260. How Do Great Stories Show Both Law and Grace?

This week, we’re still in Resurrection Sunday mood.[1. Photo by Tingey Injury Law Firm on Unsplash.] So let’s consider a big biblical idea. It’s so important that all stories reflect this—the big idea that the Law of God should lead us to the grace of God. But how many stories get these concepts out of balance? When do they swerve too far toward “law,” and into legalism, or too far toward “grace,” and into cheap grace?

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Key Scripture text: Romans 3:21–31

But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it—the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith. For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law. Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, since God is one—who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith. Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law.

Romans 3:21–31 (ESV)

1. Great stories illustrate God’s Law

• God’s Law is His righteous standard for perfect love and obedience.
• His Law is good and justified, being defined by goodness Himself.
• Last week we talked about biblical fiction that illustrates, not instructs.
• Other types of fiction do this with the idea that God gives moral law.
• For instance, maybe you grew up hearing Sunday school moral fables.
• The story’s appeal wasn’t in plot or character, but in the moral virtue.
• Even now, parents want to know what moral idea a story is About.
• Other tales get more complex but still divide simple right from wrong:
  • Fairy tales and modern versions show pretty heroes, ugly villains
  • Hero stories show the goodness in manmade authority structure
  • Many good Star Trek stories (TV only) show leaders at their best
  • Detective stories or police procedurals generally uphold the law
  • Westerns (or space westerns) have good sheriffs and bad outlaws

But bad stories subvert God’s Law into ‘cheap law’

Legalism is the conviction that law-keeping is now, after the fall, the ground of our acceptance with God. I will say that again: legalism is the conviction that law-keeping is the ground of our acceptance with God, the ground of God being for us and not against us.

So if you ask, “How can I get God to be for me and not against me?” the legalist answer is “Keep the law. Perf