Spirit Soul Body  The Law The Cross The Covenant of Grace lesson 13

Romans 7:1  Or do you not know, brethren (for I speak to those who know the law), that the law has dominion over a man as long as he lives?  2  For the woman who has a husband is bound by the law to her husband as long as he lives. But if the husband dies, she is released from the law of her husband.  3  So then if, while her husband lives, she marries another man, she will be called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from that law, so that she is no adulteress, though she has married another man.  4  Therefore, my brethren, you also have become dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you may be married to another; to Him who was raised from the dead, that we should bear fruit to God.  5  For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions which were aroused by the law were at work in our members to bear fruit to death.  6  But now we have been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by, so that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter.

The law has dominion over a man as long as the man lives.  When we surrender to Jesus we become dead to the law of Moses.  This frees us to be married to another.  Just like the woman whose husband has died she is no adulterer when she marries another.  We have been delivered from the law so we are freed to walk in the newness of the Spirit.  Law gives sin strength; when the connection between the law and believer is gone sin has no dominion over the believer.  The believer is now married to Jesus.

JESUS CHRIST LOVES HIS BRIDE, KEEPS, CLEANS, AND WASHES HER MOUNT ZION THE COVENANT OF GRACE

Ephesians 5:23  For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body.  24  Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything.  25  Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her,  26  that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word,  27  that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.  28  So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself.  29  For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church.  30  For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones.  31  "For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.“  32  This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church.

JESUS WILL PRESENT HIMSELF A GLORIOUS CHURCH, HOLY AND WITHOUT BLEMISH.  HE DOES IT ALL WITH THE WASHING OF THE WATER OF THE WORD  We are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones.  What a powerful union.  Jesus Christ is the head of the church, He is the Savior of the body.  Jesus loved the church to such a degree He gave His very life for her!  Jesus sanctifies and cleanses the bride with the washing of the water by the word.  Jesus loves us, nourishes, and cherishes us!  Oh that we would turn our eyes on Jesus.

THE LAW

Exodus 20:18  Now all the people witnessed the thunderings, the lightning flashes, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking; and when the people saw it, they trembled and stood afar off. 19  Then they said to Moses, "You speak with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die."

Remember the law made God unapproachable; the law had limited access to God, it  exposed guilt, brought condemnation,  it fostered fear and trembling.  However, the law could not impute life.

THE CROSS

Titus 2:11  For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men,12  teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age,  13  looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,  14  who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.

The power of the cross brought the divine influence of God to us.  It teaches us to deny evil and empowers us to live righteously.  It forever turns our eyes upon Jesus and allows us to enjoy access to God and live free from guilt and fear.  His perfect love cast out fear!  We are redeemed as God’s special people.

THE COVENANT OF GRACE

Matthew 11:28  "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  29  "Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  30  "For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.“ 

The covenant of grace calls us near to God and promises rest.  The rest is not a moment of peace but a lifestyle of intimacy with God.  Jesus will lift the heavy burden and cause the labor from carrying that burden to cease.   The more we learn from Jesus the greater the rest for our soul.  We need to grow in the knowledge and grace of the Lord Jesus Christ.  His yoke is easy and His burden is light; it is the place of rest.

GRACE AND LAW CANNOT BE MIXED

Galatians 2:16  "knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.  17  "But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is Christ therefore a minister of sin? Certainly not!  18  "For if I build again those things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor.  19  "For I through the law died to the law that I might live to God.  20  "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.  21  "I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain."

Justification (just is if I never sinned) is exclusively by faith in Jesus Christ.  If we put ourselves under the law and find ourselves a sinner once again, does that make Christ a minister of sin?  Certainly not!!  For through the law we died to the law that we might live to God.  I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.  To mix grace and law is to say Christ died in vain!

GRACE AND LAW CANNOT BE MIXED

Galatians 4:22  For it is written that Abraham had two sons: the one by a bondwoman, the other by a freewoman.  23  But he who was of the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, and he of the freewoman through promise,  24  which things are symbolic. For these are the two covenants: the one from Mount Sinai which gives birth to bondage, which is Hagar;  25  for this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and corresponds to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children;  26  but the Jerusalem above is free, which is the mother of us all.  27  For it is written: "Rejoice, O barren, You who do not bear! Break forth and shout, You who are not in labor! For the desolate has many more children Than she who has a husband.“  28  Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are children of promise.  29  But, as he who was born according to the flesh then persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, even so it is now.  30  Nevertheless what does the Scripture say? "Cast out the bondwoman and her son, for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman.“  31  So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman but of the free.

Abraham had two sons one was the son of promise one was birthed by the will of flesh.  Hagar the bondwoman is the earthly Jerusalem and represents the covenant given at Mount Sinai.  This is the law of Moses and if one tries to serve under it receives the bondage that it fosters.

The Jerusalem from above is free represented by Mount Zion!  It is where the child of promise was birthed.  The Jerusalem from above is the mother of us all.  We are the children of promise, like Isaac was; we are free! 

Those children from bondage persecute the children born according to the Spirit.  The Scripture say “Cast out the bondwoman and her son, for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with son of the freewoman.  Brothers and Sisters, we are not children of the bondwoman; we are children that are free!  Law and grace cannot be mixed!

MOUNT CALVARY THE  CROSS

Matthew 26:26  And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, "Take, eat; this is My body.“  27  Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you.  28  "For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.

Jesus' last supper was eating the Passover with his disciples, and with it brought great revelation to the new covenant.  Jesus' body and blood was all that the Passover had pointed to, for all those generations between deliverance for the children of Israel from Egypt to Jesus Christ's earthly ministry.   Every time the nation Israel had Passover they were preaching Jesus Christ is the Passover Lamb! The Lamb brings in a better hope with a better covenant.  Jesus said “My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.”

Romans 5:18 Therefore, as through one man's offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man's righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life.  19  For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man's obedience many will be made righteous.  20  Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more,  21  so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. 

BELIEVERS CAN TRUST IN JESUS CHRIST’ OBEDIENCE FOR ABUNDANT LIFE 

Through one Man’s righteous act, through one Man’s obedience the righteousness of God has been brought to man.  Where sin abounded, grace abounded much more!!  So that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Grace reigns in life!   Live in the abundant life Jesus provides!

Jesus is the faithful God

God is good all the time!