John 1:17 English Standard Version (ESV) For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

Unbelievers need to know the difference between the law and grace.

John 7:19 a,b English Standard Version (ESV) Has not Moses given you the law? Yet none of you keeps the law.

The law is successful only if the law is kept. History shows us what happened to Israel because they did not keep the law. No one has ever kept the law except Jesus Christ.

Galatians 5:2-4 English Standard Version

² Look: I, Paul, say to you that if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you. ³ I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law. ⁴ You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified^{[counted as righteous]} by the law; you have fallen away from grace.

This explains to us that the purpose of the Levitical Law was to be seen as righteous in the sight of God. Since they did not keep the law, they failed to receive the righteousness they sought.

Galatians 5:3 English Standard Version (ESV) I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law.

Who among us has studied all 613 Levitical laws? If violating any one of these laws nullifies our right standing before God, even those laws we do not know about. What chance do any of us stand in becoming righteous in God’s sight?

If we look to the second side of John 1:17 we see Jesus came with grace and truth. How does grace and truth differ in relationship to righteousness than keeping the law?

When we look at the definition of grace it is found to be “unmerited favor”. What this means is that God looks favorably on us apart from keeping the works of the law? So if we cannot earn this grace, how do we obtain it?

That is the subject of the 3^rd step found in Ephesians 2.

John 17:8 English Standard Version (ESV) For I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me.

Someone out there in the world may be curious about knowing God and seen this verse for the first time. We may encounter others face to face that want to come to know God. We must be clear on how that process works. We should speak the truth to them without taking shortcuts.

This is the first step. The Word given comes from God and is the Holy Scriptures, our Bible. His Word does not exist in any other form, writing, or teaching. The basis for knowing God is in accepting that all scriptures are inspired by God.

Matthew 21:42 English Standard Version (ESV) Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures: “‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone;^{[the head of the corner]} this was the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes’?

Discovering what this scripture means can only be explained from the same source, His scriptures. The bible will explain itself. We cannot bounce back and forth from the bible to other sources. One standard has to be set forth as the only source of truth. We cannot use other faith based sources to discover God.

If the one seeking cannot accept using this one source we will fight an uphill battle that has shifting sand at its base. Do not allow them to use other sources to argue their points. This is not an argument.

Sincere seeking needs firm footing.

Matthew 7:26-27 English Standard Version

²⁶ And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. ²⁷ And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”

What’s next?