The Law & Grace - Bro. Nana Dabo-Akoteng
- rccgvictoryhousewi
- Jun 12
- 5 min read
Sermon Notes
Title: The Law and Grace
Speaker: Brother Nana Dabo-Akoteng
Service: May 24th, 2026
Theme: Great Grace
Main Scriptures: John 1:17, Matthew 5:17-18, Romans 6:1-2, Romans 6:14
Main Message
The sermon explained the difference between the law and grace, showing that the law came through Moses, but grace came through Jesus Christ. Jesus did not come to destroy the law, but to fulfill it. Through His death on the cross, He fulfilled the requirements of the law and established grace for believers.
Grace does not give Christians permission to sin. Instead, grace gives believers the power to live righteously, walk in holiness, and please God.
Key Scriptures
John 1:17“For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.”
Matthew 5:17-18Jesus said He did not come to destroy the law or the prophets, but to fulfill them.
Colossians 2:13-14Jesus wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us and nailed it to the cross.
Romans 6:1-2“Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not.”
Romans 6:14“For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.”
Key Points
1. The Law Represents God’s Written Standards
The law refers to the written rules God gave to the people of the Old Testament. It showed God’s standards and revealed how the Israelites were expected to live before Him.
The law came through Moses and was given to guide the people of Israel in their walk with God.
Lesson: The law shows us God’s standard, but it also reveals humanity’s inability to fully meet that standard by human strength.
2. Grace Is God’s Unmerited Favor
Grace means unmerited favor, unearned reward, and the kindness and compassion of God.
Unlike the law, which came through Moses, grace came through Jesus Christ. Under the law, man was required to rise to God’s standard. Under grace, God came down to man through Jesus Christ.
Lesson: Grace is not something we earn. Grace is what God gives freely through Jesus.
3. The Law Was Given Through Moses
The sermon referenced Exodus 24:1-8, where Moses received and delivered God’s commandments to the Israelites.
According to Jewish tradition, the law contained 613 commandments, and the people were expected to obey all of them. These laws included:
Moral laws, including the Ten Commandments
Ceremonial laws, including sacrifices and worship practices
Civil laws, including how people were to relate to one another and settle disputes
Lesson: The law affected every area of life for the Israelites.
4. Jesus Did Not Destroy the Law — He Fulfilled It
Jesus said in Matthew 5:17 that He did not come to destroy the law, but to fulfill it.
This means Jesus completed everything the law required. He fulfilled the law perfectly because no human being could fully keep it on their own.
Lesson: Jesus is the fulfillment of what the law pointed toward.
5. The Check Analogy
The speaker used the example of writing a check to explain how Jesus fulfilled the law.
A check has value, but it is not the actual money. Once the check is cashed, its purpose has been fulfilled. It is then stamped, canceled, and kept only as a record.
In the same way, the law pointed forward to something greater. Jesus fulfilled the law, just as a check is fulfilled when it is cashed.
Lesson: The law still remains in Scripture for reference and understanding, but Jesus has already fulfilled its purpose.
6. Jesus Nailed the Requirements of the Law to the Cross
Colossians 2:13-14 teaches that Jesus wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us and nailed it to the cross.
The law exposed our debt before God, but Jesus paid that debt through His sacrifice. Through the cross, the power of the law to condemn believers was removed.
Lesson: Believers are no longer condemned by the law because Jesus fulfilled its requirements.
7. Believers Are No Longer Under the Law, But Under Grace
Romans 6:14 says that sin shall not have dominion over us because we are not under the law, but under grace.
This does not mean the believer is free to live carelessly or continue in sin. Instead, grace gives us the power to overcome sin.
Lesson: Grace does not excuse sin. Grace empowers righteousness.
8. Grace Has a Higher Standard Than the Law
The law judged sin after it was committed, but grace deals with the heart before sin becomes an outward action.
Jesus gave examples in Matthew 5. The law said, “You shall not murder,” but Jesus taught that anger and hatred in the heart must also be dealt with. The law said, “You shall not commit adultery,” but Jesus taught that lust in the heart is already sinful.
Lesson: Grace does not lower God’s standard. Grace raises the standard by dealing with the heart.
9. Grace Keeps the Believer in Check
Grace teaches believers to reject sinful thoughts, desires, and actions. It does not allow us to say, “Because I am under grace, I can sin freely.”
Instead, grace helps us live in righteousness and stay conscious of God’s will.
Lesson: Grace is not a license to sin. Grace is power to live for God.
Prayer Points
Father, let Your Word fall on fertile ground in my heart.
Father, help me to understand the true meaning of grace.
Father, give me grace to live in righteousness.
Father, help me not to use grace as an excuse for sin.
Father, give me grace to overcome sinful thoughts and desires.
Father, give me grace in my workplace, school, family, and daily life.
Father, equip me and nourish me to walk in what You have entrusted to me.
Father, let Your grace be sufficient for me in every weakness.
Father, give me grace to pray, study Your Word, live holy, and walk in godliness.
Father, let my life be distinguished by Your great grace.
Declarations
I am not under the law, but under grace. Sin shall not have dominion over me. The grace of God gives me power to live righteously. The grace of God is sufficient for me. I receive grace to overcome weakness. I receive grace to walk in holiness and godliness. I receive grace to make the right decisions. I receive grace to live for God at all times.
Closing Blessing
As you go this week, the grace of God will make a way for you. The grace of God will open doors for you. The grace of God will enlarge your coast. The grace of God will make you the delighted one and the preferred one. The hand of God will rest upon you. You will not walk into evil. You will not walk into error. God will cause His light to shine upon you. Your path will shine brighter and brighter. No weapon formed against you will prosper. The blood of Jesus will go before you and make every crooked path straight.
Final Takeaway
Grace does not cancel righteous living. Grace fulfills what the law could not complete in man and gives believers the strength to live above sin. Jesus fulfilled the law, nailed its requirements to the cross, and brought us into grace. Now, through grace, we are empowered to live holy, walk in righteousness, and please God from the heart.
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