Apostolic Foundations on the Mystery of LAW and GRACE.

By Venerable Dr Ifechukwu Ibeme Websites: http://www.scribd.com/ifeogo ; http://priscaquila.6te.net ; Comment on The Chapel of Grace Blog: http://thechapelofgrace.wordpress.com

CONTENTS:
1. LAW = Gods Judgment Statute or Holy Standard. 2. GRACE = Gods Free Mercy or Unmerited Favour. 3. CATEGORIES of LAW based of PURPOSES and SOURCES. 4. LAW, GRACE and POSTMODERNISM.

Regardless of old or new lopsided ideas and adaptive revisions or presumptions, the Scriptures have left us COPIOUS, COHERENT and COMPREHENSIVE precepts about Gods Law and Gods Grace as taught by the Apostles. 1 Timothy 1:5-11 (5) Now the end of the commandment is love out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned: (6) From which some having swerved have turned aside unto vain talk; (7) Desiring to be teachers of the law; understanding neither what they say, nor the things they affirm. (8) But we know that the law is good, if a man uses it lawfully; (9) Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, (10) For fornicators, for homosexuals, for slave traders, for liars, for perjurers, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine; (11) According to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust. Both Law and Grace are holy, righteous and spiritual precepts divinely (NOT Jewishly) designed (Rom 7:12-14) for different purposes but are not in conflict (Rom 3:31): each is necessitated by the other and none of the two hinders the other or destroys the other (Matt 5:17). Law rewards curse on sin and blessing on human righteousness but Grace releases from sin and endows with divine righteousness so we could enjoy the blessings of the Law and much more! Law convicts of sin but it cannot save from sin because it operates through carnal ordinances, means, materials and mediators; Grace saves from sin and empowers for righteousness and so fulfils Law because it operates through eternal means, divine Mediator, His Name, His finished works and His Holy Spirit (Rom 8:3-4; Heb 9:7-14), yet Grace goes further to provide and ensure so great a heavenly salvation which Law was not designed to grant in event of sinfulness. If salvation comes by works (rituals) of the Law, then Christ died in vain (Gal 2:21; Heb 7:11); and if Law was not divine demand, needless for Christ to fulfil it by being born under the Law to die for redemption of sinners (Gal 4:4-5).

1. LAW = Gods Judgment Statute or Holy Standard.

Old Testament (Moral) LAW is Gods special aid to Human Conscience; it gives us the standard truth for self examination but does not give the power against sin to obey the Law... The transient and weak Ritual WORKS OF LAW have been overtaken by Christs eternal WORK of Salvation. Matthew 5:17-19

(17) Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. (18) For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. (19) WHOSOEVER THEREFORE SHALL BREAK ONE OF THESE LEAST COMMANDMENTS, AND SHALL TEACH MEN SO, HE SHALL BE CALLED THE LEAST IN THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN: BUT WHOSOEVER SHALL DO AND TEACH THEM, THE SAME SHALL BE CALLED GREAT IN THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN. APOSTOLIC NUGGETS ON GODS LAW: Gods Law works partly by His awful WRATH and severity AGAINST SIN (Rom 11:22) to bring BONDAGE to curse, damnation and death for all seared conscience and rebellious sinners in the form of PUNISHMENT, PAIN and PRIVATIONS. The legal wages of ADAMIC SIN/OFFENCE is condemnation (i.e. JUDGMENT and DEATH) for all according to Gods LAW and our WORKS (Rom 6:23a). Adam introduced sin to all people and Moses revealed Gods Law fully to national ISRAEL. Nevertheless, Gods Law and Wrath had always been partly operational long before the Law of Moses: e.g. against fallen Adam and the deluged world (Rom 5:12-21). NOTE: Gods Law is good not evil, but sin is evil (Rom 7:9-13). Salvation is not to maintain us in sin and evil conscience but to deliver us from sin and evil conscience (Rom 6:11-15; Heb 10:22). So we must uphold only the faith which constantly watches against and insistently abhors sin and worldly disobedience! Romans 6:17-23 (17) But thanks be to God! For though at one time you were slaves to sin, you have obeyed with all your heart the truths found in the teaching you received. (18) You were set free from sin and became the slaves of righteousness. (19) (I use everyday language because of the weakness of your natural selves.) At one time you surrendered yourselves entirely as slaves to impurity and wickedness for wicked purposes. In the same way you must now surrender yourselves entirely as slaves of righteousness for holy purposes. (20) When you were the slaves of sin, you were free from righteousness. (21) What did you gain from doing the things that you are now ashamed of? The result of those things is death! (22) But now you have been set free from sin and are the slaves of God. Your gain is a life fully dedicated to him, and the result is eternal life. (23) For sin pays its wage death; but God's free gift is eternal life in union with Christ Jesus our Lord. <<Back to Top>>

