DIG for Thursday the 19th of May…..you must not try to fulfil the Ten Commandments…..1 Corinthians 15 v 56

Did you know that trying to uphold the law and keep the Ten Commandments would result in you seeing sin in your life?

Do you know that this will result in death in your life; death in terms of missing the abundance that God has for you?

I am saying these things as I’ve seen a Facebook friend take some abuse recently for having the audacity to speak out Biblical truths about the Ten Commandments.

I agree completely with what he has said, that the New Covenant born again believer is not required to try and fulfil the Ten Commandment.

Now, I am not saying that you can go out on a stealing and killing rampage!

What I am saying is that the Law and therefore the Ten Commandments are not for the born again believer to fulfil; Scripture clearly tells us this.

The Law is no longer in operation for us because of the finished work of Jesus Christ.

And before you get upset and annoyed, this also include the Ten Commandments.

What else is Paul speaking about when he says that the ordinances that was against us was nailed to the cross? (Galatians 2 v 14)

What else was Paul speaking about when he spoke of the ministration of death written and engraven in stone? (2 Corinthians 3 v 7)

Friends, you do not need to try and fulfil the Ten Commandments, once you realise what Jesus died for you will love Him so much that you will fulfil them without even trying!

The Lord does not need your performance; He has seen the performance of Jesus and because of your faith in Him deems you worthy.

Speak this out today…..”Thank you Lord that I now live under grace and not under the law”.

1 Corinthians 15 v 56…..The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law

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DIG for Monday the 20th of July…..liberty not bondage, grace not law…..Galatians 5 v 1

I was drawn to this verse this morning after reading and taking part in a discussion on Facebook.

The discussion was about whether a church should be studying the ten commandments or not.

My take on this is that the ten commandments and the law, although set in place for a purpose, are not meant for us as born again new covenant believers.

We live under grace and not under law (Romans 6 v 14).

The ten commandments, written on stone, are the ministration of death (2 Corinthians 3 v 7).

The law, and as a result, the ten commandments, strengthen sin in the life of a believer rather than reduce sin (1 Corinthians 15 v 56).

Studying the ten commandments makes a believer focus on their sin and their own unworthiness rather than focussing on Jesus and His finished work.

Grace should be our focus and not law; we should be studying what Jesus has done rather than what we are “supposed” to do.

Focussing on sin, the law and the ten commandments is referred to as going back into bondage by Paul (Galatians 5 v 1).

Focussing on Jesus and his finished work on the other hand is said to be standing in liberty (Galatians 5 v 1).

Stand in liberty today, do not go back into bondage.

Jesus died to herald in new covenant grace, so that you could live in freedom not in bondage.

Do not minimise the death and resurrection of Jesus by putting yourself under bondage, instead live in the freedom and grace that He purchased for you.

Speak this out today…..”Thank you Lord that I now live under grace and not under law”.

Galatians 5 v 1…..Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage

DIG for Monday the 28th of April…..the old (or first) is finished, we live under the new (or second)…..Hebrews 10 v 9

I was blessed this evening reading a leaflet that Nunsy wrote a wee while ago about how the old covenant has passed away and how we now live under the new covenant.

I have also been amazed at how often people come against “grace” people for teaching this, given the weight of Scripture behind this view.

We read that the old covenant was faulty (Hebrews 8 v 7).

We read that the old covenant was weak and unprofitable (Hebrews 7 v 18).

We read that the old covenant was temporary (Hebrews 9 v 10).

We read that the old covenant actually strengthened sin, instead of stopping people from sinning (1 Corinthians 15 v 56).

We read that the old covenant was the ministration of death; yes, it brings death (2 Corinthians 3 v 7).

We read that the old covenant and its practices could never take away sin (Hebrews 10 v 11).

We read that the old covenant actually never gave God any pleasure (Hebrews 10 v 6).

Praise Jesus that He came to do the will of God by taking away the first or old covenant and establish the second or new covenant (Hebrews 10 v 9).

Praise the Lord that because of the finished work of Jesus Christ we now live under the new covenant, under grace and not law (Romans 6 v 14).

It amazes me that people still believe that we are under the old covenant and want to live that way.

I thank the Lord that I live under the new covenant and my relationship with God the Father is based upon the performance of Jesus.

I would not want to live under the old covenant and have my relationship with God the Father based on my own performance.

I know that my performance would not be nearly good enough, but I know that His performance is more than enough.

Through His finished work I have been reconciled to God, forgiven and as a gift of grace through faith been made righteous.

Good luck if you still think you are under the old covenant and are trying to achieve that for yourself!

Speak this out today…..”Thank you for the finished work of Jesus Christ and thank you that I now live under grace and under the new covenant”.

Hebrews 10 v 9…..Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second

DIG for Monday the 24th of February…..the ministration of death, that’s talking about the ten commandments; WHAT, REALLY…..2 Corinthians 3 v 7 and 8

Have you read 2 Corinthians chapter 3 lately?

If not then you should, it is astounding!

I read it this evening and marvelled at the contrast Paul makes between the old and new covenants, between law and grace.

Paul wrote to the Romans and said that as born again believers living under the new covenant they lived under grace and not under law.

He wrote to the people of Corinth here and tells them that the law, and indeed the ten commandments, has been “done away” (2 Corinthians 3 v 7).

He goes so far as to say that the ten commandments, the basis for the law, are the ministration of death; this is clear as he is writing about what was written on stones.

Read further into this chapter and Paul writes more about the law; it is the ministration of condemnation (verse 9) and is was to be abolished (verse 13).

Earlier in the chapter he says it is “of the letter” and that this letter “killeth” (verse 6).

That is strong stuff; yet many believers today are still trying to live under the law in terms of how they relate to God; in other words they are using their own performance as a measure of how they can come before Him, be loved by Him and be blessed by Him.

This is wrong for the new covenant believer.

Now please do not get me wrong; I am not saying that it is OK to murder, commit adultery, steal or break the other commandments;I am not advocating lawlessness as a mode of behaviour.

However I am saying that the en commandments have been done away with for the new covenant believer as the basis for how we approach God and how we have (or do not have) relationship with God.

We do not live under law, we live under grace (Romans 6 v 14).

The Word says that the law is not made for a righteous man (1 Timothy 1 v 9), and you were made righteous in the sight of God the second you were born again (2 Corinthians 5 v 17 to 21).

We can have a wonderful relationship with God because of Jesus’ performance, because of His finished work.

Speak this out today….”Thank you Lord that I live under grace and under the new covenant, and thank you that our relationship Father God is based on the finished work of Jesus Christ”.

2 Corinthians 3 v 7 and 8…..But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not steadfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance: which glory was to be done away: How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious?