Sid: My guest Pastor Robert Gay heard from God and God said, “That there is a connection between grace and the Ten Commandments.” And those that do not get the connection will not be walking with the intimacy that God needs to use them in the last next and greatest move of God’s Spirit which I can hear the rain drops coming right now. Now Robert, what does grace really mean?
Robert: Well; I think that traditionally that the definition that we have traditionally heard concerning grace is that it is unmerited favor. And while I wouldn’t necessarily argue with that when you really define the word grace and you can go to a Strong’s Concordance and it really means this “The Divine influence on the heart and it’s reflection in the life.” So the true definition of grace is God’s influence on your heart that is now reflected in the life that you are living. You know I have seen people before who say that they are living by grace but they are living a lifestyle of sin. And that’s not living by grace because when you live by grace there is going to be a reflection of Divine influence upon your heart. And so we have to realize is that grace does not separate us from the Ten Commandments. Grace does not liberate us from the Ten Commandments it actually empowers us to fulfill them and fulfill them at the next level that Jesus talked about.
Sid: Show me what you mean when you say that the Ten Commandments are prophetic picture.
Robert: Well, what we see happening whenever God delivers the children of Israel out of Egypt He says that He brings them out of Egypt He brings them out with just a mighty victory. And of course we know that is a type of what happens whenever somebody becomes Born Again they come out of Egypt. So we see a prophetic picture of God delivering the children out of Egypt and that is like somebody getting saved; they are coming out of Egypt; they are coming out of sin. The next thing that happens is that they cross the Red Sea. At the Red Sea the enemy is destroyed; again a prophetic picture of someone when they are Born Again; the enemy is put at your feet. That is what Paul said, “The devil is under our feet.” And then the next thing that happens is this God takes them to Mt. Sinai where there are actually commandments; the Ten Commandments specifically that are given. And so likewise the same thing happens with us and we see that in Jeremiah where he says “I will write a new covenant and I will write it upon their hearts.” So the same thing happens to those who are believers today. We come out of Egypt when we are saved; the enemy is placed underneath our feet. And them at the same time God now writes His law upon our hearts. So grace never separates us from the moral law that was contained in the Ten Commandments. Grace actually reinforces that law; as a matter of fact we’re actually tied to it now to a greater level now to even what those under the Old Covenant were. So the difference is now it’s not an external law that enforces us but it’s an internal law that begins to motivate us to do what’s right. To live holy; to walk in a life style of obedience to God and do what’s pleasing in His sight.
Sid: I’ve often wondered about in the Ten Commandments it talks about “Make no graven image. What does that mean?
Robert: Well, the heart of the Commandment is actually about worship. Because the reason that an idol would be created was for the purpose of worship. In other words, people were not just carving things just to have something to sit around the house. These images were carved and they were graven for the purpose of worship. It was an object that someone could actually look at and worshipping and paying homage to it. Well In the Old Testament of course we have the commandment of not making any idols and we’re not to bow down to them. So the heart of the commandment is about worship; we are not to worship idols we are to worship God. And it’s just so interesting what begins to take place within our lives as a result of our worship. Again Jesus when he was tempted by the devil; the devil tried to get Him to bow down to him. And he said “If You’ll bow down to me I’ll give you all the Kingdoms of this world; all the riches; all the wealth. Everything this world has to offer Jesus I’ll give it to you if You’ll bow down and worship me. And what Jesus actually says is “I’m commanded; it’s written that we are to only worship the Lord God and Him only will you serve.” Jesus was reaching back to the Ten Commandments; the second Commandment about idolatry and said “I’m going to worship God and Him only.” And I personally believe this Sid I don’t believe that Jesus just quoted that. But I believe Jesus on the heels of that He actually began to do that; I believe that Jesus began to worship. I believe that Jesus began to honor the Father. I believe that He had His on little praise break going on right there. And the Bible says that immediately after that the devil left Him. And fears great power that’s released in our life there’s supernatural power released within our lives whenever we begin to worship God. And again that is obedience to the 2nd Commandment whenever begin to worship Him.
Sid: Now tell me the gang member in your church that when you started talking about honoring your mother and father what happened.
Robert: Well, he had been a part of a gang for many many years and you know the Lord began to convict him and he began to get an understanding of the importance of serving God. And one of the first things that took place is he began to hear some of the teaching even about honoring your father and mother. As his relationship with his mother that had been estranged and had been very tense it began to be very restored. And God totally and miraculously restored this gentleman; totally and miraculously caused him to come into a place of newness of life as a result of this. And of course today he is married; today he’s got a steady job; today God’s blessing him and his family also. And again there’s always a blessing that is associated with obedience. I think many times Christians don’t realize that God does not command us to do things in order to cramp our style. His whole desire for the commandment; His whole purpose for the commandment is to produce blessing and breakthrough in our life.
Sid: You know speaking of blessing; you have an interesting teaching on the commandment on the New Covenant perspective of “Thou shall not covet.”
Robert: Oh, exactly and really that’s about making the eternal your focus; begin to focus on the eternal. And I’ve said this before because what happens many times is whenever people begin to see somebody else that has nice things they begin to covet it. And the way that covetousness begins to manifest is through jealousy and envy and many times thought greed and discontentment. And many times through greed, discontentment and ingratitude. And I’ve said this before and if you see somebody being blessed you need to learn to celebrate with their blessing. Because celebrating somebody else’s blessing will cause blessing to be attracted to your life. Sid one of the things that we see in the Word, in the Bible is that every commandment that we see in the Ten Commandments has it’s basis in reciprocating love. That means this; the commandment was given because of God’s love for us and is then fulfilled through out love for Him and our neighbor. See as you walk in love the commandments are fulfilled. Love is the reason the commandment was given and love is the way that we also fulfill the commandment. And also that causes our faith to walk at a higher level because the Bible says faith works by love. And as a result of that we begin to see God’s blessing poured out within our lives in a an unprecedented manner. And I’ll tell you obedience always has the reward of blessing; and if we will obey and we will do what God has commanded us to do there will be blessing; there will be supernatural occurrences that take place within our lives. Because God’s standing and He’s ready and He’s wanted to release those things but we have to align ourselves with His word and begin to live a lifestyle of obedience to Him.
Sid: Robert you believe and I believe the Ten Commandments when connected to grace result in supernatural blessings from God. Tell me how important it is at this moment in history to be following the Ten Commandments connected with grace.
Robert: Well, I believe as we get this revelation and understanding I believe that it begins to open up supernatural doors for us to see the manifest blessings of God in a way that we never had. And we see that God has always released blessing on the other side of obedience. He always releases supernatural things; supernatural victories manifested within the lives of those who will actually adhere to what He has said. And to be willing to say “Lord not my way; not my will but Yours be done and begin to walk that out there is great blessings in the lives of those that are willing to do that.
