Go! And Understand God's Heart
Introduction:
It’s always an honour to open the Word of God with you. We are continuing in our Go! And... series today with a vital and timely message: Go! And Understand God’s Heart.
Now, we’re going to deal with some Old Testament verses that are often misunderstood or misused. They’ve been used to mock Scripture or paint God as outdated or cruel. But when rightly understood, these verses don’t repel us—they reveal something glorious: the holiness, justice, and mercy of our God.
Let’s read our key passages:
Leviticus 18:22 (NLT): “Do not practice homosexuality, having sex with another man as with a woman. It is a detestable sin.”
Exodus 21:7 (NLT): “When a man sells his daughter as a slave, she will not be freed at the end of six years as the men are.”
Exodus 35:2 (NLT): “You have six days each week for your ordinary work, but the seventh day must be a Sabbath day of complete rest, a holy day dedicated to the Lord. Anyone who works on that day must be put to death.”
Leviticus 11:7 (NLT): “The pig has evenly split hooves but does not chew the cud, so it is unclean. You may not eat the meat of these animals or even touch their carcasses. They are ceremonially unclean for you.”
These Scriptures sound hard. But we must not let difficult verses drive us from God’s Word—we must let them drive us to seek His heart.
Point 1: The Holiness of God and the Covenant Context
Before we get into any application, we need to understand something foundational: God is holy. The Hebrew word qadôš means “set apart” or “morally pure.” In the Old Testament, God was forming Israel to be a people set apart from the surrounding pagan cultures.
The laws in Leviticus and Exodus were given to show the vast difference between God’s holy character and the sinful world around them. They were civil, ceremonial, and moral instructions, given under a covenant that showed both the distance between God and man and the grace of God in providing a way to draw near.
Church — listen to the wisdom of Charles Stanley when he says: “Obedience always brings blessing. Disobedience brings consequences. God’s laws are never for our restriction—they are for our protection.”
That, dear friends, is a truth we must never forget.
God doesn’t give us commands to limit our joy, but to preserve our lives. He’s not some cosmic killjoy trying to ruin our fun — He is our loving Father, setting boundaries for our good.
Like a fence around a playground on the edge of a cliff — that fence is not oppression; it’s protection.
Obedience to God is not about earning His love — we already have it through Jesus — but it is how we walk in step with His design, experience His peace, and enjoy His blessing.
Disobedience may feel freeing at first, but it always leads to brokenness.
Let’s not treat God’s Word like a suggestion — let’s treasure it like a lifeline.
God’s heart is for His people. These commands weren’t arbitrary—they were protective, preparing the way for the coming of the Messiah.
God was building a culture of righteousness in a world that was morally bankrupt. These laws were radically different from the brutal pagan cultures that surrounded them. For example, where pagan nations sacrificed children to false gods, God commanded Israel to care for widows and orphans.
Church, we cannot understand grace until we first understand holiness. The law is a mirror showing us our need. It's not a ladder we climb to reach God—it’s the spotlight that shows us why we need a Saviour.
Point 2: Understanding Old Testament Law Through Christ
Jesus said in Matthew 5:17, “Don’t misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose.”
The Greek word for “accomplish” is pleroo, meaning to bring to fullness, to complete. Jesus didn’t throw out the law—He fulfilled it!
Ceremonial laws like Leviticus 11:7 (don’t eat pork) and civil laws like Exodus 35:2 (death for breaking Sabbath) pointed to spiritual truths. They were shadows, as Hebrews 10:1 puts it, of the reality found in Christ.
Mark 7:18–19: Jesus declared all foods clean - “Don’t you understand either?” he asked. “Can’t you see that the food you put into your body cannot defile you? Food doesn’t go into your heart, but only passes through the stomach and then goes into the sewer.” (By saying this, He declared that every kind of food is acceptable in God’s eyes.)
Hebrews 4:9–10: We find our true Sabbath rest in Christ - "So there is a special rest still waiting for the people of God. For all who have entered into God’s rest have rested from their labours, just as God did after creating the world."
Galatians 3:28: In Christ, there is neither slave nor free - "There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus."
Tim Keller: “Jesus did not come to tell us the answers to the questions of life. He came to be the answer.”
That’s a profound truth, Church. You see, so many people come to God looking for information—“Why is life hard?” “Why is there suffering?” “What is my purpose?”
But Jesus didn’t just come to hand out answers like a cosmic quizmaster. He came to embody the answer.
In John 14:6, Jesus declared, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.”
He didn’t say, “I’ll show you the way,” or “I’ll explain the truth”—He said, “I AM.”
Jesus is the answer to our sin, the answer to our brokenness, the answer to our eternity.
So Church, when you’re confused, when life doesn’t make sense—don’t just look for explanations. Look to Jesus, the One who holds all things together.
He is not just the teacher—He is the Truth.
Not just the guide—He is the Way.
Not just a giver of life—He is the Life.
Church, the law points forward to the One who fulfils it—Jesus. When we try to live by law, we die by it. But when we live by grace through faith, we truly live.
