Friday, 29 January 2016

God's Grace

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God's grace is effective. It is God's power within us, enabling us to do His will. God in Yeshua has delivered us from the penalty of the Law, but we do not cast away Law or its value for teaching and guiding (see 2 Tim. 3:16-17). First John 3:4 says that "Sin is the transgression of law" (RSV). Romans 6 says that we are "not to yield ourselves to sin" or "continue in sin that grace might abound." We are said to to have died to sin and risen with Yeshua. Obviously, if our hearts have responded to God, we will not desire to break His Law. Sin is the transgression of Law (see 1 John 3:4). Because we are free from the bondage of the penalties of the Law and our fleshly efforts to keep the Law, which end in failure (see Rom. 7), we can now do the Law by God's power (see Rom. 8:1-4). We can say with the psalmist, "O how I love they law! it is my meditation all the day...sweeter than honey to my mouth" (Ps. 119:97,103). Scripture's message never divides grace from obedience, but teaches that the heart must be changed first.

Jewish Roots, Chapter Six: The Faith and Life of Messianic Jews