The Gospel Observer
“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations…teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:19-20, NASB).
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Contents:
1) Law, Grace, and Truth (Doy Moyer)
2) Hebrews 11: A Postscript (Bryan Gibson)
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Law, Grace, and Truth
Doy Moyer
And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. John testified about Him and cried out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me.’” For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace. For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ. No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him (John 1:14-18).
Sometimes law, grace, and truth are represented to be at odds with each other. When John says that the Law was given through Moses, and grace and truth were given through Jesus, was he suggesting that law contains no grace, or that grace contains no law? Neither option can be sustained. What, then, is the point John is making?
First, we should not take John’s point to mean that there was no grace or truth in the Law. Multiple Old Testament Scriptures speak of the lovingkindness (chesed) of God, and it would be unreasonable to suggest there was no truth, for “The sum of Your word is truth” (Psa. 119:160). Note how the psalmist brings together God’s lovingkindness and compassion in according with the Torah: “O may Your lovingkindness comfort me, according to Your word to Your servant. May Your compassion come to me that I may live, for Your law is my delight” (119:76-77). Passages can be multiplied to show that the people under the Law were still able to see God’s mercy extended to them. For this reason, it is incorrect to think that the Jews automatically equated being under the Law as “legalism” (if by that is meant trying to earn salvation through perfect law-keeping). They were well aware of their need for God’s mercy and compassion, and they knew the Torah was God’s truth. David could plead for God’s mercy, delight in the law (Psa. 1), and rejoice in the truth without thinking that he was flawless or merited anything. The Psalms are a strong testimony to the proper attitude and balance between law, grace, and truth. Even so, the law was incomplete. Something was missing that only God Himself could ultimately supply.
In giving the commandments, God warned the people that He would punish iniquity, but that also He would show “lovingkindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments” (Deut. 5:10). “Know therefore that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God, who keeps His covenant and His lovingkindness to a thousandth generation with those who love Him and keep His commandments” (7:9; cf. v. 12). There was no rift between law and lovingkindness. God gave both.
Further, some passages explicitly put together lovingkindness and truth. For example, when Moses met the Lord on the mountain, the Lord passed in front and said, “The Lord, the Lord God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth; who keeps lovingkindness for thousands, who forgives iniquity, transgression and sin; yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished…”. (Exod. 34:6-7). See also 2 Samuel 2:6 where David ties “lovingkindness and truth” together. God’s lovingkindness and truth are both found in the Law, but it was going to take more. It was going to take the incarnation of God Himself.
Jesus became flesh in order to finalize God’s plan. He stated, “Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill” (Matt. 5:17). He did not come in opposition to the Law or to destroy the Law. He came to complete and fulfill it, to bring about the full realization of what God intended all along. Grace and truth weren’t completely missing in the Law; they were just incomplete. Jesus, therefore, came to complete it.
Being under the Law did not mean being under a system of earning and merit by itself as a result of it lacking God’s grace and truth. Rather, it meant being under a system that was incomplete and unfulfilled. John’s point is about fulfillment. How was this lovingkindness and truth to be fully realized? How was it to be demonstrated and find its fruition? The answer is Jesus, the word who became flesh. Jesus was the perfect embodiment of grace and truth even as He fulfilled the Law and the Prophets. Through Christ is found “grace upon grace” – God lavishing His grace upon His people through Jesus in the forgiveness of our sins (Eph. 1:7-8). Truly, of His fullness we have received. If the “sum of Your word is truth,” then surely Jesus, the incarnate word, is the apex of God’s truth — a truth that demonstrates lovingkindness and grace in the greatest of ways. Everything that law, grace, and truth could point to is fulfilled in the Son of God. This is the truth that expresses, in broad terms, what the Gospel is all about. Jesus Christ has shown us the true way of God.
Since grace and truth are fully realized through Jesus Christ, this means “grace upon grace” if we partake of His fullness. The purpose of the Law was finally realized in the full expression of grace and truth brought about by the work of Jesus. Only Jesus could fulfill and complete what the Law anticipated. While the Law showed God’s lovingkindness and truth, even as it exposed sin, it was still only a partially drawn picture of what God fully intended to do through Jesus Christ. Now we are able to see that picture completed, and what a beautiful one it is!
Given that Jesus fulfilled the law, brought the fullness of grace and truth, and offers to lavish this grace upon us, should this not be the consistent theme in our preaching today? The King of Kings is pouring out the riches of His grace. He died and rose again to secure these blessings for us, and His truth frees us from sin. His glory has been seen in His love. Grace and truth have been fully expressed in the flesh. Let this message ring out loud and clear!
— Via Truth Magazine, Volume 58, Number 5, May 2014
https://www.truthmagazine.com/archives/volume58/2014_05_May_Truth_Magazine.pdf?fbclid=IwAR3qV8OGTepcbNqSLEMA3k4LUaO59sj9pFJ65N-a-NgHx1v0zYUSk9CVqHA
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Hebrews 11: A Postscript
Bryan Gibson
Often called the roll call of faith, Hebrews 11 details what different Old Testament men and women accomplished by faith in God. Let’s put a little postscript on the end of that chapter to include some New Testament men and women.
