There is an immense difference between law and grace. The law demands everything, and gives nothing; while grace gives everything, and demands nothing. Thus nothing can be imagined more totally opposite in their principles. The law was given to show what man was. Grace has been put into exercise to show what God is. What a blessed contrast! Grace finds no spring of action in its object, but in the love of God, which must display itself; for God is love. Now, Christians are plainly said to have “become dead to the law by the body of Christ” (Rom. 7:1). They have died under the curse of a broken law in the person of their substitute on the cross—the Lord Jesus Christ
In every church and in many chapels we find the Ten Commandments written up in a prominent place, and Christians are exhorted from the pulpit to put themselves under the law “as a rule of life.” How totally opposite to the verse we have just quoted: “Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ.”
When such a scripture is brought before the notice of such Christians, their common reply is, “Oh, if I am not under law, but under grace, then I may go and sin as I like!” If such a one is reading this paper, we earnestly urge him to test his position by the alone competent test—the word of God.
The apostle Paul argues the point out in Romans 6. In verse 15 we read this question—“What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace?” With solemn and emphatic energy he replies, “God forbid.” Here, then, is the magnificent answer to all who cavil at grace. Then he brings out in the few following verses how we are set free from sin and death, and are now the servants of righteousness.
But God’s grace produces divine results in those in whom it is in exercise, in moral conformity to the One whose grace it is. “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world” (Titus 2:12). Thus we find the divine working of the scripture, “That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit” (Rom. 8:4). Instead of sinning as we like, we fulfil the law, because we are acting up to the grace of God. The law is not our model, or “rule of life,” for it genders to bondage; but having our eyes and hearts fixed on Christ in glory, we unconsciously follow in His steps, who more than fulfilled the law. “Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow His steps” (1 Peter 2:21). Having for our aim the higher object, we naturally fulfil the lower standard. Occupation with Christ tends to liberty, and genders not to bondage, like the law; “for, brethren, ye have been called to liberty” (Gal. 5:13).
We wish to bring before the notice of our readers one or two passages which show how Christianity, whilst fulfilling the law, completely out-distances it. Moses said, “Thou shalt not steal.” Paul said, “Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needs” (Eph. 4:28). Here we find Christianity not only transforms the thief into an honest person, but turns him into a benefactor. How refreshing to illustrate the exhortations to practical Christianity of the epistles by the life of Christ in the gospels! He restored what He took not away; He strewed His gifts on His right hand and left hand with unwearied industry and loving profuseness; and at the end of His pathway He gave Himself. And now in glory the same ceaseless occupation is His: “When He ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts to men” (Eph. 4:8).
In Exodus 22:22 we read, “Ye shall not afflict any widow, or fatherless child.” In James 1:27 it is said, “Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep self unspotted from the world.” Christ, as seen in the gospels, is the pattern exponent of this verse. Think of the widow of Nain’s son as one example.
The law said, “Thou shalt not covet.” Paul, in his address to the elders of Ephesus, says, “I have showed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how He said, It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35). What a contrast between the negative act of “not coveting” and the positive act of “giving.” The law said, “Thou shalt not kill.” The apostle John writes, “And we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.” The motive-spring of this is—that Christ laid down His life for us. But He died for us when we were enemies. Some might dare to die for a good man; but He died for His bitterest foes (See Rom. 5:10). The city which cast out Christ was to be the place where the sweet sound of the gospel was to be first heard. They took His life; He offered them everlasting life. Here, where the cries of bitterest hate had scarcely died away, were to be heard the offers of eternal life. “Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound” (Rom. 5:20). The law said, “Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.” Colossians 4:6 gives us the positive blessings of speech: “Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.” A man who did that would more than fulfil the law. Many read this verse as if it were, “Let your speech be with salt, seasoned with grace.” But how the grace should shine in our speech, albeit there would be the preserving element of truth in it! This would preserve against the honey of flattery. The grace of the Lord’s words was such that they wrung from the lips of men this confession: “Never man spake like this Man.” Yet His speech never lacked the seasoning salt of truth; for when He brought out the truth of over-abounding grace to the Gentiles, the Jews of Nazareth were filled with wrath, and cast “Him out of the city, and led Him to the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast Him down headlong.”
Enough has been given to show the difference between grace and law, and how the one supersedes and out-distances the other.
May our eyes and hearts be more continuously fixed upon Christ, and our feet found in His footsteps. Then we shall be more than fulfilling a law, the letter of which kills. We shall be glorifying Christ in the world, out of which He was cast.