Continuing on from part 1 of this blog, let me start with this. “Old testament prophets call your sins to remembrance. New testament Grace anointed preachers/teachers call your righteousness to remembrance.
Romans 3:21. “But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets”. And Romans 4:13. “for the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith”. One more. Romans 10:3. “For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God”.
They were “ignorant” of God’s righteousness. That’s key – it’s not that the people are stupid or idiots, it’s that they are ignorant. That simply means they have not known this before, or haven’t been taught it before. It can also mean they have been taught this, but have “ignored” it. Hence the word “ingore-ance”. Or ignorance.
That’s the burden we have. To teach this the way Paul taught it. Radically and with great persuasion. People are not dumb, they just haven’t heard it taught this way. The sad part is, some will reject it even after hearing this great, good, almost too good to be true news. Now that’s dumb!!!
Old testament preachers tell you what’s wrong with you. New testament grace filled preachers tell you what’s right with you, because of what Jesus has done, in spite of what’s wrong with you. So lets look at some actual events that display the difference between law and grace.
First miracle. Moses, who represents the law, turned water into blood resulting in many people dying. First miracle of Jesus, who is grace personified, turns water into wine resulting in celebration and life.
The law was given by Moses at Mt. Sinai on the day of pentecost and 3,000 people lost their lives (Exodus 32:28). In the New Testament under grace, the Holy Spirit was given on day of pentecost, and 3,000 people were saved (Acts 2:41).
In old testament before Mt. Sinai and the 10 commandments (law) the children of Israel were under the Abrahamic covenant of grace. Not one died. Their clothes did not wear out. When they murmured, God’s favor increased (food, water). But then comes Exodus 19:8. The people told Moses (who told God), “all that God requires and demands of us, we are well able to perform”. In other words, God, stop assessing or blessing based on Your goodness, and start assessing, judging and blessing based on our obedience.
Effectively they exchanged covenants from grace to law. So, God had no choice. He gave them 10 laws, because they wanted to be judged based on their performance…sound familiar?? Now, under the dispensation of the law, the children of Israel realized their clothes were rotting, they were getting sick and when they murmur, the water is bitter. Also, when they clamored for meat, God gave it to them, but they died while they were chewing it. Study this for yourselves.
Jesus delivered us from the law by the finished work of the cross. That means we are under grace and not law. But there are still believers who are living today as if the cross never happened. Still fighting to be under the old covenant of law. Trying to live under the law. Trying to be justified by their efforts. By so doing, they are negating what Jesus already has done.
So right here, let me drop in a prophetic word. “Until you grasp and receive the finality of the cross, you’ll never achieve or experience the power of the resurrection”. In the Old Testament God says “I will by no means clear the guilty” (Exodus 34:7). In the New Testament God says “I will remember your sins no more” (Hebrews 8:12 & Hebrews 10:17).
God has made the old covenant obsolete. It has been obliterated. Hebrews 8:13 says “When God speaks of a “new” covenant, it means He has made the first one obsolete. it is now out of date and will soon disappear” (NLT).
Why are people fighting to hang onto something that is dead or obsolete? Hebrews 10:8-10 goes on to say – “He takes away the first to establish the second”. Second is always better than the first. First Adam, second Adam. Old covenant, new covenant. Law, grace. Evening and the morning were the first day.
Let me explain that last one. The bible says the evening and the morning were the first day (Genesis 1:5). Why didn’t he say the morning and the evening were the first day. I asked God that very question and He told me, because it’s dark in the evening, but after I speak, it brings light or illumination. Okay….works for me.
Hebrews 10:10 says “for God’s will was for us to be made holy by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all time” (NLT). Takes me right back to the statement “holiness is not a prerequisite for God to have a relationship with you”.
That verse says I’m holy not because of anything I’ve done, but because it was God’s will for me to be made holy by the sacrifice of his Son. So, I’m holy because God sacrificed his Son to make me holy. I’m made holy. I don’t or didn’t make myself holy.
To sum this up. There is a definite difference between grace and law. It’s God’s will that we live in a life of victory under the purchased grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. Finally Galatians 5:1. Here it is in the KJV and NLT. This is so important.
KJV – Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.
NLT – So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law.
