THE DANGER OF MIXING LEGALISM WITH GRACE

Law and Grace Don’t Mix

“Doesn’t God curse me when I sin and bless me when I behave?”

Galatians 1: 6-12  KJV    PAUL ADDRESSES THE CHURCH IN GALATIA

THEY WERE MOVING AWAY FROM THE GOSPEL BEING INFLUENCE BY LEGALISTIC JEWS

 ⁶ I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:
⁷ Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.
⁸ But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.
⁹ As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.
¹⁰ For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.
¹¹ But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man.
¹² For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.

HE GOES SO FAR AS TO CALL THEM FOOLISH IN CHAPTER 3

3 O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?

² This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?
³ Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?
⁴ Have ye suffered so many things in vain? if it be yet in vain.
⁵ He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?
⁶ Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.
⁷ Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.


NOW PAUL HAD HEARD OF SOME OF THE CHURCH IN CORINTH USING PROSTITUTES ETC.

“The city of Corinth was filled with paganism. Unfortunately the city was best known for its sexual immorality. There was a temple to Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love, above the city. Every evening 1000 priestesses, who were sacred prostitutes, would descend to the streets of Corinth to practice their trade. Sexual perversion, fornication, incest, and adultery were commonly practiced and accepted. There was rebellion against apostolic authority. Church members were taking one another to court. There were also heresies concerning the resurrection.”

http://www.brandonweb.com/sermons/sermonpages/1corinthians1.htm




WHAT IS INTERESTING IS THAT THOUGH PAUL WAS AWARE OF THIS AND SPOKE AGAINST THESE PRACTICES…HE OPENS THE FIRST CHAPTER OF CORINTHIANS WITH AN ENCOURAGING WORD.

1 Paul called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother,

² Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both their's and our's:
³ Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
⁴ I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ;
⁵ That in every thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge;
⁶ Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you:
⁷ So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ:
⁸ Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
⁹ God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.
¹⁰ Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.


SO AFTER ALL THE CORINTHIANS WERE DOING PAUL SEEMS LESS PRETURBED BY IT IN HIS RESPONSE. ON THE CONTRARY HE COMES SHORT OF CURSING THE GALATIANS. THAT IS VERY INTERESTING TO NOTE. PAUL UNDERSTOOD THE DANGER OF MIXING LEGALISM WITH GRACE. YOU CANNOT BALANCE BOTH. BY WORKS WE NEGATE THE GRACE OF CHRIST AND HIS WORK ON THE CROSS.


² This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?³ Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?

 Jesus says that no one pours new wine into an old wineskin. Likewise no one sews an unshrunk patch on an old garment. Both will be destroyed. They instead pour new wine into new wineskins.         

Mark 2:22
And no man putteth new wine into old wineskins; else the wine will burst the skins, and the wine perisheth, and the skins: but they put new wine into fresh wine-skins.

In those times, "bottles" were made of animal skins—sheep, goat, or ox—and, after being properly prepared, filled with wine or water. These skins came in various sizes—an ox-skin held as much as 60 gallons. Horses and camels could carry glass or ceramic bottles or wooden kegs only with difficulty, but two skins tied together and laid across a beast's back could be carried a long distance. After a time, an animal skin became brittle and ruptured easily. New wine put into an old skin would ferment, expand, and burst them open. New skins, however, were strong enough to stretch without bursting.
Christ's illustration suggests that there is a wise and proper way to do things. It was not fitting to mix His doctrines with the old and corrupt doctrines of the Pharisees. To take God's truth and try to press it into some other form would change it into a lie, making the truth of God useless.
Martin G. Collins
Parable of the Cloth and Wineskins

God gave the Law and the law is Holy. Thus being Holy, we are required to keep ALL of it for us to be holy. It was an "all or none " deal. A sacrifice had to be given by a High priest to atone for the lawbreaker. God sent Jesus as that Sacrifice. Jesus could keep the law. All of it! He fulfilled the requirement for us.

Matthew 5:17
[ The Fulfillment of the Law ] “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.

No one can say they can keep the law perfectly. So why step in front of the Supernatural and say in essence, "I can be good on my own, through my own faithfulness and good works. It is His faithfulness that gave us the power to overcome sin and death. WE CAN'T BE OUR OWN SAVIOR AND JESUS TOO. YOU MUST CHOOSE.

My friends, if we can’t get this concept, and we look to ourselves for good works to earn “righteousness-right standing before God.” We become self-conscious and SIN CONSIOUS. I will address sin consciousness in my next post.