How the Law Becomes a Promise

This is from my former pastor Colin Smith. I heard him use this illustration back in 2000 and was reminded of it yesterday:

My friend Charles Price has a wonderful story about a man who was serving time in prison because of burglary. During his time in prison, he came to faith in Christ and was wonderfully converted.

When he was released, the first thing he wanted to do was go to church. On his first Sunday morning, he walked into a church and sat at the back. At the front of the church were two large plaques with the words of the 10 Commandments written on them. As he looked up, he felt so condemned. "You shall not steal." He was thinking to himself "That's the last thing I need! I don't need to be reminded of my failure!"

As the service went on, he kept looking up and reading these commandments. As he did, he realized that he was reading them in a new way. Previously he had read, "You shall not steal!" They sounded like words of condemnation. But now as he read, it seemed that God was saying to him, "You shall not steal." It sounded like a promise!

But how would this be possible for a man who has been stealing all his life? God says, "I will put my spirit in you and will move you to follow my decrees and keep my laws." (Ezekiel 36:26-27) When you come to Christ, God puts his Spirit in you. When that happens, it is possible to hear the commands of God as promised by the Spirit.

Where is your greatest battle today? Will you hear the promise of God?