizes that he has broken God’s Law, repents and receives grace (unearned favor) resulting in justification (forgiveness of all past sins). Man then experiences conversion (reversal of life’s walk) and grows in faith and righteousness by obeying the Law he had once broken. He then lives in righteousness–oneness with Him unto holiness. He then maintains God-given holiness until the end (Mat. 10:22)–death or Christ’s return–at which time he is awarded eternal life, is born again (changed from flesh to spirit) and taken into the Kingdom of God where, for 1000 years he rules and reigns with Christ over the earth. Following this he rules and reigns with Him over the entire universe forever. This is a life-long process that ends only with one’s death or the return of Jesus Christ, whichever comes first. Man sins many times. But failure, like holiness, is a choice. Once one chooses holiness, there is much WORK to be done. Faith alone is not enough; faith without works is dead (Jam. 2:14,17,18,20,24,26).

Failure to understand the grace-Law connection has caused much misunderstanding among God seekers. This Satan-orchestrated failure has caused billions of unwitting seekers to fall short of becoming one with Him. We cannot become a Christian (experienced conversion) without grace. Neither can we be saved without grace. The question is: can one REMAIN a Christian and receive salvation along with all other benefits of God’s grace while continuing to sin? The Biblical answer is: GOD FORBID!

Contrary to church opinion, living under grace means living as led by God’s indwelling Spirit. “They who are LED BY THE SPIRIT OF GOD, (only) they are the sons of God” (Rom. 8:13,14). THE HOLY SPIRIT DOES NOT LED US TO SIN. Jesus of Nazareth, Who was 100% man, was led by the Holy Spirit. By living a sinless, Spirit-led life, Jesus set the example we all must emulate if we are to join Him in His Father’s kingdom (1 Pet. 2:21,22). Those who seek to live eternally with God and Christ must ask themselves if they are willing to die to self and Satan and suffer for doing so. Jesus said in Matthew 7:13,14 that few would. He stated that many are called to do so, but few are chosen for having done so (Mat. 20:16). See Jesus Christ: God, Man or God-man? and Persecution.

God’s grace is free and unearned. No one deserves God’s grace. But make no mistake about this one thing. If we are not willing to reject self and sin and follow the leading of the Holy Spirit to obey God’s Law unto righteousness leading to holiness, God will never extend His grace toward us. The church’s all-grace-and-no-Law theology is a roadmap to the Lake of Fire. L.J.