Of law and gospel
‘Do this and live’
Every gospel preacher, wanting to emphasise that salvation is by grace alone through faith alone, will have contrasted this gospel with the attempt to gain salvation by works. It is worth reflecting, therefore, on the fact that when the Lord Jesus Christ is asked by a lawyer ‘Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?’ he answers, ‘What is written in the Law? How do you read it?’ When the lawyer repeats the two great commandments, concerning loving God and loving your neighbour, Jesus says, ‘You have answered correctly; do this and you will live’ (Luke 10: 25-28). When a rich young man asks him virtually the same question, Jesus tells him ‘If you would enter life, keep the commandments’ (Matt 19:17). He then, in the one case by a personal challenge and in the other by a parable, quickly reveals the spiritual bankruptcy of both men. However valid the principle, they cannot fulfil it.
Why does Jesus start here?
Mostyn Roberts offers an answer. It will get your brain working, but it’s stimulating stuff.
I love Zaccheus.
Zaccheus a rich man and a sinner, Who never asked Jesus
how to be saved, Who was never asked by Jesus to give his
posessions to the poor, but decided to do so.
an indication that zaccheus received grace
Luke 19:5-10
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5When Jesus came to the place, He looked up and said to him,
“Zaccheus, hurry and come down, for today I must stay at your
house.” 6And he hurried and came down and received Him gladly.
7When they saw it, they all began to grumble, saying,
“He has gone to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.”
8Zaccheus stopped and said to the Lord,
“Behold, Lord, half of my possessions I will give to the poor,
and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will give back
four times as much.” 9And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation
has come to this house, because he, too, is a son of Abraham.
10“For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which
was lost.”
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I also love the parable about the Pharisee and the sinner tax
collector, who the tax collector received grace while the
pharisee who were obedience to the Law, never received justification
Luke 18:9-14
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9And He also told this parable to some people who trusted in
themselves that they were righteous, and viewed others with
contempt: 10“Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a
Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11“The Pharisee stood
and was praying this to himself: ‘God, I thank You that I am
not like other people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even
like this tax collector. 12‘I fast twice a week; I pay tithes
of all that I get.’ 13“But the tax collector, standing some
distance away, was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to
heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful
to me, the sinner!’ 14“I tell you, this man went to his house
justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts
himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will
be exalted.”
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those who boast in the Law, are given more Law because
it is never enough with the Law.
therefore it is by God’s grace we are save by believing
in the justifier, Jesus. by putting our faith in Jesus we
are justified, proclaim righteous and saved by grace.
- amen
savedbygrace
Sunday 6 May 2012 at 02:56
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