GRACE SUPERCEDES THE LAW

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“For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.”

John 1:17

By faith, Noah was able to save his entire family. His faith caused him to find grace in the eyes of God. Although divine judgment destroyed all humanity, only Noah, a person of faith, was able to obtain salvation and extend it to his family.

Abraham, one of the most admired men among Jews and Christians, was honored by God because of his faith, for in that time, the law was not known. Everything Abraham did was established on the solid foundation of faith, which makes for a good relationship with God.

The people of Israel remained in Egypt for more than four hundred years; during this time their spiritual lives were affected and they buried their faith. When the Lord sent Moses to rescue them from Egyptian oppression, He discovered a people who did not know or understand what faith was, even when the Lord appeared to them on the mountain to give them confidence and awaken them in this area. For this reason the Israelites told Moses, “Speak to us yourself, and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die” (Exodus 20:19).

God had to give them the law to maintain some type of contact with them, because they no longer had faith; however, the law turned into one of the greatest challenges for them and became a difficult mountain for them to scale. They later added their own rules to the commandments, vastly increasing the number of laws. For this reason, they could not recognize Jesus when He came to this world; they were looking at Him through their rules, and instead of admiring Him for the way He took hope to the forsaken, they saw Him as a threat to their rigid regulations. They were filled with hatred toward Him because He did not live in accordance to their short-sighted laws. If you fulfilled ninety-nine percent of the law but failed just one of their commandments, all of the law was invalidated in your life. Law must be exact; it does not allow for any alteration. If someone did not fulfill the entire law, he came under judgment. Through the prophet Isaiah, the Lord said, “I will make justice the measuring line and righteousness the plumb line” (Isaiah 28:17). Symbolically, he referenced two objects used in construction for measuring vertically and horizontally. Not even the tiniest deviation may exist; the law must be followed exactly. What a blessing it is to know that we are not saved by the law but by grace! As Christians, we should feel satisfied that God has not saved us by our own righteous actions, but rather, through His infinite grace.

SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT
“In the year 1997, I had fallen into a deep pit surrounded by countless problems. I had lost my family, my job, and I found myself on the street. These were critical moments in my life. One day, through my pastors, God gave me a word that caused me to react and brought great conviction because of the sin I found myself in. Like the prodigal son I ‘came to my senses’ and said, “What am I doing with my life and with the life of my wife and kids?” One night I had a divine visit. I prayed a simple prayer saying, “God restore my life, and I will serve you.” The years have gone by, and I have not failed God; since that moment I have taken the right path. My life was restored, my wife’s and kids’ lives as well, and His blessing did not stop there; the Father has restored every other area of my life, as well.” (William Raad)

TODAY’S DECLARATION
“The foundation of my relationship with God is my faith, and He covers me with His grace.”

Today’s post is an excerpt from Pastor Cesar Castellanos’ book, Declarations of Power for 365 Days of the Year: Volume Three.

TODAY’S BIBLE READING

    • Old Testament: Ezra 3; Proverbs 2
    • New Testament: Luke 13:10-21; 1 Timothy 1:12-20

GRACE SUPERCEDES THE LAW