Both/And

September 25, 2017

Both/And

Well then, if we emphasize faith, does this mean that we can forget about the law? Of course not! In fact, only when we have faith do we truly fulfill the law.

Romans 3:31

Read: Romans 3:27-31

A continuing issue the Apostle Paul addressed with the first century church was the balance between law and grace. This issue was quite divisive in the church because Jesus was drawing both Jews and Gentiles to one fellowship of believers. The Jews saw Jesus as the promised Messiah coming in fulfillment of God’s covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. But the Gentiles had no frame of reference for God’s covenants with these Old Testament patriarchs. The Gentiles had no real understanding of God’s law or how to keep the law. Therefore they rejoiced when Paul proclaimed, “. . . our acquittal is not based on obeying the law. It is based on faith. So we are made right with God through faith and not by obeying the law” (Romans 3:27b-28). But their rejoicing rubbed against the Jews because their whole life had been steeped in keeping God’s law.

To this seeming conundrum, Paul brought both groups together. The two groups were prone to ask either/or questions, such as do we keep the law or do we receive grace. Paul answered, “Yes.” The answer is not either/or, rather it is both/and. We all come to a right relationship with God by grace, through faith. Then, in our new right-relationship with God, we are freed to pursue a life in Christ where we are assured that God is working in us, giving us the desire and the power to do what pleases him. (Philippians 2:13)

My Takeaway: Paul went to great lengths to show us that God’s grace does not give us a license to do whatever we please. God’s grace empowers us to live the Christ-life, now and for all eternity.

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com.

Copyright © 2017 by Alex M. Knight

Publications by Alex M. Knight:

·        Seeking the Life in Christ, Meditations on the New Testament and Psalms has been published and is now available at Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle.

·        The second edition of  First Think – Then Pray is available on Amazon Kindle.

·        Meditations on The Story of My Life as told by Jesus Christ has been released as an e-book on Amazon Kindle.

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.