God's wonderful Masterpiece!

Exodus 20:1-21     The Ten Commandments

So what was God thinking?!   Did God actually think that we would be able to live by the commandments?!   Think about it.   God created us.  God watched us since Adam and Eve in the garden.   We were never able to do the right things for very long.  So why create a list of such lofty laws?

 If God wanted to make us feel the guilt and convict us of sin then  the Ten commandments would surely do it!  But this week I don’t want to look at the law as a list of impossible expectations.   I could easily blog about how our world breaks law after law after law.   It could be depressing.   No today I want us to look upon the 10 commandments like a beautiful masterpiece.   It's a work of Art!  A picture of a perfect life.  A portrait of the single focused and truly blessed life and it’s only appropriate that these should be proudly displayed, thoughtfully admired and prayerfully followed.

Some people think about God as a great judge and the Ten Commandments as the rules of life.   Some fear that judge and when they read our text for this week they feel beaten down and defeated.  But I don’t believe the Law was ever meant to do that.    It was meant to be a beautiful image of how to walk with God!   Yes it is a goal to strive after,  but what God wants most is not our sacrificial efforts to obey each law out of fear of punishment.     God wants our love and as we obey we display that love.   In addition as we obey we avoid the traps of sin which come to destroy us.   Think about it… isn’t it wonderful that God has given us a picture to follow?  Will we perfectly obey the laws?  We all know the answer to that question.    Remember God paints masterpieces.  We tend to finger paint and mix up all the colors.

So today think about the law as a beautiful portrait of a life well lived.   Remember we are not saved by obedience to the law.  If that were the case no one would find salvation.   We are saved by Grace.  Ephesians 2:8 and 9 reminds us, ^"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast." NIV 

Things to Ponder:   I invite you to admire the commandment as you would a great portrait and ask God to paint strokes in your life which cover your imperfections and recreate you into His masterpiece by the power and love of the Spirit.