2. GRACE = Gods Free Sanctifying Grant or Unmerited Saving Favour.

As the Scriptures warn, Grace is NOT LICENSE (Jude 1:4) to remain as we were and do the possible we could, but unmerited saving ACCESS into Gods presence and supernatural ENABLEMENT to do the impossible we couldnt. It is by Grace that we believers in Christ are redeemed from our depraved nature and brought into His Divine Nature (2Pet 2:3-4), so we begin to live in the supernatural of them that are sanctified (Act 26:18; 1Cor 1:2; Heb 2:11; 10:14; Jude 1:1).

New Testament (Saving) GRACE is Gods full and free answer to Human Depravity.... So Grace.... WORK OF SALVATION finished in Christ, FULFILS the Law (Mat 5:17-20) and ESTABLISHES the Law (Rom 3:31) for us to inherit the PROMISES of the Law and much more. Luke 24:46-48 (46) And [Jesus] said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it was fit for Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: (47) And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. (48) And you are witnesses of these things. John 3:16-18 (16) For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (17) For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. (18) He that believes on him is not condemned: but he that believes not is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. APOSTOLIC NUGGETS ON GODS GRACE: Gods Grace works wholly by His awesome LOVE and compassion FOR SINNERS (Rom 11:22) to bring LIBERATION from self, sin, subjugation, damnation and death for all penitent believers, in the form of PARDON, POWER and PRIVILEGES. The gracious gift of MESSIANIC RIGHTEOUSNESS is salvation (i.e. JUSTIFICATION and LIFE) for all, according to Gods GRACE and our FAITH (Rom 6:23b). Adam introduced sin to all people and Christ lived without sin, fulfilled the Law, released Gods Grace fully to all people and revealed Gods Grace to the Apostolic CHURCH. Nevertheless, Gods Grace and Love had always been partly operational long before the saving Grace of Christ for all: e.g. for Adam before the fall, Noahs household, Abrahams household (Rom 4:1-13) and Israel of Egyptian bondage (Exod 3:7-8). NOTE: Gods Grace is not licence for the Broadway of destruction but POWER for the Narrow way of life (Matt 7:13-14). Salvation is not BY goodworks but UNTO goodworks (Eph 2:8-10; Tit 2:11-15). So we must uphold the faith which is pursues holiness and delights in goodworks and godly obedience! Titus 3:3-8 (3) For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, and wrong. We were slaves to passions and pleasures of all kinds. We spent our lives in malice and envy; others hated us and we hated them. (4) But when the kindness and love of God our Saviour was revealed, (5) he saved us. It was not because of any good deeds that we ourselves had done, but because of his own mercy that he saved us, through the Holy Spirit, who gives us new birth and new life by washing us. (6) God poured out the Holy Spirit abundantly on us through Jesus Christ our Saviour, (7) so that by his grace we might be put right with God and come into possession of the eternal life we hope for. (8) THIS IS A TRUE SAYING. I WANT YOU TO GIVE SPECIAL EMPHASIS TO THESE MATTERS, SO THAT THOSE WHO BELIEVE IN GOD MAY BE CONCERNED WITH GIVING THEIR TIME TO DOING GOOD DEEDS, WHICH ARE GOOD AND USEFUL FOR EVERYONE.

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3. CATEGORIES of LAW based of PURPOSES and SOURCES.

