As believers who love the Lord, we want to keep His commandments and serve Him well.
But if we’re not careful, we can fall into the deadly trap of legalism – thinking our “good deeds” will earn us favor or salvation from God.
Instead, we must remember it is only by God’s grace that we are saved. So if you struggle with feeling the weight of the law – it’s crucial to remember this one truth.
You can’t keep it.
God’s Word tells us if we are guilty of breaking even one of His commands, we are guilty of breaking them all.
“For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it.” James 2:10
Wow.
Talk about an impossible standard!
But that’s exactly the point.
We were never meant to live under the impossible standard of legalism.
Instead, we must know — REALLY KNOW — that we are only saved by God’s grace and what Jesus did for us on the cross.
Jesus paid the final price for the sins of the world – past, present, and future.
And because of His sacrificial death on the cross, those who have accepted this truth and acknowledge Him as Lord have peace with God and are reconciled to Him.
Nothing we ever do, no matter how “righteous” we think it is, could ever save us.
But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t serve God through action – the difference is the reason why we do so.
As Christians, we know we don’t do good deeds in order to be saved – but we do them out of an overflow of our love for Christ because we are saved.
However, sometimes we still fall into the trap of trying to earn God’s love.
Maybe in the past you lived a life of blatant worldly disobedience to Him – and now you are forever trying to be “good enough” to become “worthy” of His love.
Or maybe you struggle with pride – thinking that if you stumble it will somehow let people know you “aren’t really a Christian.”
But the truth is – if you lean into the love of Christ and internalize His grace, a massive breakthrough will happen in your life.
When you realize that we all deserve hell – but that God gave those who believe in Him the gift of eternal life – it should bring every one of us to our knees in humility.
The GOD of the entire world has allowed YOU to enter into a personal relationship with Him.
Wow.
May we never lose that sense of awe.
If you struggle with legalism – here are some Scripture verses to remind you that keeping the law will not save you.
“For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.” – Romans 3:20:
“For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law.” – Romans 3:28:
“We know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ.” – Galatians 2:16
Of course, grace isn’t a license to sin – but it is a reminder that it’s only through His grace that we are saved.
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.” – John 3:16-17
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