Not understanding grace

Hi Yxxx,

When you first responded to this email I sent, I also received another one from a sister. She simply added, "and, humble obedience."

I believe this is a similar sentiment as your statement, "God's law serves as the checkup or boundary for us not to be deceived by the Satan.  So you may not boast of having(or believe you have) obedient heart, but break God's law at the same time."

It seems you and others hold the opinion that, without the law (I believe apart from what Jesus commanded about love, because boundary was not defined, and only the written law -- ten commandment and other behavior-related terms -- is the clearest definition of what is right or wrong) as checkup, one is prone to self-interpretation on good and devil even in grace. And a step beyond that is the pride that is apparent for disregarding the written law.

Implied in the response was that the heart remains in the dark even after salvation and the indwelling of the holy spirit. Of course, if one is self-deceived about how grace works in his life, such may be the case. And we can very well determine that even one who professes acceptance of grace but whose actions run counter to law, and is unrepentant and unashamed about it, or even unaware of obvious transgressions, this believer does not understand grace in its full glory, and is obviously unmoved by the spirit.

But the solution to the disconnect is not using more law to make sure of conformance, which is only an exterior-driven behavior that moves not the heart. If by knowledge and commandment we come to obedience, it is empty of heart; yet if we appeal to the heart, the spirit living inside wills to learn of such knowledge without commandment.

And the only narrow doorway to such work of the spirit is by grace. When we have full revelation of grace, it is no longer our own heart that governs but the heart of Christ. The Bible is clear that we now have a new heart, a soft heart with God's law written in it. What is faith then but to believe God's word and trust that we are no longer masters of our hearts but God Himself. This is true obedience in humility, and no more worrying about being boastful.

In grace we have nothing to boast about; but in law we do for it is our performance that is measured. And if we view grace as licensing sin and irresponsibility, then no wonder some are quick to warn to be careful not to be blinded and flaunt it with abandon, and that grace must be weighted with the clarity and instruction of law. But this is pure human reasoning that is not substantiated by the scripture where Paul emphatically warns about the danger of law and not grace!

We must let grace shine, and be patient with it even if it works slowly in the heart than law with the mind. True obedience is to have no boundary demanded, but an unwillingness to stray from the will of God who gives us the spiritual wisdom to walk in light and not stumble into darkness. Amen!

James