The Need for Grace

1 Timothy 1:8 But we know that the law is good if one uses it lawfully, 9 knowing this: that the law is not made for a righteous person, but for the lawless and insubordinate, for the ungodly and for sinners, for the unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, 10 for fornicators, for sodomites, for kidnappers, for liars, for perjurers, and if there is any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine, 11 according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God which was committed to my trust. 12 And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry, 13 although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man; but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. 14And the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant, with faith and love which are in Christ Jesus.15 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. 16 However, for this reason I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show all longsuffering, as a pattern to those who are going to believe on Him for everlasting life. 

One of the big problems for the atheist is to explain the notion of ‘goodness.’ An atheist may declare the inherent nature of man’s goodness, but from whence does this notion of ‘goodness’ come? Goodness according to whom?

While morality is a sliding-scale, (see the debate and votes on gay marriage in CA,) ethics never are – and there does seem to be an agreed-upon standard of ethical conduct among human beings since man has existed in human history. The question is: where did that standard of ethics originate?

The atheist says mankind is “inherently good,” and it is from that “goodness” that a code of ethics emerged. The problem is observation proves this is not the case at all. Man is not inherently good, man is inherently evil, and requires a code of ethics to bind his wicked nature. (This is easily proven by observing the conduct of a newborn baby. Are they good – or do they have to be instructed how to be good? (You already know the answer to that one if you have children.) Children are born into this world as accomplished sinners with wicked, selfish hearts, and must be instructed to be good. We call that “discipline.”)

And so, this “law,” (or ethical standard,) is good only if one uses it “lawfully,” as Paul explains. (This is because man is so inherently evil our first inclination is to use the law unlawfully – and to pound people over the head with it.)

Who better to present the standard of righteousness than one who is condemned under the law? (In reality we all are, but somehow we (being evil) are inclined to totally excuse ourselves. Along comes this preacher Paul who was so wicked, so evil, so guilty under the law, that he has become TOTALLY dependent upon the grace of God alone to survive. Who would preach grace while clinging to it so fanatically as the apostle Paul?

-  Pastor Bill