26 lines
4.8 KiB
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26 lines
4.8 KiB
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<title>Blue Letter Bible: Day By Day By Grace — Bob Hoekstra</title>
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<div class="head">Day By Day By Grace</div>
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<div class="subhead">Bob Hoekstra</div>
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<div class="desc-center"><div class="pad2020">January 29</div></div>
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<div class="main-just"><div class="pad2030"><h2>The New Covenant: Grace, Not Law</h2>
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<div class="block"><p><i>"I will make a <b>new covenant</b>…<b>not according to</b> the covenant I made"…<b>the gospel</b> of the <b>grace</b> of <b>God</b>.</i> (<a onClick="return mV('Jer',31,'31-32');">Jeremiah 31:31-32</a> and <a onClick="return mV('Act',20,'24-24');">Acts 20:24</a>)</div>
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<p>The old covenant of <b>law</b> was the covenant that God made with Israel <i>"in the day that</i> [He] <i>took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt"</i> (<a onClick="return mV('Jer',31,'32-32');">Jeremiah 31:32b</a>). The promise through Jeremiah was that the Lord would make a different type of covenant some day, <i>"<b>not according to</b></i> [that] <i>covenant."</i> This new covenant would be a covenant of <b>grace</b>, provided by the Lord Jesus Christ. <i>"For <b>the law</b> was given <b>through Moses</b>, but <b>grace</b> and truth came <b>through Jesus Christ</b>"</i> (<a onClick="return mV('Jhn',1,'17-17');">John 1:17</a>).</p>
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<p>The <b>law</b> of God was an <b>impossible</b> way to <b>relate</b> to the <b>Lord</b>. It required <b>perfection</b>, but it offered <b>no</b> perfecting <b>assistance</b>. It was able, however, to <b>convince</b> people of their <b>need</b> for the <b>grace</b> of Christ found in the new covenant. <i>"The <b>law</b> was our <b>tutor</b> to bring us <b>to Christ</b>"</i> (<a onClick="return mV('Gal',3,'24-24');">Galatians 3:24</a>).</p>
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<p>Now, we live and proclaim this new covenant of grace, the <i>"<b>new</b> and <b>living way</b> which He <b>consecrated for us</b>"</i> (<a onClick="return mV('Hbr',10,'20-20');">Hebrews 10:20</a>). This was the mission and message of which the Apostle Paul spoke. <i>"The ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to <b>testify</b> to the <b>gospel</b> of the <b>grace</b> of <b>God</b>"</i> (<a onClick="return mV('Act',20,'24-24');">Acts 20:24</a>). The gospel is all about the grace of God, not about law. <i>"The word of the truth of the <b>gospel</b>, which has come to you…the <b>grace of God</b>"</i> (<a onClick="return mV('Col',1,'5-6');">Colossians 1:5-6</a>).</p>
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<p>Gospel means "glad tidings," or "<b>good news</b>." The good news of the grace of God provided through Jesus Christ is the supreme message for man in all of creation. In fact, the gospel of grace is such good news that some <b>unbelievers</b> initially reject it as "<b>too good to be true</b>." Indeed, it is an astounding reality to consider that forgiveness, justification, and new birth are <b>all</b> available <i>"<b>by grace</b>…<b>through faith</b>…the <b>gift</b> of God, <b>not</b> of <b>works</b>"</i> (<a onClick="return mV('Eph',2,'8-9');">Ephesians 2:8-9</a>).</p>
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<p>Perhaps, we should not be surprised that we <b>believers</b> sometimes react in this same manner when we consider the message of <b>grace</b> for <b>growth</b> and <b>sanctification</b>. To hear that the entire Christian life is to be <i>"<b>grace upon grace</b>"</i> (<a onClick="return mV('Jhn',1,'16-16');">John 1:16</a>) may at first seem to us "<b>too good to be true</b>."</p>
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<p>At times we may ask, "Isn't there any <b>human responsibility</b> in God's plan of salvation?" Yes, there is. The saved and unsaved alike must always be <b>willing</b> to <b>respond</b> to the offer of God's grace in Christ. We <b>must all relate properly</b> to the Lord Jesus for every work of grace, because it is <i>"the <b>grace</b> of our <b>Lord Jesus Christ</b>"</i> (<a onClick="return mV('2Cr',8,'9-9');">2 Corinthians 8:9</a>). In <b>all matters</b>, we must <b>seek Him</b> and <b>trust in Him</b>.</p>
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<div class="dbdbg_prayer">Lord God of the new covenant, how glorious is the good news of Your grace! I praise You for Your patience when I act as though transforming grace is too good to be true. I want to seek after the Lord Jesus and trust in Him this day, with all my heart, Amen.</div>
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<div class="desc-center"><div class="pad2020"><a href="./devotions/daybyday/01/0128.html">Yesterday's Reading</a>
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