Law and Grace

Psalter

Psalm 14 NRSV

To the leader. Of David. 1 Fools say in their hearts, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds; there is no one who does good. 2 The Lord looks down from heaven on humankind to see if there are any who are wise, who seek after God. 3 They have all gone astray, they are all alike perverse; there is no one who does good, no, not one. 4 Have they no knowledge, all the evildoers who eat up my people as they eat bread, and do not call upon the Lord? 5 There they shall be in great terror, for God is with the company of the righteous. 6 You would confound the plans of the poor, but the Lord is their refuge. 7 O that deliverance for Israel would come from Zion! When the Lord restores the fortunes of his people, Jacob will rejoice; Israel will be glad.

Psalm 139:1–6 NRSV

1 O Lord, you have searched me and known me. 2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from far away. 3 You search out my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways. 4 Even before a word is on my tongue, O Lord, you know it completely. 5 You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me. 6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is so high that I cannot attain it.

Psalm 139:

Psalm 139:13–18 NRSV

13 For it was you who formed my inward parts; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. 14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; that I know very well. 15 My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. 16 Your eyes beheld my unformed substance. In your book were written all the days that were formed for me, when none of them as yet existed. 17 How weighty to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! 18 I try to count them—they are more than the sand; I come to the end—I am still with you.

Opening Prayer

God of abundant grace, may your Holy Spirit be with us now as we worship you this day. Open our eyes to truly see one another, that we might discover your presence in the smile of a neighbor. Open our ears to the needs of the world, that we might hear your wisdom in the words spoken around us. And open our hearts to your grace and love, that we might find guidance and strength for the journey, for ourselves and for one another. Amen.

Pastoral Prayer

Almighty God, our refuge in the troubles of the world, you look upon us from heaven and you deliver your people. To you, immortal, invisible, only-wise God, be honor and glory for ever. Our worship is offered to your glorious Name; bless it by your presence with us this day.

You are the God whose abundance is beyond all knowing. Your grace is sufficient for every need and we are never left destitute. Still, we look at our lives from a perspective of poverty. We worry about what we have and fear that others may seek to take it from us. How easily we forget that we, too, were lost and you came to find us. Blot out our transgressions of judging others; wipe away our sin of condemnation. Give us a sense of joy and thankfulness for what we have in place of worrying about what others may receive.

How easily do we come to you for words of comfort and enlightenment. How quickly do we ask for you healing of our wounds. We accept it when you give us what we want, but we do not take up the fullness of discipleship when we realize how much it costs. For trying to pick and choose from your bounty, for the selfishness that denies commitment, for our sin and rejecting you, forgive us, good Lord. Shape and form us into the image for which we were made that we might give delight.

The Holy Spirit has enabled your people throughout the ages to share faith and bring

Your Spirit goes before us, leading us into new life in Christ Jesus. Fill us with that same grace that we may seek out the lost and bring them to a saving knowledge of your Son, that heaven may rejoice over each one who repents.

Your love extends to all who are knocked down by the hot winds of affliction. We hold before you many whom we have named and others who remain named in our hearts. Our love reaches out to those whose body aches, whose heart is weary or frightened, whose mind is confused or coast down. In your healing mercy, give strength to all those who suffer. Fill them with rejoicing at your making them whole.

You have transformed us. Form us anew to accept your will as we pray in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, who taught us to pray, by saying...

Scripture Lesson

1 Timothy 1:1–20 NRSV

1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope, 2 To Timothy, my loyal child in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. 3 I urge you, as I did when I was on my way to Macedonia, to remain in Ephesus so that you may instruct certain people not to teach any different doctrine, 4 and not to occupy themselves with myths and endless genealogies that promote speculations rather than the divine training that is known by faith. 5 But the aim of such instruction is love that comes from a pure heart, a good conscience, and sincere faith. 6 Some people have deviated from these and turned to meaningless talk, 7 desiring to be teachers of the law, without understanding either what they are saying or the things about which they make assertions. 8 Now we know that the law is good, if one uses it legitimately. 9 This means understanding that the law is laid down not for the innocent but for the lawless and disobedient, for the godless and sinful, for the unholy and profane, for those who kill their father or mother, for murderers, 10 fornicators, sodomites, slave traders, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to the sound teaching 11 that conforms to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which he entrusted to me. 12 I am grateful to Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because he judged me faithful and appointed me to his service, 13 even though I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and a man of violence. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, 14 and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 15 The saying is sure and worthy of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the foremost. 16 But for that very reason I received mercy, so that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display the utmost patience, making me an example to those who would come to believe in him for eternal life. 17 To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen. 18 I am giving you these instructions, Timothy, my child, in accordance with the prophecies made earlier about you, so that by following them you may fight the good fight, 19 having faith and a good conscience. By rejecting conscience, certain persons have suffered shipwreck in the faith; 20 among them are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have turned over to Satan, so that they may learn not to blaspheme.

Introduction

1. We are saved by faith, not the law.

Ephesians 2:8–9 NRSV

8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God— 9 not the result of works, so that no one may boast.

2. Christ brings the law to its proper place in the life of the believer.

Romans 3:20 NRSV

20 For “no human being will be justified in his sight” by deeds prescribed by the law, for through the law comes the knowledge of sin.

3. The law is valid and fulfilled by believers through Christ.

Ezekiel 11:19–20 NRSV

19 I will give them one heart, and put a new spirit within them; I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh, 20 so that they may follow my statutes and keep my ordinances and obey them. Then they shall be my people, and I will be their God.

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Conclusion

Benediction

My friends, go into the world: knowing that it is God who loves us, Christ who strengthens us, and the Holy Spirit who empowers us for service. Go in peace and joy! Amen.