Introduction

Good morning, dear friends. I trust the Lord has been your strength and your shield this past week. As we gather together in His name, let's take a moment to draw our hearts closer to His word, His promises, and His unending love for us.

We gather here today to discuss an important and powerful topic that sits at the very heart of our faith. It's a topic that reminds us of our place in God's big picture, of the profound work of Jesus Christ, and of the transformative power of the cross in our lives.

Our topic today is centered around the profound change that occurred when Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, came to fulfill the law. We're going to discuss the beautiful transition from the old covenant, a covenant of law, to the new covenant, a covenant of grace and love.

In the words of the great Christian author Samuel Bolton, "The law sends us to the gospel for our justification; the gospel sends us to the law to frame our way of life." This profound statement encapsulates the essence of our discussion today. We will seek to understand the role of the law in our lives as Christians and how Christ's sacrifice has redefined our relationship with it.

Let's begin by reading our key scriptures for today: Romans 10:4, "For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth." Galatians 3:23-25, "But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster." Ephesians 2:15, "Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace." Galatians 6:2, "Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ."

As we ponder these scriptures, let's open our hearts in prayer. Dear Heavenly Father, we thank You for Your word that guides us, Your grace that sustains us, and Your love that transforms us. As we delve into Your word today, we ask that You open our hearts and minds to the depth of its meaning. Help us to understand Your law and the profound significance of Christ's fulfillment of it. Guide us, Lord, in carrying our crosses in the new covenant. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

Now, my dear friends, are we not blessed to be under this new covenant? Are we not thankful for the grace that has been freely given to us through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ? And isn't it our heart's desire to understand more deeply the profound change that His coming has brought into our lives? As we delve into these scriptures today, may we find in them the wisdom and understanding that God has so generously provided for us.

Christians' Context in the Covenant

Today we find ourselves standing at the intersection of two covenants. The old covenant, a covenant of law, and the new covenant, a covenant of grace. This intersection is where we find our place as Christians. We are not merely observers of these covenants, but active participants. We are not just beneficiaries of God's grace, but also bearers of His love.

The old covenant was a covenant of law. It was given to the Israelites through Moses on Mount Sinai. It was a covenant that demanded obedience, a covenant that set the standards for righteousness. The law was clear, the commandments were explicit. But the law was also rigid, it was unforgiving. It demanded perfection, and any deviation from it was considered sin. The law was a mirror, reflecting our imperfections, our shortcomings, our sins. It was a schoolmaster, teaching us the standards of righteousness, but also reminding us of our inability to meet those standards.

But then came Jesus Christ, the embodiment of grace and truth. He came not to abolish the law, but to fulfill it. He came to show us that the law was not the end, but the beginning. The law was not meant to condemn us, but to lead us to Christ. The law was a tutor, pointing us to the need for a Savior. And that Savior is Jesus Christ.

In Jesus Christ, we find the new covenant, a covenant of grace. This covenant is not based on our ability to keep the law, but on Christ's ability to fulfill it. It's not about our righteousness, but about Christ's righteousness. It's not about our works, but about Christ's work on the cross. In the new covenant, we are not judged by the law, but justified by faith in Christ. We are not slaves to the law, but children of God.

As Christians, we live in the tension between these two covenants. We are called to uphold the law, but we are also called to live by grace. We are called to strive for righteousness, but we are also called to rest in Christ's righteousness. We are called to obey the commandments, but we are also called to love one another as Christ loved us. This is our context in the covenant.

The first aspect of this context is our relationship with the law. As Christians, we are not under the law, but under grace. This does not mean that we are free to sin, but that we are free from the condemnation of the law. We are not bound by the rigid demands of the law, but by the liberating love of Christ. We are not judged by our failures, but by Christ's victory.

Next is our relationship with Christ. We are not just believers in Christ, but also members of His body. We are not just recipients of His grace, but also sharers in His glory. This is a profound shift in our understanding of Christ, a shift from distant admiration to intimate participation, from passive belief to active membership.

Thirdly is our relationship with each other. As Christians, we are part of a community. We are not just saved, but also sent. We are not just blessed, but also called to be a blessing.

Finally, consider our relationship with the world. We are not just residents of this world, but also ambassadors of Christ. We are not just consumers, but also contributors. We are not just spectators, but also participants. This is a profound shift in our understanding of our role in the world, a shift from passivity to activity, from indifference to engagement.

Transition. Our context in the covenant is not just about our relationship with the law, or with Christ, or with each other, or with the world. It's about all these relationships, and how they intersect and interact in our lives. We should live out our faith in the tension between law and grace, between righteousness and love, between obedience and freedom. It's about how we navigate the complexities of our Christian journey, guided by the light of Christ, empowered by the Spirit of God, and anchored in the love of the Father.

Christ's Completion of the Law

In the book of Romans, the Apostle Paul writes, "For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth ... View this full PRO sermon free with PRO