Please take your Bibles and open them up to the book of Exodus, chapter 19.
The book of Exodus.
We're moving just one book over from Genesis.
! Flip a few pages to the right.
I guess you're flipping to the left.
You're moving to the right.
And you'll find Exodus there, chapter 19.
Our verses this morning are verses 1 through 9.
And then when you find that, put your finger there and flip to the New Testament in the
book of Romans.
Chapter 3, verses 19 through 26.
We're continuing our Advent series this morning covering the promises of God.
And today we're looking specifically at what we call the Mosaic Covenant.
It's this covenant of law.
And I'll be honest with you, this sermon title is a little bit misleading this morning.
It's the promise of perfect righteousness.
You know, the problem is the law does not promise perfect righteousness.
The law presents perfect righteousness.
But it cannot promise perfect righteousness.
The gospel is the only thing that both presents and promises and even produces perfect righteousness
in those who believe.
So, we'll see that unfold this morning.
When you founded Exodus chapter 19, verses 1 through 9.
Let's stand in honor of the reading of God's word this morning.
Let's stand in honor of the reading of Exodus chapter 19.
On the third new moon, after the people of Israel had gone out of the land of Egypt,
on that day they came into the wilderness of Sinai.
They set out from Rephidim and came into the wilderness of Sinai,
and they encamped in the wilderness.
There Israel encamped before the mountain, while Moses went up to God.
The Lord called to him out of the mountain, saying,
Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the people of Israel,
You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians,
and how I bore you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself.
Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant,
you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples.
For all the earth is mine, and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.
These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel.
So Moses came and called the elders of the people and set before them
all these words that the Lord had commanded him.
All the people answered together and said,
All that the Lord has spoken, we will do.
And Moses reported the words of the people to the Lord.
And the Lord said to Moses,
Behold, I am coming to you in a thick cloud,
that the people may hear when I speak with you,
and may also believe you forever.
Flipping to Romans chapter 3, 19 through 26.
Now we know that whatever the law says,
it speaks to those who are under the law,
so that every mouth may be stopped,
and the whole world may be held accountable to God.
For by works of the law,
no human being will be justified in his sight,
since through the law comes knowledge of sin.
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.
This was to show God's righteousness,
because in his divine forbearance,
he had passed over former sins.
It was to show his righteousness at the present time
so that he might be just
and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
The grass withers and the flower fades,
but the word of the Lord endures forever.
Father, we praise you for your word,
Old Testament and New Testament,
and the ways that every word, every line,
every page, every chapter draws us to Christ Jesus,
who is the fulfillment of all your promises.
We pray, Lord, fix our eyes on him this morning.
Put our trust in him this morning,
away from us and our efforts
and entirely on him and his completed work on the cross.
We pray in Jesus' name.
Amen.
You may be seated.
Amen.
Christmas season is here,
which means it is also the season of holiday giveaways.
I don't know if it's true for you,
but I love a good giveaway.
I entered one this week.
One company is giving away, quote,
an unforgettable five-day, four-night trip to Sweden
featuring round-trip flights,
one night in a legendary ice suite.
Don't know what that means.
Winter activities.
Who knows what that holds?
$500 in spending money.
I can get on board with that.
Tomorrow, a well-known worldwide global coffee company
will start their annual sweepstakes
where you can win burnt-tasting coffee for life.
A $1,000 Delta gift card,
$500 in Marriott points, amongst other things.
Everybody loves to dream about winning the grand prize,
but the more you enter these things,
the more you learn to pay attention
to four key words down at the bottom of the page.
Terms and conditions apply.
Those four words are important, aren't they?
You can dream all you want about the grand prize,
but if you don't meet those terms and conditions,
guess what?
You will not be receiving the grand prize.
Those terms and conditions are essential.
And as we look at our passage this morning,
here in the book of Exodus,
what we see is that those four words
are also deeply important for the people of Israel.
Israel.
Those four words, they're not hidden at the bottom of the page.
They're not printed in small text.
They're not read at super speed at the end of a commercial.
They are literally shouted out loud from the mountaintop.
Here in the book of Exodus,
what we see is that God makes these incredible promises to his people Israel,
but terms and conditions apply.
