Thought For Today - August 24 - What Did Jesus Say concerning The Law ?

 
 Thought For Today - August 24
  What did Jesus say concerning the law?
By: Robert A. Searles

    When almighty God created the universe and all things therein, he established certain laws by which it would function and continue. He established all the laws of physics, mathematics, and astronomy, which he has by grace revealed to mankind; likewise, he established spiritual laws by which mankind was to relate to him and enjoy his fellowship. He delivered to Moses the ten commandments and other instructions that were required to be obeyed if one was to have fellowship with him and inherit his eternal glory.

    No one can see God and inherit his glory unless they kept the whole law. If they failed in one point of the law, all was lost. God knew from the very beginning, because of the nature of man, what was in man, and the frailty of man, so he made provision for mankind by sending Jesus Christ into the world, the one and only person and member of the human race who is one hundred percent man and at the same time one hundred percent God, who alone was able to obey the whole law in its' entirety.

    God stills holds all mankind responsible for obeying his laws, but warns us that no one is capable of obeying the law perfectly, therefore unless someone else who is capable does for us that which we cannot do for ourselves, we are without hope and lost. But the good news is that Christ Jesus came into the world to save us from the curse of the law and set us free and place us under the grace or unmerited favor of God.

    Jesus said: "Think not that I am come to destroy the law or the prophets. I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. for verily I say unto you, till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittles shall in no wise pass from the law till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these commandments and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven; but whosoever shall do and teach them shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say unto you that except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 5: 17-20.

    Some people may think that because Christians are under grace and not under law, that the laws and commandments of God no longer apply, but this is not so. Jesus taught otherwise. The requirements of the law are in effect today as much as they ever were, but none of us can meet those requirements no matter how hard we try. Our only hope is to flee to Jesus for forgiveness and ask him to impute his righteousness to us. Then sin no longer abounds but grace does much more abound, and we are set free from the curse of breaking God's laws.

Telehelp Publications Christian Literature Ministry