The first mountain we are going to look at is Mt. Sinai. After the children of Israel make the exodus from Egypt, they go to Mt. Sinai. This is where God covered the whole mountain with smoke and fire and the people weren’t to come near it. Moses was instructed by God to come to the top of the mountain. God gave him instruction on the mountain and wrote the 10 commandments on stone tablets himself for Moses to take to the people. (Exodus 20)10 laws! 10 rules! Should be easy to keep, right?

Wrong!

If you have broken one, you have broken all (James 2:10). I’ve place myself and my desires over God so many times, in effect, making myself a god. I’ve placed things or people as more important than God in my life, that is making it/them into an idol. I’ve dishonored my parents. I’ve lied to cover my butt. I’ve coveted what other people have had or did. I’ve hated someone, which according to Jesus is the same as murdering them. (Matthew 5:21,22) I’ve lusted after women, which is the same as committing adultery. (Also, according to Jesus in Matthew 5:27,28) So, how can we live by the law?

We can’t! (Romans 3:20)

Let’s look at the second mountain. Calvary was a hill outside of Jerusalem where the Romans would crucify its criminals. After a mock trial before the Sanhedrin and standing before Pilate, Jesus was sentenced to be crucified, even though Pilate could find him guilty of nothing. Jesus was crucified like a common criminal, of which there were two hung on either side of him. Those 10 laws given on Mt. Sinai, Jesus never broke one. He was totally innocent in the eyes of God, the government, and the religious establishment, who worked with the government they hated to have him crucified. That tree he hung on was in the shape of a cross.

Jesus died on that cross for those of us who couldn’t keep the 10 commandments. (That’s everyone.) He lived a perfect life and was killed, so that his righteousness could be given to us. (2 Corinthians 5:21) He took our sins, our law breaking, upon himself and gave us his perfection. This is just the beginning of the story, though. Once he died, he was buried in a tomb and then he was resurrected on the third day. (Colossians 3:1) This resurrection is the life that we are supposed to live in as Christians. We surrender our lives to Christ and he lives his life through us. (Galatians 2:20) We become a new creation. (2 Corinthians 5:17) We put off the old self, and put on the righteousness of Christ, the new self. (Colossians 3:10)

So, we have to choose. Are we going to live by the resurrected life of Christ (in His power), or are we going to try to live by laws, rules, and commandments (in our own power). We either live by grace through faith, or by legalism and performance. According to Galatians, no one ever has been justified by following the law. (Galatians 2:16) So, we must live by the resurrected life of Christ. He has given us his Spirit to indwell us and live his life through us.

Which mountain are you looking to for salvation? Performance based religion? or have you died with Christ and now live by his indwelling life and resurrection power?

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