A Loving, Just, Gracious, and Renewing God

Moses, standing on the plains of Moab, addresses God's people. Moses tells them, you have been saved by God; now this is how you will live with that same God, here is God's righteous law.  In a similar way, Jesus takes the law and drills down to the heart: not simply adultery, but lust in one's heart violates the law; not simply murder, but hate in one's heart violates the law. When we face the scripture texts we have today, three points must be made: (1) God enters a relationship with us out of his own free love, but because of anything we did; (2) now that we're in a relationship with God, life will change; and (3) the law itself both drives us to a merciful forgiving savior and gives us the shape and content of the grace-filled, Spirit-driven life in Christ.  We have, therefore, a God who is loving, righteous, gracious, and renewing.