God's Promise of Guidance

Now What

Psalm 119:105 “105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”

The Kingdom work starts with the poor in spirit. The NLT says blessed are the poor who recognize their need for him. Their need for grace. Their’s is the Kingdom of Heaven. God’s kingdom people are a people saved by grace now what? How do we live in response to God’s grace at work in our lives?

Luke 9:23–24 “23 Then he said to them all, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. 24 For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will save it.”

To follow the work of grace, the work of the Holy Spirit, in our lives is a daily thing. We can choose to live a way that embodies the love and justice of Christ, that is salt and light, or we can live in such a manner that denies it. God didn’t leave us without guidance he sent his son Jesus Christ to teach us, he sent his Holy Spirit to remind us, how to live in response to the grace that is transforming our lives. God promises guidance, our challenge today is to deny ourselves and follow his guidance.

The Law

Jesus didn’t come to abolish the law and prophets but to accomplish their purpose. Think of this in terms of God’s promise of guidance. Laws and rules guide a community on how to live . The voice of the prophets told the people of God when they had violated God’s law, and called them to repentance. The grace of God that brings salvation, Jesus Christ, fulfills this. The work of grace, the work of the Holy Spirit in us transforms and enables us to follow God’s guidance.

Jesus has come to accomplish the law and the prophets. Jesus in Matthew twice simplifies for us what the law and the prophets are saying. The famous golden rule that is not exclusive to Christianity is found in Matthew 7:12 “12 “In everything do to others as you would have them do to you; for this is the law and the prophets.”

The greatest commandment also summarizes it for us. Matthew 22:34–40 “34 When the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together, 35 and one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. 36 “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” 37 He said to him, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the greatest and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.””

The the law and the prophets that Christ came to accomplish are summed up by the words on the front of our bulletin, words that should define who we are as a church, who we are as followers of Christ. Love God with all of your being while at the same time loving your neighbor. Or to simplify it further loving God by loving others.

Jesus in the verses that follow this section go on to talk about the law. Each section until chapter 6 starts with you have heard the commandment, but I say to you. To highlight a couple sections Jesus teaches about revenge in Matthew 5:38-42 and then teaches about loving our enemies in Matthew 5:43-48.

The people of God struggled and failed to live this law on their own. In fact if we set out on our own to live the law of love we will fail. This is where grace comes in.

Romans 7:14–25 “14 For we know that the law is spiritual; but I am of the flesh, sold into slavery under sin. 15 I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. 16 Now if I do what I do not want, I agree that the law is good. 17 But in fact it is no longer I that do it, but sin that dwells within me. 18 For I know that nothing good dwells within me, that is, in my flesh. I can will what is right, but I cannot do it. 19 For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do. 20 Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I that do it, but sin that dwells within me. 21 So I find it to be a law that when I want to do what is good, evil lies close at hand. 22 For I delight in the law of God in my inmost self, 23 but I see in my members another law at war with the law of my mind, making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. 24 Wretched man that I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? 25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with my mind I am a slave to the law of God, but with my flesh I am a slave to the law of sin.”

Romans 8:1–4 “1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. 3 For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do: by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and to deal with sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 so that the just requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.”

God promises Guidance. John 14:26 “26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you.”

The work of grace, the work of the Holy Spirit in and through us leads us to live the law of Love God calls us. This is the life of Holiness, this is the way we are salt and light in our world today. Our challenge today is to deny ourselves take up our cross and follow Christ.

Psalm 119:9–16 “9 How can young people keep their way pure? By guarding it according to your word. 10 With my whole heart I seek you; do not let me stray from your commandments. 11 I treasure your word in my heart, so that I may not sin against you. 12 Blessed are you, O Lord; teach me your statutes. 13 With my lips I declare all the ordinances of your mouth. 14 I delight in the way of your decrees as much as in all riches. 15 I will meditate on your precepts, and fix my eyes on your ways. 16 I will delight in your statutes; I will not forget your word.”