LAW, to which humans have been subject (or have subjected themselves) are of various sources according to the Apostles in Gal 3 & 4 and Col 2 (philosotraditional Col 2:6-10, shadowlevitical Gal 3; Col 2:11-17, mysticoelemental Gal 4:1-11; Col 2:18-23). Colossians 2:8 at once distinguishes three extra-biblical sources of ordinances (human philosophy, human tradition and elemental forces), indicating that apostolic references to Law should not be muddled up as if always referring to one and same Law. Christ came to sufficiently FULFIL every biblical Law and completely NULLIFY every unbiblical Law FOR us, as well as to thoroughly FURNISH all heavenly Grace TO us (Eph 1:3). Without Law there is no just reward, and without Grace there is no just salvation from sin. The Gospel of Christ does not only offer us ETERNAL SALVATION and guarantee our KINGDOM INHERITANCE by Grace (Eph 1:1114); but the Gospel also saves us IN ORDER TO encourage holy life for grateful works of REASONABLE WORSHIP (Rom 12:1-2), and enable us overcome with good works for our HEAVENLY TREASURE (Matt 6:19-21; Rev 2 & 3) and our ETERNAL REWARD (Rev 22:12). NOTE: Though there are three or more sources (biblical, philosophical, traditional, mystical, etc) of ordinance Law for humanity indicated by the Apostle in Galatians 3 & 4 and Colossians 2, only the Biblical source in the Torah is authentically revealed, required and respected by God. It is often missed that the Biblical Old Testament temporal PROMISE to the Patriarchs and LAW of DEMANDS with its outward and TRANSIENT MEDIATORY WORKS of earthly Priests (Heb 9:1-10) prepared the grounds (Gal 3) for the New Testament inward and PROPITIATION with its inward and FINISHED MEDIATORY WORK of the heavenly Christ and spiritual GRACE of ENABLEMENT in Christ (Heb 9:11-28). There are 613 Commandments and Laws revealed in the Torah and minor additional laws in the rest of the Old Testament. Broadly speaking, although all laws are inevitably interwoven, yet LAWS (Israelite or Gentile) are always known to be Ritual, Moral and Civil ACCORDING TO THE PURPOSES THEY SERVE (inside or outside the Bible), and this is applicable to the 613 COMMANDMENTS and LAWS in the Old Testament Torah: CEREMONIAL works or RITUAL laws of feasts, Sabbaths, circumcision, sacrifices, exclusions and cleansings are those mediated by the Priests for Tabernacle/Temple WORSHIP, all of which are no longer possible since the 70 AD destruction of Jerusalem and sack of Israel. Such Law with symbolic and localised temporal means CANNOT offer valid MEDIATORY WORKS or PROPITIATION WORKS for the Eternal Gospel of New Creation and the Universal Christian Church since the death and resurrection of Christ (Act 15; Heb 7-9). CIVIL or SOCIAL Laws are those dealing with GOVERNANCE, TORT and CRIME adjudicated (and even in Israel, were further promulgated in addition to the laws in the Torah) by the State Judges and Princes. MORAL or SPIRITUAL laws are those of LOVE, CONSCIENCE and FAITH between you and God independent of the Priests and Tabernacle/Temple or the State and Judges. It is important however to note that from the interpretation of the Old Testament and its application to the Gospel by both Christ and the Apostles (e.g. Act 15), Old Testament MORAL LAWS of loving God and our neighbour (Mat 22:36-40) are still mandatory on the Christian believer with even

greater moral requirement (Mat 5:17-48); because under the New Testaments SPIRITUAL LAW OF FAITH IN CHRISTS GRACE (Rom 3:24-31; 8:1-4; 1Cor 9:21), it is more grievous offence deserving more fearfully fiery punishment to sin wilfully and spite the Spirit of GRACE (Heb 10:26-31). The LAW OF CHRIST (1Cor 9:21) is the LAW OF SPIRIT OF LIFE (Rom 8:2) and the LAW OF LOVE (Rom 13:10) or NEW COMMANDMENT KEEPING LOVE (John 13:34-35; 14:15, 21-24) in which true believers always walk and abide as the result and proof (NOT means) of their faith and Salvation (John 15:10-14). The principles of Old Testament CIVIL LAWS are still valid patterns for State Governance and exemplary for Ecclesiastical jurisprudence; but the Old Testament Laws of CEREMONIAL or RITUAL WORKS are already fulfilled and have been superseded in Christs SAVING WORK for all who believe in Him and now worship God spiritually and morally but no longer ritually (Col 2; Heb 10). Even modern Jewish Israel cannot keep much of such Laws because there are no more Priests and Temple but Synagogues that evolved from city gate congresses. (See http://www.scribd.com/doc/65989063/CHRISTIAN-JURISPRUDENCE-and-Conflict-Resolution) Law though strong for moral precepts, is weak being only external and unable to cleanse conscience and merely transient for works of PROPITIATION. This is because Ritual Law is mediated by means that are not real and eternal, such as illustrative SYMBOLIC RITUALS, sinful multiple tenured HighPriests who needed animals and Tabernacle/Temple that were perishable, faulty, and handmade Shadow-copies (NOT the exact original) of the anticipated heavenly realities (Heb 8:5-7; 9:8-14; 10:111). Grace gives power for moral living and is powerful for inward regeneration and ultimate for the work PROPITIATION. This is because Spiritual Grace is mediated by means that are real and eternal such as real saving REALITIES, sinless One eternal Christ-Priest and needed no faulty animals and perishable materials but the actual and exact Substance of Christs sinless Body and Blood and actual Heavenly Sanctuary which were copied and anticipated by the Laws mediators, means and rituals (Heb 7; 10:12-18). <<Back to Top>>

