Guided by the Law: Finding Faith in Christ

Devotional

Day 1: The Law as a Mentor

The Ten Commandments serve as a mentor, guiding us to Jesus Christ by revealing our need for forgiveness and dependence on God's strength. They act as a mirror, showing us where we fall short and leading us to seek a Savior. When we attempt to live by these commandments, we quickly realize our inability to fulfill them perfectly, which points us to our need for Jesus. The law is not just a set of rules but a guide that leads us to the grace and truth found in Christ. It humbles us, making us aware of our weaknesses and our need for divine assistance. [00:41]

Galatians 3:24 (ESV): "So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith."

Reflection: In what ways have you seen the Ten Commandments reveal your need for Jesus in your life? How can you embrace this guidance today?

Day 2: Beyond Actions to Intentions

The story of the rich young ruler illustrates the danger of a superficial understanding of the commandments. Jesus teaches that they address not just actions but also thoughts and intentions, calling us to a deeper reflection on our lives. The commandments are not merely about external compliance but about the condition of our hearts. Jesus challenges us to look beyond our actions and examine the motivations and desires that drive them. This deeper understanding calls us to a more profound transformation, one that aligns our hearts with God's will. [03:52]

Matthew 5:21-22 (ESV): "You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.' But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment."

Reflection: Reflect on a recent situation where your intentions did not align with your actions. How can you invite God to transform your heart in this area?

Day 3: Words and Accountability

The sixth commandment, "You shall not murder," includes anger and abusive speech, highlighting the importance of our words and attitudes. Jesus emphasizes that these too are accountable to God, urging us to examine our hearts. Our words have the power to build up or tear down, and they reflect the state of our hearts. By understanding the broader implications of this commandment, we are called to cultivate a spirit of love and grace in our interactions with others. This requires us to be mindful of our speech and to seek God's help in transforming our attitudes. [05:14]

Proverbs 18:21 (ESV): "Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits."

Reflection: Consider a recent conversation where your words may have caused harm. How can you seek reconciliation and use your words to bring life and healing?

Day 4: Integrity in All Areas

The eighth commandment, "You shall not steal," challenges us to consider honesty in all areas of life. It warns against taking more than we give, reminding us of the importance of integrity in relationships and communities. This commandment calls us to examine our actions and ensure that we are living with honesty and fairness. It encourages us to be generous and to contribute positively to the lives of others, reflecting God's character in our dealings. [07:58]

Ephesians 4:28 (ESV): "Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need."

Reflection: Identify an area in your life where you struggle with honesty or integrity. What steps can you take today to align this area with God's standards?

Day 5: Truth and Integrity

The ninth commandment, "You shall not bear false witness," encompasses a wide range of sins related to truth and integrity. It calls us to honesty and humility, recognizing our need for a Savior to live according to God's character. This commandment challenges us to be truthful in all our interactions and to uphold integrity in every aspect of our lives. By doing so, we reflect God's truth and bring glory to His name. It reminds us that our words and actions should consistently align with the truth of the Gospel. [09:30]

Colossians 3:9-10 (ESV): "Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator."

Reflection: Think of a situation where you were tempted to compromise the truth. How can you commit to living with integrity and truthfulness in your daily life?

Sermon Summary

The law of God, particularly the Ten Commandments, serves as a mentor guiding us to faith in Jesus Christ. Galatians 3:24 describes the law as our guardian until Christ came, highlighting its role in leading us to Him. A mentor shows us where we need to go and walks with us until we arrive. Similarly, the commandments walk us to Jesus Christ. When we earnestly try to live by the Ten Commandments, we quickly realize our need for help. A proper understanding of these commandments reveals our shortcomings and leads us to faith in Jesus. The law convinces us of our sinfulness and our need for forgiveness, while also making us aware of our weaknesses and dependence on God's strength.

The story of the rich young ruler illustrates a common misunderstanding of the commandments. He believed he had kept them all, yet he missed their deeper meaning. Jesus, in the Sermon on the Mount, clarifies that the commandments go beyond actions to the thoughts and intentions of our hearts. For example, the sixth commandment, "You shall not murder," encompasses anger and abusive speech, which are also offenses against God. Similarly, the eighth commandment, "You shall not steal," involves any attempt to take more than we give, highlighting dishonesty in various aspects of life. The ninth commandment, "You shall not bear false witness," addresses a wide range of sins related to truth and integrity.

A proper understanding of the law humbles us, revealing our need for a Savior. It shows us that we fall short of God's glory and are not living lives that reflect His character. The commandments, when understood deeply, lead us to Jesus Christ, who offers forgiveness and strength to live according to God's will.

