CHRIST IS THE END OF THE LAW
I know what enthusiasm they have for God, but it is misdirected zeal. For they don’t understand God’s way of making people right with Himself. Refusing to accept God’s way, they cling to their own way of getting right with God by trying to keep the law. For Christ has already accomplished the purpose for which the law was given. As a result, all who believe in Him are made right with God.
Romans 10:2-4 (NLT)
Have you ever encountered someone who stubbornly clings to their own way of doing things? No matter how many people show them better alternatives, they refuse to change. You'll often hear them say I’ve always done it this way. They can become so entrenched in a way of doing things that they refuse to change even when a clearly better way of doing something comes along. Consider modern conveniences like cell phones, for example. Imagine that you have a friend who refuses to update to a cell phone, insisting that their pager is all they need. Pagers were great…thirty years ago! But we’ve leapt forward into something that is clearly a better way to communicate.
Paul speaks about the Israelites in this passage from Romans. He’s dealing with people who are stubbornly clinging to an old way of doing things. They believe that by keeping the law, they can be made right with God. After all, they’d always done it that way! But in truth, no one had ever been able to keep the law perfectly. It has all been a vain effort of ceaseless striving. Jesus came to fulfill the law, providing a new way of being made right with God.
Isaiah 64:6 says that man’s best attempts at righteousness are like filthy rags. Imagine taking a dirty dishcloth and continuing to wipe your counters and dishes with it. It’s teeming with bacteria and clearly smells. Would you continue to use it? Of course not. But that’s what we do when we count on our own ability to keep God’s commands. Instead, we need to rely on the righteousness imparted to us by Christ, who did live a perfect, sinless life. He sacrificed it on our behalf, and now we can be made right with God through His Son.
In short, stop trying to be good enough. You’ll never get there. Trust in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus.
APPLICATION: Have you been trying to earn God’s love? Is there any area where you’ve been striving instead of relying on the imparted sanctification and justification we have in Christ? Confess this to God and repent. Ask Him to help you be wholly reliant on Him.
PRAYER: Father, thank You for the gift of Your Son Jesus. Help me live in light of His sacrifice, no longer striving to be made right with You by my own efforts. Thank You for Your unmerited grace and mercy. In Jesus’ name, amen.
“… Our Father in heaven…” Matthew 6:9b (NLT)
- What do You want to say to me today as my Father?
“… may Your name be kept holy.” Matthew 6:9c (NLT)
- What do You want to reveal to me about Your power today?
“May Your Kingdom come soon.” Matthew 6:10a (NLT)
- Help me make Your priorities my priorities today.
“Give us today the food we need,” Matthew 6:11 (NLT)
- Is there anything specific You want me to do with my time or the people I’m around today?
“and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us” Matthew 6:12 (NLT)
- Reveal to me anyone I need to forgive or ask for forgiveness.
“And don’t let us yield to temptation…” Matthew 6:13a (NLT)
- Is there anywhere I’m vulnerable to temptation?