Good morning: Why do you live as you do? Do you go to work, pay taxes, and mow your lawn because you “have to” or suffer the consequences? Do you avoid speeding on the freeway because you don’t want to be pulled over by the state patrol and be given a $200 fine? If we live a certain way because we feel we must in order to avoid punishment, that’s living by law. Why do we read Scripture, attend worship, and strive to follow God’s will in every area of life? People sometimes imagine Christianity as a set of rules, which if one keeps well enough, God will be pleased and bless the person. Has someone ever asked you, “What are you allowed to do as a believer? What are the rules?” There are rules. God gave the Ten Commandments to Moses on Mount Sinai as His rules for moral human conduct for all time. However, Moses hadn’t even come down from the mountain before the Israelites had broken the First Commandment by worshiping the golden calf. If salvation depended on keeping the rules, there would be no hope for anyone, for all have sinned and fall short of God’s glory. We live as we do, not because of the force of rules, but by the power of God’s grace. Jesus kept the law for everyone in order that His righteousness might be credited to our account. In exchange, He took our guilt upon Himself and suffered the penalty on the cross. He rose in triumph from the grave and now rules in our hearts by His love. We don’t live by the rules in order to be saved. We are already saved by faith in Jesus’ work. That doesn’t mean we ignore the Commandments—not at all. “Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?” (Rom. 6:1-2). We strive to follow God’s holy law, not because we have to, but because we want to in love. May our words and actions today reflect love for the risen and living Lord. Let’s live by grace, not law. Yours in Christ, Pastor Services tomorrow are at 8:00 and 10:30 a.m. Sunday school begins at 9:15 a.m. and adult Bible class at 9:30 a.m. The Bible class will continue the discussion of 10 Lies About God: It Doesn’t Matter How God Made the World. Voters, please remember the quarterly meeting will be held after second service. Along with the usual reports of the boards, the budget for the next fiscal year will be discussed and established, and the Sunday service schedule will be determined. Non-voters are always welcome to sit in and observe.
