THE MANY FACETS OF LAW AND GRACE, AND THEIR MEANING IN THE HEART AND EYES OF GOD.

7/26/19

HAVE YOU EVER SAT DOWN IN A QUIET PLACE AND THOUGHT ABOUT THE LAW OF GOD AND THE GRACE OF GOD ? IF YOU TRULY TAKE THE TIME AND DO IT, IT WILL OPEN YOUR MIND AND HEART TO A WAY DEEPER RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD. SOMETIMES IT TAKES A DEEPER LOOK AT THINGS TO GAIN A TRUE UNDERSTANDING OF THEIR MEANING AND CONTEXT. IN THE OLD TESTAMENT BOOKS, AND SPECIFICALLY THE TORAH, GOD’S LAW HAD THE MEANING TO THE HEBREWS OF “LOVING INSTRUCTION”.

FOR I COMMAND YOU TODAY TO LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD, TO WALK IN OBEDIENCE TO HIM, AND TO KEEP HIS COMMANDS, DECREES AND LAWS; THEN YOU WILL LIVE AND INCREASE, AND THE LORD YOUR GOD WILL BLESS YOU IN THE LAND YOU ARE ENTERING TO POSSESS. Deuteronomy 30;16

I HAVE CHOSEN THE WAY OF FAITHFULNESS; I HAVE SET MY HEART ON YOUR LAWS Psalm 119:30

IN THE LAWS OF MAN, WE FIND A LOT OF “PROHIBITED ACTIONS, OR WAYS THINGS MUST BE DONE”. GOD OFFERS LOVING GUIDANCE FOR LIVING, WHILE IT SEEMS MAN DEMANDS ADHERENCE OR ELSE. GOD’S LAWS ARE UNCHANGING, WHILE MAN SUBTRACTS FROM OR ADDS TO RULES FOR OUR BEHAVIOR ALL THE TIME. GOD’S LAW BRINGS ENLIGHTENMENT AND STABILITY, WHILE MANKIND SWINGS TO AND FRO WITH CULTURE AND POLITICAL VISION. SO MANY FACETS IN THE CONCEPT OF THE WORD “LAW”. LOOK AT YOUR COUNTRY, YOUR CULTURE, YOUR ENVIRONMENT. WE ALL KNOW THAT IN MANY PLACES, GOVERNMENTS USE LAW AS A WAY TO KEEP ORDER AND STRUCTURE SOCIETY….AND THAT CAN BE A GREAT THING. IT CAN ALSO BE A BRUTAL SYSTEM OF CONTROL TO CRUSH ANY IDEAS OF DIVERSITY, AND SOMETIMES TAKE AWAY THE VERY THINGS THAT GOD INTENDED FOR US. I THINK ONE OF THE MAIN THINGS TO FOCUS ON WHEN YOU BECOME DEEPER IN GOD IS ALL THE THINGS THAT YOU CAN GAIN FROM HIS LOVING INSTRUCTION. HE GIVES US FREE WILL TO CONSIDER HIS COMMANDMENTS, AND HE GIVES US FREE WILL TO ACCEPT OR REJECT THEM. FOR ME PERSONALLY, I AM STRIVING TO LIVE AS GOD INTENDED ME TO IN HIS LAW SO THAT I MAY THRIVE AND GROW. I ALSO BELIEVE THAT WITHOUT JESUS, THE LAW WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE TO FOLLOW AND BE COMPLETE IN, BECAUSE AT MY CORE, I AM A SINNER. WITHOUT JESUS, THE LAW WILL PUT ME IN A PLACE WHERE I AM NOT RIGHTEOUS ENOUGH TO LIVE IN IT. AS THE APOSTLE PAUL STATED IN ROMANS 3;20, THEREFORE NO ONE WILL BE DECLARED RIGHTEOUS IN GOD’S SIGHT BY THE WORKS OF THE LAW; RATHER, THROUGH THE LAW WE BECOME CONSCIOUS OF OUR SIN. THE BEAUTY OF THIS IS THAT IT SHOWS US HOW MUCH WE NEED JESUS ! HOW WE CAN GAIN UNDERSTANDING AND COMPLETENESS IN THE INSTRUCTION OF GOD ONCE WE GIVE OURSELVES COMPLETELY TO JESUS AND SEE OUR PATH TO COMPLETENESS….. IN HIS GRACE :)

