From my personal experience and observation, I have realised how many of us, Christians (knowingly or unknowingly) are still pre-dominantly living our lives under law, rather by grace.

This is despite of us knowing the truth that none of us are saved by works, but only by grace through faith in Jesus.

“For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.”

John 1:17

Notably, there is a drastic difference in how intimately we will walk with God and how accurately we will reflect His likeness in our relationships with others whether or not we walk under law or grace.

Bound under law, not love

Ironically, Jesus came and died for us so that we might have freedom, but somehow we bound ourselves by our wrong understanding of the truth or even our human tendencies of having security in the things of this world which includes things of christian culture that we refer as “spiritual”. 

First and foremost, there should not be any divide between the spiritual and the secular, or the Church and the world. The Church is in the world, but yet, not of the world. And we are in the world, in order we can influence the world.

Like the passage of the Samaritian woman at the well, Jesus did an unconventional act by approaching the woman for a drink. Even this “unclean” woman was taken aback and astounded by this Jewish Rabbi. But that was love reaching out to her and not theology or the law.

If we are honest, many of a times we allow theology or the law to hinder us from showing love to others who are or have broken the laws.

Is our love conditional and based on performance in carrying out the law? Does God loves us in that manner to?

Living in the era of grace and truth

As modern day God-fearing believers, it is imperative that we understand that we are positioned to live in the era of Jesus, and not in the era of Moses. The former is a life lived by grace, and the latter is a life lived under law.

Living in grace  transmits the Spirit of God in living out the laws “naturally” in truth. Living under law subjects one to obey out of rules and regulation which relies on one own’s strength and only alters a pattern of behaviour.

But obedience by grace and truth is following God with a heart motivation of loving and pleasing Him which is compelled by His unfailing and inconditional love. This inside-out change will eventually manifest in the alteration of behaviour that will last.

“Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up”

1 Corinthians 8:1

As people living in the era of grace and truth, let us not attempt to win others by our theology or amassed knowledge of the law, but let us rather win others primarily by love that stems from theology just as Jesus did.