Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today- March 4, 2014
For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. John 1:17
The law was given through the man, Moses. Grace and truth came through God’s son, Jesus. Moses saw the glory of God in a burning bush. Jesus displayed the glory of God in Himself. Moses took the life of a man. Jesus gave life back to a man. Moses spoke on behalf of God. Jesus spoke as God. Moses led God’s children out of human bondage. Jesus led those who believed in Him out of spiritual bondage. The law condemns the guilty, but grace forgives the guilty.
Jesus came to fulfill the law, not destroy the law. How did He fulfill the law? In several ways. First, Christ was the fulfillment of the Messiah, as the prophets predicted. Secondly, His life fulfilled the moral law of the ten commandments. And thirdly, His death completed the ceremonial law as the final sacrifice of sin. Moreover, the Old Testament is foundational to the New Testament. The new covenant of grace fulfilled the old covenant of the law. Jesus fulfilled His law by His grace.
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them” (Matthew 5:17).
Since Christ has fulfilled the law, what is the role of the law for today? The law is meant to point us to faith in the Lord. We cannot keep God’s commands with perfection, so we need our perfect Savior Jesus. It is a declaration of dependence on Christ, since we have not kept from breaking at least one of the ten commandments: not lying, stealing, or coveting. It is a teacher than instructs in the way, the truth, and the life of Jesus. The law of God leads us to rely on the grace of God!
Are you tired of trying to be good enough? Is your joy gone because your standard for serving God is higher than His? If so, seek to rest in the grace of God, not striving under the law of God. Submission to Christ gives you freedom in Christ. You are no longer a slave to statutes, but a slave to Christ. Grace frees you from needing to be good enough for God’s acceptance. In Christ, you have all you need to be free from the law’s guilt. Enjoy your freedom through grace!
“Christ is the culmination of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes” (Romans 10:4).
Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for Your law that leads me to depend on Christ’s grace.
Related Readings: Jeremiah 31:31; Romans 8:4; Galatians 2:16, 3:19, 24; Hebrews 8:1-13
Post/Tweet today: The law of God leads us to rely on the grace of God. #lawandgrace
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Amen
I was greatly saddened when I read this my morning message today. LAW is not done away with, but BECAUSE majority of believers do not differentiate law from law, they ride on Darby’s interpretations from 19th century. LAW will be solid in HIS millennium — look it up: ISAIAH 2:3, MICAH 4:2, ZACHARIAH 14 and ISAIAH 66:23-24
This is the error of lawlessness in last days 🙁
http://119ministries.com/abolish
We still need to obey the commands of God. We are forgiven when we fail, but we are not free to live the secular life in opposition to God’s precepts and think we are saved. If we are saved we will strive not to sin because we love Christ.
To Wisdom Hunters: How long do you leave this comment in moderation?
Dear Lawrence,
Thank you for taking the time to email us. We generally answer the comments within a day or two, but as you can see I am just catching up. Please forgive me for taking more time. Did you have a specific question from one of the devotionals. If so, please feel free to contact us at anytime.
We are so thankful that you are a fellow wisdom hunter.
Believing and trusting~
Gwynne
Dear Barbara~
Thank you so much for taking the time to reach out to us at Wisdom Hunters with your comments on the devotional, “Law and Grace”. It is always thought provoking for us, as well as our other readers, to get different perspectives on the devotionals. We look forward to hearing from you again on future Wisdom Hunters devotionals. May God bless you and yours.
Believing and trusting~
Gwynne