Grace is Enough

Titus 2:10&11

We (the Church) are presently afraid of Grace in an undiluted state.  Many believe that if we preach such a grace that people will take it as a license to do whatever they want.  I have heard it called "greasy grace" and shudder that we have posted such an ugly concept with such a beautiful thing.  What a man means when he combines "greasy" with "grace" is that grace apart from law is an open invitation for church members to sin and get away with it.  He is suggesting that God's standard of righteousness is laxed so people can live a life of sin.  These maintain that we need the law to instruct and keep man on the straight and narrow.

Law never instructs man to be godly, sensible, or righteous.  It is simply not built that way.  The Law came to (1) identify what sin is, (2) condemn the sinner, (3) bring the whole world together under sin, (4) to condemn Jesus so we could go free.  And finally we don't need the law because it only arouses sin.  Take for instance you have a green house made of glass next to a school.  To keep the little boys from throwing rocks at your fine green house you post a sign that says "don't throw rocks."  You have made a fatal error; you have now awakened the need in every little boy to break glass.

Grace teaches us how to deny ungodliness and worldly desires.  That is what Paul taught Titus in his letter.  Grace appeared bringing salvation; Christians believe that explicitly.  But Paul didn't stop there and he didn't add to grace a law to keep man from sinning.  He said that was Grace's job.  Grace will instruct and lead not the law.  We don't need the law any more because it didn't do the job anyway.  It has been replaced by Grace that can manage our righteous life.  Paul says it teaches us to live sensibly and righteously now in this present age.  We think that because this world is so sinful that it is impossible to live perfectly righteous in this evil world.  That is because we are looking to a grace watered down by law.  God's grace will guide us for that is it's purpose along with saving us.  AMAZING GRACE.