We’ve all learned to live by rules in everyday life, and in many cases, it’s perfectly okay to conform to preset standards. However, even though they’re made by well-intentioned people, too many of them can have a detrimental effect. Heavy-handed laws and regulations can hinder instead of help. This is what happened with the Law of Moses until God changed His covenant with mankind.
God never intended for us to live crushed under the weight of rules. The old covenant was written on stone and demanded perfect performance, but the new covenant is written on our hearts by the Spirit. The focus has shifted from earning blessings through effort to receiving life through Jesus’ faithfulness. Understanding this lets us stop striving and start resting in grace.
The law was flawless, but man wasn’t. It came in to expand and increase the trespass, making it more apparent. Instead of making us holy, it stirred up guilt and even increased wrongdoing. Thankfully, where sin abounded, grace superabounded.
The law was never permanent; it was a placeholder until Christ came. Its purpose was to point us to Him, not to save us. Trying to keep it now only causes us to sin more; the strength of sin is in the law, but Jesus accomplished the purpose for which the law was given. As a result, believers are made right with God.
Under the old covenant, one failure meant total guilt. This is why Jesus fulfilled the law and established a better covenant built on better promises. This new agreement isn’t between God and man, but between God and Jesus. Our part is simple: believe and receive.
Grace changed everything. We’re no longer defined by what we do wrong but by what Jesus did right. Old things have passed away, and all things have become new. Embracing this truth moves us from performing for God’s acceptance to living in it.
Scriptures:
2 Corinthians 3:2, 3, 6
Romans 5:20, AMPC
Galatians 3:19, AMPC
Galatians 3:24
1 Corinthians 15:56
Romans 10:4, NLT
James 2:10
Hebrews 8:6-12
Hebrews 8:9, 13, AMPC
2 Corinthians 5:17
Prayer:
Father, thank You for replacing the burden of the law with the freedom of grace. Help us to live conscious of Jesus’ finished works, not our own efforts. In Jesus’ name, amen.