Al Ngu,  January 27, 2023

Was listening to Tim Keller, exposition of the book of Exodus, some three steps I learnt, which is very very crucial for the understanding of the gospel.

So we do have to understand that there’s no way for us to be saved if it were not by the grace of God. Israel was delivered from the bondage of slavery from Egypt first before God gave them the 10 Commandments the law. The law was not given before the Exodus deliverance. In other words, the requirement to be God’s people comes after the deliverance thru exodus. What does that mean? That means God unconditionally saved them delivered them being the descendants of Abraham by the covenant that God made with Abraham.

So it is the same way for us. We are saved by faith by the grace of God only but that grace, the faith in God will turn into good works. So it’s not blind faith and being passive after being saved. Saved by grace of God must and will automatically turn into action good works or else it’s not authentic! We are not saved by good works however, we are saved by faith in Christ by the grace of God by his grace, only in which will result in good works. Faith in Christ and hence the grace of God in Christ Alone. After Israel was delivered, God gave them law to obey so they will become God’s treasured possession and God’s people. So you see that obedience of God’s word brings us into relationship with God. Without obedience first we can’t get into relationship with God. So the law was given to us so that we can enter into a relationship with God.

So everything is very relational. God gives given us the laws to have a relationship with us. However, without the law, relationship will be meaningless, because there is no directions, laws and requirements of what that relationship looks like. Because that relationship reflects the very personality, the character, the ontology of who God is. For instance, thou shall serve the Lord your God, that you love the Lord, your God with all your heart, all your soul. Because the Son of God himself loved us so much that he died on the cross thousands of years after Moses, to save us. He therefore loved us so much with all his heart of his mind. Would you be able to say that? Would you say that Christ loves us with all his heart and mind and soul ?

I mean to the point of surrender himself, and die and tortured and shamed on the cross? That is such a powerful understanding that the law was given to bring us into relationship with God.

So to conclude and summarize; first we are saved by the grace of God alone and grace of God by faith in him will produce good works. Second, after we got saved, we will have to look at the law of the word of God, the Bible, trying to obey the Bible by his power by his grace so that we can enter into a relationship with him. Relationship is impossible without obedience. Jesus learned obedience through sufferings as his journey to the cross. By the time he suffered, he was made perfect, and he became the source of salvation to all generations of the world today. So the book of the law, the word of God, the Bible shows us how to enter into a relationship, deeply personal, intimate relationship with God. Amen.