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862. The Law Abolished – Final Thoughts (Really)

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Okay, okay, we admit it. Last week was going to be our final program in “The Law Abolished” series. But in case you didn’t read the fine print in our podcast contract, we reserve the right to change our minds. We felt another round would be beneficial to finish this series or topic to further address questions that may still be lingering … and there is a handful of potential “light bulb” moments here as we attempt to help bring further consistency to the message of the gospel of pure grace … fully apart from a law of commandments.

Today, God has a very different ministry than before Jesus died and rose. It’s the ministry of the Spirit, which completely surpassed the previous ministry of works from a former covenant which has absolutely no place since Jesus Christ fulfilled it.



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861. The Law Abolished – Wrapping up Final Thoughts (Or Not)

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At the time we recorded this episode, we were thinking it would be our final program in the series, so you will hear us talk about that. However, the next time we sat down to record, our brain cells started firing and we ended up having a few more thoughts to share, so there will be one more after this one!

This particular episode provides us an opportunity to tie a number of thoughts together regarding the Mosaic law, its purpose and why it is no longer needed today in a covenant of grace. What once had glory has come to have no glory at all … because of the greater and more superior ministry of the Spirit of God.



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860. The Law Abolished (and Gentiles Were Never Under It)

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Our fourth program in the series brings us to a conversation which challenges the idea that the law of commandments from Mount Sinai is still meant to be ministered to people after the cross as a tool to bring them to Christ. There is an effective way to look back on this obsolete law package from the Old Covenant … and the writer of the book of Hebrews shows an example of explaining how it was once the way that Jews attempted to attain righteousness by works—and that it couldn’t be done.

It’s not hard for we grace folks to fall into a similar trap that the legalists have been stuck in—picking and choosing selective bits and pieces of that old law while ignoring other parts that seem more obsolete or abolished. The law only spoke to Jewish people before the cross. It never spoke to Gentiles. So let’s consider a radical idea: stop trying to use the law of sin and death to persuade people and just start sharing the good news of Jesus. He did what the law never could—He fulfilled it in us.
 


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Doers of the Law Will be Justified?

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Was the Apostle Paul confused when he wrote Romans 2:13? Because this verse doesn’t seem to belong in the Bible:

For it is not the hearers of the law who are just before God, but the doers of the Law will be justified. (Romans 2:13)

Doers of the law will be justified?!

Was Paul having a senior moment? Did he forget to insert the word NOT?

There is an easy explanation for this strange verse, which we’ll get to in a minute. But first, let’s be clear: we are justified by faith alone and NOT by keeping the law.

Since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. (Romans 5:1)

Justification by faith is one of the great themes of Paul’s writing. Again and again, he reminds us that we are justified or made right with God through faith in his Son (Rom. 3:28, Gal. 3:24).

Since we are justified by faith, and the law is not of faith (Gal. 3:12), no one can ever be justified by keeping the law.

By the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in his sight. (Romans 3:20)

And one more time for emphasis:

We know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ. (Galatians 2:16)

Paul could not be any clearer. We’re justified by faith not law. Try to impress God with your law-keeping, and you’ll fall from grace and cut yourself off from Christ:

You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace. (Galatians 5:4)

So with such a clear message (faith, not law), why does Paul say doers of the law will be justified?

Doers of the law

Paul was not saying, “Try and keep the law and you will justify yourself before God,” for that would contradict what he says elsewhere about being justified by faith.

He was saying, “hearing the law is not enough, you have to keep it – and none of you can!”

In context, Paul was speaking to people who knew the law (Rom. 7:1). Like many believers, they had been raised on a diet of rules. They thought if they heard the rules, studied the rules, and hung them on their walls, God would be impressed.

Nope.

Going to church and hearing the rules is not enough.

Teaching the rules and condemning those who break them is not enough.

Lobbying for God’s law to be hung on courthouses is not enough.

You have to keep all the rules and no one can.

It is impossible for imperfect man to deliver a lifetime of perfect performance. Paul is not calling us to attempt the impossible; he’s trying to get us to admit defeat.

Doers of the law will be justified, but you are not and never can be a doer of the law.

There was only one Doer of the law who was made right with God and that Doer offers you his righteousness as a free gift.

So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. (Galatians 3:24)

To be justified means God has judged you righteous and not guilty of sin. To be justified is to be made right with God.

You cannot earn the gift of righteousness and you cannot justify yourself before God. The only thing you can do is receive his righteousness by faith.

Want to get right with God?

Start by thanking him for Jesus who was made sin so that you might be justified and made righteous (2 Cor. 5:21).

You are not justified or made right with God because of anything you do, but because of everything he has done.

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Want to learn more about justification, righteousness, and the law? Check out our ever-expanding Grace Glossary.

Read more articles and these frequently-asked questions about the law.

859. The Law Abolished – Nailed to the Cross

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Our third program in the series takes a look at how the Mosaic law was something that had kept people from God, from righteousness, and from a covenant of grace. While it had been meant to ultimately lead the Jewish nation to a Savior, in this New Covenant, we don’t use it in the same way (because nobody is under it). It was a ministry that brought guilt, death, condemnation, and bondage, while bringing a reminder of sins … the precise opposite of what Jesus brings. It came to an end when Jesus became High Priest. It was nailed to the cross and in Paul’s words, it was abolished.

