Bruce Cooper
One of the most beautiful comprehensions that God provides and opens to our minds and hearts within His Holy Word is the contrast between the Law and His offering to us of His unwarranted grace. It is a contrast that so easily can be overlooked and yet it is foundational and it is consistently demonstrated throughout the entirety of the Bible.
Not only is this contrast foundational but it persistently speaks of God’s demonstrated love that we are to emulate and yet for many, including myself, it is one of the hardest contrasts to hold as the pinnacle or basis for all that we do, including how we do, what we do.
The Bible emphasizes the contrast between the Law and grace, portraying a profound shift in God’s relationship with humanity. The Law, represented prominently in the Old Testament, was a set of commandments given to the Israelites, establishing a standard of righteousness that revealed humanity’s need for redemption. It highlighted the inability of people to fulfill God’s perfect standards on their own, leading to judgment for their shortcomings. These are the “thou shalt not” Scriptures that we are all familiar with. Some examples are:
Exodus 20:3-17: “You shall have no other gods before me… You shall not murder. You shall not commit adultery… You shall not covet your neighbor’s house.”
Deuteronomy 30:15-16: “See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction. For I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, and to keep his commands, decrees, and laws.”
Leviticus 24:17: “Anyone who takes the life of a human being is to be put to death.”
Exodus 21:24-25: “Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise.”
Leviticus 19:18: “Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.”
Throughout the Old Testament, the Law was a guiding principle, often emphasizing justice, obedience, and retribution. However, it also showcased the compassionate nature of God, providing a temporary path for repentance and forgiveness through sacrificial offerings and rituals.
With the advent of Jesus Christ in the New Testament, the emphasis shifted from strict adherence to the Law to the concept of grace, compassion, forgiveness, and mercy. Jesus’ teachings highlighted the importance of love, compassion, and forgiveness over strict legalism. He demonstrated God’s grace by emphasizing the importance of faith and repentance rather than solely relying on adherence to the Law.
The parables and teachings of Jesus, such as the prodigal son, the Good Samaritan, and the woman caught in adultery, exemplify God’s boundless mercy and compassion. These stories highlight the concept of forgiveness and grace extended to those who recognize their need for God’s salvation and redemption.
We see examples of God’s unwarranted grace in the following Scripture verses:
John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
Ephesians 2:8-9: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.”
Matthew 9:13: “But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
Romans 5:8: “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
Ephesians 4:32: “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”
These verses highlight the contrast between the strictness of the Law and the transformative power of God’s grace, compassion, forgiveness, and mercy as revealed in God’s Holy Word.
The culmination of this contrast is encapsulated in the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ, which represents the ultimate act of grace and mercy. Through his sacrifice, believers can attain salvation, not through their own works or adherence to the Law but through faith in Christ’s atoning sacrifice and the grace of God. Who else but God could have chosen the cross as the symbol of God’s mercy and our redemption.
Many incorrectly think that we are not to judge but this is not what Jesus actually said. What He did say was that we were to judge but that when we did judge, our judgment was to be righteous judgment. There is a distinct difference between how we normally judge and what God’s view of righteous judgement is, which is explained here.
This contrast between the legalistic perspective of the Law and God’s continual demonstration of His available grace by placing our faith and trust in who Jesus is and what He and He alone has done for us, and what we are in Him should perimate all that we do, in tone and delivery. I definitely haven’t mastered this yet but we see Jesus demonstrate this tone and delivery in His dealings with the Samaritian woman at the well. Take the time to click on this link and let me know your thoughts if you have the time. And the summation of comprehending this contrast is found of course in Galatians 5:22-23 which reads: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.“
Something to think about.
Worthy is the Lamb! Blessings!
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