So let's take a look together at what's being held out here.
What's the offer that's on the table?
First, what we see,
God graciously promises to bless his people.
It's our first point this morning.
First, we see God graciously promises to bless his people.
And if that sounds familiar to you, that's good.
That means you were paying attention last week.
And what we're really doing is we're picking right up where we left off last time
with this promise of great blessing.
Do you remember what God promised to Abraham?
Abraham, this threefold promise of great prosperity,
of a place where he could dwell with God,
this promise of posterity.
Well, this same general promise is now regulated by law in the book of Exodus.
We zoom ahead some 430 years later,
and what we see is that God has indeed multiplied Abraham.
His descendants have multiplied.
But as we come to Exodus, we find them enslaved in Egypt.
They aren't really prosperous.
They're at the bottom of the social totem pole.
They don't have their own place.
They're there in somebody else's kingdom.
They're suffering under a harsh taskmaster, Pharaoh.
They are oppressed.
But we know from going through Genesis that even this is part of the plan, isn't it?
Do you remember what God promised Abraham in chapter 15, verse 13?
Know for certain that your offspring will be sojourners in a land that is not theirs,
and will be servants there.
They will be afflicted for 400 years.
That sounds specific.
But I will bring judgment on the nation that they serve,
and afterward they shall come out with great possessions.
And so what we see now in the first half of Exodus,
it shows us 10 plagues and 430 years later,
God has fulfilled His promise.
God has judged Egypt.
God has delivered Israel.
And so now here in Exodus 19,
they have come to the foot of Mount Sinai,
where God will deliver them the law.
But notice what He does before that.
Look there starting in verse 4.
Before He tells them anything to do,
any steps to take,
He reminds them of everything that just happened.
I mean, how quickly do we forget, right?
He reminds them of His grace.
He says, I just delivered you miraculously.
You were slaves.
Don't forget it.
You were hungry.
Don't forget it.
You were mistreated.
Don't forget it.
But I rescued you.
I bore you up on eagle's wings,
it says.
I brought you to Myself.
So everything that follows,
all of this law that follows,
even though it is law,
all of it is rooted in grace.
All of it is rooted in God's eternal plan of redemption,
of His people.
God says,
whatever obedience I'm going to require of you
is a response to my work of redemption.
The law was never meant to be a ladder
to climb our way up to God.
But even so,
even so,
obedience is the path to blessing.
So He says,
if you indeed will obey My voice,
and if you will keep My covenant,
here's what I'm going to do.
I'm going to bless you in five distinct ways.
Look at what He promises here.
First,
He says,
you will be My treasured possession.
I mean,
wow.
Wow.
Already,
that is mind-blowing grace,
isn't it?
When you think about,
what is your most treasured possession?
If you just picture it in your mind right now,
I bet you can imagine it.
You know exactly what it looks like.
Maybe it's your Bible.
Maybe it's a family heirloom.
It's something that you treasure.
Nobody else in the world may think about it that way,
but you treasure that.
You know exactly where it is at all times.
You keep it safe.
You keep it tucked away.
You watch over it.
You care for it.
You love this treasured possession.
God says,
you will be My treasured possession.
I will treasure you.
Second,
notice He gives them this place of distinction.
He elevates them.
He makes a distinction between them and everybody else.
He says,
they will be His distinct people.
My treasured possession among all peoples.
This is not equality.
They are elevated,
lifted up by God's own choosing,
by His grace,
to this distinct place of honor and blessing.
Most of you love children in general.
I like children.
I'll be honest.
I love my children more.
I have a special affection,
a special love,
a special inclination
towards my children.
That's right.
That's good.
It's because they're mine.
They have this special place of distinction.
And here God says,
you, Israel,
you will be My people
amongst all the peoples of the earth.
There's this distinction.
He gives them.
Third blessing.
He says,
you will be a kingdom.
I mean,
can you imagine
the reversal
that they're experiencing here?
They were just slaves
in somebody else's kingdom.
They were the lowest
on the totem pole.
They were bossed around
and tossed around
and discarded.
But now,
He says,
you're not going to be
at the bottom
of somebody else's totem pole
and somebody else's kingdom anymore.
You're no longer slaves.
