for that the Law was given through Moses, grace and truth come through Jesus Christ.*
We are not under the Mosaic Law we are under Grace. Our salvation rests not in works of the Law, “for by grace through faith you exist saved…”* The law of faith states we are justified freely apart from works of the Mosaic Law. What came first grace or faith? can we separate grace and faith? are we saved by faith only and not by grace? What does it mean to be under grace? And for what purpose is grace to us? Let us look at the scriptures concerning grace.
And the word became flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld the one his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.*
Well says the man, I do not believe in grace, it is just being used as an access to sin. If Jesus came in the fullness of grace and truth and salvation rests on grace then how can one believe in Jesus if he doesn't believe in grace? Is such a person saved? If faith comes through hearing the words of God and the Word of God is Jesus who came in the flesh, in the fullness of the Father of grace and truth and the words of Jesus increase faith then it is by grace through faith that we are saved. By grace you are saved, yes, it is through faith but by grace, in that God so loved the world he sent his only Son. Jesus is the author and perfecter of faith, so God demonstrates (his love, his kindness, his mercy) from the riches of his grace, in that he sent us the author of faith, the Redeemer, the Lamb of God. By grace, God sent his Son into the world, and to those who receive him, believe through faith, these are saved.
Justified, undeservedly by his grace, through the redemption that in Christ Jesus.*
By his grace, God sent the Redeemer, and we are justified undeservedly by his grace through Him. We are justified by his blood.* “Justified by grace, becoming heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”* This justification is through faith according to grace. Justification leads to our righteousness, a gift along with abundant grace, thus to those who receive undeserved grace and the gift of righteousness, these will reign in life through Jesus Christ.* In Christ, we are not under the Law but are under Grace. Those in Christ will reign over sin not under the Law but under grace.* Under grace, the promise comes to all people and all nations not just to those who were under the Law and not just to those of the faith of Abraham. Under grace, we find it is God’s power at work in us.
so just as sin reigned in death so also grace reigns in righteousness leading to eternal life through Christ Jesus.*
Sin reigned in death, likewise grace reigns in life, through righteousness. What does this mean? The Spirit is life through righteousness. God did not send his Son to condemn the world but to save it and Jesus condemned not the man but sin in the flesh. How? He gives us the gift of righteousness and the gift of the Holy Spirit, to those who receive him he gives the power to become children of God, we are partakers of his divine nature. This power is raising us up into newness of Life. Grace reigns through the power of God, “my grace is sufficient for you for my power is perfected in weakness…”* Grace reigns through the righteousness we receive in Christ. Those born of God, John writes they do not continue in sin, it is a promise as they exist born of Spirit, God’s seed abides in them, and this seed grows up and bears fruit. The fruit of this new creation led to sanctification, and its outcome is Life. Grace reigns through righteousness and power.
For this reason, the promise is based upon faith, so that it is according to grace, to the extent it exists certain to all the descendants, not only those under the Law but also those sharing in the faith of Abraham, who is the Father of us all.*
If one doesn’t believe in grace then they are not of the promise of Abraham, it rests upon faith according to grace. Paul writes the gospel was preached to Abraham beforehand and he believed. What is the gospel? it is by grace through faith you are saved. “I am astonished so quickly, you walk away from the one calling you in the grace of Jesus Christ, to a different gospel, not that there exists another but some want to confuse you and will pervert the gospel of Christ.”* Paul writes to the Church of Galatia, they had severed themselves from Christ, fallen from grace, trying to be justified in the Law.* This would nullify the grace of God, “not nullifying the grace of God, for if righteousness through the Law then Christ died for nothing!”* Now, there needs to be understanding of faith and grace and the spiritual blessings that Paul writes are from the riches of His grace, like adoption, redemption, the forgiveness of sin. Those in the Galatian church were justifying themselves through the Law making a big showing in the flesh, it was not God’s power perfecting them.
