Grace

       What prevents people from understanding the differences between Law and Grace?

1. The fact that they believe that the law deprives them of "freedom", while Christ came to free them. But He took that objection off by these words:
" Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.


For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

 
  (Matthew 5: 17-18)

      You see, in the "believing" environment there is such a  notion as if those who apply with the requirement to someone to perform some established rule, are so-called law-men and, in general, it ought not to listen them. Well, much better to them who use the notion just stay in their former positions in the hope that, when it will be really important to them, find a solution and to understand this than make names to brothers in faith, who are often older than they or even old enough to be somebody's  fathers, if not grandfathers.
   
     Thus, people who use this name suggest that the law is something reprehensible, however it is also countered by Scripture: "But we know that the law [is] good, if a man use it lawfully" (Timothy 1: 8.)
      That's what necessary to think about, whether the claim is legitimate or not? For Paul said: "For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only [use] not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another" (Gal. 5:13)

      Thus, he reminded that Christ really came to give us freedom, but reasonable one. And one should protect this freedom in the Truth: "... And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free". (Jn. 8:32)

      After all, what’s carnally understanding of freedom? It is almost impossible to explain this to carnal Christians. Their understanding of freedom is: if I am told to do something, but I don't feel like doing that, and so I have the right not to do it, here it is the true freedom that Christ has given me.

Then they begin to mention that every believer can be fully persuaded in his own mind, and disremember that it is written about the spiritual mind which is putting the truth at the forefront of his believing and not the deification of himself through the dream that once I am a believer, the Spirit of God is inside of me inevitably (yet it be just a dream that is already considered to be achieved solely by self-appreciation), not otherwise. By doing so they put themselves in God's place unconsciously, disremembering over and over that they have thereby been fallen into the trap set by Satan back in the garden of Eden: "You will be like God, knowing good and evil."
And what’s the spiritual understanding of freedom within Christians? - If I am told to do something and I do not want to do, then I have to figure out where is the truth. If the claim is legitimate and meets the truth, since taking into account that the truth I love and for the truth I long, the truth seek, so I would like, on the contrary, to do this then I shall do it as far as possible. Of course, the spiritual man in this case does it freely. Because it is not someone (god with a lowercase letter, i.e. some boss), but already he himself wants it and that is why does that. Actually, this is the right obedience to superiors, because the main reason to someone to be a superior is that that they listen to him: " Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that [is] unprofitable for you” (Hebrews 13:17) - it is written about pastors, who are concerned about our souls, but also true for the other chiefs who are concerned about these or other useful things.
      But it could be the opposite situation. The demand made to us proved to be illegal or not quite legal (i.e. it is easy to avoid illegality for the purpose, which is delivered, through the proper allocation of resources and time). The spiritual man examines it from the standpoint of truth, comes through the Spirit of God to that what is the truth in this case, and finds a way to bring the refusal to make such an illegal thing to the authorities or the advice on how to correct the matter so as it wouldn’t have to be illegal business at all.


2. Because the fact that it intended to literal fulfillment simply because otherwise it should not have to promulgate -
 (under the literalness they understood almost a duty to God to give us all the necessary force for the performance of the law). But its introduction is not due to the ability to fulfill it by men, but on the contrary, to disability to fulfill it in their sinful bodies by people which had been sold into slavery of sin. The exchange itself, as we recall, took place in the Garden of Eden between man and Satan to the "possibility" be as gods. That is why he encroaches on our body and soul, to where he will be - in hell – so ever we be. So now those who reject God's promises, made the gods from themselves, and go straight to hell.

Christ said, "for without me ye can do nothing". (John 15: 5.)
       And also it is written: "Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law [is] the knowledge of sin". (Romans 3: 20)
       Here it is the point: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
It is necessary to know and understand namely. That what they do not understand but should do. The law seems to many persons still meaningless if even one iota of it cannot be performed, because if so, it would be possible to rely on justification through the law. But just then we hear: by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight.

      How to explain that the law is designed to be performed only through grace, i.e., we cannot fulfill it ourselves, so through our inability to fulfill it we grasp the essence of grace?
      
Let's try this way. A common person with a sinful flesh as we are all within thereof can be compared in a spiritual sense with armless one, which are fed with a spoon and he imagines hereafter that he makes it himself. The only way to show him the truth, is to put a spoon next to him and give him advice: "Eat!"    

 After several desperate attempts the invalid finally will realize the reality and be kindly grateful.
      
      Actually, all of our sickness and disease, stupidity and lack of understanding are reduced to the fact that through them we are aware of our pathological imperfections and pray to the Lord to help us out or that is to say give us a hand for support, assistance or even if you like “serve us with food at table”. All one-to-one: without Him we can do nothing.

3. The fact that they do not understand that the law still needs to be performed - in spirit, but not in the letter; and that what impossible for law enforcement is easily to fulfil in Christ.
      For what it is written: "Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life" (2 Cor 3: 6)
Many people think that it means - if you do something out of duty then you gain nothing from that. But even the Pharisees themselves quite willingly sought to fulfill the law, but had not performed it, because they did not have enough faith to accept Christ. But what is the law, if not our schoolmaster [to bring us] unto Christ? Moses, for example, has fulfilled the law: not himself, but in Christ: " The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken" (Deut. 18:15)
      And when it was told to us that none of the ancients could fulfil the law, it was implied - without faith. But those who had received by faith Him Which is to come, were the elect of God, - they had fulfilled the law in spirit. By the Law they realized their helplessness and cried therefore out to God, begging for Indulgence.
And also: "For not the hearers of the law [are] just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.  ... ". (Rom 2: 13b)
      And finally: “Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. For this,
 Thou shalt not commit adultery,
Thou shalt not kill,
Thou shalt not steal,
Thou shalt not bear false witness,
 Thou shalt not covet;
 and if [there be] any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
 Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love [is] the fulfilling of the law.

 And that, knowing the time, that now [it is] high time to awake out of sleep: for now [is] our salvation nearer than when we believed.

The night is far spent, the day is at hand:
let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. Let us walk honestly, as in the day;
 not in rioting and drunkenness,
 not in chambering and wantonness,

not in strife and envying.

 But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to [fulfil] the lusts [thereof]”.      
   
(Romans 13:8-14)

      Now the summary: The Law is given to us so that we know how to please God in spirit and that in the letter, that is, in our sinful flesh - we cannot please Him. The same Law insists that we receive the grace of Christ, because it is already in the Old Testament said that God will give you a Prophet, listen to Him.

      Amen