S4: Week 13 Day 5: Applying Exodus 20:1-17 & Matthew 5:17-20

Summary

A Year in the Bible with Daily Grace
Episode: Season 4, Week 13, Day 5
Title: Applying Exodus 20:1-17 & Matthew 5:17-20
Release Date: March 28, 2025
Hosts: Beth and Alexa

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Introduction

In the Season 4 episode of A Year in the Bible with Daily Grace, hosted by Beth and Alexa from The Daily Grace Co., listeners delve into the practical application of two pivotal scripture passages: Exodus 20:1-17 and Matthew 5:17-20. This episode, marking the final study day of Week 13 in the "Christ in All of Scripture" reading plan, focuses on understanding how the Old Testament laws intersect with Jesus' teachings in the New Testament and how believers can apply these insights to their daily lives.

Exploring the Intersection of the Law and Grace

Beth and Alexa begin by celebrating the milestone of reaching the last day of Week 13, encouraging listeners for their commitment to the year-long study. They emphasize the transformative journey of recognizing Christ's presence throughout the entire Bible story.

Key Discussion Points:

1. Grace Without the Necessity of Law-keeping:

   • Beth articulates a foundational truth about Christian faith: believers are not required to adhere strictly to the law to earn God's favor. Instead, God's favor is unconditionally given through Christ's sacrifice.
   • Quote [01:36]:
     "I don't need to keep the law in order to earn God's favor. He has already showed me his favor through Christ and there's nothing that I can do to change his opinion on me. Because when he looks at me, he doesn't see me, he sees Christ who loves me and gave Himself for me."

2. The Law as a Guide for Living:

   • While the law does not earn salvation, it remains essential as a moral compass guiding believers on how to live purposefully and fulfill their God-given potential.
   • Beth shares wisdom from her mentor, highlighting that good deeds are intrinsically valuable for personal flourishing and societal well-being.
   • Quote [02:23]:
     "The law is still important... it shows me how to live out the life that I was created for... I still do need to seek to follow God's commandments. And I do that for their own sake because I know that they're good for me and for our society."

3. Freedom in Obedience:

   • Alexa echoes the sentiment of finding freedom in following God's commandments, emphasizing that obedience stems from recognizing the inherent good in God's laws rather than a desire to earn favor.

   • She underscores the importance of aligning actions with God's will to experience sanctification and positively impact those around us.

   • Quote [03:15]:
     "I want to remember that more... to keep seeing God's commands as for my good. Because it's by that obedience, through the power of the Holy Spirit, that I'm being sanctified and being a blessing to those around me."

Practical Applications for Believers

Beth outlines two primary ways to apply the study's insights:

1. Embrace God's Grace:

   • Accept that salvation and God's favor are unearned gifts through Christ. This realization frees believers from the burden of trying to adhere perfectly to the law to gain acceptance.

2. Live Out the Law for Personal and Societal Good:

   • Follow God's commandments not out of obligation but because they are inherently good and beneficial. This approach fosters personal growth and contributes positively to society.

   • Quote [02:12]:
     "That's so freeing... it helps us to obey God because we do so without this pressure to earn God's favor."

Reflective Prayer Prompts

As the episode concludes, Beth leads listeners into a time of prayer, encouraging them to internalize the study's lessons:

• Thanksgiving:
  "Thank God for graciously giving us the law to show us how we desperately need Him."

• Praise:
  "Praise Him for the freedom and salvation that we have in Christ."

• Supplication:
  "Ask Him to help you see his commandments as good things to help you flourish, rather than mandates that earn his favor."

Conclusion

Beth and Alexa wrap up the episode by expressing gratitude to listeners for their dedication and participation in the study. They invite listeners to engage with additional resources available on thedailygraceco.com and to follow AlyGrace Podcast and The Daily Grace Co. on Instagram for further Bible study materials and encouragement.

• Quote [04:26]:
  "Thank you for listening to today's episode of A Year in the Bible with Daily Grace... We're looking forward to studying God's Word with you again tomorrow."

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Notable Quotes

• Beth [01:36]:
  "I don't need to keep the law in order to earn God's favor. He has already showed me his favor through Christ and there's nothing that I can do to change his opinion on me. Because when he looks at me, he doesn't see me, he sees Christ who loves me and gave Himself for me."

• Beth [02:23]:
  "The law is still important... it shows me how to live out the life that I was created for... I still do need to seek to follow God's commandments. And I do that for their own sake because I know that they're good for me and for our society."

