Dr. Law and Dr. Grace

by Lester Roloff

The greatest message in the Bible is God's grace. Grace is the free and unmerited favor of God and there is a strong relationship between law and grace. "All have sinned and come short of the glory of God." "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way" "There is none that doeth good, no, not one." "There is none righteous, no, not one." I know I'm having some serious internal trouble and so I head for Dr. Law. He is always in his office and ready to see the sinner. The secretary calls me. I step inside his office and start to relate my symptoms to him. "I will not need your help" he says. "Do you think you can find out what is wrong with me?" And he answers, "No, sir, I don't have to think; I KNOW what is wrong with you; you have heart trouble. You're just like all the rest of my patients." My old flesh rebels. It doesn't make sense to me that every one of his patients has the same disease But, the law doesn't make sense to the sinner because "The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned."

So my flesh gets ready to argue the issue and I say, "Dr. Law, you just don't understand. I'm having trouble with my hands. I spend a lot of time dealing a deck of cards and I've even used them to fight with. My hands are giving me trouble." And Dr. Law said, "No, it's your heart." I say, "Doc, I'm going to have to argue with you, you may be a doctor, but still you don't understand me. I'm having trouble with my eyes. It's nothing for me to sit two or three hours in one night and watch ungodly movies and my eyes are never satisfied. I must be having eye trouble" The old doctor states, "No, son, it's heart trouble--just plain heart trouble." "Dr. Law, be reasonable about this thing. I'm having trouble with my tongue. It says things that are sharp and ugly and even smutty jokes have come unrehearsed and unplanned and I believe there is something rotten about my tongue. Please examine my tongue." Dr. Law says, "No, it's heart trouble." By this time, my rebellion has mounted and I tell Dr. Law it is my ears that would listen to ungodly gossip. It is my feet that would dance and carry me to places I ought not go! He answers, "You have a bad case of heart trouble." Once more, in desperation, I say, "Dr. Law, surely there is something wrong with my taste. I've even cultivated a like for intoxicating beverage and dope and there must be some way you can help my taste." And Dr. Law says, "That will be taken care of when your heart is fixed."

In rebellion and desperation I yell, "Dr. Law, I'm going to another doctor," to which he responds, "The woods are full of them, but you'll never get well until your heart is made right." I ask Dr. Law, "Would you recommend any other doctor for a consultation?" He says, "There is only one doctor I would recommend and if you won't listen to me, you'll never go to him." So I go down the street and knock on Dr. Religion's door. He seems like a real regular fellow, and he says, "Come on in here, Lester, I'm glad to see you!" "Yes I'm glad to see you. I've been up to see old Dr. Law." To which Dr. Religion says, "Oh, he's ancient, he's an antique. Modern folks don't go to him. He hasn't had the proper training. He doesn't know anything about the latest modes of medicine." Well, that sounds good to me, "I don't like him myself. Dr. Religion, would you just examine me and see what's wrong?" He says, "Sure!" After he's done, he says, "Why, there's nothing seriously wrong with you. I recommend that you start going to church." And I say, 'Which one?" "Oh," he said, "just any of them will be all right." So the next Sunday, I go to church and the next but I don't get any better. I go back to Dr. Religion and Isay, "Dr. Religion, I don't believe I'm any better." He says, "Well, did you start going to church?" I say, "Sure. I've been going every Sunday." Then he says, "Did you join and get baptized?" "Why, no." He says, "Do that, that will make you feel better." I say, "I'll sure do it and get my wife to also."

So I go to the church and join and get baptized, but I don't feel any better for very long and I go back to Dr. Religion, "Dr. there's something wrong I'm not any better." "Well," he says, "are you really working at it? And so I do. But I get weary in the struggle and somebody recommends a couple of brothers who were doctors, Dr. Be Good and Dr. Do Good. I try them but to no avail. There was no certainty and no assurance of salvation. Somebody recommends Dr. Hope So. And then, Dr. Think So and none one of them are able to help me. Weary, tired, exhausted, in despair and at the end of self, I decide to go back to Dr. Law. Dr. Law has been waiting for me... the same stern, obstinate old doctor with the same diagnosis, "It's your heart." He

says, "Only one thing will do and that's an operation. Your heart will have to come out and a new one put in." "Dr. Law, when will you operate?" He says, "I don't operate." "You mean I'm going to have to die even though you know what's wrong with me?" "I didn't say" returned Dr. Law, "that you had to die. I only make the diagnosis. But if you really want to live, I'll tell you what to do" And so this trembling, perspiring sinner looks into the face of the unrelenting doctor and cries, "Please help me!" And he takes my hand and leads me across the hall and knocks on an office door and a handsome, loving doctor comes out. Dr. Law says, "Dr. Grace, this is Lester and he's got the same trouble all my other patents have had. He's coming to you for an operation."

By that time, Dr. Law had slipped away and gone back into his office and left me standing alone in the presence of Dr. Grace. With fear and trembling, the questions began to come. "Dr. Grace, will you let Dr. Law or some other doctor help you operate?" And he said, "No, I've never had any help I do it all." "Dr. Grace, will you give me a good anesthetic and put me into a deep sleep?" He says, "No, sir. I want you to know what I did so you can tell the world about it." "Dr. Grace, what about the charges and the expense of this tremendous operation?" He says, "It's already paid for." "Who paid for it?" He said, "A Friend of yours." "Oh, I'd like to meet Him." He says, "After the operation, I'll let you meet Him, I'll introduce you to Him." "Dr. Grace, is it true that you are going to take my old heart out and put in a new one?" He smiles, "Yes." And so just by faith, I lay down on the operating table and the great surgeon, Dr. Grace, takes the knife and slices open my heart section and out comes the blackest heart! Oh, it was so sickening! And for the first time, I realized that Dr. Law was right. It was heart trouble. Dr. Grace throws that old filthy heart away and gets a new one...so pure and clean and puts it in. I feel the flow of new life, color comes to my spiritual cheeks.

I start out the door and something inside says, "Go back." I said, "Dr. Grace, you told me you'd introduce me to the Friend who paid my bill," and he said, "I thought you'd come back." And stepping through a door comes the loveliest Friend I've ever met. When He raised His hands, I saw nail prints. On His brow were thorn scars. When His lovely robe fell apart, I saw the spear print in His side. Dr. Grace said, "Jesus. I want you to meet Lester. I fell on my face and after a season of praise and thanksgiving and adoring the One who died for me, I walked joyfully and victoriously down the road of life. Friend, recommend these two great doctors. Dr. Law will show you where you're wrong and Dr. Grace will make you right.

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