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Grace always upholds and honours the claims of divine law. Grace reigns through righteousness. Sin itself is defined as transgression of the law. In justification the righteousness of the law is fully met; perfect righteousness is imputed to the believer. In sanctification new life is commenced in which the law is written in the hearts of God's people, but sin remains and indwells the believer and causes an irreconcilable conflict within him. Invariable conformity to the law of God is sought but it cannot be obtained in this life. It will grow up unto perfection, and it will ultimately reach perfection in heaven, but there will be no perfection while the body of sin remains. For this reason we must count all things loss and dung for the excellency of knowing Christ, that we might be found in Him and have the perfect righteousness which God gives in Christ and which is received by faith alone.
Would it be better to say that ongoing sanctification leads invariably to conformity
The Internal Server Error popup is an ongoing issue vexing us as to a solution, given its randomness. Doing what you did, starting new posts to complete your response, seems to be one workaround for the time being.I wanted to post something here, but I keep getting internal server error. Perhaps I am limited to the length of comment?
The reason why I brought in the element of "perfection" is due to the fact that the law itself requires "perfect, personal, and perpetual obedience," which is nothing less than full conformity to its demands in soul and body. The reality, so far as the law itself is concerned, is that the believer never conforms to its demands because of indwelling sin. The covenant of grace provides for this reality, first, in providing perfect righteousness in Christ, so that we are always compelled to look away from the law and to look to Christ alone for righteousness. Secondly, it puts the law in the hand of Christ, as something already fulfilled by Him. The believer should never deal immediately with the law. He is to take the law from the hand of Christ as his rule of righteousness, and he is to look to Christ for the grace to fulfil it with the acceptance of sincere but imperfect obedience. He is not under the law in these respects. He is under Christ and the reign of grace.
It just really bothers me when chatting with some people regarding the perfection of The Law (I'm developing an apologetic method), they will invariably say, "But we're not under The Law, we're under Grace".
1 Corinthians 15:10 - "But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me."
For Paul, grace that was bestowed (and not in vain) made him fit for hard labor in service to Christ; but not only did it fit him for that service but grace actually labored for and with him.
If we conceive of 'bestowed grace' as merely God's blessing; we might think of it as a commodity that we are to steward and that God scrutinizes us for. But if we think of 'bestowed grace' as Christ himself being actually and truly given to us (Here is your Lord and Savior), then that is different altogether different.
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So just be sure you're the sort of believer who knows and experiences such grace daily, before you correct others who want to talk about it.
I would be interested to hear your thoughts on how "common grace" fits in.
What we call "common grace" is quite different from saving grace, is it not?
"Do you believe the bestowal of God's grace has no moral consequences to the recipient?"
It clearly has moral consequences. I haven't said anything to suggest otherwise. But the moral consequences flow from being under grace as opposed to being under the law. "For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace," Romans 6:14. "And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace," Romans 11:6.
Being under grace is the heart of gospel obedience. If one is still serving the law he is not under grace.
So that I'm not misunderstanding you, I guess I need to come right out and ask you if you agree with the statement:
"The consequence of Grace is always, invariably, conformity to the Law of God".
This is your original question which has already been answered with the necessary qualifications required by the distinction between justification and sanctification. If your question were answered in the affirmative without any qualification it would mean that grace makes no provision for a lack of conformity to the law of God. But the covenant of grace deals with us as sinners who will fail to conform to the law of God.
"perfection" is due to the fact that the law itself requires
it would mean that grace makes no provision for a lack of conformity to the law of God
I just don't know that I agree with the personification of both Law and Grace.
Great post and I agree with you completely.
And that doesn't diminish the "consequence" of Grace, so, "Well said"!
I would be interested to hear your thoughts on how "common grace" fits in.
Precisely.This is your original question which has already been answered with the necessary qualifications required by the distinction between justification and sanctification. If your question were answered in the affirmative without any qualification it would mean that grace makes no provision for a lack of conformity to the law of God. But the covenant of grace deals with us as sinners who will fail to conform to the law of God.
Wouldn't it be reasonable to assume that the receipt of grace, due to its sourcing, always have conformity to the perfect Law of God as the outcome?
What is imperfection? Failure to conform to a perfect standard. "For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, is guilty of all." James 2:10. You agree there is no perfection; but then you want to press this idea of conformity. Believers cannot conform to the law precisely because the law is perfect and they are imperfect; and this imperfection will characterise them in this life no matter how far they advance in holiness. "For in many things we offend all." James 3:2. It is by grace that their imperfect but sincere obedience is accepted by God -- "acceptable to God by Jesus Christ." 1 Peter 2:5.