Dear Friends of "Dial Daily Bread,"
It's true: if we read the Ten Commandments with New Covenant eyes, they become ten promises of right living by faith. But how does this transformation take place?
It's not motivated by fear (the standard though popular Old Covenant motivation). Rather, "the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men"; "grace abounded much more" than all the sin Satan could throw at us (Titus 2:11; Rom. 5:20). It teaches us "that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age" ("in this present world," KJV; Titus 2:12). Grace becomes our tutor in a New Covenant school, actually trains us in total obedience to God's holy law. And the tutelage is a joy all the way.
But how does grace "teach" us? Titus 2 explains: "Our Savior Jesus Christ ... gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed ..." (vss. 13, 14):
(a) Long ago, before the foundation of the world, Christ as the Son of God "gave Himself" in a solemn covenant with the Father that if sin should ever arise on earth His love would constrain Him to give Himself, that is, to die for us.
(b) Laying aside all the advantages and prerogatives of divinity as He became incarnate in the womb of the virgin Mary, Christ grew to manhood as one of us (though still the Son of God "in the likeness of sinful flesh," Rom. 8:3), and now again He prayed to His Father, "Not as I will, but as You will" (Matt. 26:39). That "not as I will" included His human (as well as divine) will to live; the "death" on His cross was the real thing. No thought of resurrection crossed His mind as He cried out, "My God, why have You forsaken Me?" He "poured out his soul unto death," the second and final, everlasting one. "The Saviour could not see through the portals of the tomb. Hope did not present to Him His coming forth from the grave a Conqueror." [1] His emptying Himself was total (cf Isa. 53:12; Phil. 2:5, 6).
(c) Grace is undeserved favor; when it's of Christ, like love, it constrains to total devotion to Him (2 Cor. 5:14, 15). The old fear is forgotten.
[1] The Desire of Ages, p. 753.
From the "Dial Daily Bread" Archive: April 26, 2006.
Copyright © 2011 by Robert J. Wieland.
Be sure to check your e-mail for "Dial Daily Bread" again tomorrow.
------------------------------
Please forward these messages to your friends and encourage them to subscribe. The "Dial Daily Bread" Web site resides at: http://1888message.org/
To subscribe send an e-mail message with "subscribe" in the body of the message to: dailybread@1888message.org
------------------------------
Robert J. Wieland's inspirational "Dial Daily Bread" messages are availalbe via e-mail to anyone who wishes to receive a daily portion of uplifting Good News. "Dial Daily Bread" is FREE. Due to travel or other circumstances, there may be intervals when "Dial Daily Bread" will not be sent.