I've brought you out.
You are going to be a kingdom.
I will establish you
as a kingdom.
Because even better than that,
fourth blessing,
you're not just a kingdom.
Fourth,
you'll be a kingdom of priests.
You,
from the greatest to the least,
will be rulers.
From the greatest to the least,
you will be worshipers.
You will all,
from the greatest to the least,
you will all commune with me
in worship.
You'll be a people of prayer
and a people of worship
and a people of sacrifice.
Your attention won't be
on your work
or on your labor
or on building bricks
out of straw.
Your focus,
from the greatest to the least,
will be on me.
You'll lead one another
in worship.
You'll be a kingdom
of priests.
And fifth blessing,
he promises,
you will be a holy nation.
Not just a nation.
Not just a kingdom.
You will not be like
any of the other kingdoms
of the earth.
You know what's going to
set you apart?
You will be with me,
God says,
and you will be like me.
You will be holy
as I am holy.
See,
God's people
are not like everybody else,
are they?
We are distinct.
That's the nice way to say it.
You know what the honest way is?
We're weird.
We stand out
in the midst of the world.
Why?
What's this defining quality
of holiness?
You want to stick out
in the midst of darkness?
We're called lights
in the midst of darkness, right?
Holiness
causes God's people
to be distinct,
set out.
We're this chosen,
holy,
redeemed,
distinct people
treasuring God
above all else
and treasured
by God
above all others.
This is
incredible blessing
that God holds out
for them there,
isn't it?
A special offer.
Come and get it.
You can have this blessing too.
All this can be yours,
he says.
It's all rooted in grace.
I've brought you out.
I will fulfill my promises.
It is guaranteed,
but
for you to enjoy
these blessings,
terms and conditions
apply.
Second point
this morning.
Second,
we see
enjoyment
of God's blessings
is conditional.
Enjoyment
of God's blessings
is
conditional.
Look there again
to verse 5.
There's a key word there
that we need to notice
in verse 5.
You see what it is?
It's that
two-letter word
if.
That if
is important,
isn't it?
If
you will indeed
obey my voice
and
if
you will keep
my commandments,
all of this
will come to you.
God is going to
fulfill his promises
with or without
you specifically.
It's all rooted
in grace again,
but for you
individual
personally to enjoy it,
there's this big
fat
if.
Enjoyment
of God's blessings
is
conditional.
Look there to verse 7.
Now,
Moses sets
before the people
all the words
that the Lord
had commanded him
and so
in response,
verse 8,
what do they say?
They said,
we'll do it,
God.
We will
obey.
All you've said,
we're going to do it.
We'll do everything
you ask.
And so,
look what happens next.
I didn't read
the next 15 chapters
of Exodus,
but I'm going to
summarize it here
in about five seconds
for you.
Okay?
Moses
takes that
yes back
up the mountain,
up to God.
God says,
okay,
here's ten commandments.
He speaks those ten
in the hearing
of all the people.
They all hear
his voice,
but as he speaks
those ten words,
the people hear it,
they are absolutely
mortified
at the voice
of the Lord.
They are undone.
And they say
to Moses,
you've got to be
the in-between for us.
We can't stand
to be in his presence.
It's like they recognize
the main point already,
don't they?
They understand
at this powerful
voice of the Lord
that they are sinners
in the presence
of a holy God.
And sin
and holiness
simply do not mix.
It's like oil and water.
Except in this case,
this holy God
is full of
righteous wrath,
righteous anger
towards sin
and sinners.
sinners.
Their sin
and our sin
it puts us
in danger.
It puts us
in danger
of the wrath
of God.
They seem
to understand this.
So they say,
Moses,
you're the man.
You go up.
We're not going up.
We can't be here.
We can't hear
this voice of the Lord.
And so,
God,
Moses goes up.
He sees,
he meets
with the Lord.
God delivers
the rest of the law
to Moses
who then,
again,
as they go between,
he brings it
to the people
and the people
of God,
again,
they give their yes.
They say,
we will do this law.
We want the blessing.
We'll keep your word.
We promise.
Chapter 24,
they seal it
in a covenant.
You remember
chapter 15 of Genesis?
