The Bible contains many injunctions. The first concerned the consumption of fruit from a particular tree. The final one is a prohibition against altering the text of the last book of the Bible. While these particular ones may not be a problem to today's readers, there are many in-between which pose more of a challenge. A well-known example is that we should love our neighbours as ourselves. If we did not have the Bible, we would feel free to set our own standards. But if we have the Bible, and read it and believe it, then sooner or later we will realize our own failure in coming up to the mark. We have sinned!
However, we also learn in the New Testament about Jesus, and about his love, grace and forgiveness. This gives us hope and assuages our guilt. But again and again we read those injunctions, and some of us will then experience a struggle between guilt for our wrongs and grace through Jesus Christ.
When guilt is winning the only way out seems to be if we could atone for our sin in some way, or alternatively make amends by doing good or being good enough. In essence, we are seeking to pay a price to be right with God.
But the reality, with regards to our relationship with God, is that grace is supreme. There is absolutely no work that we can do, or price that we can pay, to deserve any better from God. Realisation of the supremacy of grace leads to peace with God. It leads to rest. This is what the Bible promises, and this has been my journey. I have been a Christian for over half a century, and come from an evangelical/Pentecostal background that has given me a great foundation in the truths found in the Bible. Yet for me, grace through Jesus Christ is the final frontier, the amazing truth that sets me free.
Many years ago I was in a house meeting. A lady was present who was a relatively new Christian. She described her relationship with God in these simple words:
We're cool.
I was taken aback somewhat. Her words seemed irreverent, somehow. But the truth is, that where it mattered, even though I had been a Christian for longer, she was ahead of me. She had peace with God.
My purpose here is to delve into grace more deeply, and then investigate the reasons why we get into a mindset where grace loses that supremacy and we start to rely on works of one sort or another. I will start with subtle inferences from the biblical virtues of contrition and confession. As I do so, this will bring out the beauty of grace all the more. I will then go on to look at explicit biblical rules - the Law and New Testament commandments, and ask how these fit in with grace. Next I will be looking at judgements in the world and trials undergone by believers. Both of these have the capacity to take our eyes off the grace of Jesus Christ, if we allow them to. But before I do that I need to take a diversion. Firstly, this is to discuss the sovereignty of God. We will need an awareness of this to help us through any trial. And secondly, I need to look at authority. This is the legal bit, and explains the mechanism by which grace can be administered in our lives. Last of all I will draw a picture of our new life in Christ, as a result of grace.
I will be assuming some familiarity with the Bible on the part of the reader, but I pray that this study will be of benefit to all. To that end references are given throughout to enable quoted extracts and their backgrounds to be explored as required. To begin, I need first to look at covenants in the Bible. A true understanding of these will be the starting place to see why we can be the recipients of grace despite huge sections of the Bible being about laws and the need to obey them.