Bible Studies

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Incomparable Riches

The Israelites had been slaves for over four hundred years, and they had little hope that the situation would change. But God stepped in and sent Moses, who led them out of Egypt after God showed His mighty power. After the tenth plague - the death of the firstborn - the Egyptians feared they would all die, so they urged the Hebrews to leave. Moses had already instructed the people to ask the Egyptians for articles of gold and clothing, and the Lord granted them favor so that their captors endowed them with what they had requested. During their exodus, the people watched as the Lord led them in a pillar of cloud by day and gave them light in a pillar of fire at night. They watched as He held back the Red Sea and destroyed their pursuers. A few days later, they were grumbling about their lack of food and water, wishing they had died back in Egypt with full bellies. Yet, they watched Manna fall from heaven each morning, and they were given quails to eat each evening. Three months after their departure, the Lord reminds them how He carried them out of Egypt on eagles' wings, which is a picture of His grace. Then God proffers a conditional covenant, offering the Israelites a blessed deal out of His own sovereign grace. They accept, and God gives Moses the Ten Commandments. They broke the commandments, and God would later declare a new covenant that would be written on their hearts instead of tablets of stone.
Much judgment occurred in Old Testament times, but in that judgment was mercy and grace, as well. God punished evil for the benefit of His chosen people, Israel, and He will judge and punish sin for the benefit of His church in these last days. By the grace of God, Jesus tasted death for each of us so that we would not have to suffer the consequence of our sin - death - from breaking the law. God always operated with mercy and grace towards the Israelites, for the law only showed them their sinfulness. The law never offered them grace or a way to repent. They would sin grievously over and over again, but God would always be merciful when they cried out to Him, for He has always been merciful in dealing with us.
So it is today, with the church. The law is meant to drive us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith, for no one is made right with God by keeping the law. Secondly, we do not gain approval by God after we are His children by striving to keep the law. Paul said that our striving just proves, once again, that we are sinners who set aside the grace of God.
Therefore, we should not try to become more like Christ by keeping the law, but by walking in the Spirit - as new men and women in Christ. Grace and truth came through Christ, not Moses, and the Spirit of God is working in us now to make us more like Christ, revealing His glory to the world - not by law, but by the incomparable riches of His grace, expressed in His kindness to us in Christ Jesus. Praise God for judgment and jubilation!

Mountain Time Moment

so that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace,
expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 2:7 HCSB/NIV
Entire article with verse references at:
http://home.comcast.net/~philemon25/Ephesians207.pdf

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