God’s Redemptive Work and Our Response 7

1. I have been studying theology for over 25 years, since I was 22 years old. When people and believers hear the word "theology," they often think it is one of the most difficult subjects in the world because it is abstract and hard to understand. This perception is understandable when we consider its content. Theology means "the study of God," and we cannot fully understand God through study alone. Studying theology simply helps us gain a basic understanding of God.

On the other hand, studying theology helps us understand our relationship with God because theology is the accumulated understanding of the relationship between God and believers. Its primary source is the Bible, which is the Word of God. If theologians do not read and study the Bible, they might not truly know God or have a relationship with Him. If theologians do not read the Bible while studying theology, their theology becomes lifeless.

I mention this because today's topic is about our relationship with God. When we read the Bible, we can see that God redeemed His people to restore their broken relationship with Him. This theme runs throughout the entire Bible, from the Old Testament to the New Testament. Therefore, considering God's redemptive work and our response to it, we will examine the restored relationship with God through Exodus chapters 19 and 20.

Exodus 19:1–3 NASB 2020

In the third month after the sons of Israel had gone out of the land of Egypt, on that very day they came into the wilderness of Sinai. When they set out from Rephidim, they came to the wilderness of Sinai and camped in the wilderness; and there Israel camped in front of the mountain. And Moses went up to God, and the Lord called to him from the mountain, saying, “This is what you shall say to the house of Jacob and tell the sons of Israel:

Exodus 19:4–6 NASB 2020

‘You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings, and brought you to Myself. ‘Now then, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine; and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the sons of Israel.”

2. Let us start talking about the outline of Exodus 19:1-6, 20:1-20.

I. God's Gracious Deliverance (Exodus 19:1-4)

A. The Journey to Sinai (19:1-3)

B. God's Reminder of His Grace (19:4)

II. God's Covenant Proposal (Exodus 19:5-6)

A. The Conditional Promise (19:5a)

B. The Threefold Identity (19:5b-6)

C. God's Universal Sovereignty (19:5c)

III. God's Holy Law (Exodus 20:1-20)

A. The Preamble (20:1-2)

B. The Ten Commandments (20:3-17)
- First Table (20:3-11)
- Second Table (20:12-17)

C. The People's Response (20:18-20)

3. Just as God called Israel to be His treasured possession, kingdom of priests, and holy nation, He calls us today to live out our identity as His redeemed people. The law is not a burden but a gift - showing us how to live in grateful response to His amazing grace. Through Christ, we have become what Israel was called to be, and we are empowered by His Spirit to obey not for salvation, but from salvation.

4. There are two essential elements that help us understand the church as an organization. The first is doctrine, and the second is tradition. These two components work together to form the foundation of the church. Doctrine provides the framework for how we can understand and build the church, establishing the core beliefs and teachings that guide our faith. Tradition, on the other hand, helps the church maintain and apply these doctrinal principles in practical ways throughout history.

Every first Sunday of the month, we celebrate Communion together. As you already know, I have been studying the Swiss Reformation, which was the historical period when Protestant churches began to emerge. The Swiss Reformation was led by reformers like Huldrych Zwingli in Zurich and Balthasar Hubmaier in Waldshut, who challenged the practices of the Catholic Church and established new theological foundations. The Alliance church is one of the Protestant denominations that traces its roots back to these Reformation movements of the 16th century. 

5. As we prepare for communion today, it's helpful to understand how different Christian traditions view this sacred act. Throughout history, three main perspectives have emerged: Transubstantiation (Catholic) teaches that the bread and wine become Christ's actual body and blood. Consubstantiation (Lutheran) believes Christ's presence coexists with the elements. Memorialism (Reformed) sees communion as a symbolic remembrance of Christ's sacrifice.

While we may understand Christ's presence differently, all traditions agree on this: communion connects us to Jesus and His redemptive work. Just as God called Israel to be His treasured possession at Mount Sinai, communion reminds us of our identity as God's redeemed people. When we partake together, we're not just remembering Christ's sacrifice—we're affirming our covenant relationship with Him and our calling to live as His holy people in the world.

Today, as we share in communion, let us remember that we are God's kingdom of priests, called to demonstrate His holiness through our restored relationship with Him.

