God
is gracious.
He
gave a spirit to mankind (Gen 2:7)
and Adam afterwards became a living being.
Living beings not only live by physical food,
but live by spiritual food and gain eternal life (Gen 2:16-17).
The flesh is dust and cannot live eternally (Gen 3:19).
Only the spirit can live eternally (Rev 12:17),
and God’s command is the food of eternal life (Jn 12:50).
However, man sinned against it (Gen 3:11-12).
Instead of living eternally, he eternally perished.
So God could finally give eternal life,
He sent the Word of eternal life and the Word became flesh.
He is Jesus Christ (Jn 1:14).
The Law is a fleshly ordinance given through passive commands
and aims at keeping your own righteousness (Mt 5:17-19).
The Gospel of grace is an active command (Mt 5:20)
and aims at saving the world through God’s righteousness (Mt 28:19-20).
The Law and the Prophets teach you only to save yourself (Mt 11:13)
whilst the Gospel of grace saves you, your neighbor and people of the world (Mt 11:4-5).
The kingdom of heaven is taken by the violent.
Do not wait for God to save you, and try to gain salvation (Mt 6:13).
○ The Law and the Prophets are commands to cultivate yourself,
whilst grace and truth are commands to save your spirit.
○ Take it by violence to save your spirit.
Actively strive to gain it from God.
○ You must strive to pray, believe,
receive the Holy Spirit, obey,
be baptized, abandon the past, and seek the new.
※ Fulfill God’s holiness,
unite with Jesus’ resurrection,
and have faith to be martyred by the Holy Spirit’s working.