4. LAW, GRACE and POSTMODERNISM.

Postmodernism is resurgence of age-old inexcusably godlessness in the Church and heathenism in the Society described in the Scriptures by Apostles. Jude 1:3-5 (3) Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was necessary for me to write unto you, and exhort you that you should EARNESTLY CONTEND for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. (4) For there are CERTAIN MEN CREPT IN UNAWARES, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, UNGODLY MEN, TURNING THE GRACE OF OUR GOD INTO LICENTIOUSNESS, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ. (5) I will therefore put you in remembrance, though you once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not. 2 Peter 2:1-3

(1) But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be FALSE TEACHERS AMONG YOU, who shall secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. (2) And MANY SHALL FOLLOW THEIR SHAMEFUL WAYS; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. (3) And THROUGH COVETOUSNESS SHALL THEY WITH FALSE WORDS EXPLOIT YOU: whose judgment of old now lingers not, and their destruction slumbers not. Romans 1:18-32 (18) For God's wrath is being revealed from heaven against all the ungodliness and wickedness of those who in their wickedness SUPPRESS THE TRUTH. (19) For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God himself has made it plain to them. (20) For since the creation of the world his invisible attributes-his eternal power and divine nature-have been understood and observed by what he made, so that PEOPLE ARE WITHOUT EXCUSE. (21) For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him. Instead, their thoughts turned to worthless things, and their ignorant hearts were darkened. (22) Though claiming to be wise, they became fools (23) and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images that looked like mortal human beings, birds, four-footed animals, and reptiles. (24) For this reason, God gave them over to impurity to follow the lusts of their hearts and to dishonor their bodies with one another. (25) They exchanged God's truth for a lie and worshipped and served the creation rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. (26) For this reason, God gave them over to degrading passions. EVEN THEIR FEMALES EXCHANGED THEIR NATURAL SEXUAL FUNCTION FOR ONE THAT IS UNNATURAL. (27) IN THE SAME WAY, THEIR MALES ALSO ABANDONED THE NATURAL SEXUAL FUNCTION OF FEMALES AND BURNED WITH LUST FOR ONE ANOTHER. MALES COMMITTED INDECENT ACTS WITH MALES, and received in themselves the appropriate penalty for their perversion. (28) Furthermore, because they did not think it worthwhile to retain the full knowledge of God, God gave them over to degraded minds to perform acts that should not be done. (29) They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed, and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, quarreling, deceit, and viciousness. They are gossips, (30) slanderers, GOD-HATERS, haughty, arrogant, boastful, INVENTORS OF EVIL, DISOBEDIENT TO THEIR PARENTS, (31) foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. (32) Although they know God's just requirement-that those who practice such things deserve to die-they not only do these things but even applaud others who practice them. Todays world of postmodern paganism is angry at God for their predicaments and rebellious against God because they learn that according to Gods Law, righteous wrath is incurred by their sinful lawlessness and therefore abhors the worship of the Holy and Only God (THEOSTUGEIA Rom 1:30). This new heathenish vogue that detests any responsibility for their wrong-doing is the product of rebellious hatred against parental discipline by boomer youths since the hippie countercultural movement in 1960s in fulfilment of 2Tim 3:1-5. 2Timothy 3:1-5 (1) You must realize, however, that in the last days difficult times will come. (2) People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy,

