1 of 3

Write now Article Tools

Page 4 of 6

mocked and derided Jesus, lamenting his own lot and the injustice he felt he had suffered. The dying man on the grace-tree' simply acknowledged his own guilt while recognising Jesus' innocence, and reached out humbly in faith to take hold of God's free forgiveness and Jesus' promise of eternal life because, by the time he died, Jesus' blood had already satisfied the requirement of the law, and what had hitherto been an fore-dated cheque written in faith, could now be stamped "Paid in Full".

To the other man Jesus said nothing and he died under the law. Indeed, as Jesus hung there, he not only hung between the two men, but between two paradigms: Between law and grace. As "Mediator of the New Covenant", Jesus fulfilled his promise to his disciples at the Passover meal the night before, when he held up the Redemption Cup' and told them: "this is my blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins". (Matthew 26:28)

That is the Gospel in its full simplicity. It's done! It's completed! Jesus has paid our account to the law in full.

It's so startling that the Apostle Paul often found himself persecuted by those in the early church who found his teaching too radical a message of grace. They accused him of license. They accused him of antinomianism. He accused them of slander.

Sadly, there is a false gospel of grace that is taught as license and antinomianism, but more often grace is subtly distorted into a new form of works. If you will just do this, or do that; give this or give that; send us this gift or send us thatGod will truly bless you'.

No, he won't. It's too late, because he already has. There never was a slot machine in the Garden, beside the tree of life. God's Grace is always free or it isn't grace.

Whenever we try to strive, or attempt to pay, or work our way into God's favour, we not only miss the point, but miss out on whatever gift he had meant for us to receive from him.

Nor does grace encourage sin, because, when we truly appreciate the depth of God's grace and his inexhaustible love for us, then sin becomes unthinkable, not because it is wrong (which itis) but because it is dis-graceful, and reaching beyond grace is unthinkable.

The other thing about the two trees in the Garden is that they were trees. So? Well, trees grow. And once Adam partook of the forbidden tree of the law of sin and death, sin grew as the law grew.

Nor is this some weird doctrine I made up on some wet Tuesday afternoon; it is precisely what the Apostle Paul

• << previous page
• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5
• 6
• next page >>

Add your voice

Know something about Is Christianity under the law a veil of deception that hides grace?
We want to hear your view. Write now!