And this covenant ceremony
as God passes through
the aisle
with the severed animals
on either side
as if to say,
may I be
like these animals,
Abraham,
if I don't fulfill
my covenant with you.
If I don't fulfill
my word to you,
may I be
slaughtered
like these animals.
Well,
here,
chapter 24,
in the same way,
the people of God
enter into
an oath,
this promise
of obedience
to the Lord.
Moses builds
an altar,
he makes sacrifices,
and as he reads
aloud the law,
he slaughters
the animals,
he throws
the blood
all over the altar,
and all over
the people.
What does that mean?
Again,
it's the people
saying,
may we be like
these oxen,
slaughtered,
and destroyed.
May we be
mutilated
if we fail
to keep covenant
with you, God.
May we be
completely destroyed
if we disobey.
They recognize,
don't they,
obedience is
essential
for enjoying
the blessings
of the covenant.
They put their
own blood
on the line
here.
Yet again,
they profess
with their lips.
They say,
we're going to
do it.
We will obey
every word
of the law.
We promise.
And it seems
like they mean it,
doesn't it?
You know what
happens next?
Moses goes
back up.
He receives
the law
written on
tablets of stone
by the very
fingers of God.
He comes back
down the mountain
and what does
he find
the people doing?
Exodus 32.
They are
worshiping
an idol.
They have
fashioned
for themselves
a golden
calf to worship.
Moses can't
believe it.
He's like,
what are you
guys doing?
He gets
so angry.
He smashes
the tablets.
He grinds
them up
into a powder.
He makes
the people
drink it.
I don't
blame them.
He's like,
what is wrong
with you people?
How could
you be so
foolish?
All this
blessing was
held out
to you
and you
promised
you would
obey.
You did
the thing
with the
blood.
You put
it all
over yourself.
You swore
your allegiance
to the Lord.
What
happened
to you?
Why can't
you obey
like you
said you
would?
You see
this sometimes
with children,
don't you?
Not my kids.
My kids
are perfect.
This never
happens in my
house, right?
Sometimes in
other people's
houses, they
talk to their
kids, you tell
them one thing,
they look you
right in the
eye, they say,
okay, dad, I
got it.
Dad turns his
back, goes to
the other room,
and it's like
that conversation
never happened.
What is
that?
Church, haven't
we done the
same thing?
we say
with our
lips, okay
God, this
is it, I
promise I'll
obey.
This time is
different, I'm
done lying, I
am done cheating,
I am done
drinking myself
drunk, no
more, I'm
done, I'll be
nicer to my
brother.
And then
some time goes
by, it's like
you get amnesia,
and you're just,
you're right back
in it again.
What is that?
Why can't we
obey?
I'll tell you
why.
The reason
is our sin.
Our sin.
Here's our
problem.
Everyone who
is born of
Adam is
born into
this world
with a sin
nature.
And what
that is, is
a nature that
is both
hostile to
God, we
are against
God, anti
God, and
we are unable,
despite our
hardest efforts,
unable to
please God.
We literally
cannot
obey.
That's our
problem.
That's what Paul
says in Romans
8.
He says, the
mind that is
set on the
flesh is
hostile to
God, for it
does not
submit to
God's law.
Indeed, it
cannot.
Those who are
in the flesh
cannot please
God.
God, it's
not just
you, it's
not just
me, this
is a
universal,
worldwide,
global problem.
This is the
point that Paul
makes in
Romans 3.
So go ahead
and flip
there with
me, Romans
chapter 3.
Hopefully you
had your
thumb right
there in that
passage.
And I want
you to back
it up a
little bit,
because right
before our
text, God
through Paul,
he's quoting
from the
Psalms here,
starting in
verse 10,
to make this
point.
He says,
none is
righteous.
No, not
one.
You say, well,
what about
me?
None.
No one
understands.
No one
seeks for
God.
All have
turned aside.
Together they
have become
worthless.
No one
does good.
Not even
one.
Verse 18
sums it up
like this.
There's no
fear of God
before their
eyes.
Israel's
problem
our
problem
is that
we, by
nature,
are in
Adam.
And if
we are
in
Adam,
then we
are in
sin.
And if
we are
in
sin,
then we
are in
trouble
with God.
