The Law and the Gospel

December 1st, 2009 by JDVaughn Leave a reply »
December 1, 2009
The Law and the Gospel
Whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all —James 2:10

The moral law does not consider our weaknesses as human beings; in fact, it does not take into account our heredity or infirmities. It simply demands that we be absolutely moral. The moral law never changes, either for the highest of society or for the weakest in the world. It is enduring and eternally the same. The moral law, ordained by God, does not make itself weak to the weak by excusing our shortcomings. It remains absolute for all time and eternity. If we are not aware of this, it is because we are less than alive. Once we do realize it, our life immediately becomes a fatal tragedy. “I was alive once without the law, but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died” ( Romans 7:9 ). The moment we realize this, the Spirit of God convicts us of sin. Until a person gets there and sees that there is no hope, the Cross of Christ remains absurd to him. Conviction of sin always brings a fearful, confining sense of the law. It makes a person hopeless— “. . . sold under sin” ( Romans 7:14  ). I, a guilty sinner, can never work to get right with God— it is impossible. There is only one way by which I can get right with God, and that is through the death of Jesus Christ. I must get rid of the underlying idea that I can ever be right with God because of my obedience. Who of us could ever obey God to absolute perfection!

From 35000 feet, on an airplane this morning, (amazing times we live in ) I am worshiping and praying along with the devotional and song. The music and lyrics choked me up a bit as I came to feel the impact of God’s grace and mercy. Trying to “feel” close to God is tricky…because our feelings are tricky, the enemy vigilient. Whenever we fail and God knows we will, our accuser stands there shouting out our failure trying to bring us down from the victory Jesus freely provides. All we need to do is accept the gift…..JDV

We only begin to realize the power of the moral law once we see that it comes with a condition and a promise. But God never coerces us. Sometimes we wish He would make us be obedient, and at other times we wish He would leave us alone. Whenever God’s will is in complete control, He removes all pressure. And when we deliberately choose to obey Him, He will reach to the remotest star and to the ends of the earth to assist us with all of His almighty power.

Seeking God’s will in all we do will help us stay connected. We choose God’s will, not our own, and trust His character and consequently His response, or lack of response to our needs.  And when we do this and focus on the cross  of Jesus something supernatural occurs; we are transformed once again by the power of His Spirit connecting with ours. We then find the peace and “knowing” regardless of our circumstance……JDV)

2 Corinthians 3:18 NIV

18And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect[a] the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit………JDV

 

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