GRACE ! HALLELUJAH. THANK GOODNESS THAT OUR GOD IS TRULY LOVING, AND THERE IS GRACE IN EVERYTHING HE HAS DESIRED FOR US AS HIS CHILDREN. THE GRACE OF GOD BEGAN FOR US RIGHT AT THE BEGINNING, AS HE WAS CREATING US. HE LITERALLY BROUGHT US FROM THE GROUND AND A PIECE OF EACH OTHER TO BE OUR LORD AND OUR GOD, NOT JUST A POWERFUL CREATOR AND JUDGE OF THE UNIVERSE AND ALL IT HOLDS. HE CREATED US FOR RELATIONSHIP. AND WHEN ADAM AND EVE SINNED, INSTEAD OF DESTROYING THEM, HE PUT THEM ON A HARD AND LOVING PATH THAT WOULD CULMINATE IN THE MOST INCREDIBLE PART OF HIS LOVE AND GRACE FOR US. THE LIFE, DEATH AND RESURRECTION OF HIS SON. JESUS. JESUS COVERED OUR SIN AND FAILURE WITH HIS SACRIFICE AND SHED BLOOD, AND PROVIDED REDEMPTION FOR US TO HIS FATHER. ALL OF THE GRACE OF GOD HAS BEEN ON THIS PATH SINCE THE VERY BEGINNING OF TIME, WHEN GOD MOVED MANKIND FROM CREATION, TO ABRAHAM, TO MOSES, TO JOSHUA, TO DAVID, TO JESUS, TO THE TWELVE APOSTLES, TO THE APOSTLE PAUL, AND AS HIS GRACE ABOUNDS, ALL THE WAY TO REVELATION. JESUS’S SECOND COMING, AND THE NEW KINGDOM THAT HE, OUR GOD, WILL BRING TO A NEW EARTH. FREE OF SIN. FREE OF EVIL. PERFECT IN EVERY WAY. GRACE. A GIFT TO US, UNMERITED, FREE TO US FROM GOD. OUR GRACE IN JESUS SETS US FREE FROM SIN AND DEATH, COMPLETES US, GIVES US HOPE, PURPOSE, AND BLESSING. IT GIVES US JOY, AND FELLOWSHIP, AND ABUNDANT LIFE ! GRACE IS STARING YOU RIGHT IN THE FACE. GRAB IT, HOLD IT, LIVE IN IT. JESUS LOVES YOU, AND SO WANTS TO BE YOUR SAVIOR, LORD, AND KING. SEEK HIM, ASK HIM.

THE WORD BECAME FLESH AND MADE HIS DWELLING AMONG US. WE HAVE SEEN HIS GLORY, THE GLORY OF THE ONE AND ONLY SON, WHO CAME FROM THE FATHER, FULL OF GRACE AND TRUTH. John 1:14

GRACE AND PEACE BE YOURS IN ABUNDANCE THROUGH THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD AND JESUS OUR LORD. 2 Peter 1:2

THANKS BE TO GOD THAT HE GIVES US LOVING INSTRUCTION. THANKS BE TO GOD THAT HE HAS GIVEN US GRACE FOR OUR SALVATION AND RELATIONSHIP TO BE COMPLETE, AS WELL AS HAVING A PERFECT PLAN FOR OUR LIVES THROUGH THE GRACE FILLED MOVEMENT OF TIME. OH GOD, YOU ARE TRULY INCREDIBLE. HELP US ALL TO ABIDE IN YOUR SON JESUS, AND BE GUIDED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT THAT YOU HAVE GIVEN IN SUCH LOVE. WE WORSHIP YOU WITH PRAISE, THANKFULNESS AND LOVE.

FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD THAT HE GAVE HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON, THAT WHOSOEVER BELIEVETH IN HIM SHOULD NOT PERISH, BUT HAVE ETERNAL LIFE John 3:16

PEACE, SALVATION, AND COMPLETENESS BE YOURS IN JESUS / JA