6. Just as communion represents our relationship with Jesus and the church (the community of believers), the Bible clearly teaches us about the relationship between God and His people. In Exodus 19, God establishes a new identity for the Israelites three months after the first Passover. 

Exodus 19:1–2 HCSB

In the third month, on the same day of the month that the Israelites had left the land of Egypt, they entered the Wilderness of Sinai. After they departed from Rephidim, they entered the Wilderness of Sinai and camped in the wilderness, and Israel camped there in front of the mountain.

7. When the Israelites arrived at Mount Sinai, they had just escaped centuries of slavery in Egypt. After generations of being influenced by Egyptian culture and worship, they had lost their true identity. At this critical point, God called Moses up the mountain to act as a go-between for Him and the people. The Israelites hadn't planned their escape from Egypt; they didn't even know how to save themselves and had no personal plans or desires for their future. However, God remembered the covenant He had made with Abraham.

Genesis 15:13–15 NASB 2020

Then God said to Abram, “Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, where they will be enslaved and oppressed for four hundred years. But I will also judge the nation whom they will serve, and afterward they will come out with many possessions. As for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you will be buried at a good old age.

Genesis 15:16–17 NASB 2020

Then in the fourth generation they will return here, for the wrongdoing of the Amorite is not yet complete.” Now it came about, when the sun had set, that it was very dark, and behold, a smoking oven and a flaming torch appeared which passed between these pieces.

Genesis 15:18–21 NASB 2020

On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your descendants I have given this land, From the river of Egypt as far as the great river, the river Euphrates: the land of the Kenite, the Kenizzite, the Kadmonite, the Hittite, the Perizzite, the Rephaim, the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Girgashite, and the Jebusite.”

8. Since God had not forgotten His covenant with the Israelites, He spoke of their new identity after their redemption from Egypt. In Exodus 19:5-6, God declared that if they obeyed His voice and kept His covenant, they would be His "treasured possession," "a kingdom of priests," and "a holy nation." These titles transformed a group of former slaves into God's chosen representatives on Earth, called to be mediators between God and other nations. In this dramatic encounter, God was accomplishing three important things: reminding the Israelites of who they were, renewing His covenant with them, and redefining how they should live as His people in a broken world. God was essentially "re-storying" His people, giving them a completely new understanding of their identity and purpose.

9. God then gave them what are often called the Ten Commandments, though the original Hebrew refers to them as "ten words" or "ten declarations." These are more than just laws; they are recommendations for how His people should live in the promised land. Before they were commandments, these declarations outlined two key relationships for the Israelites. The first four focus on their relationship with God, while the last six address their relationships with their neighbors. The Israelites couldn't neglect one part for the other. For example, breaking the third declaration was seen as breaking all of God's declarations, just as failing to follow the seventh declaration meant breaking the entire set. They were all interconnected. Therefore, when Jesus spoke about the commandments that His people should keep, He mentioned all of them.

Matthew 22:37–39 NIV

Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’

10. The relationship between God and His people is defined by holiness. While the world often sees holiness as merely moral behavior, the biblical meaning goes deeper. Holiness is fundamentally about relationship—it describes the intimate bond between God and His people.

Think of how a mother instantly recognizes her child's voice in a crowded room. This recognition comes from deep, intimate connection. Similarly, biblical holiness is about our intimate relationship with God through Christ. Just as the Israelites were called to be a "holy nation" at Mount Sinai—not because they were morally perfect, but because they belonged to God—we too are called to holiness through our covenant relationship with Him. This is why we naturally grow to resemble Jesus. When we have a deep, intimate relationship with Him, transformation happens organically. We don't strive to be holy to earn God's love; we live holy lives because we already have His love through Christ's redemptive work.

Leviticus 19:2 NLT

“Give the following instructions to the entire community of Israel. You must be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy.

Hebrews 12:4 NKJV

You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin.

Ephesians 4:24 MSG

and working itself into your conduct as God accurately reproduces his character in you.

11. Therefore, Communion represents this holy relationship with God. The sacrifice and resurrection of Jesus initiated the restoration of this relationship, and through Communion, we, like the disciples, remember His work for us. Salvation in Christ is not just about entering God's kingdom after we die—that is only one part of it. To be saved means to enter into this great relationship with God through Jesus Christ. And throughout our lives, with the help of the Holy Spirit, we can demonstrate our salvation—our holiness, which is our deep relationship with God—to the world.