Key Takeaways

1. The Ten Commandments act as a mentor, guiding us to Jesus Christ by revealing our need for forgiveness and dependence on God's strength. They show us where we fall short and lead us to seek a Savior. [00:41]
2. The story of the rich young ruler illustrates the danger of a superficial understanding of the commandments. Jesus teaches that they address not just actions but also thoughts and intentions, calling us to a deeper reflection on our lives. [03:52]
3. The sixth commandment, "You shall not murder," includes anger and abusive speech, highlighting the importance of our words and attitudes. Jesus emphasizes that these too are accountable to God, urging us to examine our hearts. [05:14]
4. The eighth commandment, "You shall not steal," challenges us to consider honesty in all areas of life. It warns against taking more than we give, reminding us of the importance of integrity in relationships and communities. [07:58]
5. The ninth commandment, "You shall not bear false witness," encompasses a wide range of sins related to truth and integrity. It calls us to honesty and humility, recognizing our need for a Savior to live according to God's character. [09:30]
** [09:30]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:10] - The Law as a Mentor
[00:41] - Walking to Jesus
[01:12] - Realizing Our Need
[02:12] - The Rich Young Ruler
[03:52] - Deeper Meaning of Commandments
[04:27] - The Sixth Commandment
[05:14] - Words and Accountability
[06:18] - Closer to Home
[07:01] - The Eighth Commandment
[07:58] - Honesty in Life
[08:59] - The Ninth Commandment
[09:30] - Truth and Integrity
[10:30] - Humility and Need for a Savior
[10:44] - Conclusion

Sermon Clips

The law will lead you to Christ first because it will convince you that you're a sinner who needs to be forgiven and second because you will become very aware of your own weakness and your dependence upon the strength that you can find in God alone, and the longer you walk with Jesus Christ the more clearly and deeply you will feel these things. [00:54:56]

Now the problem of course is that this man did not understand the commandments, and Jesus makes it very very clear in the Sermon on the Mount that the commandments of God go much deeper than simply identifying one particular sin or action. They actually each touch a whole category of sins and actions and go beyond actions to the thoughts and the motivations and intentions of our hearts. [00:03:47]

Take for example the sixth commandment, now that's the one that says you shall not murder, and I found it helpful to think about it this way: picture a train that is moving along a track on which there are many stations, and murder is the station at the end of the line. The line is called conflict and there are lots of stations on the line and the one right at the end is murder. [00:04:20]

So Jesus is saying right out of the sixth commandment as an application of the sixth commandment that abusive speech is an offense for which a person is accountable to God, and according to Jesus, the problem that that abuse of speech creates is not simply that a person might be reported to the Sanhedrin but that verbal violation of the sixth commandment would put a person in danger of the fires of hell. [00:05:39]

But if angry words that diminish another person constitute a breaking of the sixth commandment we are dealing with something that is way closer to home, and that's just one example of the principle. So I'm saying to you that a proper understanding of the commandments will lead you to Jesus Christ because you'll say I need a Savior. [00:06:35]

Stealing can I think be rightly defined as trying to get as much as you can while giving as little as you can. It's about being a taker without ever being a giver, and on that definition there is a lot of stealing that goes on in marriages, in families, in churches. Every attempt to have much while giving little is a violation of the eighth commandment. [00:07:58]

A proper understanding of the law of God will lead you to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. It'll get you away from this I never rob the bank stuff and it'll help you to see what your real condition is before a holy God who calls you to a life that reflects his character. [00:08:39]

Listen to the Westminster Catechism spelling out what is included in the ninth commandment: all prejudicing of the truth and the good name of our neighbors as well as our own, giving false evidence, calling evil good and good evil, forgery, concealing the truth, undue silence and a just cause, anyone guilty of that, slandering, backbiting, detracting, tail bearing, whispering, scoffing, reviling. [00:09:27]

I'm saying to you that a proper understanding of the law of God will humble you. It will lead you to say I am a sinner in need of a Savior. I fall very far short of the glory of God. I am not living the life that is a reflection of his character. A proper understanding of the ten commandments will lead you to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. [00:10:30]

Start seriously trying to live the ten commandments and it won't be long before you find yourself saying I need some help, and a proper understanding of the ten commandments will lead you to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ if you will look at your life honestly in the light of these commandments. [00:01:01]

And Jesus said to him you know the commandments: do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not bear false witness, do not defraud, honor your father and mother. Then the man said this: all these I have kept since my youth. Now I think he really believed that. I think he was sincere. [00:02:42]

A mentor is very simply someone who can show you where you need to go and walk with you until you get there. That's what a good mentor is, and that you see is what the commandments of God do they they walk you to Jesus Christ. [00:00:42]

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