Now, if led by the Spirit, not under the Law.*
Paul writes all things are lawful, but not all things are beneficial.* We are under grace not to use it as a license to sin, but grace is a service to us. “My grace is of service to you, for my power is perfected in weakness…”* What is the service of grace? it wards off any attempts for us to try to perfect ourselves. How can we attempt to perfect ourselves? through living to the letter of the Law. Through forms of self-abasement of the flesh. Through the fear of punishment. Through elemental principles of do not touch, taste, nor handle… These things have no power to overcome the flesh thus we will not rule over sin through them. But under grace we will as we entrust ourselves to God and rely on his power. There are things that build up, there are things that are beneficial to us, things that strengthen us to be obedient; being a new creation, faith energized in love, truth in love…*
For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, though existing rich, for you he became poor so that you by his poverty become rich.*
Did you know there is a grace of Jesus? this is often used in regards to serving, though Jesus were the Son of God humbling himself becoming a servant, even to the point of death on a cross, his becoming a servant was of his grace. Grace is unmerited favor and much more, also God displays his kindness, his mercy, and his great love for us in Christ Jesus. And these gifts are from the riches of his grace. Remember, this is the way Jesus came, in the fullness of the Father, of grace and truth. One way to look at it is that the Mosiac Law in its handwritings and written code was adverse to us as we exist in this weakness of the flesh as Paul writes under the Law sin was exposed but it also abounded and were sin abounded grace superabounded.* In other words, the Law judged and condemned man but God so loved the world he sent his only Son to save it. This is grace. By God’s grace, demonstrated in his great love in that he sent his Son, we are saved. By grace, God demonstrates his mercy. The Law judged and condemned but God’s mercy triumphant his judgment, though we were dead in our trespasses, God demonstrates his loving kindness to us.* “Even though we existed dead in our trespasses, he made us alive together in Christ, by grace are you saved!”*
this you have heard in the word of truth, the gospel, the one coming to you, just as also in the entire world it exists bearing fruit and growing just as also among you from the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth.*
Jesus came in fullness, of grace and truth. The gospel is about Jesus, the good news, as the Law judged and condemned mankind God so loved the world sending his Son to save it. The new covenant Paul writes is a ministry of reconciliation, and of the Spirit. It is a gospel of grace and truth, bearing fruit and growing among you “as you understood the grace of God in truth.” The early Church understood such grace, the greeting was always of grace and peace to you in Jesus Christ. We stand in grace, which we have access through faith.* Jesus is the author of faith, so without faith we are not saved, and by faith, we have access to grace. The gift of abundant grace and righteousness comes through faith. However, these gifts come from the riches of his grace.
For the grace of God is manifested to all people, teaching us to deny ungodliness and worldly passions, living with a renewed mind and justly and piously in the present age…*
We have access to these gifts because of what Jesus did, it took his death to establish a new covenant and it is a new covenant in his blood, it took his blood to atone for sin and to be a propitiation for all sin. This is why the Galatians fell from grace, severed themselves from Christ, because they neglected the grace given to them in Christ, in this new covenant in his blood. Also, Paul writes it is a trampling on the blood of Jesus to use grace in an improper manner.* And at the same time, it is under the Spirit of grace that holiness is achieved. So we can insult the Spirit of grace by going back to the Law or being legalistic and by using it in a way that doesn’t bring about holiness. A Church that focuses on sacrificing and serving, tithing and giving, outreach… and neglects holiness or growth and maturity would be such an example. Grace doesn’t neglect truth, Jesus came in the fullness of grace and truth. Being under Grace is the means in which God is perfecting us in Spirit and Truth. We are being perfected in truth, or truth in love or faith energized in love. The bond of love leads to perfection, our maturity in truth. The Spirit is a promise of our inheritance until there is the redemption of his own possession, which is a people set apart, consecrated to God.
But through the grace of the Lord Jesus, we believe saved, just as these.*
In Acts, we read of the early Church and grace that comes through Jesus Christ. “With great power, the apostles continued to grow giving testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus and great grace existed upon them all.”* The same power that is raising Jesus from the dead is working within us, under grace. This is the power of the resurrection and the perfecting power that comes under grace. God’s power works under grace, “And Steven full of grace and power was doing great wonders and signs among the people.”* The message of the gospel of grace exists foolish to some, but it is power from God, “therefore they stayed for a considerable time speaking about the Lord, the one witnessing to the message of his grace, giving signs and wonders coming through their hands.”* Paul testified to the gospel of grace.
but I make my life nothing, words precious to me, that I finish in my task and the ministry that I received from the Lord, to testify to the gospel, the grace of God.*
Paul writes the gospel of grace is a strong foundation, “according to the grace given to me like a skilled master, I laid a foundation, yea, someone else builds on it now, take care how he builds on it…* The gospel of grace is not based upon earthly wisdom but the power of God.* It is a message when extended to more and more people increases thanksgiving and glory to God.* And the simplicity of grace, is that God has the power to overflow such grace to all, so that you have all things and needs, overflowing in all good works.*
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.*