Why do Christians struggle to reconcile Law and Grace?

[posthuman]

free from bondage... to sin...

Psalm 119:44-45, "That I might guard Your Law continually, Forever and ever; That I might walk in liberty, For I have sought Your orders;"


James 1:22-25, “And become doers of the Word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. Because if anyone is a hearer of the Word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror, for he looks at himself, and goes away, and immediately forgets what he was like. But he that looked into the perfect Law of liberty, and continues in it, not becoming a hearer that forgets, but a doer of work, this one shall be blessed in his doing.”


James 2:8-12, “If you truly accomplish the sovereign Law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself, (Lev 19:18) you do well, but if you show partiality, you commit sin, being found guilty by the Law as transgressors. For whoever shall guard all the Law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all. For He who said, “Do not commit adultery,” (Exo 20:14) also said, “Do not murder.” (Exo 20:13) Now if you do not commit adultery, but you do murder, you have become a transgressor of Law. So speak and so do as those who are to be judged by the Law of liberty.”

when you love Yah and want to do His will you love His ways also, when you don't you will see His Instructions as bondage

For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.
(Galatians 5:1)
​

what's the context here -- what is the scripture calling bondage/yoke of slavery?

sin? temptation?

Look: I, Paul, say to you that if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you. I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law. You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace.
For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.
You were running well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth? This persuasion is not from him who calls you.
(Galatians 5:2-8)
​

there's the context ↑

so what is the scripture calling "bondage" and what is the relevant "freedom" i am called to?

& please don't give me Studydude's answer: that this is only about freedom from purely human pharisetical tradition. the scripture clearly says law -- Paul is not talking about extra-scriptural tradition. he's talking about the law of the Sinai covenant, given directly by God to the Hebrews in the wilderness. there's no way to make his private interpretation agree with the text. the text says "the Law" and it means by those words, "the Law" ((& not 'sections of the law' either -- the whole Law))
already been there, already heard & considered his argument, already know it's wrong.
"this persuasion is not from Him who calls you"

 

[Nehemiah6]

so what is the scripture calling "bondage" and what is the relevant "freedom" i am called to?

Not sure why you would even ask this question since the context is crystal clear (and includes the entire teaching in the book of Galatians).

Paul is speaking about bondage to the works of the Law -- the rites and rituals of the Old Covenant, including circumcision.

There were Jewish teachers coming into the churches of Galatia and teaching the Christians that they must not only be justified by grace through faith, but must also be justified by the works of the Law. For Christians, that would be "bondage".

I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is deadin vain. (Gal 2:21).

 

[Honey_Bee]

Just skimming and I stopped here;

Saying behavior doesn't matter to salvation is license to sin.

Not actually, although it may be perceived by some as such. Soul salvation is about what we believe Christ has done for us. The true message of Christianity is not about a change of life, but an exchange of life... rescue and redemption, we are reconciled to God the moment we believe the gospel of our salvation.

Do you think understanding that we are dead to sin helps combat self righteousness?

 

[Shamah]

[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Matthew 13:24-30, “Another parable He put before them, saying, “The reign of the heavens has become like a man who sowed good seed in his field, but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed darnel (tares) among the wheat and went away. And when the blade sprouted and bore fruit, then the darnel (tares) also appeared. And the servants of the master of the house came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? From where then does it have the darnel (tares)?’ And he said to them, ‘A man, an enemy did this.’ And the servants said to him, ‘Do you wish then, that we go and gather them up?’ But he said, ‘No, lest while you gather up the darnel (tares) you also uproot the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I shall say to the reapers, “First gather the darnel and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my granary.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]John 12:25-26, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone. But if it dies, it bears much fruit. He who loves his life shall lose it, and he who hates his life in this world shall preserve it for everlasting life." Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.”[/FONT]

 

[Nehemiah6]

The true message of Christianity is not about a change of life, but an exchange of life... rescue and redemption, we are reconciled to God the moment we believe the gospel of our salvation.

If we are going to discuss the "true message" Christianity, we must present the whole truth, not just half-truths. Christianity is BOTH about a changed life and an exchanged life.

Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. (Rom 6:4).

"Newness of life" means a changed life. If there is no change after conversion, then the person has simply made an empty profession of faith.

 

[Stunnedbygrace]

It's interesting to see the people who like post #71 and the ones who like my post in response to it (both quoted below). The ones who like my post IMO lean towards dead legalism, which I categorically reject. I also reject lawless grace that holds salvation cannot be jeopardized by the practice of sinful behavior.

Do the ones who like PH's post think that grace gives them the freedom to do whatever they want in life?

I just don't see a preaching of Grace leading to lawlessness from JGIG and posthumans posts. I've read TONS of their posts. I also don't see any form of dead legalism in your posts!

It IS interesting that dead legalists would like your posts...too tired right now to marvel over how that could be...