LAW AND GRACE

This is the mental conflict of the ages. How can there be such death and destruction of people

in the Old Testament and such Love and acceptance in the New Testament. If God is the God of

both the Old Covenant and the New, how come there seems to be such a radical difference in the way sin, life and death were handled back then and today?

John 1:17 (AMP) >>> For the Law was given through Moses, but Grace [the unearned, undeserved favor of God] and Truth came through Jesus Christ.

TALE OF TWO SCENES

The Word of God presents 2 scenes of adultery and how the sin was handled. One handled by

the Letter of the Law and one handled with Grace and Truth.

Numbers 25:6-8 >>> Just then one of the Israelite men brought a Midianite woman into his tent; right before the eyes of Moses and all the people; as everyone was weeping at the entrance of

the Tabernacle. When Phinehas son of Eleazar and grandson of Aaron the priest saw this, he

jumped up and left the assembly. He took a spear and rushed after the man into his tent.

Phinehas thrust the spear all the way through the man’s body and into the woman’s stomach.

So, the plague against the Israelites was stopped,

Phinehas was a warrior priest who led the people into battle with praises to God and in the Presence of the Lord. Phinehas was also a gatekeeper of the sanctuary and enforcer of the law.

The priest under the Law killed those who sinned with the spear or stones. Then Jesus, Who is

God and our High Priest, dealt with the sin of adultery like this:

John 8:3-5, 7, 9-11 >>> As he was speaking, the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees

brought a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. They put her in front of the crowd. “Teacher,” they said to Jesus, “this woman was caught in the act of adultery. The law of Moses

says to stone her. What do you say?” They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again

and said, “All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!” When the

accusers heard this, they slipped away one by one, beginning with the oldest, until only Jesus

was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman. Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?” “No, Lord,” she said. And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.”

WOW!!! What a dramatic difference and approach by the same God, Yahweh – Yeshua – Jesus.

No wonder our tainted and finite minds are spinning.

THE LAW DEMANDS JUSTICE AND JUDGMENT

Exodus 20:19 >>> And they said to Moses, “You speak to us, and we will listen. But don’t let God speak directly to us, or we will die!”

Exodus 24:3 >>> Then Moses went down to the people and repeated all the instructions and regulations the Lord had given him. All the people answered with one voice, “We will do

everything the Lord has commanded.”

We the people are constantly demanding the Law over the Lord. People demand ritual over Relationship. People believe in their heart of hearts that they can be good on their own without

God. You and I have heard others’ hearts and perhaps our own hearts spill over with: “I am

basically a good person” (Mark 10:18 and Romans 3:10-12). I do not know about you, but this is

the condition of what my heart looks like on an on-going basis:

Jeremiah 17:9 >>> “The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked.

Who really knows how bad it is?"

My heart is so desperately bent toward evil that God is constantly speaking His good Word into

my heart that I may walk in His goodness instead of my own wickedness. Jesus gave each of us

His Holy Spirit to replace our unholy sin.

Ezekiel 36:26-27 >>> "And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a New Spirit in you. I will take

out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart. And I will put My Spirit in you so that you will follow My decrees and be careful to obey My regulations. "

He gave us His Holy Spirit so that we may walk according to His holy ways daily. This is life.

2 Corinthians 3:6 >>> He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the

letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

In the Old Testament there were enforcers of the law who killed those that practiced idolatry

and sin. The people, like you and I, had demanded the Letter of the Law. The Law demands

Justice and Judgment followed by death. The people expressed from a place of pride that “We

will do everything the Lord has commanded” (without the Power and Presence of God). Could

they and can we follow everything the Lord’s Law demands without the Power and Presence of

the Lord? No way!!! The Spirit of God was on the people for temporary glimpses of Glory and Holiness in the Old Testament. When Jesus brought Grace and Truth, that changed everything.

His Blood cleansed us so completely that His Holy Spirit could dwell within us deeper than our darkest sin. The Letter of the Law kills and the Spirit of Grace and Truth brings life. There is no

way we could keep the Law of God as our sin runs very deep. However, to express the Truth

again. His Love and Grace poured into our hearts, spirits and souls runs deeper still with more Power than our sin.

THE LAW DEMANDS JUDGMENT; GRACE DEMANDS MERCY

James 2:13 >>> …“Mercy triumphs over judgment”.

The Law of sin and death killed Jesus for you and me (Romans8:2). Jesus fulfilled the Law

completely yet was killed for you and I who could NOT keep the Law. Jesus now lives inside of

you and me through the Presence and Power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus is Grace and Truth. So,

the Power of Grace and Truth in us fulfills the Law. Moses brought the Law that we the people demanded in our pride to have. Pride has always been the enemy of God. Our pride creates

the yoke of the Law (Galatians 5:1). God wants to free us from this Law of Sin and Death.

Hosea 11:4 >>> “I led them with cords of human kindness, with ropes of love. I removed the

yokes from their necks. I bent down and fed them.”

We all long deep down inside for Love and Unconditional Acceptance. Grace is God's

unconditional acceptance of you and me. Then by His Truth in the Holy Spirit and from His

Word, Jesus transforms us from death to life in all areas of life. Jesus is the Truth and Jesus is

the Word of God (John 1:1 and Revelation 19:13). Jesus in our lives transforms us with the Truth

so that we walk in God’s ways all of our days. If we are truly walking in the Light of Grace and

Truth, then our daily actions will line up with the Word of God and the holiness of the Holy Spirit.

1 John 1:7 (AMP) >>> … if we [really] walk in the Light [that is, live each and every day in

conformity with the precepts of God], as He Himself is in the Light, we have [true, unbroken] fellowship with one another [He with us, and we with Him], and the Blood of Jesus His Son

cleanses us from all sin [by erasing the stain of sin, keeping us cleansed from sin in all its forms

and manifestations].

All of God's Love to you,

Gary and Debbie Landon

glandon7@gmail.com (To be added to the weekly email of the WOW, please contact us via email)

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