The Identity Driven Life: Session 10 – Establishing Your Heart in Grace

Notes:

Establishing Your Heart in Grace

  • Rom. 6:14. The way to live the Christian life is by grace.
  • Both law and grace demand a response from us: law = works; grace = faith
  • Rom. 11:6. Works and grace cannot be mixed

Does grace lead to sin? No!!! (Rom.6:1-2). Does the law lead to sin? Yes!!! (Rom.7:5&8).

Rom.7:1. Yet, a person is under the law until he/she dies.

God gave the law for two reasons:

  1. To show us what He is like
  2. To show us what we are like
  • The law does not lead to holiness.
  • The law puts ideas in our minds that weren’t there before (Rom.7:5&8).
  • The law puts us back under the power of the flesh (Rom.8:3)
  • Rom. 7:18. Under the law: will – yes; ability – no.
  • Any area of your life where you are operating under law ‘Christ is made of no effect to you’ – marriage, sanctification, work, ministry, finances.
  • The law can neither justify nor sanctify but it is an important aspect in the process of salvation. The law is good if we use it lawfully (1 Tim.1:8).
  • Rom. 7:24. But we have to experience this “law-work”.
  • The function of the law is to bring us to the end of ourselves. “Who will deliver me…?” How can we get out of this relationship?
  • Answer = Rom.7:25.

Now, the New Testament teaches that:

  • We are not under law but under grace (Rom.6:14).
  • We are dead to the law through the body of Christ (Rom.7:4).
  • We have been delivered from the law (Rom.7:6).
  • Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to those who believe (Rom.10:4).
  • The law has passed away (2 Cor.3:13).
  • Those who are led by the Spirit are not under the law (Gal.5:18).
  • Christ has abolished in His flesh the law of commandments (Eph.2:15).
  • Christ has wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has nailed it to the cross (Col.2:14).

Rom.7:4. It is important to see that this freedom is not attained by setting the law aside, but its demands being met in Christ. Also, the consequence of freedom from law is not indulgence of sin, but holiness of life.

Rom.5:10; 8:2-4. In Christ we do not have a law, but life. The law was given; grace came. In contrast to the law working from the outside, the indwelling presence of Christ works from within. “This is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God and they shall be My people”  (Jer.31:33.) See  2 Cor.3:17-18.

 Phil.2:12-13. Under grace: will – yes; ability – no.

# Answers to this quiz are found in the notes above. Click on quiz to commence. Only correct spelling is recognised. A minimum 70%  correct is required to advance to the next session.