GraceUnlimited

The 2nd Commandment- Keeping our worship pure. Exodus 20-4-6. God wants us to worship Him according to what His word says, not according to what we think. We are therefore not to make any idols or images of Him because no image in this world can capture the majesty of who He is. Rather God saves us through Christ so that we can be His image in this world, showing people His love and grace through how we worship Him in our daily lives.

Names are important to us, but how much more is that true of God. If people use God's name in the wrong way, then they show what they really think of God. But God does want us to use his name, but in the right way- God is serious about his name because its the name that brings us salvation-- Let us learn how to defend the honour of His name by living faithful lives that represent our new family name in Christ.

Who do you really worship- Do you know what God expects- His moral law has not changed because God has not changed-In this short series we will try to discover who God is through his law and how we can serve him freely as believers in Jesus. But first we have to remember that God does not share the stage with anyone or anything else-He demands exclusive worship-

Have you ever wondered what we are suppose to do with the law of God- It was given to Israel for a purpose...but what is that purpose- One of the most important things we need to understand is the relationship between the law and the gospel. Paul has been arguing how the law cannot justify anyone, its only faith in Christ that justifies. So why then the law- Today we look at 5 aspects of the law to help us understand its purpose.

What is your attitude toward the law of God- Paul explains in this text how the promise God made to Abraham is superior to the covenant he gave to Israel through Moses. Because a promise is a promise and the Mosaic covenant did not change what was promised to Abraham. But Paul goes on to explain that the promise was actually made to Jesus and it can only find its fulfilment in Jesus. The promise does not change, but the implications changes everything- We are under grace and not under the law...freedom is found in how we read our Bibles...

Imagine the world without laws. Clearly every person is born with a desperate need for law. Our brokenness is contrasted, in Scripture, to the perfect law of God. God's law, however, shows us how far we fall from his faultless standards. God's grace, therefore, accomplishes in the hearts of broken sinners what the law could never do- produce a heart that desires to do what is right.

Taking God at His Word. We believe many things in this life so easily. We even believe some remarkable things as Christians. Why- Because of faith in God and what He has promised. Abraham is a great example of someone who trusted God for the impossible and as a result, he was given the righteousness he needed to be in a right relationship with God. That is why Paul uses Abraham to defend justification by faith alone- And we need faith like Abraham to be a son of Abraham...but more importantly, we need to trust God and what He has done in Jesus to be a son of God. So ask yourself, do I trust God- Do I trust what He says is true-

Do you want to be blessed by God- God has made a promise to Abraham that indicates that he has one plan to bless all people and nations in the world. God is the evangelist who preached the gospel to Abraham in the Old Testament, showing us that if you want to share in Abraham's blessing, you have to look to Jesus by faith. It has always been through faith.

Suffering righteously by honouring Christ as holy.

Why are we stirred by a hero story- Because there is glory in suffering. Why are we stirred by Jesus humiliation and exaltation- Because in God's world there is glory in righteous suffering. Why can you have joy in suffering- Because as a Christian, there is glory in your righteous suffering.