Law vs Grace

Martha’s Inspirational Writings

#1. Law vs. Grace

The law, brought to us by Moses, isn’t working. Refresh your memory by digging out your Bible which might need dusting off or retrieving from the shelf closet. Turn to the second book, Exodus- like the movie- Chapter 20, verses 1-5. Here we are taught by the Ten Commandments to put ‘no other gods before him,’ in other words, don’t give power to any other person, situation or thing as God is all there is and there is none beside him. This is quite a strenuous exercise, withdrawing power from people and situations, and switching over to putting your whole trust in one God, who incidentally is Omni(all)present, Omniscient(all knowing) and Omnipotent (all-powerful).

The other commandments, which are incorporated in our government laws, state to lay off killing, adultery, stealing, bearing false witness and coveting other’s things and wives (or it could be a husband!). Also, don’t forget to honor your father and mother. Yet what do we read in the papers...tales of elder abuse, children killing their parents as well as others, murders, rapes, arson, stabbings, suicide bombers who don’t treasure their own lives or others, kidnapping and all such nefarious crimes to grizzly to mention.

Yes, the Law was brought by Moses, but a new Way came by Jesus the Christ, the Way of Grace and Truth. See St. John 1:17. He boiled down the 10 Commandments to only 2, which really are the fulfilling of those old laws. Surprisingly enough, these 2 new laws (see Matthew 22:37-39) are really old, found in the Old Testament but brought to new life by Jesus. See for yourself in Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18b.

Flipping back to the New Testament, we see that someone came into the world to show us a better Way to live, (whose birthday is on December 25th), who “was the life, and the life was the light of men, and the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not” (John 1:4).
I hope you are one of those who do comprehend this Light, and realize it is within us, even though we don’t know it...yet.

Let’s go to Psalms 8:3-9 to get a positive view of the world and our role in it. When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers,
the moon and the stars, which thou has ordained;
What is man, that thou art mindful of him?...
For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels. and hast crowned him with glory and honor... and to have dominion over the works of thy hands: thou hast put all things under his feet: etc.

Take the word ‘consider’, then ponder, meditate on, study the sun, the moon, the stars and get in that state of awe. To top it off, see Genesis 1:27 where “God created man in his own image ...male and female created he them.” Elsewhere it is written , “Call no man your Father, for there is only one, your Father in Heaven.” Therefore we all have the same Father. At prayer time we all mumble, “Our Father who art in Heaven,” BUT if there is one Father, then we earthlings are really brothers and sisters, so let’s chose Grace and Truth over the Law and start seeing each other with an enlightened view, willing to let God’s Grace flow through us in forgiveness, Peace and Love for others.

Affectionately, M