12. Just as the Israelites were meant to show God's holiness through the Ten Declarations, we can reflect Jesus when we live our lives according to our faith in Christ. The pattern established at Sinai finds its ultimate fulfillment in the church today. God called Israel to be His covenant people, and now He calls believers to participate in that same relationship through Christ. When we celebrate Communion, we remember not only Christ's sacrifice but also our identity as God's people, called to represent Him to the world, just as Israel was called to be a "kingdom of priests" at Mount Sinai. When we live our lives, it is no longer our own, but God's, just as the Israelites became a kingdom of priests.

Galatians 2:20–21 ESV

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.

13. Therefore, entering this great relationship with God is solely His work. Because God has shown us this grace, we can begin to live a life under it and within this intimate relationship. Let us, then, live a life with God and follow His way to show His redemptive work to the world. Our life is the field where we can demonstrate God's holiness. As we live, the Holy Spirit will help us to lead this holy life, not because of our own efforts, but because we have already entered this great relationship through the work of Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Podcast:https://notebooklm.google.com/notebook/108bcd2e-40e5-4856-b2c1-dea32794a745/audio

Quiz: Short Answer Questions

Answer each question in 2-3 sentences.

• According to the text, what is the primary purpose of studying theology, beyond simply gaining a basic understanding of God?

• How does the text describe God's overall redemptive work throughout the Bible?

• What three specific identities did God declare for the Israelites in Exodus 19:5-6 if they obeyed His voice and kept His covenant?

• Explain the two essential elements that form the foundation of the church as an organization.

• Briefly describe the main difference between the Catholic (Transubstantiation) and Lutheran (Consubstantiation) views on Communion, as presented in the text.

• How did God's covenant with Abraham in Genesis 15 relate to the Israelites' arrival at Mount Sinai?

• Beyond being mere laws, how does the text characterize the Ten Declarations given to Israel? What dual focus did they outline?

• The text defines biblical holiness differently from common understanding. How is it primarily defined?

• According to the text, how does salvation in Christ relate to a believer's present life, not just their afterlife?

• How does the text connect the Israelites' calling at Sinai to the role of believers celebrating Communion today?

Answer Key

• Beyond a basic understanding of God, studying theology helps us understand our relationship with God. It represents the accumulated understanding of the relationship between God and believers, with the Bible as its primary source.

• God's overall redemptive work throughout the Bible is described as His effort to redeem His people in order to restore their broken relationship with Him. This theme is consistent from the Old Testament to the New Testament.

• If they obeyed His voice and kept His covenant, God declared the Israelites would be His "treasured possession," "a kingdom of priests," and "a holy nation." These titles redefined their identity from former slaves.

• The two essential elements forming the foundation of the church as an organization are doctrine and tradition. Doctrine provides the core beliefs and framework, while tradition helps maintain and apply these principles practically throughout history.

• Transubstantiation (Catholic) teaches that the bread and wine become Christ's actual body and blood. Consubstantiation (Lutheran) believes Christ's presence coexists with the elements, rather than the elements literally transforming.

• God's covenant with Abraham in Genesis 15 involved a promise of descendants and land, and it established that his descendants would be enslaved for 400 years but then delivered. God remembered this covenant when the Israelites arrived at Sinai, indicating His faithfulness to His long-standing promises.

• The Ten Declarations are described as recommendations for how God's people should live, more than just laws. They outlined two key relationships: the first four focused on their relationship with God, and the last six on their relationships with their neighbours.

• Biblical holiness is primarily defined as a deep, intimate relationship between God and His people, rather than solely as moral behavior. It signifies belonging to God and is experienced through covenant with Him.

• Salvation in Christ is presented not only as entering God's kingdom after death but also, crucially, as entering into a present, great relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Believers are meant to demonstrate this salvation (holiness) in their lives.

• The text connects the Israelites' calling at Sinai (to be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation) to believers celebrating Communion today by stating that Communion reminds us of our identity as God's redeemed people. We are called to represent Him to the world, just as Israel was.