The LAW versus GRACE
EXODUS 20:1-17 (Ten Commandments)
1 Then God instructed the people as follows: 2
"I am the LORD your God, who rescued you from slavery in Egypt." 3
"Do not worship any other gods
besides me." 4 "Do not
make idols of any kind, whether in the shape of birds or animals or fish.5
You must never worship or bow down to them, for I, the LORD your God, am a
jealous God who will not share your affection with any other god! I do not
leave unpunished the sins of those who hate me, but I punish the children for
the sins of their parents to the third and fourth generations. 6 But I lavish
my love on those who love me and obey my commands, even for a thousand
generations." 7 "Do not misuse
the name of the LORD your God. The LORD will not let you go unpunished if
you misuse his name." 8 "Remember
to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9 Six days a week are set
apart for your daily duties and regular work, 10 but the seventh day is a day
of rest dedicated to the LORD your God. On that day no one in your household
may do any kind of work. This includes you, your sons and daughters, your male
and female servants, your livestock, and any foreigners living among you. 11
For in six days the LORD made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and everything in
them; then he rested on the seventh day. That is why the LORD blessed the
Sabbath day and set it apart as holy." 12"Honor your father and mother. Then you will live a long, full life
in the land the LORD your God will give you." 13 "Do not murder."14 "Do not commit adultery." 15"Do not steal." 16 "Do not testify falsely against your
neighbor." 17"Do not covet
your neighbor's house. Do not covet your neighbor's wife, male or female
servant, ox or donkey, or anything else your neighbor owns."
Mosaic Covenant (living under the law) was
fulfilled by the New Covenant (living under grace).
‘The Law’ refers to the standard God gave Moses (10
Commandments).
The penalty for breaking the law was death. Animals could be sacrificed
in place of sinners. Since no person can ever be sinless, we all come to realize
how desperately we need a Savior. In His mercy, God sent Jesus to die for ALL of
our sins. The New Covenant says that if we have faith and believe and accept
Christ as our Savior, our sins are forgiven and we become right before God, we
are His children and become heirs to His Kingdom and recipients of His
blessings.
God gave us the Law and He also gave us His Son (John
3:16). The Law provided a ‘system of sacrifice’ to pay for the death penalty associated
to each sin. Jesus became the ultimate sacrifice to fulfill the punishment of the
many deaths required by the Law for every sin (past, present and future). He established
a New Covenant agreement between God and mankind (Luke 22:20). We are not deserving
of this sacrifice and like the Prodigal Son, we come before God on our knees
confessing our sins, asking for His forgiveness, “Father, I am not worthy to be
called your child.” We thank Him for His mercy and His blessings. Jesus said, “Do not think that I have
come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have come to fulfill them” (Matthew
5:17). The Law revealed that there is sin in every person’s heart (Romans 7:7).
John 1:17 says, “For the law was given through Moses; but grace, forgiveness
and truth came through Jesus Christ.”
Everyone who comes to God through Christ is declared ‘righteous’, i.e. "Right With God".
Jesus taught us that the Law shows us that God wants us to be holy. God’s Grace
gives us the desire and the power to be holy. Rather than trusting in the Law
to save us, we trust in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ for our salvation.
Christ fulfilled the Law on our behalf and offers us the power of the Holy
Spirit, who motivates our 'born again' hearts to live in obedience to God.
Through faith, we are saved by God’s grace. Keeping the Law
cannot save anyone. The purpose of the Law was to bring us to Christ (Galatians
3:24). When Christ cried out from the cross "It is finished!" He
did not mean that His life was over. He was telling the whole world that ALL
sin was ‘PAID IN FULL’. The penalty of the Law was fulfilled and it no longer was
a barrier between God and man. Being "under the law" means that our personal
works are evaluated and judged by the law to determine our holiness before God.
This will never be enough. Being "under grace," means that we are
justified before God not by our works but by our faith in the finished works
of Jesus Christ which is more than enough.
Living under Grace does not mean that we do not have to obey
God’s commandments. Through the Grace of God we become a righteous people, because
Christ resides within us. In Christ, obedience to God is natural and voluntary because
the Law is inscribed in our hearts and all we want to do is obey the God whom we
have come to know and love. The Good News is that we are royalty and we are citizens
in God’s Kingdom and we are abundantly and exceedingly filled with the
multitude of blessings that God has for His children.
WE LIVE UNDER GRACE.