GRACE: THE POWER OF GOD TO OBEY HIS COMMANDMENTS BEFORE AND AFTER THE CROSS

Grace is not merely a concept, but God's empowering force created to enable our obedience from God rather than to serve as a license for sin. 

Jude 1:4 warns us against transforming the grace of our God into lasciviousness. When we do this, we diminish the profound, creative, and redemptive power of God, a power signified by the seventh-day Sabbath. 

Grace indeed saves us from sin, but misusing this grace to justify our sinful actions reduces God's ability to save us to just saving us while we remain in our sins. 

Sin is fundamentally defined as breaking God's law, and those who truly accept grace through faith in Christ are freed from both sin's grip and the law's condemnation as highlighted by Paul in Romans 6:14.

This powerful verse underscores that Christ's sacrifice was designed not as an excuse for our sins, but as a means to empower us to go and sin no more. 

Through grace, we gain the strength we need to obey God's law and break free from destructive habits. 

In essence, Romans 6:14 encapsulates the message that "For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under the condemnation of the law, but under grace." 

This powerful truth showcases the divine strength that equips us to follow God's commandments faithfully.