Let’s face it: the biblical teaching is hard to accept. As much as we don’t like it, scripture teaches that God gives us the law to show that we can’t keep it. In modern parlance, God is setting us up to fail, something we find totally unacceptable. God is also the one who bestows the free gift, which is grace. I am responsible for my sins, and the condemnation that results, but the free gift of reconciliation which leads to justification and being declared righteous, is solely under the aegis of God. From a human perspective, having no say in the outcome is also hard to accept. Put between a rock and a hard teaching, what are we to do? As much as we’d like to, we can never master the biblical teaching. We can only hear it and submit. Join Noël Neff and I as we work through the post-Pentecost lectionary of the Orthodox Church. On this episode, we discuss St. Paul’s teaching on the Law and grace in Romans 5:17-6:2.