PAUL’S DOCTRINE IS CLEAR:
GRACE TO YOU!
PAUL’S DOCTRINE IS CLEAR:
GRACE TO YOU!
JAN LILLEBY
And so, his gospel teaching would not be misunderstood.
But even so, there are believers who still have not really grasped what this is about.
During the time described in Acts, the apostles taught that the believing Jews and proselytes should live in faith – and at the same instance also show forth works. Among which was observance of the Law with its ordinances and commandments, and the new covenant in the blood of Jesus’ atonement. Faith yes – but accompanied by works.
James’ epistle spells it straight forward, - 2:14-17, NASB,
14 What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him?
15 If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food,
16 and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, be warmed and be filled," and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that?
17 Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself.
His words has given many Bible students spiritual headaches…must I have certain works to get saved…!!??##. This because James 2 so feverishly point out works as the magic formula. He used a very strong language: FAITH IS DEAD…unless you have works!
Of course, we as believers in Jesus should do certain good things, and helping the world as much as we possibly can. But what Paul taught us of the matter of ‘works’ – it is the fact that NO WORKS can get you saved. But faith can. Today Christianity are doing much good in the world, we are keeping up all sorts of good deeds – not so we shall be saved, but because WE ARE ALREADY SAVED. Big difference there!
In apostolic times, as we find in Acts, works was demanded by the Lord, for the Law of Moses was at that time not yet taken off. The assemblies observed both the Law AND the New Covenant…check out Acts 21:20…it was the year of 58 CE and Paul was there for Pentecost: many thousands of Jews were zealous for the Law as they observed it.
In Ephesians and Colossians we find Paul as one who was entrusted by the Lord to receive revelation of the Mystery…the new fresh dispensation/administration (Greek, ekonomia) – we often call this for the free Grace Gospel of God. Christ had made Jew and Gentile into one NEW man, as He had torn down the wall of partition by abolishing the Law at the cross. Eph. 2:14, 15. This revelation was not yet given, as we find James’ chapter 2 and the teaching of works for salvation – in the faith in Christ. Still, as He tested Israel as a nation whether they would believe, this truth was kept hidden to them in Acts time. They therefore did observe the Law – as well as the New Covenant.
During Acts timeline, the free grace gospel revealed to Paul was not in operation. They only preached the Gospel of the Kingdom of God on earth, the Messianic Millennial kingdom promised by the prophets.
That Kingdom-Gospel had nothing to do with us, the Body of Christ, the one new Man. This kind of message ENDED with Paul being refused by the Sanhedrin in Rome, see Acts 28:28. The gospel was from that time sent to us Gentiles. God divorced His nation Israel, and their falling away was now a fact. This is their status even today…until He shall raise His nation back up on its feet through the Great Tribulation to come.
FAITH TOGETHER WITH WORKS
This concept of having both works AND faith along with it, was archetypical to Jewry, yes – even prior to the existence of Israel. We find it displayed as we read of Abraham, their ancestral father. The sacrificial rituals (works!) as well as keeping holy feast days and Sabbaths – it all is spelled ‘w-o-r-k-s’ – make no mistake of this.
These works (observation of the commandments spoken by God) was even in Abraham’s time POINTING FORWARD to the time in which Jesus Christ would appear in Israel. The nation was to serve as His podium – His pulpit, as He should rule as their King Messiah. Paul pointed out the fact of works as something that foreshadowed that which was to come…Col. 2:16,17, NASB,
16 Therefore no one is to act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day-
17 things which are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ.
And yet, Abraham was justified by faith says the Bible. BUT (!) his faith was proven and made visible by works. This is a fact, a Bible truth.
This was systematized by God in detail as He revealed Himself to Moses and Aaron telling His plan to them and the Hebrew assembly at Sinai. The Law of Moses is called ‘The Old Covenant’ in Heb. 9:15; Paul also wrote that the Abrahamic Covenant was absorbed within that new Law – which again tells us that it was the very same thing, same purpose: To foreshadow the Messiah of God, Jesus Christ. God used so many hundreds of detailed instructions to them – He even told them how the priests garments should be designed, and what exactly kinds of animals to be offered at the altar, and which days in the year to keep extra holy – of which we find Passover and Pentecost central. Bottom line: their weekdays and their holydays consisted of FAITH PLUS WORKS, and not just faith alone. God kept drilling His ancient people to understand the promise of a Messiah King to come, and did so for over 1400 years.
IT IS PAUL, AND NOT MOSES OR JESUS,
WHO BECAME THE TEACHER TO GENTILES
Mat. 15:24 is clear, and confirmed by Rom. 15:8 we find that Jesus never was portrayed as a teacher to the Gentiles; He was sent only to Israel, - quote from NASB,
But He answered and said, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel."
