In Him (Lent 28–2013)

The end of the Law is nothing new.  Moses saw it coming.  Remember earlier I described the Law and the Prophets as God’s Sacred Space Maintainer?

In today’s passage, Romans 10:1-13, Christ is the end of the law, not because He did away with the concept of being law-abiding.  No, He is the end of the law because He filled that space perfectly and now—in Him and only in Him—we can too.

How do we get in line with what Jesus is doing?  Moses told us in Deuteronomy 30:1-20.  It’s all about loving and obeying God.

Deuteronomy 30: 14 No, the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it. 15 See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction. 16 For I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the LORD your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess. 17 But if your heart turns away and you are not obedient, and if you are drawn away to bow down to other gods and worship them, 18 I declare to you this day that you will certainly be destroyed. You will not live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess. 19 This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live 20 and that you may love the LORD your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the LORD is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. (NIV)

All people fall short of complete obedience, but there’s good news!  We can get in the boat.

God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Corinthians 5:21)

In Him is the end of the law. 

In Him is forgiveness and life. 

In Him is the righteousness that we cannot achieve on our own. 

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Jew or Gentile, the Mosaic Law preserved what was holy. 

The Messiah lived what is holy. 

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The good news is that for Jew or Gentile, we can get in the boat.

We can be found righteous, not by the law, but by being in Him.

Romans 10:12 For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, 13 for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

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Give it up for Lent: Refusing to get in the boat

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For further thought:

1. Why did Moses give the Israelites the Law if it wouldn’t save them?
2. Why does Paul take so much time to reiterate that there is no difference between Jew and Gentile and the Gospel is for all?
3. Why is it important today that we realize there are not many ways to God?  What role has syncretism played in our culture?  What about political correctness and religious tolerance?  What other influences are at work against the Gospel?