Today we continue our series entitled, “Grace and Truth” by continuing to look at by continuing to look at The Law given under Moses vs. the Grace provided by Jesus. Our main scriptures are John 1:14 & 17. Let’s look at them again.
(John 1:14 New International Version)
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 1:17 New International Version)
For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
In this series we studied Galatians 3, 4, and 5. In our last message we stopped at verse 13 of chapter 5. Let’s pick it up from there.
(Galatians 5:14 The Passion Translation)
For love completes the laws of God. All of the law can be summarized in one grand statement: “Demonstrate love to your neighbor, even as you care for and love yourself.”
So what does this mean for you today? A few things.
1. The Law of Moses (the 10 Commandments) was perfect. The issue is not with The Law. The issue is with us. We are not perfect. The Law of Moses is so perfect that no human can ever live without breaking any of the commandments. For a human to be sinless, to perfectly comply with the Law of Moses, is not difficult, it is actually impossible. We, as humans, are incapable of being that perfect. The only human to ever do it was Jesus Himself. We are not perfect, but Jesus was perfect for us. God attributes Jesus’ perfection and His righteousness to us, when we exercise faith in Him and make Him our Lord. That is good news. That is grace!
2. Being free from the Law of Moses does not mean we have NO LAW. Once you are Born-Again, you are in Christ, Christ is in you, and you are commanded to live by the Law of Jesus, which is the Law of Love.
a) Jesus said He was giving us a NEW Commandment. It is the Commandment of Love! He said, “So I give you now a new commandment: Love each other just as much as I have loved you. For when you demonstrate the same love I have for you by loving one another, everyone will know that you’re my true followers.” (John 13:34,35). Jesus also said, ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22:37-40). Jesus was saying that all The Law and all the teachings of all the prophets of the Old Testament could be summed up in one Law, the Law of Love: loving God and loving man!
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b) James called the Law of Love the “royal law”. He said, “If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,”you are doing right.” (James 2:8)
c) The Apostle John said, “For this is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another.” (1 John 3:11). He also said, “Anyone can say, “I love God,” yet have hatred toward another believer. This makes him a phony, because if you don’t love a brother or sister, whom you can see, how can you truly love God, whom you can’t see? For he has given us this command: whoever loves God must also demonstrate love to others.” (1 John 4:20,21).
d) In our main scripture for today, the Apostle Paul said, “All of the law can be summarized in one grand statement: “Demonstrate love to your neighbor, even as you care for and love yourself.” (Gal 5:14). Paul also said, “Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law.” (Romans 13:8).
e) While we are not under the Law of Moses, we are certainly under the Law of Love! This is the Law of Jesus. Everything contained in the Law of Moses and everything contained in the teachings of the prophets can be summed up into simply loving God and loving man. We must establish an upward (vertical) relationship with God and this relationship must lead to expressing His love outwardly (horizontal) to people we see everyday. This is Jesus’ commandment. It is the Law of Love and it is how we are supposed to live.
That’s enough for today.
Declaration of Faith:
Father, You loved me enough to plan for me before the world began, to save me by Your grace, and to now use me even though I am not perfect. Your love is amazing. You put Your Spirit inside me. I now don’t have to live my life based on external rules or laws. But I am not free from all laws. Your Word teaches me that I am required to comply with the Law of Love. So this day and every day, I attempt to love You with all my heart, mind, soul and strength, and I seek to love my neighbor as I do myself. You poured out Your love in my heart, through Your Holy Spirit, and I now have the grace to walk in love with You and others. Saying I love You is easy. But I prove my Love for my God, whom I cannot see, by loving those I see every day. Your love has come TO me, it now flows THROUGH me! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen!
This is Today’s Word. Apply it and prosper!
