Ok . . . . So it has been a couple of months since I have last updated the blog. After the worst cold I have ever had and the business of life I am finally back and ready to continue.
In january I started talking about the importance of understanding Grace. This month I am going to continue with this, by explaining the signifcance of the Law. In order to understand Grace we have to understand the purpose of the law. I will explain the rest of my title in a moment.
The law was first given in the book of Exodus. Prior to the law the children of Isreal lived in the grace of God. Think about it. . . . They had supernatural food and water provided, their sandals never wore out, there wasn't a feeble one among them (no sickness or disease), during the day God gave them shade through the clouds and during the night He kept them warm through the fire. Wow! This was before Jesus. If they experienced this kind of Grace, what do we have to look forward to who have a greater covenant based on greater promises? Hebrews 8:6
Something happened though that changed this life of Grace. . . I am calling it the beginning of the end. It was the end of Grace as the children of Isreal knew it and the beginning of the law. In Exodus 19:4 the Lord told Moses to say, "you have seen what I did to the Egyptions, and how I bore you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself. Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to me above all people, for the earth is mine. And you shall be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation"
Look at their response, Exodus 19:8 "Then all the people answered together and said, "All that the Lord has spoken we will do." So Moses brought back the words of the people to the Lord. At first glance you would think this is exaclty the answer that God was looking for. Hmm. . . .but is it really? I heard a Hebrew scholar preach on this very verse one time. It was eye opening. According to this scholar, in the Hebrew the statement made was more than just a nice gesture of obedience, but in reality it was more of a challenge. He stated that you could interpret this verse to say, "you tell God that we can do anything he asks us to."
Immediately after this God prepares Moses and the people to receive the law. It's as if He was making a statement. You think you can keep my righteous standards? God covers the mountain with a cloud full of lightning and thunder and then calls Moses up. While Moses is gone, he is given the Ten Commandments and the days of the law begin.
After Moses was gone for some time the people began thinking that he was probably dead. So what do they do, before Moses even comes down they break the first commandment and make an golden calf and call it their God. Oh how good it must have tasted when Moses made them drink the gold as a consequence of their sin. (Exodus 32)
So now lets come into the new testament, before the cross. The ministry of Jesus was to restore the law to its rightful place, to once again show man that they can not stand before God based on their own righteousness. To show people that they are not able to fulfill the law on their own. The scribes and pharisees had reduced the law by their own traditions to a place that it almost seemed attainable. They made all about outward appearances. All of a sudden Jesus shows up on the seen with radical statements such as "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which indeed appear beautiful outside, but inside they are full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness." (Mat 23:27) He told the Isrealite people who certainly thought of the Scribes and Pharisees as "HOLY" people "For I say to you that unless your righteousness shall exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees, you shall in no case enter into the kingdom of Heaven.
He would say radical things like "adultery being committed just by having lustful thoughts. Murder being committed simply be hating your brother. Commanding people to be perfect even as your heavenly father is perfect. The law is now once again being seen for what it really is. A standard unattainable by mans owns efforts. In other words it was there to prove our guilt and need for a savior.
How can that be? Paul said that he would not have known sin except for the law. (Romans 7:7) He also said, "But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed. 24 Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 25 But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor. Once faith comes we are no longer under the law. (Galatians 3:23-25)
I am going to end with one thought. Why is GRACE so important? "Because by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin." (Romans 3:20) We have all sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God. The Bible says that our righteousness is as filthy rags in His sight. If you have been reading this and are one of those who think "grace is greasy" or just an excuse to sin, I hope I am making it plainly obvious that Grace is the Good News that leads us to repentance and we have got to understand it in order to become who we have been called to be.
I think in my next blog post I am gong to talk about "through the cross." Many of our hang-ups have to do with the context. We have to realize that the Old Testament and the Four Gospels are about people under the law. As brother Hagin used to say. . . . They were written for us, but not to us. Remember, even Jesus was speaking to people under the law, before His death burial and resurrection. When we read our Bible, context is important. Who was being addressed can tell you a lot. For example, "For I say to you that unless your righteousness shall exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees, you shall in no case enter into the kingdom of Heaven." What a true statement and to Jews under the law, it probably freaked them out a little. As a believer, I don't stand before God in my own righteousness, instead "I am the righteousness of God through Christ Jesus." Any way hopefully we will get a chance to explore that some more as we grow to understand grace.
