We studied Matthew 5:17-20 on Sunday, and together we saw what Jesus had to say about the Law and our relationship to it. We could probably spend all summer on this passage and still not exhaust all of the implications! How should we understand the Law? Does anything of the Law still apply today for a Christian? As we saw from the passage, Jesus didn’t abolish the Law; He came to fulfill the Law. In the eyes of the Scribes and Pharisees Jesus may have seemed a lawbreaker, or at least their interpretations and traditions regarding the Law. In reality Jesus perfectly taught and kept the Law of God.

Throughout church history the relationship between law and grace has been a lively discussion. Legalism and license have been tripping up the saints for centuries. Does it have to be that way? No! The Gospel is our anchor, keeping us from either error! Lets pray together for a deeper understanding of what Jesus taught in the Sermon on the Mount, and out of that understanding, a right application of living completely at rest in the finished work of Jesus on our behalf, while we also walk by the Spirit, as God who began a good work in us, will be faithful to complete it! We love God’s moral law because we desire to be like Him and shine forth His glory on the earth.

Meditate on Romans 3 this week, friends.

“But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it – the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe…then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith. For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from the works of the law…Do we then overthrow this law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law.” – Romans 3:21-22,27-28,31

“What is grace? It is that marvelous gift of God, which, having delivered a man from the curse of the law enables him to keep it and to be righteous as Christ was righteous, for He kept the law perfectly. Grace is that which brings me to love God; and if I love God, I long to keep His commandments. ‘He that has my commandments, and keeps them’, Christ said, is he that loves me.” – Martyn Lloyd-Jones

And remember in all our stumbling and remaining weakness; when we sin, we have a Great High Priest who welcomes us to the throne of grace to receive grace and mercy in our time of need! We love God and still stumble at times…which is why we rejoice that we are indeed justified by faith in what Jesus has done, and done for us!