(3) unfeeling, uncooperative, slanderous, degenerate, brutal, hateful of what is good, (4) traitors, reckless, conceited, and lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God. (5) They will hold to an outward form of godliness but deny its power. Stay away from such people. In Postmodern hippie culture and philosophy nothing should be called wrong or sinful; the only detestable wrong is when one says that someone else is wrong. Postmodernists are not angry at their sins but angry at Gods Law and every absolute standards of morality and truth or any father figure that would point their sins out or frown at it; yet it is NOT Gods good Law BUT our evil sins that messed us up before God (Rom 7:7-13). Postmodern heathenish existentialism and agnosticism have become a press-gang driving the Church so hard to deny the divine revelations of Scripture, confuse the truth about Law and Grace to end up derailing into lopsided fallacies of antinomianism and libertinism that has progressively worsened both Church and the world by day. The old Platonist classical culture hailed asceticism as the means to spiritual actualisation and ecstasy so the Church of the Middle Ages preached legalism and gospel of rigorous works and Law without Grace. The now Postmodern hippie culture hails hedonism as their means for self actualisation and happiness so the present age Church preaches libertinism and gospel of passionate pleasure and Grace without Law. Without Gods saving Grace there was no offer for the Platonist to believe in and thank Christ for; and without Gods moral Law there is no sin for the Postmodernist to repent from and die to with Christ. When will the Church quit this childish cultural to and fro tossing dance and become mature to the measure of Christ that preaches the full Gospel and the whole of God in its four dimensions? (Act 20:27; Eph 3:18; 4:13-14). Law prescribes the divine configuration of righteousness while Grace performs the divine upgrade of justification and regeneration! Law tasks your ability but Grace equips you with Gods own ability. The saving Grace of Christs Cross is primarily the divine power that destroys sin and endows holiness (Rom 6:11-15). Postmodern Christianity would promote the preaching of power to overcome diseases, failure and poverty but not power to overcome sin; rather silence should be kept about sin and holiness because it makes the proud, rebellious and sin-loving Gentiles feel angry, depressed and humiliated. The post-evangelical Church of postmodern culture teaches the lie that SOBER WATCHFULNESS against falling into sin and to ensure CONTRITE PENITENCE are the same with sin consciousness (Heb 10:2-4); they rather think and teach that SEARED CONSCIENCE wilful refusal to examine ones life with Scriptural law and terrible wrath against sin (1Tim 4:1-2; Jude 1:4) is a better virtue! But SIN CONSCIOUSNESS is not watchfulness to avoid the evil of wilful sin and the terror of falling into the hands of the living God (Heb 10:26-31) nor is SIN CONSCIOUSNESS the same as contrition for any unconfessed sin, rather SIN CONSCIOUSNESS is the fact of BEING UNSURE OF DIVINE PARDON for the penitent or the FEELING OF LOSS OF DIVINE PARDON for sins already forgiven. Post-evangelicals would teach people to confess positively about being healed being able to do all things and about getting all things but nothing like positively confessing about sinning no more or being holy. Thank God, we have the true precepts of divine revelation COMPREHENSIVELY taught in the Scriptures that we need no false presumptions of unfruitful humanist ideas. Ephesians 2:8-10 (8) For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: (9) Not of works, lest any man should boast. (10) For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God has before ordained that we should walk in them. Titus 2:11-15 (11) For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men,

(12) Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live sensibly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; (13) Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ; (14) Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a people for his own, zealous of good works. (15) These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise you. Law is Gods judgment statute therefore it prescribes and ensures appropriate reward for every good or bad work but cannot qualify us for Grace; this still remains valid beyond Rev 22 and final judgment even till eternity. Grace is Gods free gift and therefore cannot offers reward for any good or bad work but can only bestow abundant blessings as well as abundantly equip us for good works that guarantee good reward; these have always been valid before Gen 1 and initial creation even from eternity. Law is unnecessary for sinless existence but necessary for sinful existence (1Tim 1:9) and offers good help (e.g. CONVICTION, CORRECTION, CONDEMNATION, and CONVERSION) but limited because our fallen sinful and mortal nature (Rom 8:3). Grace is necessary for all and offers better help (e.g. CONVERSION, DELIVERANCE, PARDON, and POWER) being unlimited in spite of our sinful and mortal nature. Law is weak because it is mediated by means that are not eternal, such as illustrative SYMBOLIC RITUALS, sinful multiple tenured High-Priests and needed animals and Tabernacle/Temple that were perishable, faulty, and handmade copies or Shadows of (NOT the exact) the expected heavenly realities (Heb 8:5-7; 9:8-14; 10:1-11). Grace is powerful because it is mediated by means that are eternal such as real saving REALITIES, sinless One eternal Christ-Priest and needed no faulty animals and perishable materials but the actual and exact Substance of Christs sinless Body and Blood and actual Heavenly Sanctuary which were copied and expected by the Laws mediators, means and rituals (Heb 7; 10:12-18). For Law, the past matters much the souls that sins shall die and the future too behold I come quickly, and my reward is in my hand. For Grace, the past does not matter much I count all things dung, I am crucified with Christ, but the future does I press toward the mark, the [gracious]gift of God is eternal life in Christ, it is no longer I that lives but Christ lives in me. Contravening the Law can veil our hearts from knowing Grace yet conforming to the Law cannot secure Grace; Christ came to fulfil Law (removing every veiling of Grace) and to pour out every Grace in heavenly places which we could never have known. Grace as a free gift cannot be a reward for whatever good or bad work but provides abundant favour for all who acknowledge the need of Grace. Our salvation is by Grace but our rewards (in fulfilment of Law) are for our good works enabled by Grace of Christ. <<Back to Top>>
Updated September 12, 2013 by Ven. Dr. I. U. Ibeme Copyright PriscAquila Publishing, Maiduguri, Nigeria. Click here for PriscAquila Christian Resource Centre http://priscaquila.6te.net