TITLE: Grace or Law?
TEXT: Ephesians 2:4-10
PROPOSITION: Many misunderstand the place of obedience in
salvation by grace.
QUESTION:
KEY WORD:
SCRIPTURE READING:
INTRODUCTION:
Nashville area preacher –
"It is a scandalous and outrageous lie to teach that salvation arises from human activity of any sort. We do not contribute one whit to our salvation."
Rubel Shelley, The Second Incarnation, page 207
Article in a church bulletin
"This would be a good idea if the New Testament was a codified legal document and not the perfect law of liberty. Fortunately Romans 6:14 and Galatians 5:18 testify that we are no longer under the weight of law. Why then, would anyone want to be bound up by law?"
"Everyone would agree that the Old Covenant was a legal document where commands were spelled out with absolute clarity and directions were clear."
"The New Covenant is not a legal system with camouflaged directions requiring specialists with special tools to unlock and make known what God expects of us."
"My question is this: If the New Testament is a legal document, why did God suddenly stop spelling out in meticulous detail what is necessary and binding?"
"Why would God replace a clearly spelled out legal system with a not-so-clearly spelled legal system couched in veiled commands, numerous examples which may or may not be applicable, and inferences which may or may not be necessary?"
"Patternism has lead to an endless list of church splits and divisions over trivialities such as one communion cup versus multiple cups, and a myriad of similar matters."