God’s Grace is Sufficient

Welcome to Bible Study Ministry, an online Bible study for Christians interested in learning more about the Jesus within the pages of the Bible. This week’s Sabbath Bible study is titled God’s grace is sufficient.

This statement is used many times by Christians who are convinced the laws of God are no longer necessary because of His grace. With further study on the topic “grace” we hope to edify you that God’s grace is sufficient, and in addition to this, His laws are still required.

Many Christians, including you perhaps, have been held to believe that you are not under the law; but under grace.  By this you are saved by God’s grace.  The book, chapter, and verse used to prove this point is Romans 6 v14which states:

14For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

Usually when I encounter someone who reads and believes this the conversation is over because they have closed their ears to hearing anything else.  However, this needs to be investigated and that is what we are going to do right now; by the grace of God.

We want to read in Galatians chapter 3.  Here is a chapter Paul appears to be speaking about the law as in the Ten Commandments. When we investigate it thoroughly, we find Paul is speaking about another law, which the children of Israel were commanded to keep.

Galatians 3

10For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.

 11But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.

 12And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them.

 13Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:

Looking at verse 10 it says that works of the law are under the curse.  This would slam the argument for the law of God referring to the Ten Commandment in keeping them. To keep them will put you under the curse.

Still it turns around and says ‘curse is every man that continues not in all things written in the book of the law to do them.’  That can be confusing.

No One Justified by the Law

As we keep reading it says that ‘no man is justified by the law in the sight of God.’  And to bring it all home, ‘Jesus has redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us; for it is written; cursed is everyone that hangs on a tree.’

You’d have to be a Bible scholar if you are not scratching your head after those set of verses? To begin we need to find out how a man gets himself on a tree to be cursed.

We’ll read at Deuteronomy chapter 21.

Deut 21

22And if a man have committed a sin worthy of death, and he be to be put to death, and thou hang him on a tree:

 23His body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt in any wise bury him that day; (for he that is hanged is accursed of God;) that thy land be not defiled, which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance.

If a man committed a sin worthy of death, he should be put to death and hung up on a tree. This is why Jesus was sentenced to death and hung on the tree (cross made of a tree). Jesus was accused of blasphemy, but the sin that really had Him sentenced to death was the sins we commit.

Jesus had no sins, He took on our sins that are worthy of death and He died for us.

This is why Jesus needed to be taken off the cross before night so the land would not be defiled. And he that is hung is accursed of God. In dying for us, Jesus redeemed us from the curse of the law.  What law?

We will get to that in a moment. We want to find out what is sin, so we know what sin there is worthy of death. According to 1^st John chapter 3 verse 4, sin is the breaking of the law. What law? The Ten Commandments!

God’s Grace is Sufficient!

So if you broke commandments like stealing you broke God’s commandments and were ordered to sacrifice one of your animals to die in your place. Also the animal represented the Jesus dying for your sins.

If you committed a trespass worthy of death, you were sentenced to death and hung up on a tree because you were cursed.  Now let’s throw a small wrinkle in…

Let us read Romans 5 and verse 12 & 13

12Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

 13(For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law.

Sin came into the world by one man, and death showed up right behind him. Since man sinned, death was given to every man.  Now verse 13 is the key…it tells us that there can be no sin if there is no law.

In other words; you cannot break a law that does not exist.  You can only break something that is enforced. You cannot be pulled over for speeding if there are no laws against speeding.  If there is no law; then you cannot sin.

Let’s go back to Galatians 3 verse 17

17And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect.

 18For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise.

 19Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator.

Jesus confirmed a covenant He made with Abraham. Please pay attention here.  The law came 430 years after this covenant and Abraham’s covenant cannot be disannulled.  The question Christians should be asking is what law came 430 years after Abraham?

Ten Commandments During the Days of Cain…

It is not the Ten Commandments because that came in the Garden of Eden (even before) – how do we know?  We know because when Cain killed Abel he didn’t say, “yes Lord I killed him, he is in the bushes.” Cain lied about it because he knew he was not supposed to kill.

When Abraham feared the Egyptians would kill him because of his beautiful wife Sarah; he told them she was his sister.

And when the king tried to take Sarah to be his wife; God warned king Abimelech not to touch Sarah because she was another man’s wife and that Abimelech should not sin against God.  Sin is the breaking of the law (biblical definition).

This leaves the only other law to come 430 years after Abraham was the Animal Sacrificial Law, which Paul explained to certain Israelites still practicing this law, that they did not need to perform this any longer because Jesus has died and animal sacrifice is no longer needed.

We are now under the grace of God. Let’s take a look at this in Romans

Romans 7

 7What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.

Is the law sin?  God forbid, of course not.  Paul wouldn’t have known what sin is if he didn’t know about the law.  In other words he said he did not know what breaking the law was except for knowing the law.

He didn’t know he was lusting except the law pointed out ‘thou shall not covet.’ Cain, had he not known he was not supposed to kill; he would have said, “Lord, I killed Abel” and the Lord would have said, “Cain, I should have told you that you are not suppose to kill.”

Cain would have apologized and asked for forgiveness. We’ll continue reading at Romans chapter 7:

8But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead.