And the
law,
as good
as it
is,
the law
can't
help us
because
verse 20,
chapter 3,
verse 20,
it says,
by works
of the
law,
no human
being will
be justified
in his
sight.
Do you
see the
problem?
It is a
big one.
God's
people must
be perfect
to enjoy
these blessings
and yet
none of us
qualify.
And the
law,
as good
as it
is,
it can't
get us
there
either.
And so
then I
got a
question,
and maybe
you do
too,
as you
think about
this.
You might
ask,
well,
if the
law can't
produce this
righteousness
in us,
and the
law can't
change our
sin nature,
and the
law can't
justify us
before God
if we
obey and
obey.
What good
is the
law?
What good
is it?
Why is it
even here?
It's worthless,
right?
Let me stop you
right there
because first
of all,
the law is
not the
problem.
God's
word is
not the
problem.
The Psalms
make this
abundantly
clear.
The law
is good.
The law
of the
Lord is
perfect,
David says
in Psalm
19,
reviving
the soul.
The law
is good.
We are
the problem.
We are
unable.
The law
itself is
useful,
and it's
useful in
three main
ways.
The reformers
would present
these three
main ways.
John Calvin,
I think,
was the first
to present
this in his
institutes.
Three uses
of the law
for one.
The law
serves as
a mirror.
It serves
as a mirror.
When we
look into
it,
what it
does is
it reflects
back on
us and
our sinfulness.
When we
look into
the law,
we see
our own
inability.
We see
our wickedness
on display.
You know,
when you have
a big zit
right in the
middle of your
forehead,
okay,
think back to
your teenage
years,
guys.
You got
this big
zit right in
the middle
of your
forehead.
The last
place you
want to
look,
where is
it?
You avoid
that mirror
at all
costs,
don't you?
It's not
the mirror's
fault that
you have
is it.
It's not
the mirror's
fault.
The law
itself is
good and
holy and
pure,
but we
are not.
As we
look into
it,
we see
our own
imperfections
highlighted.
It serves
as a mirror.
Another use
is as a
restrainer of
evil.
The law
serves as
a restrainer
of evil.
Now,
again,
the law,
it doesn't
regenerate the
heart.
It cannot
justify.
It cannot
change our
sin nature,
but it
does in
some ways
restrain
wickedness.
Wherever the
law exists,
whether externally
in a written
code or
internally on
our conscience,
the law
itself,
it restrains
wickedness.
It's like
when you're
driving up
and down
17.
You're
running late.
When there
are no
police,
you feel
the freedom
to go a
little bit
faster and
speed and
get to your
destination
sooner,
but if you
see that
little hood
of the car
sticking out
from a
driveway,
you know
the lights
are there,
what are
you going
to do?
It slows
you down.
It restrains
your wickedness.
And then if
you know
that police
car is there
day after
day in
that same
spot right
there on
Highway 17,
it restrains
your urge to
break the
law,
at least until
you get past
it and you
do what you
want.
The law
functions in
this way.
It restrains
evil,
but again,
again,
restraint does
not mean
regeneration.
Those first
two uses
are for
believer and
non-believer
alike,
but for the
believer,
there's this
third use
of the law
and it's
this.
The law
reveals for
us what
holiness
looks like.
The law
reveals God's
will for
us.
See,
the believer
doesn't use
the law
as a ladder
to climb
their way
up to
heaven,
but we
do absolutely
use it as
a map
and a
guide to
show us
the pathway
of holiness.
Having been
made new,
having been
reborn,
now we
can look at
the law
and say,
well,
what does it
look like
practically to
love my
neighbor?
What does it
look like
practically for
me to reflect
the holiness
of God?
What does it
look like for
me practically
to resemble
the image of
God as we
were made
to do?
What is
God by
His Spirit
empowering me
to be and
to do?
Well,
the law,
it shows
us.
But do you
know ultimately
the main
purpose of
the law?
Above all
of these,
the main
purpose of
the law
is that it
might drive
sinners to
Christ,
who is the
fulfillment
of the
law.
God offers
incredible
blessing here
to His
people.
Enjoyment
of these
blessings is
conditional,
and we
could add,
none of
us have
met the
conditions,
but here's
the good
news of
the gospel.
