Ruin and Restoration

They shall keep my laws and my statutes in all my appointed feasts, and they shall keep my Sabbaths holy. Ezekiel 44:24

D.L. MOODY
No nation has ever prospered that has trampled the Sabbath in the dust. Show me a nation that has done this and I will show you a nation that has got in it the seeds of ruin and decay. I believe that Sabbath desecration will carry a nation down quicker than anything else. Adam brought marriage and Sabbath with him out of Eden, and neither can be disregarded without suffering.

ERWIN LUTZER
Why is it that the law was given? There are three reasons. The first is to reveal the holiness of God. The word holy means separate and pure. God is entirely beyond us and unlike us. Holiness is the only attribute in the entire Bible that is elevated to a third degree, “Holy, holy, holy!”
The second reason for the law is to reveal humanity’s sinfulness. Once we get a glimpse of God’s holiness, nothing is in more stark contrast than our sinfulness.
The third purpose of the law is to reveal our need for grace because a great chasm exists between God and humanity. Our ability to approach God is based squarely on His grace, not on our ability to keep the law. In God’s white light of holiness, He cannot accept any of our good works, polluted and tainted as they are.
Under the new covenant of grace, we stand where the fire of God’s judgment has already fallen. We must flee to Jesus Christ, who alone can restore us to a holy God. The full counsel of God keeps us from losing sight of God’s holiness, our sinfulness, and our need for His grace.

PRAYER
Father, show me my need for your grace through Christ.

REFLECTION QUESTIONS
What thoughts and feelings arise when you think of God’s law? What does that reveal about the state of your heart?

How has God’s Word increased you love for Him?