Law And Grace Are Two Keys

Galatians 3:10-14, “For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith. And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.”

LAW and GRACE are two different keys—the key of law shutteth men up in condemnation, but the key of grace unlocks the door! What a beautiful passage of Scripture! What a beautiful truth! Our great God has already made TWO great divisions to His Word of LAW and GRACE. The law shows humanity our sinnership. Romans 3:19, “Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.”

In these two covenants of LAW and GRACE, that is, OLD and NEW Testaments, we see the simplicity of the Gospel. The LAW shows men their need as sinners for redemption, and CHRIST provides the provision to fulfil that need. Someone has said that G.R.A.C.E. is an acronym for “God's Riches At Christ's Expense.” I love that! The sole purpose of the law in salvation is to give men “the knowledge of sin” (Romans 3:20). There is a popular heresy being spread in ecumenical churches today, which says you must “forsake (turn) from your sins to be saved.” The errantly understand this to mean “repentance,” but it is actually reformation, not Bible repentance. True repentance is a change of mind. I think the following quote from Pastor Harry Ironside (1876-1951) is one of the best I've found on repentance:

“Which comes first, repentance or faith? In Scripture we read, 'Repent ye, and believe the gospel.' Yet we find true believers exhorted to 'repent, and do the first works.' So intimately are the two related that you cannot have one without the other. The man who believes God repents; the repentant soul puts his trust in the Lord when the Gospel is revealed to him. Theologians may wrangle over this, but the fact is, no man repents until the Holy Spirit produces repentance in his soul through the truth. No man believes the Gospel and rests in it for his own salvation until he has judged himself as a needy sinner before God. And this is repentance.” ('Except Ye Repent,' p. 16).

I think Dr. Ironside gets repentance 100% Biblically correct! I encourage you to read his book on repentance. Albeit, the inspired Holy Bible is our absolutely only authority in all matters of morality, faith and life. John 3:20-21, “For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.” Carefully notice that repentance is unto THE TRUTH, and not from sins! 

What saith the Scripture further? 2nd Timothy 2:25-26, “In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.” Oh please don't miss this truth dear friend. We plainly read earlier in Romans 3:20 that the purpose of God's law is to give humanity the knowledge of sin. No one ever got saved who didn't realize that he or she is a guilty sinner. You must see your need for a Savior. You need to know what you're being saved from. Matthew 1:21, “And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.” You don't turn from your sins to be saved, you turn to Jesus to be saved from your sins!

Law and grace are two keys. The key of law locked us up in the prison of condemnation for our sins, but the blessed key of God's wondrous grace opens the house of the prisoners! Our text passage from Galatians 3:10-14 teaches that the law is a curse upon all mankind, indicting each and every human being as woeful guilty sinners! But Christ became a curse upon Calvary's cross. 2nd Corinthians 5:21, “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” Jesus paid a debt He did not owe, because we owed a debt of sin we could not pay! Thank God for the sacrificial gift of His dear only begotten Son!

Jesus walked this earth 2,000 years ago as the sinless Son of God, as a spotless Lamb without spot nor blemish (John 1:29). Jesus took upon Himself the penalty for everyone's sins, bearing the full weight of our sins on the cross, in ways that I don't claim to comprehend. 1st John 2:2, “And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.” I love that Bible verse! 2nd Corinthians 5:14, “For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead:” Christ died for everyone dear friend, and that includes you and me!!! It matters not how sinful you may be, or what crimes you are guilty of, “Christ died for the ungodly” (Romans 5:6-8). That is a very good and loving Savior!!!

I encourage you to get into the mental habit of viewing the Bible from the simplistic standpoint of LAW and CHRIST (or GRACE). Dr. Law shows us our disease, and then Dr. Grace heals us with the Gospel. Galatians 3:24-26, “Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.” Can you see the beautiful simplicity that is in Christ dear friend? God gave us the law as a measuring stick, by which when men compare themselves they fall woefully short of the glory of God, which is absolutely perfection (Romans 3:23; James 2:10). God literally wanted the law to give us the knowledge that we cannot save ourselves. Thus, the Old Testament LAW is as a schoolteacher, that opens our eyes to the truth that we cannot get to Heaven on our own merit or by works, and then brings us to CHRIST to be freely saved by God's grace.

