THE LAW CAME THROUGH MOSES, GRACE CAME THROUGH JESUS

SERIES: YOUR FAITH

TEXT: JOHN 1:17

The Old Testament mainly deals with the law. God mostly related to people through the law. In the New Testament God relates to man through grace. Grace is unmerited favour, grace is a gift, something given freely, something that you have not worked for.

The church is a product of grace, it is not a product of Moses. The law was given through Moses, to Israel, not to the church. In the law there was no mercy. If you sinned in the dispensation of the law you could not be sorry and be forgiven. There was no forgiveness. You sin, you get punished even if you are sorry and you ask for forgiveness! The law was given to Israel and the covenant was binding to Israel only as they are the ones who were given the law. The law was laborious, it was heavy to perform and it could not change the heart of man. It showed what to do but did not empower one to do it. The law was a shadow of a better covenant of grace to come.

Grace came through Jesus Christ our Lord. Grace is a free gift that God gives without expecting something in return.

The wages of sin is death-Romans 6:23. We ought to pay for our sins by death but Jesus died for us. Christ suffered a lot to pay the penalty of our sins:-

He, knowing the suffering He would get in Jerusalem, set his face like a flint (stone) and entered Jerusalem, the place of unthinkable suffering-Luke 9:51.
He paid the penalty of our sins when they spat on Him.
He paid the penalty of our sins going without food, fasting in the desert alone, for 40 days-Luke 4:1-13.
He was rejected by his own people, even his step brothers because of the task of saving us-John 7:5.
He prayed painfully in the garden of Gethsemane until drops of blood fell from his face, to save us-Matthew 26:39.
He was slapped on the face by a soldier in mockery.
He was blindfolded by soldiers and mockingly slapped.
He was insulted badly.
He was slashed 39 times till blood came out.
He was mocked by the thief on the cross.
He was pierced with nails painfully.
He was pierced with thorns on his head.
He was pierced His side.
He was humiliated more than any of us.

With all above and more, Christ fought the battle and won the battle.

After fighting alone and winning the war through much pain, He now calls us to come and sit at his table and celebrate the victory together. This is GRACE.

More about the grace of God:-

PEOPLE HAVE TRIED TO PLEASE GOD THROUGH THEIR WORKS.

Isaiah 64:6, our good works of righteousness are like filthy rags before GOD. At our best, we fall far below the righteousness of God. The standards of holiness, of our God are very high, He cannot even look at sin-Habakkuk 1:13.
An example of man’s righteousness is the Pharisee who did a lot, in human terms and could not please God. He tithed on all he earned and fasted twice every week-Luke 18:12-14.
A rich young man asked Jesus what he should do/perform so as to qualify in salvation-Mark 10:17-20. The man did not commit adultery, he didn’t kill, he never stole, he never bore false witness, he didn’t steal, he honoured his parents, yet he could not earn salvation-Mark 10:18-21.

SALVATION IS A GIFT-YOU CAN’T BUY IT-Eph. 2:8-9.

We are saved through the grace of God, we cannot pay for salvation.
The grace of God through Jesus is greater than the law. The law could not transform the heart of man, grace of Jesus does. The law could not empower someone to be godly, grace does empower someone the recipient with a new heart.

MAN TENDS TO ADMIRE THE LAW-Gal. 3:1-3.

The Galatians obtained salvation of Jesus Christ but later they got misled that, on top of grace, they should add the law of Moses-be circumcised, keep the Sabbath etc, Paul rebuked them for this.
The law was heavy, grace is light-1^st John 5:3.
Wanting to relate to God through grace plus the law of Moses is wanting to live in two covenants at the same time. The New Covenant we have with God is through the blood of Jesus. Wanting to add the law on top of this, is saying that the covenant of the blood of Jesus is not enough!

CONCLUSION