Law and Grace
"For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ" (John 1:17).
The most obvious and striking division of the Word of
Truth is that between Law and Grace.
It is vital to observe that Scripture
never mingles these two principles.
Law is God prohibiting and
requiring; grace is God beseeching and bestowing.
Law is a ministry of
condemnation; grace, of forgiveness.
Law curses; grace redeems from that
curse.
Law kills; grace makes alive.
Law shuts every mouth before
God; grace opens every mouth to praise Him.
Law puts a great and guilty
distance between man and God; grace makes guilty man nigh to God.
Law says
"do and live"; grace, "believe and live."
Law never had a missionary;
grace is to be preached to every creature.
Law utterly condemns the best
man; grace freely justifies the worst.
Law is a system of probation;
grace, of favour.
Law stones an adulteress; grace says, "neither do I
condemn thee: go, and sin no more."
Under law the sheep dies at the hand
of the shepherd; under grace the Shepherd dies for the sheep.
Condensed
from Rightly Dividing the Word of Truth by C.I. Scofield