The Fundamentals - Torrey - XLIX - Chapter 7 (The grace of God)

Required reading
The Fundamentals edited by R. A. Torrey (Available from Amazon or free here) - Read Chapter 7 (The grace of God).

My summary
This week Scofield (yes, Scofield!) gives us a discussion of grace.

Firstly Scofield defines grace by telling us what grace is not, then what grace is, primarily by using Bible verses.

Then a contrast is made between law and grace: 'Law always has a place and work distinct and wholly diverse from that of grace. Law is God prohibiting, and requiring (Ex. 20: 1, 17) ; grace is God beseeching, and bestowing (2 Cor. 5:18, 21).'

Then Scofield argues against three errors people often make concerning grace:
(i) justification is partly by law-works and partly by faith through grace;
(ii) the believer is after justification put under law as a rule of life;
(iii) there is a rejoicing in a supposed deliverance from the principle of Divine authority over the life - a deliverance into mere self-will and lawlessness.

What grabbed me
I loved this way of describing a lot of what passes as Protestant theology: 'We have, most of us, been reared and now live under the influence of Galatianism. Protestant theology, alas, is for the most part, thoroughly Galatianized, in that neither law nor grace are given their distinct and separated places, as in the counsels of God, but are mingled together in one incoherent system. The law is no longer, as in the Divine intent, a ministration of death (2 Cor. 3:7), of cursing (Gal. 3:10), of conviction (Rom. 3:19), because we are taught that we must try to keep it, and that by Divine help we may. Nor, on the other hand, does grace bring us blessed deliverance from the dominion of sin, for we are kept under the law as a rule of life despite the plain declaration, "Sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace" (Rom. 6: 14).'

So true.  It is all too easy to be 'Galatianized' in our theology.

Next week's reading
Read Chapter 8 (Salvation by grace).

Now it's your turn
Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.