1018. A Listener Asks: Why Do So Many Churches and Christians Mix Law and Grace?

There is a wide array of different church affiliations out there around the world and many have very differing points of view on many different things. But there are some common threads found through the spectrum. First, most believe that they pretty much use the Bible as the source for their beliefs. Second, they mix an "old covenant" that Israel was under with a new and better covenant established after Jesus died.

The first covenant came through Moses and was based on pursuing righteousness by works and deeds. The second came by Jesus Christ, bringing a realization of grace and the gift of righteousness apart from works and deeds. Two very different covenants—manifested at different times—and were not alike.

Naturally, this begs the question: Why do so many Christians and churches feel the need to have a "balance" by mixing law and grace? We offer some possibilities on this week's program.



   
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945. A Covenant of Law and a Covenant of Grace: Recognizing the Differences

The Apostle Paul said: "But now we have been delivered from the law." We often apply a phrase such as this to us who are believers in Christ today who typically are not from a Jewish background. We'll offer a perspective on who Paul was specifically addressing from Romans 7 and how removing the dividing wall of separation (the law of commandments) brought Jews and Gentiles together in Christ.

When huddled with His disciples, Jesus said: "Do not think that I came to destroy (abolish) the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill." While it was not the mission of Jesus to arrive on earth to declare the law as abolished, He did complete what He came to do—which was first to fulfill it—and this resulted in the law from the Old Covenant being abolished in His flesh and fully annulled and set aside (or cancelled).

When scanning the scriptures in the Bible or hanging out in a mixed-covenant church culture, understanding who was being spoken to, what was being said and when it was said will help us to avoid blending law and grace ... while growing in the knowledge of the truth about the gospel that offers a better hope than an obsolete covenant of works (which we were never alive to).



   
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944. You Are Not Under Law but Under Grace (No "Balance" Required)

The Christian religion has notoriously attempted to mix the grace of the gospel of Jesus Christ with a hodgepodge of works-based rules and requirements that will vary with great extreme from one denominational brand to the next. Leapfrogging through various Bible verses which are often taken out of the context of the New Covenant can leave people in a place of uncertainty when it is based upon our doing instead of the finished work of Jesus Christ.

Our conversation will examine the inconsistencies in mixing various aspects of old covenant law with the assurance we have in Christ by faith. Paul made a simple and yet profound statement that is easily overlooked: "For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace" (Romans 6:14).



   
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692. A Life of Faith Apart from the Law

Faith. Grace. Righteousness. Forgiveness. Life. Salvation. These are gifts we’ve been delivered into since God established a New Covenant where both Jew and Gentile have been invited into the covenant - Christ Jesus is that covenant that has been given and established after the cross. These things were not attainable for those Jews living under the religious system of the Mosaic law from the Old Covenant. Their efforts at trying to abide by the many commandments fell far short of the requirement. The new way came by an oath or a promise. The premise of most Christian church doctrines tragically resembles a train-wreck where law and faith have crashed head-on, leaving people in a state of anxiety, pain, fear and bondage. Our program this week covers many of the differences between the law of works compared to the ministry of faith and grace… and why we should avoid the mixture.



   
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691. "The Law Is Not of Faith" (Galatians 3:12)

We frequently find them blended into the doctrines and sermons of Church Incorporated… selected portions of commandments from the law which came by way of Moses. Not the entire law, mind you. Each religious brand will pick and choose what they think should be applied and what should be left off the list. The problem? There shouldn’t be a list. The entire written code of the letter from the Old Covenant was wiped out and came to an end. It was replaced with a better option that arrived when Jesus was manifested - it’s called faith. Paul was explaining to the Galatians they needed to make one of two choices… attempting to follow and live by the works of the law (the flesh) or to live by faith in Jesus Christ.

Before faith came, the Jews were held as prisoners under the law. The Mosaic law was a tutor or guardian which was meant to eventually lead them to the custody of Jesus Christ. When faith (Christ) came, there was no longer the need for the guardian because us who are in Christ Jesus became children of God by faith. The law and commandments are not based upon the faith that was provided for us within a new and better covenant.



   
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626. Can Grace Become a Dangerous Doctrine?

