Tree of Life, Week 2: Law vs Grace

Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 Don’t miss this compelling look at the very first relational story in the Bible. Within this incredible story lies absolutes that define how we read and interpret the rest of the Bible but most importantly how we live as followers of Jesus. Title of message is: Law vs. Grace. Living in the Tree of life means: Making choices that lead to life. Living in the Tree of the knowledge of good and evil means: Making choices that lead to death. (Proverbs 14:12) (NLT) There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death.  (Genesis 3:6) (NIV) When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. MISGUIDED MYTHS (2 Timothy 4:3-4) (NIV) For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. 1.    If I do something wrong, I should do something right.  2.    If I do something right, I deserve something good. (Galatians 3:1) (NLT) Oh, foolish Galatians! Who has cast an evil spell on you? (Galatians 3:1-2) (NLT) For the meaning of Jesus Christ’s death was made as clear to you as if you had seen a picture of his death on the cross.  Let me ask you this one question: Did you receive the Holy Spirit by obeying the law of Moses? Of course not! You received the Spirit because you believed the message you heard about Christ. (Galatians 3:3) (NLT) How foolish can you be? After starting your Christian lives in the Spirit, why are you now trying to become perfect by your own human effort? (Galatians 3:10) (NLT) But those who depend on the law to make them right with God are under his curse, for the Scriptures say, “Cursed is everyone who does not observe and obey all the commands that are written in God’s Book of the Law.” (Galatians 3:11) (NLT) So it is clear that no one can be made right with God by trying to keep the law. For the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.” (Galatians 3:19) (NLT) Why, then, was the law given? (Galatians 3:24-25) (NLT) Let me put it another way. The law was our guardian until Christ came; it protected us until we could be made right with God through faith.  And now that the way of faith has come, we no longer need the law as our guardian.  1.    Where there is no law, there is no sin.  2.    The Law leads us to Christ Grace is: 1.    G - God’s gift to me.  (Romans 6:23) (NIV) For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord 2.    R - Received by faith. (Ephesians 2:8-9) (NIV) For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. (Romans 4:16) (NCV) So people receive God’s promise by having faith. This happens so the promise can be a free gift. 3.    A- Available to everyone. (Romans 10:13) (NLT) “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” 4.    C- Comes through Christ.   (John 1:17) (NIV) For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. (Romans 5:15) (NCV) …many people died because of the sin of that one man. But the grace from God was much greater; many people received God’s gift of life by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ.  (Galatians 2:21) (NLT) I do not treat the grace of God as meaningless. For if keeping the law could make us right with God, then there was no need for Christ to die. 5.    E - Extended throughout eternity.  (Romans 6:1-2) (NLT) Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of his wonderful grace?  Of course not!   (Isaiah 30:18) (NIV) ...the Lord longs to be gracious to you.