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Tuesday, 1 February 2022
Law and Grace - part 17

Yesterday, we ended with the thought that "cherry picking" the Bible (selecting those verses that are "ripe" for your preformed theology and ignoring those verses that conflict) is a wrong minded approach. We approach God on His terms only, not on our own. Ask Nadab and Abihu if they agree (Leviticus 10).

But, what are God's terms? Yeshua explained God's terms to the woman at the well in Samaria. John 4:23-24 But an hour is coming - it is here now - when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people as His worshipers. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.

Truth is the Word of God (the Bible) ... Yeshua prayed (some believe His most passionate prayer) after concluding the last supper. In the middle of that prayer, He says this ... John 17:17 Make them holy (set them apart) in the truth. Your word is truth. The Word of God is His Law. The idea that we could be made separate from the world in some other way is antithetical to the Scripture itself. Spirit and truth obviously go together, and so do Law and Grace. God's truth and God's law are inseparable, they are one and the same. So also are God's Spirit and God's Grace inseparable to those who have surrendered to Yeshua.

Yeshua isn't the only one who prayed. Paul also prayed ... Ephesians 1:16-17 I never stop giving thanks for you as I mention you in my prayers - that the God of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah, our glorious Father, may give you spiritual wisdom and revelation in knowing Him. But the power of His Spirit is more than just knowing Him. Ephesians 1:18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what is the richness of His glorious inheritance in the kedoshim, This "spiritual wisdom," that enlightens the eyes of our hearts, is made manifest by Grace. Ephesians 1:19 and what is His exceedingly great power toward us who keep trusting Him - in keeping with the working of His mighty strength. This is the power of Grace that raised Yeshua, "M'chayeh Matim," life from the dead. Ephesians 1:20 This power He exercised in Messiah when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in heaven.

Grace is resurrection power. Ephesians 2:5 Even when we were dead in our trespasses, He made us alive together with Messiah. (By grace you have been saved!) Grace is the moving power of the Spirit of God. Grace and truth is Law and Grace. Grace cannot replace the Law and the Law is not in competition with Grace. We enter God's covenant by grace. We stay in God's covenant by growing in Grace and obeying His commands (truth).

Romans 8:1-4 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Messiah Yeshua. For the law of the Spirit of life in Messiah Yeshua has set you free from the law of sin and death. For what was impossible for the Torah -since it was weakened on account of the flesh - God has done. Sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as a sin offering, He condemned sin in the flesh - so that the requirement of the Torah might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Ruach.

How many times have we both heard and read these verses? "So that the requirement of the Torah might be fulfilled in us." Grace and not works is the path to salvation. And obedience toward God is the path of walking with Him. Jacob 2:17-18 So also faith, if it does not have works, is dead by itself. But someone will say, "You have faith and I have works." Show me your faith without works and I will show you faith by my works.

Are these thoughts challenging you? I hope so. Let's decide now that we're never going back to the traditional view that Grace cancels out the Law. The old view that Law and Grace never exist in the same place at the same time is not scriptural. Quite the opposite is true. They find their fullness when they come together.

Posted By Rabbi Michael Weiner, 11:00am Comment Comments: 0