Third,
Christ,
Jesus,
meets all
the conditions.
Look again
to Romans
3,
starting in
verse 21.
Paul just
said,
no one will
be justified
by works
of the law.
it cannot
be done.
You cannot
use it as
a ladder to
climb your
way to
God.
It is
impossible
for you,
and he
made it
pretty clear,
all of us
are in this
condition of
sin.
This sin
problem is
all of our
problem.
The law
can't make
us right
with God,
but,
verse 21,
but now
the righteousness
of God
has been
manifested
apart from
the law.
Apart
from the
law.
Although the
law and the
prophets bear
witness to
it, what is
it?
Verse 22,
the righteousness
of God
through faith
in Jesus
Christ for
all who
simply
believe.
The
righteousness
that the
law demands,
but cannot
produce,
the true
perfect
righteousness
now is
manifested
apart from
the law.
How?
Galatians
4 tells
us.
It's the
story of
Christmas.
He says,
we were
enslaved like
Israel.
We were
enslaved to
the elementary
principles of
the world,
but when the
fullness of
time had
come,
God sent
forth his
son,
born of
a woman,
born under
the law,
to redeem
those who
were under
the law,
so that we
might receive
adoption as
sons.
See,
true righteousness
has come in
Christ,
and it is
received simply
by faith in
him.
Do you know
why we make
such a big
deal about
the virgin
birth?
It's a
central part of
the Christmas
story,
right?
The virgin
birth,
Matthew 1,
23,
behold,
the virgin
shall conceive
and bear a
son.
They shall
call his
name Emmanuel.
He's quoting
Isaiah.
He prophesied
that some
700 years
before it
happened,
but why is
it so
important?
Outside of
just being a
miracle of
God's power,
it's important
because it
shows us
this child,
this baby,
is not born
like you
and I.
He is not
born of
Adam.
He's not
born in
Adam.
He does not
inherit Adam's
sin nature
as we do.
He does not
inherit Adam's
curse as we
do.
He does not
inherit Adam's
guilt as we
do.
He's not
born with
this big
banner hanging
over his
life of
unable to
please God.
He is not
born as a
slave to sin.
No,
he's born with
the potential
to be the
second Adam,
the one who
will perfectly
obey in our
place where
all of us
have failed.
In fact,
he is born
as the true
and better
Israel.
He is the
one who will
keep covenant
where they and
where we all
have broken
covenant with
the Lord.
Christ Jesus
is born not
to do away
with the law
but to
fulfill it
and in
doing so
to earn by
right all
the blessings
of the
covenant.
Here's what
makes the
gospel so
shocking.
Church,
what Jesus
has earned
by right,
he gives
to us
by grace
and we
receive it
all not
by obeying,
not by
working,
not by
laboring,
not by
earning,
we receive
all of his
righteousness,
all of the
blessings of
God simply
by coming to
him in
faith.
The child
that we
celebrate at
Christmas
came to
die,
to take
away our
curse that
we've earned
for our
disobedience,
but church,
we need to
also know
he came to
live perfectly
in our
place.
We need
both for
our salvation.
We need
his death
in our
place,
we need
his resurrection
but we
also need
his sinless
life.
We need
him to
take our
curse but
we also
need him
to provide
our blessing.
That's
exactly what
he came
to do,
that's what
we celebrate
with his
arrival here
at Christmas
in Jesus
Christ.
God has
given to
us freely
what he
demands of
us,
namely the
perfect
holiness,
perfect
righteousness,
what the
law demands,
the gospel
supplies.
Friend,
apart from
him,
you know
what we
are?
We,
like Israel,
are slaves
in a
truer and
a greater
way.
we are
slaves to
sin,
but in
him,
in him
by faith,
we are
redeemed,
we are
brought out,
we are
plucked out
and rescued
from slavery,
we're brought
out of
darkness.
Apart from
him,
we are
enemies of
God,
destined for
wrath,
but in
him,
we are
his treasured
possession.
The very
bride of
Christ.
He loves
us and
gave himself
up for
us,
he cherishes
us and
watches over
us and
cares for
us and
will do
so for
the rest
of
eternity.
