Laws and Grace

Call to Prayer

Title: Laws and Grace

By: Daniel Peter

Date: 02.10.2023

And as they went through the cities, they delivered to them the decrees to keep, which were determined by the apostles and elders at Jerusalem.  Acts 16:4 NKJV

There’s a general misconception of the word “grace“; In the minds of many, when grace is mentioned, it suggests God’s favour despite our sins and short comings. Though this is true, but it only partly true, for grace is also an empowerment to do the instructions of God (1 Cor. 15:10). My point is, despite we are in the new covenant, there are laws guiding our actions. Grace is God’s help for us to do His will and not a license to sin.

The laws by which the gentile believers should live became an issue to be discussed by the foundational Apostles, as certain Jews were teaching the new gentile converts to keep the laws of Moses ( Acts 15:1, 6). Their resolve after the meeting was that the gentile believers shouldn’t live by the Laws of Moses, but they should “… abstain from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality… (Acts 15:29 NKJV)”. When narrating the announcing of the decision of the elders at Jerusalem to the gentile Churches by Apostle Paul and his team, scriptures said “… they delivered to them the decrees to keep… (Acts. 16:4 NKJV)“. The word “decrees” is from the Greek word “dogma“, which means “a law“. This means, though we have been delivered from the “Laws of Moses”, we were delivered into the “Laws or Principles of the Kingdom of God“.

There are laws we are to live by in the new covenant. These can be understood from what was literally written in scriptures and by the specific revelation of the Holy Spirit. If this is so, why is the new covenant called the dispensation of grace? It is so because we have been given help (grace), through the Holy Spirit, to do His will. This help was not revealed to people of the old covenant. One of the ways grace helps us is to teach. For “… the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age (Titus 2:12 NIV)”.

Seeking understanding of the laws of the kingdom and spending time with the Father to access grace, empowers us to live lives that is perfect before Him.

Prayer Point:

Let’s thank God for His word today. Let’s also ask Him to help us walk in all ways pleasing to Him.