“Now you are the body of Christ,
and each one of you is a part of it”
I Corinthians 12:27

Two Steps
April 27, 2020, by Matthew Sun

Matthew 5:17
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.”

The Sermon on the Mount shows us that Jesus never abolished the Law.  What Jesus did was to overthrow the distortion of the law caused by hypocrisy.  Jesus was a restorer. His fulfillment of the law was a kind of restoration.  Jesus perfectly restored God’s purpose and restored the beauty and loveliness of God’s intention.

By Jesus fulfilling the Law (Matt 5:21-48), Jesus gave us a picture of a restored world where there is not a place for murder, adultery, divorce, self-boast, or revenge.  Instead, in Jesus’ kingdom, there is an eagerness to forgive and a commitment to faithfulness.  In Jesus’ kingdom, pride and revenge are dying.

Jesus brought a change to our inner heart and our sinful disposition.
How could that happen?  How could Jesus change our inner self?
He has changed us through his great salvation.  This salvation can be summarized in two profound steps.

First, he decided to die for us. Jesus did not choose to simply cancel our debt of sin, but he chose instead to sacrifice himself for us. God made us know how terrible sin is through His Son’s death.  This is the first step.  He died for us.

And then Jesus rose for us.  This is the second step in God’s changing-us project (salvation). The resurrection of Jesus is good news.  Jesus’ resurrection proclaims to us that the power of sin and death could be destroyed.  Jesus defeated the power of sin for everyone who believes in him.

Jesus’ death and resurrection are the ultimate events of human history.
Through Jesus’ death and resurrection, the purposes of God were fulfilled.

Consider this truth.  Draw near to this truth.  Desire this truth.
You can personally experience restoration when you believe in Jesus’ death and resurrection.  Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved.

In Jesus, the perfect world which the Law and Prophets proclaimed was fulfilled.
And today, it continues to be fulfilled in the hearts and lives of those who love and follow Him.

Prayer
Father in heaven, show us the truth of your Son, our Savior.
Grant us faith to believe and to trust in Him.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.