I watched a YouTube video of a woman that owned a bridal boutique and the purpose of the video was to talk about refusing to sell a dress to a same sex couple. She said she couldn’t sell the dress to her because she was a Christian. Sigh…

“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.”
Matthew 5:17 NIV

What was the purpose of the Laws in Deuteronomy and Leviticus? The Law was instilled because Israel was a sinful people trying to commune with The Perfect and Holy God. They were always offering sacrifices to atone for their sins. Jesus came as the ultimate sacrifice. He set us free from the burden of trying to keep the Law, by doing what the Law couldn’t do. He is the atonement for sin in the world.

“For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.”
Matthew 5:20 NIV

If you are going to follow the Law then you need to follow all 613 rules. But Jesus said, I’m coming to give you a better system.

“It was about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two.”
Luke 23:44 NIV

“God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”
2 Corinthians 5:21 NIV

The high priest was the only person that could enter into the Holy of Holies (where God resides) to offer sacrifices and atone for the sins of the people. He could only enter into the Holy of Holies once a year. Jesus on the cross accomplished two things. The first was to eliminate the separation between God and people. We now have direct access to God. The second was at the cross Jesus took on the weight and punishment of our sins and we take on his righteousness. Our life is not free of sin; we have been declared in right standing with God.

“But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive in Christ even when we were dead in our transgressions- it is by grace you have been saved.
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith- and this is not from yourselves, it is a gift from God- not by works. So no one can boast.”
Ephesians 2:4;8-9 NIV

How do you get access to God and His righteousness? Through faith. We showed up with faith and our sinful lives and God said, here’s my righteousness. You are not free of sin, but you are in right standing with God. Then God begins to fill your life with grace, mercy, and favor.

“After removing Saul, he made David their king. God testified concerning him: ‘I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.”
Acts 13:22 NIV

Luke is mentioning King David as a man after God’s own heart. During his reign, King David is supposed to be at war with his army and he sees Bathsheba, a married woman, bathing. He has her brought to him and he sleeps with her. She becomes pregnant and once David can’t trick her husband into sleeping with her. He has Uriah, her husband, killed. The Old Testament is for us to learn about the character of God. It is full of stories of God using imperfect people for his glory.

“All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us.
2 Corinthians 5:18-20 NIV

What is the growing religion in today’s world? Atheism, no belief in God or religion. So, if I- as Christ’s ambassador- decide to randomly apply one rule to a stranger, will that person want to follow God? And I won’t even touch on the mental gymnastics of the logic she came to, to focus on one sexual sin. If you follow The Law then the only dresses you should be selling are to women that are virgins and this is her first wedding.

“All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were deserving of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions- it is by grace you have been saved.”
Ephesians 2:3-5 NIV

I came to faith and God began to heal my life. I showed up with my faith and God began to pour! He poured out His mercy, His grace, and His favor all over my life! And it began to heal me and change me. As Christ’s ambassador, I am the face of Jesus. I exemplify the change that God can do. When people meet me, they should have an encounter with God. When we read the New Testament, we are reading our assignment. God was healing the sick and forgiving sins. The Apostles were making disciples and growing the church. The people that were martyred for their faith were spreading The Gospel. My job is to introduce people to Jesus. He is the God of peace, The God of healing, reconciliation, and wholeness. I cannot judge your life. I should not judge your life, because everyday, I need a fresh portion of grace, mercy, and favor.

“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”
Lamentations 3:22-23 NIV