Justified by His grace

Justified by His grace

I do hope by now that we have a clear understanding and are able to stand firmly between the extremity of the rough and turbulent waters of legalism and the extremity of the calm, placid, but extremely toxic waters of liberalism because both are detrimental to our spiritual growth and can result in vain worship, idolatry, irreverence and provoking the Lord to jealousy.

Justification by grace does not nullify, or make obsolete the way of life which has been ordained for man to follow, neither has it given man the license to worship God according to the customs and traditions of men, for as it is written: “What then? Shall we sin (transgress the laws of God) because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! Do you not know that when you yield yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either slaves of sin, which leads to death, or slaves of obedience to the law of God, which leads to righteousness” (Romans 6:15-16).

The crux of the matter is, God has ordained one way of life for man to follow. For thus He said, “I gave them My statutes and made known to them My judgments, which, if a man does, he shall live, aspire, flourish by them” (Leviticus 18:5, Ezekiel 20:11, 13).

The Lord also said to Moses, “One ordinance shall be for you of the congregation and for the stranger who sojourns with you, an ordinance forever throughout your generations; as you are, so shall the stranger be before the Lord. One law and one custom shall be for you and for the stranger who sojourns with you” (Numbers15:15-16).

Man is a slave to either the insatiable desire of the flesh called sin, or a slave to obedience to the law of righteousness. One should not misconstrued the statement, “For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes,” to mean that He is the end of the law of righteousness to everyone who believes. For it is written, “Do we then make void the law through faith? Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the law” (Romans 3:31).

The reality is, having been made free from the power and master of sin, one becomes a slave to righteousness; and having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, one has his fruit to holiness, and the end everlasting life. In other words, obedience leads to righteousness (the keeping of God’s commandments) produces holiness, and holiness culminates into everlasting life.

 When one is a slave to sin [man’s sinful nature] he is free or far removed in regards to righteousness. In like manner, when one is a slave to righteousness he is free or far removed from sin. One must not negate practical righteousness which leads to holiness because of imputed righteousness as we have been admonished saying, “Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. He who practices righteousness is righteousness just as He Jesus Christ is righteous” (1John 3:7).

We have also been warned saying, “Whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew5:19).

On the other hand the legalists ought not to impose their strict observance to the law as though one’s salvation or eternal life hinges on them. Both extremes are wrong and dangerous. The law is not made for a righteous person, but for the lawless and insubordinate, for the ungodly and for sinners, for the unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, for fornicators, for sodomites, for kidnappers, for liars, for perjurers, and any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine” (1Timothy 1:9-10).

The reason why the law is not for the righteous man it is because, the law as the tutor, guardian, school master, spiritual mirror, and revelator of sin has already pointed him/her to Christ, and since he/she has believed, he/she is now living within the confines of the law, by faith. The purpose for the grace of God is to cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God. Because what we are is a gift from God, and what we become is a gift to God.

Because it was when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life” (Titus 3:4-7).

Therefore, if one desires to express his/her reverence, gratitude, adoration love and thanksgiving to God, it should be done on the day He has ordained and set aside for His glory and honor, for this is what the Lord says; “Keep My Sabbaths and reverence My sanctuary. I am the Lord.” This is how those who have turned the grace of God into licentiousness have denied the one and only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ who said, “The Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”

Nevertheless, one has no right to command, coerce, or compel another to do what has been taught because, “The grace of God that bring salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us to say ‘No’ to ungodliness, and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope – the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for Himself a people that are His very own, eager to do what is good.

The eagerness and desire to do what is good is derived not from law, command, coercion or compulsion but by faith and love. As it is written, “If you love Me keep My commandments,” and the eagerness to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. Yes, let the grace of God cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God: Come, let us bow down in worship. Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker; for He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture, the flock under His care. Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts.

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With brotherly love

Lucius Joseph