• Alexa [03:15]:
  "I want to remember that more... to keep seeing God's commands as for my good. Because it's by that obedience, through the power of the Holy Spirit, that I'm being sanctified and being a blessing to those around me."

• Beth [03:54]:
  "Thank God for graciously giving us the law to show us how we desperately need Him. Praise him for the freedom and salvation that we have in Christ. Ask him to help you see his commandments as good things to help you flourish, rather than mandates that earn his."

Resources and Further Study

Listeners are encouraged to explore additional studies, journals, and resources to deepen their understanding and love for God and His Word by visiting thedailygraceco.com. Engaging with the community on social platforms provides ongoing support and enrichment for their spiritual journey.

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This episode of A Year in the Bible with Daily Grace offers profound insights into living a life anchored in Christ's grace while valuing the moral guidance provided by God's commandments. Beth and Alexa effectively bridge the Old and New Testament teachings, fostering a holistic understanding of scripture that empowers believers to live purposefully and joyfully.

Transcript

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[Beth]

A Year in the Bible With Daily Grace. This year we want to spend a few minutes with you every day walking through our study Christ in All of Scripture Each week we will dive deeply into two passages of scripture, one from the Old Testament and one from the new, seeing how they connect and point to Jesus.

[Alexa]

Whether you are doing the study yourself or just following along with us here, we are hopeful that through studying these passages each week, you will see how Christ is not only present throughout the entire Biblical story, but the center of it. Hey everyone. Welcome back to A Year in the Bible. My name is Alexa and I'm here with my co host Beth.

[Beth]

Hey everyone, today is the last day of week 13 so we are talking about how to apply the passages that we've been studying from Exodus and Matthew. And can you believe that this is the last study day in volume one of Christ in all scripture? So great job to all of you listening who have completed 1/4 of this year long study. That is not a small task.

[Alexa]

Yeah. And I hope that encourages you to keep going too. Okay Beth, would you share with us how you plan on applying what we learned this week?

[Beth]

Yeah, I think there are two main applications that I've pulled from this for my own life and they work together. The first one is that I don't need to keep the law in order to earn God's favor. He has already showed me his favor through Christ and there's nothing that I can do to change his opinion on me. Because when he looks at me, he doesn't see me, he sees Christ who loves me and gave Himself for me. The first one is that I don't need to keep the law to earn God's favor. He has already showed me his favor through Christ and there is nothing I can do to change his opinion of me. Because when he looks at me he sees Christ who loves me and who gave his life for me.

[Alexa]

Yeah, that's so freeing. And I think that helps us to obey God because we do so without this pressure to earn God's favorite Okay, you said there were two applications so what's the second?

[Beth]

The second point is actually in response to that. So we did spend a lot of time this week talking about how God actually cares about the law. He didn't just send Jesus to do away with it or say it doesn't matter. He sent him so that we wouldn't need the law to save us. But the law is still important. Not because it earns God's favor or earns my salvation, but because it shows me how to live out the life that I was created for. I had an old mentor who used to always ask his students, why do we do good things? And his answer was always, because they are good. They are good for us and they allow us to live out our purpose and our potential and to live life to the fullest. So while I don't need to keep the law to please God or to earn salvation, I still do need to seek to follow God's commandments. And I do that for their own sake because I know that they're good for me and that we all, even non Christians, can recognize that the Ten Commandments are good for us and for our society.

[Alexa]

Why do we do good things? Because they are good. I love that and I want to remember that more. In my pursuit of obedience to the Lord, it's so easy sometimes to do what I want to do, but more often than not, what I do isn't good for me and it might not be good for others as well. So that all just encourages me to keep seeing God's commands as for my good. Because it's by that obedience, through the power of the Holy Spirit, that I'm being sanctified and being a blessing to those around me. Okay, so we're going to enter into a time of prayer now. Beth, go ahead and lead us through some prayer prompts for us to respond to.

[Beth]

Thank God for graciously giving us the law to show us how we desperately need Him. Praise him for the freedom and salvation that we have in Christ. Ask him to help you see his commandments as good things to help you flourish, rather than mandates that earn his.

[Alexa]

Favorite thanks so much for joining us today and this week. We're looking forward to being with you next week and learning more about seeing Christ in all of Scripture. Thank you for listening to today's episode of A Year in the Bible with Daily Grace. Be sure to check out our show notes for some helpful links and resources related to today's episode, and make sure you're following aalygrace Podcast and hedaily Grace Co on Instagram for more Bible study resources and encouragement. We're looking forward to studying God's Word with you again tomorrow. Bye, friends.