good news.

A few weeks ago I wrote about reading through the Bible in a year. I'll confess, I'm a few days behind, but I'm still plugging along. I'll catch up eventually, though.

As I began to read the books of The Law, my initial thought was "I know why many people just skip ahead to something a little more interesting." But, I kept reading. As I read through parts of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and now Deuteronomy, I quickly observed how detailed the instructions and guidelines were that God gave to Israel concerning their holiness. Maybe I've never really paid attention before, but these were very specific instructions that Israel was given for nearly everything. There are five major types of offerings, each with their own specific purpose and types of animals to be sacrificed. There are laws about leprosy, clean and unclean animals, various feasts, etc. I guess what I'm trying to say is that the Law God gave to Israel was all-encompassing. It penetrated every portion of their lives. For every sin, there is a sacrifice to make atonement for that sin.

As I read, one thought continually echoed through my mind: Jesus said, "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished." (Matthew 5:17-18)

Even more profound for me, though, was this thought. When God gave Israel a commandment, the "reasoning" behind each one was always a variation of this: "You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy" or "I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt" or sometimes quite simply "I am the Lord." What a profound thought. That the reason the Lord commanded Israel to holiness was because God himself is holy.

Oh, how thankful I am for the sacrifice of Christ! Like I said before, in the Law, for every sin committed, there is a sacrifice in order to make atonement for that sin. But no one can be righteous before God by keeping the law. Instead, our righteousness comes through faith in Jesus Christ.

"But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it- the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith...The what becomes of out boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith. For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law." (Romans 3:21-28)

I realize this post could go on forever, but my main point is this: If it were left up to us to fulfill the law, we would never be considered righteous. Rather, "through the law comes knowledge of sin." (Romans 3:20) We see the standard for holiness, but realize that we can never achieve that on our own. The gospel and foundation of our faith is this: Through his grace, God has provided a means for righteousness: through faith in Jesus Christ. What good news!