As Paul stated, the law spoke to those who were under it (Jews). Since it has been made obsolete with a new and better covenant, it doesn’t say anything to anyone today. If the law were truly not abolished, that would mean none of it was and it would (all) still have a place … which brings confusion and inconsistency to the message of the gospel of grace.

858. The Law Abolished – The Seed Came and Broke Down the Wall

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Prior to the ratification of the New Covenant of Jesus Christ, we find that there was a barrier, a middle wall of separation which was keeping the Jews from attaining righteousness … and the other 99% of the world without a covenant at all. At the time of the Old Covenant (before the cross), Gentiles were described as being without God and having no hope in the world.

What was it that was keeping Jews from righteousness and Gentiles separated from God entirely? It was the law of commandments contained in ordinances from the first covenant. Jesus broke down this law wall—abolishing this enmity in His flesh. This resulted in Gentiles being brought near to God by the blood of Christ, and bringing both groups together into one new man. Inside of a very different covenant, it is not an obsolete, abolished law that lures people towards God … it was having it removed and taken out of the way.



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857. The Law Abolished – But First Fulfilled

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The law of commandments came through Moses during the first covenant made with Israel. There are some in both legalistic and grace circles who will teach things about this law from very different covenant perspectives, but will often both be of the persuasion that the law itself was not abolished. There may be many reasons for this ideology—with one of those having to do with something Jesus said during the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5.

Whatever your opinion may be on the subject, our goal during this series will be to help provide a viewpoint for consideration in order to bring as much consistency as possible when it comes to the message of the grace of the gospel.



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What is the Modern Grace Message?

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A man once asked me a question: “I want to show my friends that the gospel of grace is not the latest fad. Can you direct me to some early church teachings on grace?”

I replied, “How about the New Testament? Much of what I know about grace comes straight from the life of Jesus and the teachings of the apostles.”

Those opposed to the gospel of grace often dismiss it as the modern grace message. They say it is a passing fad.

It is anything but.

A modern grace message?

What is the modern grace message? It is the ancient and eternal gospel of grace (Rev. 14:6). The only thing modern about it is we are rediscovering what was lost. After wandering in the wilderness of works, we are returning to our New Testament roots.

The hypergrace gospel is no new revelation but an old revelation that has been buried under manmade traditions, religious rituals, and unholy packaging.

Hypergrace preachers aren’t preaching a new and modern grace message, but an old and timeless one.

Is hypergrace Biblical? You better believe it.

In The Hyper-Grace Gospel, I quote from more than 40 hypergrace preachers all preaching essentially the same gospel. It’s the same message from different messengers, which is a sign to make you wonder.

How is it that Evangelicals and Charismatics, Catholic priests and Anglican vicars, rock stars and soldiers, theologians and poets, are all preaching the same message of grace? The reason is we have unearthed the same Treasure.

How is it that pilgrims, all starting from different locations and traveling different paths, have ended up at the same place? We all followed the same star that led us to Jesus. Our baggage may be different, and some of us have more than others, but we have all arrived at the same Destination.

It doesn’t matter where you start. What matters is where you finish.

If you’re digging through religious rubble, keep digging. And if you’re walking through a wilderness of works, keep walking. Don’t stop until you find that Treasure and arrive at that Destination called Jesus.

He is your final port of call. Jesus is your resting place.

Exposing the dangers of hypergrace

The hypergrace gospel is no new message; it is a 2,000-year-old revelation. If you have met Jesus then you have heard the hypergrace gospel.

So what is the danger? What is the error or problem?

The problem is you may have heard some other stuff as well – additional material that was never part of the original message.

If you’re a believer, you don’t need to hear the hypergrace gospel as much as you need to un-hear all the extra stuff that obscures the good news of God’s superabundant grace.

Don’t confuse the dirt with the gold.

The grace of God is like nothing on earth. Anything we add to the grace of God only detracts from its sublime perfections.

Extracted and adapted from The Hyper-Grace Gospel.

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My thanks to everyone who signed up on Patreon last week. I hope you enjoy the world’s most popular sermon.

Did Paul Preach a Different Gospel?

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Read the New Testament and you might come away with the idea that there is more than one gospel.

The very first words of the New Testament in the King James Bible are, “The Gospel According to Matthew.” Read on and you will also find the gospels according to Mark, Luke, and John.

In the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, we find Jesus preaching the gospel of the kingdom, while Mark refers to the gospel of Jesus Christ and the gospel of God.

