Grace Based Bible Scriptures To Understanding Grace, Forgiveness, and How The Law Should Be Viewed
What Does The Bible Say About The Law?
Galatians 3:11-13 “Now that no one is justified by the Law before God is evident; for, “The righteous man shall live by faith.” 12 However, the Law is not of faith; on the contrary, “He who practices them shall live by them.” 13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”—
Romans 5:20 The Law came in so that the transgression would increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more,
Romans 7:5-6 For while we were in the flesh, the sinful passions, which were aroused by the Law, were at work in he members of our body to bear fruit for death. But now we have been released from the Law, having died to that by which we were bound, so that we serve in newness of the Spirit and not in oldness of the letter.
Romans 7:8 But sin, taking opportunity through the commandment, produced in me coveting of every kind
Galatians 3:23-25 But before faith came, we were kept in custody under the law, being shut up to the faith which was later to be revealed. 24 Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith. 25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.
Galatians 2:16 nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified.
Romans 10:4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.
Romans 3:27-28 Where then is boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? Of works? No, but by a law of faith. For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law.
Hebrews 8:13 When He said, “A new covenant,” He has made the first obsolete. But whatever is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to disappear.
Hebrews 7:18-19 For, on the one hand, there is a setting aside of a former commandment because of its weakness and uselessness 19 (for the Law made nothing perfect)
2 Corinthians 3:7-8 But if the ministry of death, in letters engraved on stones, came with glory, so that the sons of Israel could not look intently at the face of Moses because of the glory of his face, fading as it was, how will the ministry of the Spirit fail to be even more with glory? 9 For if the ministry of condemnation has glory, much more does the ministry of righteousness abound in glory.
What The Bible Says About Works
John 6:28 Therefore they said to Him, “What shall we do, so that we may work the works of God?” Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent.”
Romans 4:4-6 Now to the one who works, his wage is not credited as a favor, but as what is due. But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness, just as David also speaks of the blessing on the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:
Romans 3:27-28 Where then is boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? Of works? No, but by a law of faith. 28 For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law.
What The Bible Says About Judgment
John 3:18 He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
Romans 8:1 Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
What The Bible Says About Who We are in Christ
Ephesians 2:4-6 But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
1 Corinthians 6:11 Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.
2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.
What The Bible Says About Forgiveness of Sins
Hebrews 8:12 “For I will be merciful to their iniquities, And I will remember their sins no more.”
Hebrews 10:17 “And their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.”
Colossians 2:14 having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.
Psalms 103:12 As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us.
So….Then Why Not Sin?
This is a common question I get when people hear the grace message for the first time. Many people think of the grace message as a license to sin, or some kind of fire insurance. That’s literally blaming sin on God’s kindness and grace.
Here’s what we all need to understand. If the gospel ended with Jesus dying on a cross to take away our sins, well, then this message would be one lending itself to a life of ungodliness. We’d all just be a bunch of forgiven Christians running around committing every kind of sin imaginable. But that’s not where the gospel ends. And when we fail to understand the second part of the gospel, we end up not trusting the grace of God out of fear it will only lead to more indulgence in sin.
The second part of the gospel is the resurrection. Just as Jesus was resurrected, you too have been resurrected as a new creation in Christ – 2 Corinthians 5:17. The Scriptures tell us that the old you was buried Christ, and the new you was raised with Him, and is here now – Colossians 2:12. So this is why we can trust the Gospel of Grace:
- The old you has been buried with Christ – 2 Cor 5:17.
- You are a new creation – Col 2:12.
- God removed your heart of stone and gave you a new heart – Ezekiel 36:26
- The new you is made for good works – Ephesians 2:10
- You have the spirit of Christ abiding in you – Ezekiel 37:14
These are just a few verses to consider. It is important that we do not just view ourselves as people who have been forgiven of our sins. If we do not believe that we have been born again with the spirit of Jesus residing in us, we can’t truly understand what God has done for us (died for our sins) and to us (made us new).
Why is this important?
As Christians, we will live out the identity that we believe we have. If we still think we’re the same creation that we were before we got saved, then we will see ourselves like dirty worms. If we believe that we have been born again in the newness and likeness of Christ, this grace message can totally be trusted, because no amount of forgiveness is going to lead us to more sinning if we are convinced that we are not made for it.
I have found that the people who reject the grace message typically do not honestly believe in their new identity, and that’s why they will fight tooth and nail to strap the law right back around our necks. But be encouraged friend, you can trust the grace of God, and it will never lead you to sin.