Grace Unveiled: For the Promise to Be Sure #12 | Jim Hammond
Recap
Pastor Jim gave his 12th installment on his series entitled, “Grace Unveiled.” The Old Testament law always produced the wrath of God as a consequence for disobedience. No one outside of Jesus Christ had the ability to keep Old Testament law! Yet there are many Christians that try to live their lives according to Old Testament law. And they are failing. Pastor Jim went on to explain why in his message subtitled, “For the Promise to Be Sure.”
Dive Deeper
The message starts at Romans 4:15: “Because the law brings about wrath; for where there is no law there is no transgression.” Old Testament law, a.k.a the Old Covenant, will always produce the wrath of God as a consequence for disobedience.
The Bible says no one outside of Jesus Christ when He walked the earth could keep Old Covenant law fully. No one! In fact, it wasn’t meant for anyone to succeed in following OT law.
The first three chapters of Romans deal with the fact that no one can keep OT law to its fullest extent. If you can’t keep it, you’re under it. A Christian is someone that believes in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. If that Christian gets out from under that NT covenant and places himself under the Old Covenant, then it will produce the wrath of God for that person.
The book of Galatians speaks about this. Under the law, God judges those that disobey that law. There are about 600 laws in the Old Testament… plus the 10 Commandments.
The point? If our relationship with God is on the basis of the Old Covenant (the do’s and don’ts), then the ultimate result for us is to experience the wrath of God. Under the law, you have to be perfect… and no one is perfect!
Gal 3:4–5, “Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith.” The law brought us to Christ.
The Gospel means “good news.” It’s talking about good news in regard to Jesus literally paying with His body for our blessings by giving His lifeblood. Jesus came to earth so that we could appropriate the blessings of God.
This righteousness that’s credited to you as being “not guilty” in God’s eyes comes through the resurrection. This gift didn’t come to us as charity, because it was actually paid for by Jesus Christ who paid for it with His very life.
Romans 4:16, “Therefore, it is of faith that it might be by grace that the promise might be sure.” People are not walking in the promises that come with salvation. It is of faith that it might be by grace that the promise be made sure. And so it’s coming by grace, which means “unmerited or undeserved favor.” Your faith is in the fact that it is coming through favor you don’t deserve. Is your faith in the grace of God when you’re believing or asking Him for His promises?
Verse 16: “Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace.” Your faith is in the fact that it comes by grace to the end.
Verse 20: “He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God.” No unbelief or distrust made Him waver concerning the promise of God.
Verse 21: “and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform.” This is why Abraham’s faith was credited to him… as though his relationship with God was good, or in “right standing,” with Him. How God sees you will be granted to you who believe and trust and rely on God.
Verse 25: “Who was delivered up because of our offenses and was raised because of our justification.” This means you are acquitted in the courtrooms of heaven. But you have to know and understand this. The Bible says people perish for a lack of knowledge.
Read About It
Rom. 4:15, “Because the law brings about wrath; for where there is no law there is no transgression.”
Gal 3:4 –5, “Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 25 But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.”
Rom. 4:16–25, “Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all 17 (as it is written, “I have made you a father of many nations”) in the presence of Him whom he believed—God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did; 18 who, contrary to hope, in hope believed, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what was spoken, “So shall your descendants be.” 19 And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb. 20 He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, 21 and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform. 22 And therefore “it was accounted to him for righteousness.” 23 Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him, 24 but also for us. It shall be imputed to us who believe in Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead, 25 who was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification.”
Discussion Questions
In the Old Testament Law, there were over 600 laws that were to be obeyed. How many people do you know that were able to obey all the Old Testament laws?
Under the Old Testament laws, you had to be perfect. Yet, no one is perfect! What, then, was the point of the Old Testament laws?
In your own words, what does the word “gospel” mean?