For I say that Christ has become a servant to the circumcision on behalf of the truth of God to confirm the promises given to the fathers,
Paul is the teacher to the Gentiles, and him only, Eph. 3:1-3, NASB,
1 For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles -
2 if indeed you have heard of the stewardship of God's grace which was given to me for you;
3 that by revelation there was made known to me the mystery, as I wrote before in brief.
These words are part of Paul’s grace doctrine for the church, and replace the previous doctrine which was preached to Israel and proselytes, the Kingdom gospel. The latter is no longer valid doctrine, and none of it is binding for the church.
Abolishment of the Law with its commandments and ordinances had to be executed by the Lord, before He could create the ‘One new Man’. We are now the Body of Christ, for which Jesus is the Head, says Paul.
We are actually such believers that have died with Christ on the cross, thus we are also taken into the resurrection with Him, and according to Col. 3:3 we are hidden with Christ in God.
This is strong stuff!
Here we find that works in the faith is shut out of it, since the church, the Body of Christ is already placed in heaven with Him, thus Paul say that we are granted ALL spiritual blessings in Him in heaven.
PAUL’S USAGE OF THE GRACE CONCEPT
Here you will find some selected verses on how Paul used the grace concept – and you will notice how he was very focused to have his believers fathom what grace really is, he repeats and repeats and repeats it over and over again in Ephesians and Colossians, and no where can we find any ties or bonds to the Law of Moses and all the ordinances.
Eph. 1:1, 2, 6, 7
1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints who are at Ephesus and who are faithful in Christ Jesus:
2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.
7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace.
Eph. 2:5-9
5 even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved ),
6 and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
7 so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;
9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.
I repeat: Ephesians and Colossians are choc-full of GRACE emphasizing, underlining the extreme importance of that concept.
It speaks it clear language to us all, that it is by the GRACE we are living, and have eternal salvation thereof. BY GRACE, THROUGH FAITH. Paul’s archetypical way of making important points.
If we make slip-ups in our lives – getting into tough situations committing sin – we stumbled, we miscalculated certain things in our lives (we all have such experiences) – then Paul’s grace-doctrine is shouting to us: The Grace of God and Christ keeps us safe inside the salvation we have by faith. Faults and lacking come from our bad inherited ‘crack’ in our character, from Adam. There exists not one person on earth who does not commit any sin! We are not charged by God to live in ‘Sinless perfection’, that’s for sure.
Now, since we cannot come before God with our good deeds and works, then there is only one thing which remains: GRACE FROM GOD. And Paul wrote that we have that grace in a RICH MEASURE. Thus we find the grace of God so great and glorious, that we survive all sorts of attacks against us, we survive our own mistakes and lacking. Not by our own power or might – no, it is the immense glorious atonement Jesus made on the cross which has done this. Himself, in His own person, the mighty Son of the Almighty God took away all our sin and guilt. We are by faith cleared within God’s divine justice system, and the irreversible verdict has been sealed by Christ for us: NOT GUILTY! We are free and thus saved for all eternity! Paul makes this very clear, as we read his words….we are transferred over into the Kingdom of His beloved Son…Col. 1:13, 14.
GRACE CAN HOWEVER NOT BE USED
AS A MAGIC WAND
Have you seen those stupefying mafia movies, including the ‘Godfather’ series?
In which you will observe the catholic priesthood utter ‘blessings’ and ‘forgiveness of sin’ to those who go to confession cabinets.
We see mafia-bosses and their hired assassins and thugs come to the priest to receive forgiveness for murders and what not. Whatever cruel and criminal deeds they have committed, you can just go and confess (priests can keep it secret so the police cannot use the clergy as potential witnesses).
We all understand that nobody can achieve forgiveness with using such a method; it is a blasphemy to try to get away from guilt in such a manner.
The grace of God is NOT for those who have an ungodly and criminal lifestyle! One must turn away from such evil, and come to genuine personal faith in Christ, and only by that a person can be saved.
It is a big difference between accidentally stumbling in some sin, and living an outright ungodly lifestyle. Grace cannot be used as a magic wand, making sin go away unnoticed.
On this issue we find Paul exhorting us, Eph. 5:1-14, NASB,
1 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children;
2 and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.
3 But immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints;
4 and there must be no filthiness and silly talk, or coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks.
5 For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.
6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.
7 Therefore do not be partakers with them;
8 for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light
9 (for the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth ),
10 trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord.
11 Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them;
12 for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret.
13 But all things become visible when they are exposed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light.
14 For this reason it says, "Awake, sleeper, And arise from the dead, And Christ will shine on you."
May the Grace of God be with you all, in the faith in Jesus Christ!
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