“For I will be
merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will
I remember no more. In that he saith, A new [covenant], he hath made the first
old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old [is] ready to vanish away.”
(Heb 8:12-13 AV)
Chapter
eight is awesome. Paul begins to make
the summation that grace is better than law.
But even more than that, God decided to show grace to the sinner while
satisfying His wrath on Christ. This
chapter really moved me because Paul very adequately argues for the failure of
the law. Or rather, the failure of
Israel to follow the law. He lays the
foundation that law was given as a means to solidify the promise made to
Abraham. Law is not a bad thing. Law is a good thing. The promise was made to Abraham of a nation
and land that would live to please the LORD and by doing so, would be blessed
above all nations. The law was not given
merely to control a people. It was the
means by which the promise could be practically applied. We don’t understand that. We think law is a bad thing. We don’t like to be told what to do. That is not the intent of the law. Anyway, I digress. The point Paul, and more specifically the
LORD, is making here is that Israel could not, nor would not, keep the law even
though it was for their own good. So,
rather than satisfy His wrath upon them, He satisfied it upon Christ and gave
the covenant of grace to mankind! Oh,
what grace!
That
phrase above is exactly the opposite of what we deserve. Rather than taking vengeance on our
unrighteousness (which He has every right to do), He is merciful upon it! This is too wonderful for me! This is too great for the mind! How God can have mercy when He should have
judgment, I cannot comprehend. What
grace! What mercy!
It
makes our sin all the more sinful! Knowing
that God will show grace, we sin anyway.
It is awfully humbling to know that God’s mercy is never ending. It is always available to those who will
repent and turn. What love! What mercy!
What grace!
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