The word gospel does not appear in John’s Gospel, but in Acts and all the letters that follow, the gospel is mentioned plenty of times with different labels:

  • the gospel of Jesus Christ (Mark 1:1)
  • the gospel of Christ (Rom. 15:19, 1 Cor. 9:12, 2 Cor. 2:12, 9:13, 10:14, Gal. 1:7, Php. 1:27, 1 Th. 3:2)
  • the gospel of God (Mark 1:14, Rom 1:1, 15:16, 2 Cor. 11:7, 1 Th. 2:2, 8, 9, 1 Pet. 4:17)
  • the gospel of the blessed God (1 Tim. 1:11)
  • the gospel of his Son (Rom 1:9)
  • the gospel of the kingdom (Matt. 4:23, 9:35, 24:14, Luke 16:16)
  • the gospel of the glory of Christ (2 Cor. 4:4)
  • the gospel of your salvation (Eph. 1:13)
  • the gospel of peace (Eph. 6:15)
  • the glorious gospel of the blessed God (1 Tim 1:11)
  • the eternal gospel (Rev. 14:6)

These are not different gospels but different labels for the one and only gospel, namely the gospel of grace.

When Paul refers to the gospel of grace in Acts 20:24, he means the same thing as when he and others refer to the gospel of God or the gospel of peace or the gospel of your salvation. All of these gospels reveal the One who is called Grace, who was given to us out of the fullness of the Father’s grace, and through whom we have received grace upon grace.

This is all pretty obvious, right? Only many don’t see it.

They see Jesus preaching one gospel and Paul preaching another. Or they see discord among the apostles. “Paul preached salvation by faith; James added works.” Or they see different gospels for different dispensations; a gospel for then, another one for now.

But if this were true, how would you know which gospel to believe? People would say things like, “I follow Paul.” “I follow Peter.” “Well I follow Jesus!”

Paul said if anyone preached a gospel different to the one he preached, let them be cursed (Gal. 1:9). So if Jesus preached a different gospel, Paul was cursing the Lord and the Bible can’t be trusted.

And if you believe there are different gospels, then you will have a divided heart. You will be forever wondering if you have picked the right one.

Did Jesus and Paul preach the same gospel?

Did Paul preach a different gospel? Jesus preached the gospel of the kingdom while Paul went around preaching the kingdom of God (Acts 20:25). Looks like the same gospel to me.

“But Jesus emphasized the kingdom, while Paul emphasized grace.” These are not different emphases but different ways of saying the same thing. When we preach the kingdom, we are revealing a King whose name is Grace. Grace is the language, the culture, and the economy of the kingdom.

When Jesus says seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, he is saying “seek me and my righteousness.” Where do we find his righteousness? In the gospel of grace!

For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed – a righteousness that is by faith from first to last. (Romans 1:17)

In many of his letters, Paul preached the gospel of Christ. On other occasions he preached the gospel of God. These are different labels for the gospel of grace because it is the grace of God revealed in Christ that makes the good news good news.

Did Paul and Peter preach the same gospel?

I had been entrusted with the gospel to the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been entrusted with the gospel to the circumcised… (Galatians 2:7)

Paul and Peter preached the same gospel to different audiences. Peter preached to the Jews (but not always), while Paul preached to the Gentiles (but not always). But they both preached the same gospel.

Paul is known to us as the apostle of grace, but Peter was an apostle of grace too. Peter preached about the God of all grace revealing his grace through a Savior (1 Pet. 1:10, 5:10).

It was Peter who encouraged us to be good stewards of the manifold grace of God and stand firm in the true grace of God (1 Pet. 4:10, 5:12).

And it was Peter who prayed that grace would be multiplied to us as we grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus (2 Pet. 1:2, 3:18).

There is no question that Peter understood grace as well as Paul, but what about the odd man out? What about James?

Did Paul and James preach the same gospel?

Many dismiss James as unacquainted with grace. A young Martin Luther even referred to James’ letter as an epistle of straw.

But James was an apostle of grace who understood the grace message as well as Paul. Like Peter, James preached to the Jews. His letter was written to religious people who believed in God and were diligent in their observance of the law.

The religious Jews were doing plenty of works, but their works were dead works and their faith was a dead faith (Jas. 2:17). They believed in God, but their faith was not accompanied by the “work” of believing in the one he sent (Jas. 2:14).

The apostles and epistle writers did not preach different gospels. They all proclaimed the grace of God and justification by faith in his Son.

Don’t be misled by the different labels. There aren’t different gospels for different folks or different times.

Just as there is one Lord and one faith, there is only one gospel – the gospel of grace.

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848. 17th Anniversary Program – Part 3

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This is our 3rd and final program reflecting on our 17 years of doing the Growing in Grace podcast ... and some of the primary subjects that have dominated our conversations. Much of what we talk about will be the opposite of what people hear throughout most church buildings. Just one example: In the New Covenant of Jesus Christ, you are never asked to give your life to Him. He came to give His life to you! Turning certain traditional mindsets inside out will help people begin to understand a more complete truth of the gospel.


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847. 17th Anniversary Program – Part 2

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We continue to reminisce on our 17th anniversary of doing the weekly Growing in Grace podcast. Have you ever taken a look back at the circumstances of your life and began to realize how God may have been orchestrating some of the seemingly smallest matters … which would later shape and form some of the most significant things in your earthly life? It’s something we can relate to, especially when it comes to how the podcast came to be.


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