Considering under what circumstances the truth that God has granted righteousness and life to us as a gift apart from the Law of Moses should be stressed, we conclude this argument would apply most beneficially to someone who was attempting to earn righteousness by the observance of the Law of Moses or by some other moral code. God has given us righteousness based on a covenant conceived and administered by Himself. For us to then set out to attempt to earn righteousness by following our own set of rules is to bring confusion and incompetence to the covenant.

However, the doctrine of the gift of grace would not be appropriately explained to a Gentile who was saying, as so many do today, "I know I should do good but God sees me through Christ and so I am saved no matter what I do." This would be to pour gasoline on the fire and to lead the novice to spiritual and moral destruction.

God has presented different sides to the one truth because of the different sides of the problem of man's need for redemption. In one instance we stress rest in Christ. In another instance we stress awake to righteousness and quit your sinning. To change our emphasis in terms of the need of the moment is not to attempt to "balance" truth, neither is it a watering down or compromising of eternal truth. It is to follow the pattern of the Scriptures as they present the Godhead according to God's will and man's need for the moment.

To one He says "come." To another He says "go." We must have a sense of the Spirit's timing.

One major problem of today's preaching is that we attempt to force our axiom on every person in the same manner without a sense of the will of the Spirit of God for the specific occasion. The products of our blind proselyting are religious dwarfs and eternal babies instead of saints.

Now, let us go to the other aspect of the seeming contradiction. Let us look at what those who stress righteous works would consider to be a fair presentation of their position.

Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. (Galatians 5:19-21)

There are several such passages in the Epistles of Paul!

Let us apply the consideration of immediate context.

Paul was speaking to the Gentile Christians of Galatia. Paul was informing them that they were not to attempt to add circumcision or any other aspect of the Law of Moses to the salvation that is in Christ.

Then Paul explains carefully, in the second chapter, that in throwing off the yoke of the Law of Moses he is not giving them permission to sin. Paul says, "I am crucified with Christ. It is Christ who is living in me."

What Paul is teaching is that although he no longer is bound by the Law of Moses he still does not sin. Why not? Because Christ is living in Him. He is playing by the rules of a different game, but both games forbid unrighteous behavior.

Paul tells the Galatian Christians they are going to reap what they are sowing, that God is looking for a new creation of righteous behavior.

This is the immediate context of Galatians 5:19-21 (above).

We can conclude from Galatians 5:19-21 that if we Christians continue to behave according to the passions of our flesh, not being crucified with Christ, not becoming a new righteous creation, we cannot inherit the Kingdom of God.

Now, let us think about the larger context. Is there any passage of the Scriptures (as there was in the case of the position that we Christians are saved by the gift of Divine grace apart from works of righteousness) that obviously renders our conclusion invalid?

There is at least one passage that could be so interpreted.

Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; (Titus 3:5)

To be continued.