While the Law defines righteousness, only grace delivers it. The Law was never intended to be a means of obtaining grace; it was given to demonstrate to men that grace was desperately needed.
The Grace of God, Part I – Ephesians 1:5-12; 2:1-10, www.bible.org, Copyright ©1996-2005, All rights reserved.
No matter how pious legalism appears on the outside, it dishonors God by revealing a deep-seated distrust of God. Stop and think about it for a minute. Why do men insist upon putting agreements in writing? Why are legal contracts necessary? For only one reason – men are fallible. At best, we tend to forget the things we have committed to do. At worst, we never intended to do them in the first place. A legal contract gives one man a basis for forcing another to do what he has promised. Do you really believe God is so unreliable that we must create a contract which binds Him? All of the biblical covenants are those which were initiated by God, not man. And most of these covenants are unconditional; that is, they are not conditioned by any action on man’s part, but only on the faithfulness of God Himself. Legalism by its very nature implies that God is so untrustworthy that we must be sure to get it down in contractual form. Far better it is to leave blessings in the hand of the One who is gracious.
The Grace of God, Part I – Ephesians 1:5-12; 2:1-10, www.bible.org, Copyright ©1996-2005, All rights reserved.
Some are greatly troubled by the fact that grace is bestowed sovereignly, but what other basis is there for its distribution? In Romans 9:14 Paul asks the question: Can God be just when grace is given to some but not to others? He answers his own question by reminding the reader that justice can only condemn all men, for all have sinned. We dare not plead for justice with God, for justice can only be satisfied by our condemnation. Grace operates on a totally different basis. Grace does not give men what they deserve, but what God delights to give, in spite of their sin. God is only unjust if He withholds from men benefits which they rightfully deserve, but He is gracious in bestowing upon men salvation and blessings which they could never merit.
The Grace of God, Part I – Ephesians 1:5-12; 2:1-10, www.bible.org, Copyright ©1996-2005, All rights reserved.
While sin is an occasion for grace, grace is never to be an occasion for sin.
The Grace of God, Part I – Ephesians 1:5-12; 2:1-10, www.bible.org, Copyright ©1996-2005, All rights reserved.
It is the grace of God that fallen men most detest. If lost men really thought that God is a harsh and cruel deity who deals severely with all who offend Him, they would cower in His presence, and they would do everything possible to avoid His wrath. Men do not fear God, however; they disdain Him. They interpret His grace as weakness and His delay of judgment as inability to achieve His purposes. Men who are sinners do not want to admit their own guilt and thus do not want to petition God for grace. They will have heaven on their own terms or not at all. Thus lost men will go to hell because they hate grace and will have none of it.
The Grace of God, Part I – Ephesians 1:5-12; 2:1-10, www.bible.org, Copyright ©1996-2005, All rights reserved.
Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou also be like unto him. Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own conceit (Proverbs 26:4-5, KJV)… Both statements are true, and are to be taken seriously. In the first proverb, we are taught that we ought not respond to a fool on his level, we ought not to allow ourselves to be brought down to the level of a fool by answering him as foolishly as he has spoken. On the other hand, we are to answer the fool in a way that gives him no dignity, no satisfaction, lest he take himself too seriously. A fool is to be deal with as a fool, but we should not be made fools also in the process.
Righteous Anger, www.bible.org, Copyright ©1996-2005, All rights reserved.
Godly people are angry when God is angry. It is anger which is consistent with the holy and righteous character of God.
Righteous Anger, www.bible.org, Copyright ©1996-2005, All rights reserved.
Godly anger is always under the control of the one expressing it, rather than anger taking control of them.
Righteous Anger, www.bible.org, Copyright ©1996-2005, All rights reserved.
Satan recognizes anger as a fertile field, capable of producing all kinds of sin.
Righteous Anger, www.bible.org, Copyright ©1996-2005, All rights reserved.