Apart from
him,
we are
just like
every other
sinner born
in Adam,
but in
him,
we are
his distinct
people,
chosen by
grace.
out of
all the
peoples of
the earth,
we are
uniquely and
distinctly
his.
We are
his own
children and
he loves
us with a
special
fatherly
love.
Apart from
him,
we belong to
the kingdom
of darkness,
but in
him,
we are
a kingdom.
We are
citizens and
saints of
the kingdom
of God.
We are
ambassadors of
the king,
the one to
whom all
authority in
heaven and
on earth
has been
given,
has given
that authority
to us.
The church
is an
embassy of
the kingdom
of heaven
here on
earth.
We here
as we
gather is
a foretaste
of glory
of the
kingdom to
come.
Apart from
him,
we cannot
know God,
but in
him,
we are a
kingdom of
priests.
We offer
ourselves up
as living
sacrifices,
holy and
pleasing to
him,
our spiritual
act of
worship.
We offer
up the
sacrifice of
our lives.
We offer
up a
sacrifice of
thanksgiving.
We offer
up the
sacrifice of
our very
own hearts.
We live
in communion
with the
Lord.
We are
the temple
of the
living God,
his own
spirit dwelling
within us.
Apart from
him,
we are
ruined by
the curse
of sin,
unable to
please him,
but in
him,
despite all
our faults,
church,
we are a
holy nation,
shining like
lights in
the midst of
a crooked
and twisted
generation,
reflecting the
holiness of
the glory of
God in the
world.
We are being
remade into
the image of
Christ who
is the image
of God.
And as we
look to him
who obeyed
for us in
our place,
we then look
to his
word and
the law
to guide
us and
direct us
on the
way.
So 1 Peter
tells us,
as you
come to
him,
a living
stone rejected
by men,
but in the
sight of God
chosen and
precious,
you yourselves
like living
stones are
being built
up as a
spiritual
house to
be a holy
priesthood,
to offer
spiritual
sacrifices,
acceptable to
God through
Jesus Christ.
Listen to
what he says
to believers.
You are a
chosen race,
a royal
priesthood,
a holy
nation,
a people
for his
own possession
that you
may proclaim
the excellencies
of him who
called you out
of darkness
into his
marvelous light.
Once you
were not a
people,
now you are
God's people.
Once you
had not
received mercy,
now you
have received
mercy.
Every promise
made is
fulfilled in
this baby
in the
manger and
given to
us by
grace,
simply through
faith in
him,
all because
this child
was born
to live,
to die,
to rise
for sinners
like us.
and there's
a poem
that I
think about
often,
I know
I've quoted
it here
before by
John Bunyan.
Run,
John,
run,
the law
demands,
but gives
us neither
feet nor
hands.
Far
better news
the gospel
brings,
which bids
us fly
and gives
us wings.
Christmas
is the
announcement
that Christ
has come
to fulfill
the law's
demands
and to
earn for
us the
blessing of
perfect
obedience.
He has
come to
give what
the law
demands.
Friend,
have you
come to
him?
Are you
walking with
him in
holiness?
righteousness?
As you
look to
the law,
do you
use it
as a
ladder
to climb
your way
to God
by your
own effort
to try
and to
strive
and to
earn
and to
work?
Or do
you see
yourself
in it
as a
mirror
showing
your
weakness
and
ultimately
Christ's
strength?
Do you
lean on
your own
righteousness
this
Christmas?
Or have
you received
true
righteousness
through faith
in Jesus
Christ?
are you
resting
and rejoicing
this Christmas
in the
true
promise
of perfect
righteousness
apart from
the law
by faith
in Christ?
Let's pray.
Father,
it is good
news that
the righteousness
of God
has been
manifested
apart from
the law.
It is
good news
that Jesus
has come
to fulfill
the law
in our
place.
it is
good news
that Christ
has come
to take
away our
curse
and our
shame
and to
replace it
with all
the blessings
of God.
It is
good news
that we
can't earn
it,
Lord,
but we
simply
receive it
by faith.
We pray,
Lord,
would we
look to
you with
eyes of
faith?
Would we
give you
the praise
that you
do for
this work
of redemption?
We pray
this in
Jesus'
name.
Amen.