Tuesday and Wednesday of this week, I introduced the idea of grace with a diagram.  We will build on that now, so if you missed it, go back and watch Tuesday and Wednesday’s content.

You may be familiar with the Ten Commandments.  They are an important part of the tracks that God has created for our lives, the guidelines that keep us from self-destructing.

Where did they come from? They are over 3400 years old.  God led the Israelites out of danger and slavery, then gave the laws by which this newly freed people were to organize their life together.  Of all these laws, the Ten Commandments come first and take most important place.

In a few minutes, please watch the attached video to hear the commandments in detail.  But first we need to know purpose first, to understand the commandments in their proper place…lest you come away from this thinking that Christianity is all about following a bunch of rules.

A common misconception is to make “Obey God’s laws” #1 as if it could qualify you for a life of knowing God.  Sometimes Christians communicate the rules like they are number one, having forgotten how they came to know the God who helps them keep those commandments.  Knowing God qualifies you to try and follow these commandments…God is working in and through his followers to help transform their lives from the inside out.

This was certainly true for Israelites.  God, in his love for the Israelites, saved them from slavery in Egypt by parting the red sea.  Only once they were safely on the other side of the sea from the Egyptians did he give them the commandments, and call them to live by those commandments in thanks for the gift he’d given them.

The 10 commandments answer the question: “How can I live to thank the God who has loved me so much?”  Not how can I behave to earn God’s love, or avoid his hate.  Not how can I get others to live by my rules?

Take a quick run through these commandments.

The Commandments deal with two things:

  1. Relationship with God
  2. Relationship with One Another.

The last commandment is unique, since it talks about contentment.  This one may seem a bit different from the others, and it is.  The others focus on our outward actions, what to do and not do, while this one focuses on our hearts, what to want and desire, and what not to.

God is in the transformation business.  He not only wanted to see the Israelites as a transformed society, but also to see the minds of all his created human beings transformed in this way.

The Bible contains many other guidelines, principles and laws.  We don’t have time to go through them all here.  Life is complex, and there is not a specific rule for everything.   But these principles, the 10 commandments, or even just the 2 commandments to love god and neighbour, or the principle of grace behind them all, can apply to any area of life.  I am happy to help you interpret and apply if you have a specific question.

Watch the 10 Commandments here: https://vimeo.com/8439038

Challenge: Show grace to someone today.  Give them a gift they don’t deserve.

Reminder:  Last week we talked about worship, and asked you to complete our online survey about worship here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/8TS7K93

Reminder: Earlier in this series, we saw the importance of reading the Bible together in sync, so our new daily bible readings start today in our mobile app and web site.

Read the Bible in Sync Today

Ryan Sim - May 7, 2013

Tuesday - Study It - Self Denial

Matthew 6:16-18 ESV - “And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. Fasting – willingly going without food, completely or just for a part of each day. It was a common practice in Jesus’ day. The Pharisees fasted twice a week. John the Baptist and his disciples fasted regularly. We know that the disciples of Jesus were notable for not fasting, although Jesus did, and expected they would after his death. And here – he seems to assume they will fast. He says, "When you fast." not "if you fast". So just like the last two weeks – Jesus is not simply commanding some religious observance, like generosity or prayer. He is teaching about how, and the motivations for, those observances. The inner motivations matter to him, not just the outer practices. And it’s important with fasting. Throughout the Bible, fasting was a means of self-denial or self-discipline, particularly in penitence for some sin in their life. Humbling ourselves for God. But the hypocrites made it something for others to see as well. There are a few ways to do that – look dishevelled, rub ashes on your face to look sickly, or cover your head in sackcloth. Like they were doing with their ostentatious public prayers, or their conspicuous generosity, they advertised their religiosity to the world. It makes no sense at all, because fasting is supposed to be an exercise of humility! Acting humbly, to engage in an outer sign of penitence and humility like fasting, and yet have no inner remorse or motivation to change our ways. They are actors – the very definition of a hypocrite. We do this all the time – in job interviews we don’t want to come across as a self-centered renegade, but want to sound like a team player, so we find ways to communicate how humble and effective we are at the same time. When people congratulate us, we downplay it – oh it was nothing. It’s become almost a joke that every Oscar winner needs to thank God for their success, whether they believe that or not. This year, though, people somehow looked beyond all those scripted moments, and fell in love with Jennifer Lawrence because her back stage interview came across as genuine, down to earth and honest. Question: Have you ever needed to prove your humility to someone? How did you do it?

Related Topics: Humility, Self-Denial | More Messages from Ryan Sim | Download Audio

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