Imagine someone obsessively holding on to a blueprint once the building is completed. It served its purpose—but now, the structure stands! The law was the blueprint. Jesus is the finished work!
Point 3: The Moral Law and God’s Unchanging Standard
Leviticus 18:22 speaks of same-sex relationships. Unlike dietary or ceremonial laws, this is part of the moral law—God’s standard for human conduct, which is repeated in the New Testament.
Romans 1:26–27 and 1 Corinthians 6:9–11 reiterate these truths.
Romans 1:26-27 (NLT): "That is why God abandoned them to their shameful desires. Even the women turned against the natural way to have sex and instead indulged in sex with each other. And the men, instead of having normal sexual relations with women, burned with lust for each other. Men did shameful things with other men, and as a result of this sin, they suffered within themselves the penalty they deserved."
1 Corinthians 6:9–11 (NLT): "Don’t you realize that those who do wrong will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Don’t fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, or who worship idols, or commit adultery, or are male prostitutes, or practice homosexuality, or are thieves, or greedy people, or drunkards, or are abusive, or cheat people—none of these will inherit the Kingdom of God. Some of you were once like that. But you were cleansed; you were made holy; you were made right with God by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God."
The word arsenokoitai in Greek, used by Paul, directly references this Levitical command.
But what’s the goal? Not condemnation—redemption.
1 Corinthians 6:11 (NLT): “Some of you were once like that. But you were cleansed… made holy… made right with God…”
John Piper: “The Gospel is not a help-wanted ad. It is a help-available ad.”
This statement hits at the very heart of the Gospel. God is not looking for qualified applicants—He’s inviting broken, weary sinners to come and receive His grace. The Gospel isn't an invitation to earn salvation through effort; it's a proclamation that help has already come through Jesus Christ!
Church, hear this clearly—God doesn't need your résumé; He wants your repentance. He’s not posting job listings for moral performers. He’s offering mercy to the helpless, healing to the wounded, and salvation to the lost. The Cross of Christ wasn’t an invitation to try harder; it was the announcement that it is finished. Help is available. Hope is here. His name is Jesus!
We don’t point out sin to shame people. We point to Christ to save people. The Gospel is for all. No matter your past, no matter your struggle, Jesus can make you new.
Imagine a hospital that refused to treat the sick. That’s what the church becomes if we stop calling people to repentance. But also—imagine a hospital that made no diagnosis at all. That’s equally unloving. We must speak truth in love and offer grace in truth.
Point 4: Illustrations of Redemption and Grace
Let’s personalise this with two stories that illustrate the transforming power of grace.
Story 1: The Runaway Slave (Philemon)
Paul writes to Philemon about Onesimus, a runaway slave. By law, Onesimus should face punishment. But Paul says, “Receive him as you would receive me.” That’s the Gospel! Jesus says to the Father, “Receive them as You would receive Me.”
He doesn’t just forgive us—He adopts us!
Story 2: The Dirty Child
A child plays in the mud and walks into the house. The parent doesn’t throw the child out—they give a bath. That’s what Jesus does. He welcomes us, but He doesn’t leave us dirty.
This is what it means to be washed, sanctified, and justified in Christ.
Church, we must never lose the wonder of grace. We were once dead in sin, but now we are alive in Christ. God doesn’t clean us up to love us—He loves us, and His love is what cleans us up.
Point 5: The Cross of Christ and the Invitation to Life
Now we come to the heart of the message—the Gospel.
Consider Romans 6:23 and Romans 5:8.
Romans 6:23 (NLT): “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Romans 5:8 (NLT): “But God showed His great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.”
At the Cross:
The penalty was paid.
The wrath of God was satisfied.
The law was fulfilled.
Death was defeated.
He was crucified, buried, and rose again—so we could live again.
As Billy Graham so powerfully said, “The ground is level at the foot of the Cross.”
What does that mean? It means there is no hierarchy in grace. No one stands taller, no one kneels lower.
The rich and the poor, the moral and the immoral, the religious and the rebellious—we all come equally in need of a Saviour.
There is no room for pride at Calvary.
There is no platform for self-righteousness at the Cross.
There is only Jesus—arms open, blood poured out, love displayed.
In Christ, we’re not judged by our past but by His finished work.
That’s the power of the Gospel!
Church, may we never forget that we all came to Jesus as sinners—and we all stand in grace today because of what He has done, not what we have done.
Whether you’re a rebellious prodigal or a self-righteous Pharisee, the invitation is the same—come to Jesus.
If you’ve never repented and believed in Jesus—today is the day of salvation. Don’t wait. Don’t harden your heart.
If you are a believer, live like someone who’s been set free! Let holiness and grace shape your life.
Call to Salvation:
Friend, the law shows us we need saving. The Gospel shows us how.
Confess your sins. Repent. Believe in Jesus as Lord and Saviour. He alone can save. He alone can satisfy.
Come, just as you are—but don’t stay as you are. Let Him transform your life.
Benediction:
May the Lord strengthen you in His truth, sustain you by His grace, and sanctify you by His Spirit.
Go in the power of Jesus Christ, to love, serve, and proclaim the Gospel.
Amen.
