46 The Fundamentals kills (Rom. 7 :9 , 11) ; grace makes alive (John 10:10). Law shuts every mouth before God; grace opens every mouth to praise Him. LaW puts a great and guilty distance between man and God (Ex. 20:18, 19) ; grace makes guilty man nigh to God (Eph. 2 :13 ). Law says, “An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth” (Ex. 21:24) ; grace says, “Resist not evil; but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also” (Matt. 5:39). Laws says, “Hate thine enemy;” grace, “Love your enemies, bless them that despite- fully use you.” Law says, do and live (Luke 10:26, 28); grace, believe and live (John 5 :24). Law never had a mis sionary; grace is to be preached to every creature. Law utterly condemns the best man (Phil. 3 :4 , 9) ; grace freely justifies the worst (Luke 23:24; Rom. 5 :5 ; 1 Tim. 1:15; 1 Cor. 6 :9 , 11). Law is a system of probation; grace, of favor. Law stones an adulteress (Deut. 22:21) ; grace says, “Neither do I condemn thee” (John 8 :1 , 11). Under law the sheep dies for the shepherd; under grace the shepherd dies for the sheep (John 10:11). The relation to each other of these diverse principles, law and grace, troubled the apostolic church. The first controversy concerned the ceremonial law. I t was the contention of the legalists that converts from among the Gentiles could not be saved unless circumcised “after the manner of Moses” (Acts 15:1). This demand was enlarged when the “apostles and elders” had come together at Jerusalem to settle that con troversy (Acts 15: 5, 6). The demand then made put in issue not circumcision merely, or the ceremonial law, but the whole Mosaic system. “That it was needful to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses” (Acts 15: 6). The decision of the council, as “it seemed good to the Holy Ghost,” negatived both demands, and the new law of love was invoked that Gentile converts should abstain from things especially offensive to Jewish believers (Acts 15:28, 29).
Made with FlippingBook flipbook maker