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Law vs Grace: Why the Law was Given

Law vs Grace: Part 3 To understand grace, we must first understand why God gave the law. The law was never meant to be a ladder we climb to reach salvation. It was meant to be a mirror that reveals our need for salvation. 1. The Law Defines Sin Before the law, humanity had no written standard. People knew certain actions were wrong, but there was no divine, written definition of sin. God gave the law to make sin unmistakably clear. “I would not have known what sin was except through the law.” — Romans 7:7 The law exposes the sin within us. It shows us where we fall short. It reveals our flaws, our failures, and our inability to meet God’s perfect standard. 2. The Law Reveals Our Need for Mercy Once the law shows us our sin, it produces conviction. It brings sorrow. It makes us aware that we cannot save ourselves. This is intentional. “The law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ.” — Galatians 3:24 The law teaches us that we need a Savior. It drives us to re...
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Law vs Grace: What is Law?

Law vs Grace: Part 2 When we talk about the law in Scripture, most people immediately think of the Ten Commandments or the laws given through Moses on Mount Sinai. These laws include moral commands, civil regulations for Israel, and ceremonial practices such as sacrifices, festivals, and rituals (Exodus 20; Leviticus; Deuteronomy). But before God gave Moses the law, humanity had no written standard. People knew certain things were wrong—like murder—but there was no formal, God-given definition of sin. The law changed that. The Law Defines Sin Paul explains that the law was given so we could see sin clearly: “By the law is the knowledge of sin.” — Romans 3:20 The law acts like a mirror. It shows us what is wrong in us. It reveals our failures, our shortcomings, and our inability to meet God’s perfect standard. The law itself is holy, righteous, and good (Romans 7:12), but it exposes the sin within us. The Law Condemns, But It Cannot Save The law was never meant to prov...
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Law vs Grace: Introduction

I'm doing a nine (9) part mini-series on Law vs Grace. Many believers struggle to understand the difference between law and grace . We know both concepts are in Scripture, and we know both come from God, yet we often confuse their purpose. When I speak of “law,” I’m referring to biblical law —the commandments, statutes, and regulations given through Moses. But I’m also referring to the laws we create for ourselves: the rules, habits, and personal systems we rely on to feel righteous, safe, or spiritually stable. The truth is simple but often misunderstood: The law was never given as a means of salvation. It was given to define sin and reveal our need for God’s mercy (Romans 3:20). Grace, on the other hand, is God’s answer to our inability to keep the law. Grace is His unearned favor, His covering, His mercy, and His power working in us through the Holy Spirit. Grace is not permission to sin—it is the divine strength that helps us walk in obedience without condemnation (Roma...
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Christ the Head and His Body, The Church

I am studying the Book of Galatians, and while reading in my Jimmy Swaggart Commentary, he begins discussing how God sees us. This brought to mind a previous blog post entitled “Our Position in the Cross of Christ.” Knowing and understanding your position In Christ Jesus (Romans 6:3–4) is so very important, and remaining in this position is imperative. Please excuse the repetition, but I am doing it for a specific purpose. Jesus is the Head of the Church, and the Church is the “body” of Christ — a Head and a body. When God looked down upon the sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross, He saw Jesus, The Head, with a spiritual body. Jesus’ spiritual body consisted of individual members — The Church! So we, who are In Christ Jesus , hung on the Cross with Him. When The Head, Jesus, was taken down, His spiritual body — The Church — was taken down. We died with Him. On that third and glorious day, The Head, Jesus, with His spiritual body consisting of individual members — The Church — arose...
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The Sinful Nature: Why So Many Believers Continue to Struggle

I want to talk a little bit about Christians and the sinful nature because I don't think a lot of Christians, or Believers, really understand what it is. Yes, I've mentioned this before,but want to revisit it again. This so important. We often look at the individual things we do—lying, gossiping, backstabbing, refusing to help someone, or other sinful acts—but we don't always look at the root cause behind those actions. The sinful acts are the fruit. The sinful nature is the root. Many Believers continue to fail because they never address the root. They allow certain sins to become habits. They become habitual liars, habitual gossipers, habitual backstabbers, and so forth. Sometimes we don't even recognize these things as sin, so we never address them. We may even tell ourselves, "Well, I got saved, so Jesus took care of my sins. I'm covered. Once saved, always saved." But that is not the answer. "A little leaven leavens the whole lump....
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Come Out of the Prison!

School is off to a good start. The devil tried to throw a monkey wrench in the first couple of weeks, but he is a liar and a defeated foe. Period! Okay... Right now, I am studying the book of Galatians, and it is no wonder why God has me studying Galatians. Every time I’m led to do a study on a book, I know that God is trying to show me something. Just in these first couple of verses in the first chapter, the one thing that I got was that the Apostle Paul, whom God gave the revelation of the New Covenant, had to stand up for what God had called him to be, even when people tried to tell him who he was. Paul had done a lot of bad things in his life. He even killed people because of his beliefs. But God got a hold of his heart. And when God got a hold of his heart, Paul still struggled. He said, “The things that I don’t want to do, I wind up doing. And the things I know I ought to do, I don’t do.” If this wonderful, strong man of God struggled in his walk with God—if, in his past,...
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Misplaced Object of Faith

In 2 Thessalonians 3:2, Paul asks believers to pray: "And that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men: for all men have not Faith." At first glance, Paul appears to be speaking of people with evil intentions. Yet a closer look at the language he uses may reveal something deeper. The Greek word translated "unreasonable" is atopos , meaning "out of place," "misaligned," or "not in proper order." This suggests more than open hostility; it points to a condition of being spiritually misplaced. Throughout Scripture, one of Satan's most effective strategies is not necessarily to make people openly oppose God, but to subtly shift the object of their faith away from God's appointed provision. His greatest victories often come not through obvious rebellion but through misplaced trust, our faith. Misguided Devotion Rather Than Malicious Intent Many who opposed Paul's message were not irreligious people. In f...
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