Law And Grace

C. I. Scofield

Rightly Dividing the Word of Truth

"For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ" (John 1:17).

The most obvious and striking division of the Word of Truth is that between Law and Grace. It is vital to observe that Scripture never mingles these two principles.

• Law is God prohibiting and requiring; grace is God beseeching and bestowing.
• Law is a ministry of condemnation; grace, of forgiveness.
• Law curses; grace redeems from that curse.
• Law kills; grace makes alive.
• Law shuts every mouth before God; grace opens every mouth to praise Him.
• Law puts a great and guilty distance between man and God; grace makes guilty man nigh to God.
• Law says "do and live"; grace, "believe and live."
• Law never had a missionary; grace is to be preached to every creature.
• Law utterly condemns the best man; grace freely justifies the worst.
• Law is a system of probation; grace, of favour.
• Law stones an adulteress; grace says, "neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more."
• Under law the sheep dies at the hand of the shepherd; under grace the Shepherd dies for the sheep.

Condensed from Rightly Dividing the Word of Truth by C.I. Scofield