I encourage you to get into the mental habit of viewing the Bible from the simplistic standpoint of LAW and CHRIST (or GRACE). Dr. Law shows us our disease, and then Dr. Grace heals us with the Gospel. Galatians 3:24-26, “Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.” Can you see the beautiful simplicity that is in Christ dear friend? God gave us the law as a measuring stick, by which when men compare themselves they fall woefully short of the glory of God, which is absolute perfection (Romans 3:23; James 2:10). God intended for the LAW to give us the knowledge that we cannot save ourselves (Romans 7:13). Thus, the Old Testament LAW was a schoolteacher, to open our eyes to the truth that we cannot get to Heaven on our own merit or by works, and that brings us to CHRIST to be freely saved by God's grace.

Salvation Is Not An Exchange That Will Cost You

Now if you fully understand what I just taught you directly from the inspired Word of God, then it should be abundantly clear that Lordship Salvation is a perverse doctrine of devils. Somewhere between the journey from LAW to GRACE, many people get sidetracked in their mind with all sorts of heretical ideas. They start embellishing LAW and GRACE into a monstrosity. Here's an example of someone embellishing LAW and GRACE. False prophet Dr. John MacArthur errantly says:

It [salvation] isn’t adding Jesus to your repertoire. It isn’t like the rock singer who said, “I've been born again but don't think it’ll change my act or my lifestyle.” It’s not that. It’s an exchange of all that I am for all that he is. It’s an abandoning of all my righteousness for all his righteousness. It’s a setting aside of everything I thought valuable for the pearl of great price. I would willingly bankrupt myself of all my human prizes, right? Hear Paul, “I count all things but dung that I may win Christ.” That’s the exchanged life. 

So, we would then say, who are the few? [the saved] Those who obey the commands of Christ and the will of the Father, those who confess Christ at any cost. And for everybody that cost may be different, but when salvation is really happening, God energizes the willingness to pay the cost, whatever it is. 

SOURCE: Jesus' teaching On Salvation

What a theological dingleberry! Pastor John MacArthur horribly butchers the Word of God. First, his particular quote from the last portion of Philippians 3:8 doesn't appear in ANY Bible version, he worded it wrong! Paul didn't say he counted all things dung; but rather, “the loss of all things.” Dr. MacArthur claims that we must exchange all things to receive God's free gift of eternal life. What saith the Scripture? ...

Philippians 3:7-9, “But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:”

Pastor MacArthur leaves off verse 9, which plainly declares that we are saved “BY FAITH.” Salvation is not an exchange of any sort. Dr. MacArthur is preaching another gospel, which cannot produce the new birth. The Apostle Paul got saved by faith, and then he decided to serve God (a second decision), which is discipleship. These two are not the same, and to combine them is to pervert the keys of law and grace. Paul's Christian testimony cost him everything. When you live for Jesus the world hates you (John 15:19). It is Jesus whom they really hate (John 7:7). Paul said in 2nd Timothy, “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.” I have been persecuted my whole life for my Christian faith. I have been hated, mocked, belittled, spit upon, slandered, fired, banned from ungodly churches, and a bunch more unpleasant things. Like all false prophets, John MacArthur wrests the Scriptures to his own destruction, and those who follow “led away with the error of the wicked” (2nd Peter 3:16-17).

Please notice in the preceding quotes by Dr. MacArthur that he uses the words “exchange” and “cost” in reference to salvation. Dear reader, God gave His only begotten Son as a sacrifice, to die a horrifying criminal's death by crucifixion on a splintered cross. He did that for you oh ungodly sinner! And He did that for me, an ungodly sinner saved by grace at age 13 forty years ago! Jesus paid it all! We owe Him nothing in return! There is no balance to be repaid, there is no cost, nor is there any exchange that has taken place. Pastor MacArthur was inspired by demons when he wrote those lies! If you truly understand LAW and GRACE, then you know that “Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth” (Romans 10:4). Christ is the key, that by grace through faith, unlocks the door to free men's souls imprisoned under the condemnation of the LAW.