By faith Crispus obeyed the gospel of Christ, despite the fact it cost him his “job” (Acts 18:8).
By faith the Ethiopian eunuch insisted he be baptized immediately (Acts 8:35-39).
By faith the Christians in Ephesus made a clean break from the past, when they burned the books they used in their sinful practices, books worth 50,000 pieces of silver (Acts 19:18-20).
By faith many of the Corinthians also repented, when they turned to the Lord and stopped practicing things like fornication, idolatry, adultery, homosexuality, stealing, covetousness, drunkenness, reviling, and extortion (1 Corinthians 6:9-11).
By faith, Eunice, without the help of a believing husband, raised her child in the training and admonition of the Lord (Acts 16:1; 2 Timothy 1:3-5; 3:14-15).
By faith, Priscilla, working side by side with her believing husband, did much to promote the kingdom of God (Acts 18:2-3, 18, 24-26; Romans 16:3-4; 1 Corinthians 16:19).
By faith Peter and John withstood threats against them and continued to boldly preach the gospel of Christ (Acts 4:13-22).
By faith, Antipas, a member of the church at Pergamos, gave his life for the Lord (Revelation 2:12-13).
By faith Paul and Silas prayed and sang hymns to God—in prison, with their feet in stocks, and still suffering from the beating received earlier in the day (Acts 16:22-25).
By faith Barnabas sold his land, not to benefit himself, but to meet the urgent needs of others (Acts 4:32-37).
By faith Dorcas did many good works, especially for widows (Acts 9:36-39).
By faith Gaius showed hospitality to those who preached the truth, and in so doing became a fellow-worker for the truth (3 John 1:5-8).
By faith the church at Philippi sent material aid to Paul time and again (Philippians 1:3-5; 4:10, 14-18), thankful they could join with him in preaching the gospel.
By faith Paul walked through the door God opened for the gospel in Ephesus (1 Corinthians 16:5-9).
By faith, Philemon, a member of the church at Colosse, showed love for all the saints, and in so doing brought joy and consolation to the hearts of many (Philemon 1:4-7).
By faith Epaphras prayed fervently for all his brethren (Colossians 4:12-13).
By faith Titus rejoiced in the obedience of his fellow-Christians (2 Corinthians 7:13-15).
By faith a few in the church at Sardis continued to faithfully serve the Lord, even when most in the church did not (Revelation 3:1-6).
“And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of Demetrius (3 John 1:12) and Stephanas (1 Corinthians 16:15) and Epaphroditus (Philippians 2:25-30), also of Onesiphorous (2 Timothy 1:16-18) and a host of other faithful Christians: who through faith walked in the way of truth, withdrew from those who didn’t, devoted themselves to the ministry of the saints, refreshed the hearts of their brethren, confronted and rebuked false teaching, and were beheaded for the gospel.
— Via Plain Words from God’s Word, December 1, 2023
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The Steps That Lead to Eternal Salvation
1) Hear the gospel — for that is how faith comes (Rom. 10:17; John 20:30-31).
2) Believe in the deity of Jesus Christ, the Son of God (John 8:24; John 3:18).
3) Repent of sins. For every accountable person has sinned (Romans 3:23; Romans 3:10), which causes one to be spiritually dead (Ephesians 2:1) and separated from God (Isaiah 59:1-2; Romans 6:23). Therefore, repentance of sin is necessary (Luke 13:5; Acts 17:30). For whether the sin seems great or small, there will still be the same penalty for either (Matt. 12:36-37; 2 Cor. 5:10) — and even for a lie (Rev. 21:8).
4) Confess faith in Christ (Rom. 10:9-10; Acts 8:36-38).
5) Be baptized in water for the remission of sins (Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; 22:16; 1 Pet. 3:21). This is the final step that puts one into Christ (Gal. 3:26-27). For from that baptism, one is then raised as a new creature (2 Cor. 5:17), having all sins forgiven and beginning a new life as a Christian (Rom. 6:3-4). For the one being baptized does so “through faith in the working of God” (Col. 2:12). In other words, believing that God will keep His word and forgive after one submits to these necessary steps. And now as a Christian, we then need to…
6) Continue in the faith by living for the Lord; for, if not, salvation can be lost (Matt. 24:13; Heb. 10:36-39; Rev. 2:10; 2 Pet. 2:20-22).
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Tebeau Street
CHURCH OF CHRIST
1402 Tebeau Street, Waycross, GA 31501
Sunday: 9 a.m. Bible Classes and 10 a.m. Worship Service. Congregational Song Service: 5 p.m. for every first Sunday of the month.
Wednesday: 7 p.m. Bible Classes
evangelist/editor: Tom Edwards (912) 281-9917
Tom@ThomasTEdwards.com
https://thomastedwards.com/go/all.htm (This is a link to the older version of the Gospel Observer website, but with bulletins going back to March 4, 1990.)