{"id":3899,"date":"2026-08-23T15:45:18","date_gmt":"2026-08-23T22:45:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/?p=3899"},"modified":"2026-08-23T15:45:21","modified_gmt":"2026-08-23T22:45:21","slug":"the-law-points-to-the-gospel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/2026\/08\/23\/the-law-points-to-the-gospel\/","title":{"rendered":"The Law Points To The Gospel"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">8\/17\/2026<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-vimeo wp-block-embed-vimeo wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"8\/16\/2026 Law Points to Gospel\" src=\"https:\/\/player.vimeo.com\/video\/1218907107?dnt=1&amp;app_id=122963\" width=\"700\" height=\"394\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"autoplay; fullscreen; picture-in-picture; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sermon Info<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u2022 Speaker \/ Pastor: Rev. Douglas Dill<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Scripture References<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u2022 Exodus (Sinai \/ prologue) &#8211; used to show God establishing a relationship: \u201cI am the Lord your<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">God\u201d and the giving of the commandments after Israel left Egypt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u2022 Matthew &#8211; recounted the Pharisees testing Jesus and the discussion of the greatest<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">commandment (love God and neighbor).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u2022 John 13:34 &#8211; quoted as the new commandment: \u201clove one another\u201d and framed as the central<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">ethic for Christians.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u2022 Torah \/ Old Testament (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy) &#8211; cited to explain<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">where the 613 laws come from and how different traditions count commandments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Central Message<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u2022 The Law is good and reveals what is right, but it also shows our need for the Gospel. Jesus is<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">the Gospel \u2014 he fulfills the law, takes our sin on the cross, and establishes a new covenant of<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">relationship. Living by the gospel means loving God and loving others, which in turn fulfills the<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">commandments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Key Points<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u2022 1. The law tells us what to do and not to do; it is good and keeps people safe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u2022 1. Different perspectives count commandments differently (Ten, Twelve, 613 laws); context<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">matters but the exact count is not the core issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u2022 1. For Jews the law\/covenant defines identity; Gentiles (Christians) live under the new<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">covenant through Jesus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u2022 1. Jesus is the gospel: he fulfills the law by taking sin on the cross and provides a new<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">covenant and relationship with God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u2022 1. The law and gospel point to each other (Lutheran emphasis): the law reveals need, the<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">gospel shows grace; both shape faith and life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u2022 1. The greatest commandments (love God with all you are; love your neighbor as yourself) and<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">John 13:34\u2019s command to \u201clove one another\u201d summarize and fulfill the law.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Notable Quotes<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u2022 &gt; &#8220;Jesus is the gospel, our good news.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u2022 &#8220;The law points to the gospel; the gospel points back to the law.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u2022 &#8220;You are saved, period.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u2022 &#8220;&gt;A new commandment I give you: to love one another.&#8221; (John 13:34)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Application<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u2022 Live by the gospel: trust Jesus\u2019 work (he fulfills the law) instead of trying to earn salvation by<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">perfect law-keeping.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u2022 Make love your practical rule: loving God and loving neighbor brings the commandments to life<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">and prevents stealing, murder, etc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u2022 Share the good news and make disciples (the Great Commission): baptize and teach in the<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">name of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u2022 Avoid a &#8220;cafeteria&#8221; approach to faith; let the covenant relationship with God shape consistent,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">grace-filled obedience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Prayer Points<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u2022 Thanks to Heavenly Father for sending Jesus and for the relationship established through him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u2022 Gratitude for Jesus as the Son who makes the gospel and new covenant possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u2022 A corporate amen and blessing over God\u2019s people for provision and guidance (manna, water,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">protection in the Exodus narrative).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Reflection Questions<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u2022 1. Who were you looking for when you came here (what do you seek spiritually)?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u2022 1. How are you saved \u2014 by law or by the gospel?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u2022 1. If Jesus has made a relationship with you, how will you live your life differently?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u2022 1. Are you going to live through the gospel and show love to others as Jesus commanded?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u2022 1. Which commandments or practices tempt you toward a &#8220;cafeteria&#8221; faith, and how can love<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">reframe them?<\/p>\n\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>8\/17\/2026 Sermon Info \u2022 Speaker \/ Pastor: Rev. Douglas Dill Scripture References \u2022 Exodus (Sinai \/ prologue) &#8211; used to show God establishing a relationship: \u201cI am the Lord your God\u201d and the giving of the commandments after Israel left Egypt. \u2022 Matthew &#8211; recounted the Pharisees testing Jesus and the discussion of the greatest &#8230; <span class=\"more\"><a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/2026\/08\/23\/the-law-points-to-the-gospel\/\">[Read more&#8230;]<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3900,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_seo_schema_type":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[57,76,246,102,78,262,5,14,329,83,39],"tags":[],"class_list":["entry","post","publish","author-admin","post-3899","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-bible","category-commandment","category-commandments","category-god","category-gospel","category-jew","category-law","category-love","category-relationship","category-sermon","category-sin-2"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p2m6h5-10T","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":3117,"url":"https:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/2023\/07\/05\/honor-your-mother-and-father\/","url_meta":{"origin":3899,"position":0},"title":"Honor Your Mother and Father","author":"Douglas Dill","date":"July 5, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"7-2-2023 The Commandments Sermon Series Ephesians 6:1-4 (NIV)Exodus 20:1-2, 8-12 (NIV)Matthew 15:5-9 (NIV)","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Caring&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Caring","link":"https:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/category\/caring\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":3907,"url":"https:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/2026\/08\/24\/tuned-into-god\/","url_meta":{"origin":3899,"position":1},"title":"Tuned Into God","author":"Douglas Dill","date":"August 24, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"8\/23\/2026 https:\/\/vimeo.com\/1220646959?share=copy&fl=sv&fe=ci Sermon Info \u2022 Speaker \/ Pastor: Rev. 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