Grace has been known to receive a bad rap when it is communicated as the foundation and the fullness of the gospel. When free and unlimited grace is taught, it has been known to be accused of giving people a license to sin, thereby causing sin to increase. Grace has been falsely rumored to be a dangerous doctrine when it is taught apart from the law, which came through the Old Covenant once given to Israel. Over the years on this podcast, we've been misunderstood by many who have jumped to the wrong conclusions about what we're saying. This is largely because of the established mindset they have developed which is built upon a foundation of law and grace being mixed together. On this week's program, we attempt to bring some clarity on what we've been saying — and also what we're not saying.



   

571. The Old Commands Were Weak, Useless and Now Obsolete

When it comes to Christianity, religious institutions seem to be unable to resist the temptation to mix Jewish law with the good news message of the gospel. The combination of law and grace embedded in church doctrine has caused many believers to wallow around in sin and guilt. Jesus came to deliver us from the ministry of the letter with its commandments that brought death and condemnation, and He transferred us into the New Covenant ministry of the Spirit.



   

525. The Curse of Seeking Self Improvement

It's one of the biggest deceptions known to mankind - the attempt to achieve a higher level of personal improvement through our works and efforts. Adam and Eve were distracted by the glossy appearance of its fruit and the rest of the world followed suit. Israel demonstrated the futility of trying to establish their own righteousness through the works of the law by pursuing a level of improvement that would make them acceptable to God. It falls short every time and fortunately, it is something Jesus redeemed us from.



   

524. The Christian's Relationship to the Law

The mixed covenant culture found in the church world has brought a wide variety of confusion among believers in Christ. As Gentiles who had come to faith in the early church, what were they instructed by the lovers of the law from the Jerusalem church who still believed the law was in effect? Even those elders shared that Gentiles were not to be troubled with keeping the law. What we fail to realize is there was no list of old rules given to the church from the law, because in Christ we have no relationship to that law from the former covenant because it was replaced with God's Spirit in us.



   

515. The Bible Blender

The beliefs and mindsets of people in Christianity often have their roots planted deeply in a doctrinal mix of two very different covenants. We know all Scripture is truth but we can wrongly assume the entire Bible and everything in it is a book that is always meant to apply to us today in a personal way. Paul said to rightly divide the Word of Truth. What form of division is he talking about? The Old Covenant failed, came to an end and was replaced with something much better. The challenge for the typical believer of today is learning to separate these two covenants and having a complete change of mind about the gospel.



   

482. The Old Commands - Weak and Useless

As Gentiles who were never under the former covenant and the Mosaic law, why would we want to try to apply portions of it to our new life in Christ? The Old was weak, useless, unprofitable and had been put away to be replaced with something better. Mixing them brings confusion and condemnation. There was a change of priesthood which resulted in a change of law, so let's get some fresh perspectives on why we should avoid combining them, as though they were one covenant.


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465. Nix the Mix!

They are not two great tastes that go great together. We don't mix new wine into old wineskins, neither should we mix the Old Covenant with the New Covenant. Why? The old way was replaced with a better covenant, a better hope and better promises. Why would the Gentile church want to place themselves into an obsolete covenant that could never bring life when they were never under it to begin with? Hearing the commandments of law that came through Moses blinds the heart from comprehending the good news. The alternative for us is the ministry of God's Spirit, where we'll find life and liberty.


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398. The Bible Can Be Dangerous to Read If...

It's one of the oldest tricks in the book. Bible verses being taken out of context. Of course most don't even realize this is what they are doing. Sometimes when we read or memorize certain verses it can lead to tunnel vision, misunderstanding and confusion. Of course we'll often have different opinions on things from time to time but one of the reasons there are thousands of church denominations, doctrines and cults is due to a general misunderstanding of what the gospel is. And a leading cause of that is taking scripture out of context along with confusing the Old Covenant with the New and mixing them together into one.

As someone once told us: "The Bible can be one of the most dangerous books you'll ever read if you..." (Take a listen to the podcast for the conclusion to this suspenseful cliff hanger.)

The Bible Can Be Dangerous to Read If... (14 Min, 9.6 MB)
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