Law and Grace of God, by Deacon Wole Bodunde

In Exodus chapters 20-23, the Lord gave laws through Moses to the Israelites. These laws confirms His commandments, judgements and ordinances that outlines our duty to God and a complete system of ethics or moral duties a man owes to his fellows. God exercise threefold authority over mankind. “For the Lord is our judge; the Lord is our lawgiver; the Lord is our king; He will save us”– Isaiah 33:22.

The Law of Moses summarised the principle of God’s moral government which can be broken into three parts.

  1. The Ten Commandments – Exodus 20:1-26
  2. The judgement that governed the social life of Israelites- Exodus 21.
  3. The ordinances that governed the religious life of Israelites. – Exodus 24-31.

This dispensation begins with the ministry of Moses (Law) and ended with the deaths of Christ (Grace).  Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us – for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree’- so that, in Christ Jesus, the blessing of Abraham might receive the promised spirit through faith. Galatians 3:13-14. ‘Now before faith came, we were held Captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith’. Galatians 3:23-24.

God distinguished the Ten Commandments from other laws He gave to Moses written on the tablet of stone – Deut. 5:22, Placed in the Ark – Exodus 25:16, 21. These Ten Commandments were a complete and indivisible code.

Reasons for the Laws

  1. A standard of righteousness- Romans 2:18, Psalm 119:142, Deut 4:8, Psalm 19:7-9.
  2. To identify sin – ‘Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin. Romans 3:20
  3. To reveal the holiness of God, fire is a symbol of holiness; the law was given amid fire. Exodus 24:7.
  4. It justifies the provision. ‘For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes’- Romans 10:4.

Features

  1. The law is holy, righteous, good and spiritual- ‘Therefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good….. For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin- Romans 7:12, 14.
  2. The law condemned all mankind. – Romans 3:19.
  3. It creates offences – ‘Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more. – Romans 5:20.
  4. It taught until Christ came – ‘Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justifies by faith’- Galatians 3:24.
  5. It justifies not – Romans 3:20.

Law allowed God to judge the world while grace offers a way of salvation to any who would heed to the preachers of gospel. Grace perhaps directs us mainly to the love in God’s heart.