Sharing Simple Things

Comparison of Law and Grace

Our Sunday School lessons have been on Romans.

I would like to pass on an illustration that may help 

with the understanding of the 

difference between law and grace.

When a person visits a museum there are usually 

many warning signs around that say, 

"DO NOT TOUCH" or "HANDS OFF".

This like the law.  

The things you cannot do to 

 are named and you must follow the rules 

or suffer the consequences.

The sign/law tells us what we should not do,

 but does not change our desire to do 

the things that are wrong.

In fact it may increase our desire to try it.

Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster 

to bring us unto Christ, 

Galatians 3:24

But if the museum is owned by a very close friend, 

that you love,

there doesn't have to be signs.  

You respect the property and want to preserve it, 

so you do nothing that will cause it to be harmed.

Even without a signs, 

because you know and love the owner,

you show respect and follow the rules. 

So it is that the law taught us what was wrong,

 but did not have the capability to make us obey

or change our wanting to do wrong 

other than to escape punishment.

But, as Christians, under grace,

we do what the Lord wants,

 because we love Him and 

want to please Him.

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.

Galatians 3:24-25

We obey Him, because we love Him, 

not just to avoid the consequences.

Jesus condensed all the law into two commandments:

 Jesus said unto him, 

Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, 

and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 

This is the first and great commandment. 

And the second is like unto it, 

Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 

 On these two commandments 

hang all the law and the prophets. 

Matthew 22:37-40 

and then

 If ye love me, keep my commandments.

John 14:15

Another card:

Have a wonderful week.