 9For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died.

 10And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death.

 11For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me.

 12Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good.

(emphasis mine)

Paul was alive without the law; but when the Ten Commandments were introduced to him, so was sin and Paul died.  This means the old Paul died. The Paul that loved to lust, steal, cheat, and all the other stuff people without the law do had to cease.

God’s Commandments Holy, Just, and Good

When we know better we do better (at least we supposed to). A womanizer who learns about the Ten Commandments, the old womanizing character dies, and the new responsible Christian character begin to live.

The commandments which are ordained to life, Paul found were unto death.  This is because you have to stop doing all those ungodly things that lead to death; and in essence that part of your life dies.  Therefore the law is holy, the commandment holy, and just and good.

Can anything holy, just, and good be done away with or be a curse?  There are two sets of laws, a law that is ordained to life (the Ten Commandments) and a law ordained to death (Animal Sacrifice).

The animal sacrifice was brought in because we broke the Ten Commandments. Red lights are ran constantly by people and the results are car accidents, injuries, and death. People keep running red lights.

For this cause officials put in another law running red lights will result in a fine of $175. This law (the fining and ticketing) was added because of breaking the law. This is supposed to help us stop running red lights or we will go hungry and broke.

Animal sacrificial law was added because of transgressing of the Ten Commandments.

Galatians 3 v 22 -25 tells us the law (talking about animal sacrifice) is our school-master to bring us unto Christ.  This law shows us what is really taking place.  When we sin; something has to die.

Jesus is the Sin Offering

The Children of Israel killed animals. When Jesus came He died for man.  The animals represented Jesus until His hour came. When Jesus died; there was and is no more need for animal sacrifice because He is the ultimate sacrifice.  Jesus is the sin offering.

Here is why animal sacrifices needed to be replaced.

Hebrews 10

 1For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect.

It had a shadow of good things to come; remember it was our school master.  But it didn’t have the ability to take away sin.  That is, it could not make the situation perfect.

Why?

4For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.

All the animals in the world sacrificed unto God could not take away one sin.  So it was an exercise in futility.  It was all academic.

8Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law;

Animal sacrifices were offered by the law.  It was a law you had to do this if you sinned.  And when Jesus offered Himself as a sacrifice; He did the sacrifice once and for all.

14For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.

18Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin.

Now once Jesus died for you; nothing else can bail you. Animals cannot remove your sin; and Jesus will only die for you once. He ended animal sacrifice.

To verify this we will read in…

Romans 10

4For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.

Jesus was the end of the law for everyone that believed.  What law?  The law of animal sacrifices…once He died and we no longer have to kill animals for forgiveness of sins. Jesus became the end of that Law to those that believe in Jesus.

Let’s wind this down

Ephesians 2

5Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved 😉

We were dead; but God has made us alive through His Messiah (Christ) and by His grace we are saved.

8For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

By grace you are saved through faith; not of yourself; but a gift of God.  By the grace of God; you are saved through your faith in God (and all that He commanded).  And this grace is a free gift from God.

We are saved because Jesus paid the bail, we still will not be officially saved until the end when we have fully been exonerated by becoming immortal beings in His kingdom. In Romans 6 Paul let’s us know that we should keep the commandments, let’s see this

1What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?

 2God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?

Shall we continue in sin because we are in the grace of God?  God FORBID!

14For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

 15What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.

Sin (the breaking of the law), shall not dominate you because you are not under the laws of animal sacrifice; but you are under grace.  So should you sin because you are not under the laws of animal sacrifice?  God forbid.

23For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

The payment for breaking the law is death; but the gift of the grace of God is eternal life through Jesus the Messiah our Master.  You must continue to keep the Ten Commandments.  The laws of animal sacrifice are done away with and you are under the grace of God.

His grace is sufficient, and His laws are still required.

In man’s laws and terms; if you were arrested for strong arm robbery, and were bailed out and pardoned, you were given grace by the judicial system.  You must continue to now be a LAW abiding citizen to maintain that grace.

If you rob again and are caught you will return to jail with a very vicious sentence. Hebrews chapter 10 tells us about that vicious sentence:

26 For if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,

 27 But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.

If you go back and commit armed robbery willfully; after you know better and have been bailed out and pardoned; there remains no more bail for you.  All you have to look forward to is cell block 8.  In the Lord terms it’s called the lake of fire.

In Moses day they stoned you to death; but Jesus will throw you in fire and you will burn forever.

31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

To conclude we turn to Romans 3

28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.

And from this article, we do conclude that a man is justified by his faith without the deeds of the law of animal sacrifice.

31 Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.

Yet do we make void the law (Ten Commandments) through faith. We all know people say they just have faith in God; they believe in God, “it’s all about your relationship with God; and you don’t have to keep His commandments.”

Paul says, God forbid that type of talk.  Through our faith we are to establish the law, His Ten Commandments.

I hope this article helped edify your understanding by the grace of God and that you understand th at grace is simple a free gift from God to give you access again to the tree of Life, which is Jesus.

Grace, peace, and more understanding be given to you in the name of Jesus.

 

Elder Koko Ishe

BibleStudyMinistry.com

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