The Ten Words of Grace

Some things never change: Governments want to tax your money; change is the only constant; and the Cubs are going to lose. These things are a sure bet. The church has one to add to the list; explaining the place of the Old Testament law. With every new generation fresh explanations have to be given regarding the church’s relationship with the law. This is not a bad thing; it is just reality.

I want to turn to one particular issue that the Christian is prone to regarding the law. It is easy to develop a negative attitude toward the law. It can be viewed as the bad guy wearing the black hat, sauntering through town like he owns the place. It feels oppressive. This seems to be supported by Colossians 2:14 which says the certificate of debt (owed the law) was taken out of the way, being nailed to the cross. Hooray! Our white hat Savior has vanquished the law.

However, this has it all backward. The law was hostile to us and needed to be taken out of the way, but not because the law was bad and we were the innocent and pure damsel in distress. No, we were the problem. We were the villain. The law rode in like a Federal prosecutor seeking justice. Jesus didn’t beat the law. The law was not the problem. Instead, He beat the problem of our sin and guilt. He took our punishment and made us new creatures.

How can we start to look at the law correctly? One way is to see its important place in our salvation. That sounds strange, but I think this can be shown. What part does the law play in our salvation? It is like the bookends of grace to our salvation. Let me show you this from the most famous section of the law, the Ten Commandments. When you look at them closely, you can’t escape the reality that grace is first and foremost. Open your bible to Exodus 20 and let us look closely.

A CLOSER LOOK AT THE 10 COMMANDMENTS

At Exodus 20:1 notice the first thing said. “Then God spoke all these words….” The designation “commandments” is not the main way these verses are regarded. They are “words” of grace and revelation that instruct a people about who this God is and how they are to relate to Him.

Next, in verse 2, these “words” are headlined by redemption. “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.” By grace He has made himself “your God.” That is God’s doing, not Israel’s. Then, because God made Himself their God, He brought them out of slavery. This God whom the Israelites are to obey is a God who has rescued them. The whole law is preceded by this massive work of national salvation. That is grace! Everything that comes after this is to be understood in the light of a God who initiates love and rescues by grace.

Because of all of the above, the first command must exist. “You shall have no other gods before Me.” What God has ever initiated such love and rescued by such grace? None! Therefore, don’t seek any others.

Then, God says “You shall not make for yourself an idol…” Why? Because God is “the Lord your God.” Remember, He became their God by an act of grace. And what kind of God is He? A Jealous God. This is a gracious revelation. We need to know this. This God is so great, there is no room whatsoever for an ounce of praise to go to something inferior, not even a representation of God. His vengeance on those who do that is real, and His lovingkindness on those who love Him is just as real.

Verse 7 says not to take the Lord’s name in vain. God again reveals that He is so great, those who treat his glory and majesty in trivial ways will be dealt with.

Finally, God tells them to remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. This again is grace. God is telling them to trust in Him and rest. It is to be a day of blessedness. They are to rest in and enjoy this God who made all things, who made himself their God, and who shows lovingkindness. What a wonderful person to rest in!

All the other commandments flow out of these first 4. If you believe these words, trusting in this one true God and resting in Him, then all the other words, or “commands,” will naturally happen as well.

The Law as Bookends

So this feature of the law is a gracious bookend of salvation because salvation is first about God. We are saved for God, to know Him and be known by Him. God’s revelation of His holy character and expectations is about to hit high gear in the rest of Exodus, but before it does, God reveals himself as Initiator, Savior, singular, worthy of worship, just, full of lovingkindness, and trustworthy. These are the character qualities upon which all the following commands are based. We sin because we don’t trust this initiating, saving, singular God who is worthy of worship. We trifle with His justice. We ignore His lovingkindness. We spurn His trustworthiness.

We kicked over the first bookend of our salvation in sinful rebellion. God revealed Himself, His grace standing predominate, and we chose the creation over the Creator. Yet, this revelation and standard had to be there. We needed it, even though we rejected it.

Between the bookends of the law stands the cross. Jesus bore our guilt on the cross. The law stood over us as a righteous judge, but Jesus got between it and us. He fulfilled its demands, satisfied its justice, and made us new creatures in Christ.

Which brings us to the second bookend of the law. It first stood as the gracious revelation of God that we could bank on and live by, but now, through Christ, it stands again as something we fulfill by grace. Romans 13:10 says, “…love is the fulfillment of the law.” In Christ, we now fulfill the law. We walk by the Spirit and do what the law was always aiming for; joyful, trusting heart obedience to this gracious God. While the stipulations for the nation Israel are not for the church, the law of Christ and law of love are ours to obey and fulfill through grace.

May holiness mark the church of God again, as we embrace this God of grace, who revealed His grace in the law, and now by grace fulfills the law in us.