God's laws do not call us to mere external actions. Instead, they go deeper, commanding us to reorder our internal attitudes before the holy splendor of our God.
God is about to reveal the standards and requirements that He mandates for His people, not to be tyrannical, but rather for their good. His desire is that “If you’ll only obey and walk in My ways then all would be well for You.”
Is Jesus the basis for your being made right before God, or is He not? Do you simply have to believe, or are there certain things you have to do to be saved?
Grace as opposed to law, which is the crux of the Christian faith, is the sixth of eight "spiritual essentials" (core aspects of the Christian faith) Ken Boa discusses with his Friday morning men's study at First Redeemer Church (Cumming, GA).
After the Israelites were delivered from the hand of the Egyptians and they were waiting to enter the Promised Land, God, through Moses, taught them how to live in their newfound freedom. These principles, summarized in the Ten Commandments, still have a profound impact on the world today.
All but three of Psalm 119's 176 verses mention the law of God or one of seven other synonyms for His law. Ken Boa shows four things this psalm encourages us to do to apply the truth of His law or Word to circumstances of adversity and suffering.
If I were asked to explain how Christianity is unique compared to every other religion in the world, I would say it boils down to this one verse: "By grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not a result of works so that no one may boast" (Ephesians 2:8–9).
It's vital to understand the uniquely Christian principle that we are not only saved by grace but also sanctified by grace. We're spiritually bankrupt before God, and it's only by His life in us that we grow up in Him.