Grace Over Law

For ye are not under the law, but under grace.  Romans 6:14

In the Bible, we see Gentiles receiving the favor of God based on their faith in God’s grace.  Ruth was a Moabite woman who eventually conceived Obed who was the grandfather of David through whose lineage the Messiah Jesus Christ came (Ruth 1:4 and Ruth 4:17).  Think of that for a moment, a non Jew or Gentile was in the lineage of Jesus Christ!  Also consider the Roman centurion that told Jesus that He did not need to come to his home to heal his servant but to speak the word that his servant might be healed (Matthew 8:9).  The Bible records that “when Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel” (Matthew 8:10).  This is the first time Jesus used the term great faith for anyone and when He did, it was for a non Jew.  Another time, a Canaanite woman asked Jesus to heal her daughter, initially Jesus was not receptive to fulfilling her request but she was persistent and He commented, “O woman, great is thy faith” (Matthew 15:22-28).  The only two people in the Gospels that Jesus said had great faith were Gentiles.  These Gentiles represent God’s grace.  Grace allows us to freely receive the promises of God.  It is not dependent on our good works or memorizing a set of rules.  The Bible calls the law in the Old Testament the “ministration of death” (2 Corinthians 3:7) but states that “it is of faith, that it might be by grace” (Romans 4:16).  We receive all the great promises of God through faith in His grace.  In each of the cases above in which Jesus said the people had great faith, they received God’s gift of healing for their loved ones.  Don’t count on your works or follow a set of rules to receive from God, but rely on His grace!