Bible Studies

How Much Law Does it Take to Make Grace of No Effect?

by Michael Edwards 
07/25/18
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Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace. Gal 5:4 KJV

Are you afraid to embrace God’s abundance of grace alone, trusting Jesus finished work 1,000 percent? Do you hang onto the law and think grace must be balanced by the law or believers would dive headlong into sin and fall away from grace?

In the book of Galatians, Paul calls the Galatians fools for embracing a gospel other than the gospel of grace he preached. They had been deceived into adding the law back in to be right with God. The deceivers probably preached the same fear filled messages we hear today from so many. “Too much grace will give you a license to sin.” “You must balance grace with the law.” The problem is that according to Paul, it just takes a little law to affect the whole, making grace of no effect.

A little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough Gal 5:9 NAS

How much yeast do they use to leaven a loaf of bread? Just a pinch. So when we add a pinch of yeast the bread puffs up. When we add just a pinch of the law to grace, we puff up, connotating pride and self-righteousness.  Under the law, to any degree, the fallen sin nature that still resides in our flesh is aroused and naturally becomes prideful and judgmental. It is the unleavened believer that is humble. This is why those who embrace God's abundance of grace alone are always mocked by those who hold unto the law.

We understand from Jesus that the leaven Paul is talking about is the teaching of the Pharisee’s who preached the letter of the law.

And Jesus said to them, “Watch out and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”  Matt 16:6 NAS

But beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”  Then they understood that He did not say to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees. Matt 16 11b-12 NAS

So, the truth according to Paul is that it only takes a little law to puff us up and make grace of no effect, to sever a person from Christ according to the NAS translation.

You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.  Gal 5:4 NAS

To be severed from Christ is a scary thought for any believer. And it happens when we add even just a little law to grace to be right with God. Did you also notice that it is not sinning that makes us fall away from grace? It is embracing the law in addition to grace.

Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace. Gal 5:4 KJV

The truth is, once you add even a little law to grace, we rob grace of its power in our lives. I speak from the experience of hanging onto the law to balance grace most of my life. You cannot mix the law and grace even in the slightest if you want the power of God to rest upon you. Those who keep the rules deserve to be rewarded. While grace is undeserved favor, it is all about God.

But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise grace is no longer grace. Rom 11:6 NAS

Now letting go of the law does not mean we start lying, cheating and stealing like my detractors might claim I am suggesting. It means we let go of the law and trust Jesus 1,000 percent for our salvation. We no longer need a tutor or a guardian (Gal 3:23-25), just as scripture tells us. Instead, we rely 1,000 percent upon Jesus righteousness that is ours when we are born-again and we trust the love of Christ to constrain us, which it does. We no longer walk by the letter of the law, we walk by the Spirit of all of God’s laws, love. While there is condemnation walking by the letter in the flesh, there is no condemnation in the Spirit. There is NO condemnation for all who believe.

Do You Know the Spirit of All of God's Laws?

Letter Kills, Spirit Gives Life

Christians Are Not Qualified to be Ministers of the Letter of the Law

Keeping the Letter of Gods Law, Cannot Fulfill Gods Law

If you want to know if you are keeping the law for the wrong reason, to try and maintain your salvation, just ask yourself these questions.

Do I believe God is angry with me when I sin?

God SWORE I Will NOT be Angry With or Rebuke Believers 

Do I believe God is counting my sins and I can lose my salvation by sinning?

Christians are Blessed Because God is Not Imputing our Sins

God Forgets Our Sins For His Own Sake

Do I believe I must maintain my salvation by keeping the law?

Can a Christian Lose their Salvation by Sinning? NO

Jesus Did Not Die to See If You Can Qualify

God WILL NOT Erase Your Name from of the Book of Life, Christian

Do I believe I would be a false Christian if I did not keep the law?

Can We Really Identify a False Christian?

How to Examine Yourself and See if You Are in the Faith

Trying to Quantify Belief is a Deception from Satan

Am I keeping the law out of fear of God’s punishment or out of the fear of what man thinks, for the wrong reasons?

There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love. 1 John 4:18 NAS

It is not sin that causes our problems; it is doubt and unbelief in God’s word that leads to sin and turmoil in our life.

Doubt and Unbelief are the Precursors for All Sin and Turmoil

Does Galatians 5:4 say that a person loses their salvation by adding the law? No. That would make our salvation about us and not Jesus. We are all imperfect believers, none of us having a complete understanding. Almost every believer embraces the law to some degree whether they realize it or not. God made us a promise in John 3:16 and the burden is upon Him to keep it. We know for certain He will keep it. Our unfaithfulness does not affect His faithfulness.

Leave the Burden on God

When we add the law, it cuts us off from the power of God we could have in this life right now. It makes this life a much greater struggle and our faith a heavy burden. It makes us rigid and keeps us unapproachable for the lost. It makes us look like a Pharisee, and a sinner would never dare approach a Pharisee. Adding the law also sends the wrong message to the lost. This is why they think Christianity is all about law keeping to appease an angry God and want nothing to do with it. The truth is, we know it is all about grace and we need to model this to the lost. We are not perfect and still need Jesus just as much today as the day we first trusted Him. If you want to reign in this life over sin and all circumstances, then you need to embrace Gods abundance of grace.

For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ. Ron 5:17 NAS

How Christians Dilute the Power of the Gospel in Their Lives

Be Like Paul, Stop Acting Like You Can Keep the Law, Christian

Naked on The Cross, The Power of God

Many more New Covenant Bible Studies HERE. Jesus poured out His blood for the New Covenant of grace and truth, replacing the Old Covenant law of Moses. Believers are exclusively under the New Covenant, the last will and testament of Jesus that began after the cross. 

And in the same way He took the cup after they had eaten, saying, "This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood. Luke 22:20