Scripture reveals that the law’s purpose is to reveal our inability to be perfect, and to point us to Jesus. The law (the 10 commandments and the standards of God) are not for those who are in Christ, for we died to them* and Christ has fulfilled it. The grace (the unmerited favor) of God is not only superior but the way to victorious living in God’s will. I find rest in this wonderful truth! God’s grace has set me free from guilt, enabling me to be led by his will without anything holding me back. Other than this paragraph, I’m not adding much additional commentary. Just reference after reference of God’s word. I pray this may be as much of weight off of your shoulders as it is a weight off of mine.
“I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain.”
“And if by grace, then it is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace. But if it is of works, it is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work.”
Romans 11:6
“What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! On the contrary, I would not have known sin except through the law. For I would not have known covetousness unless the law had said, “You shall not covet.” But sin, taking opportunity by the commandment, produced in me all manner of evil desire. For apart from the law sin was dead.”
Romans 7:7-8
*“Therefore, my brethren, you also have become dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you may be married to another—to Him who was raised from the dead, that we should bear fruit to God. For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions which were aroused by the law were at work in our members to bear fruit to death. But now we have been DELIVERED from the law, (praise God!) having died to what we were held by, so that we should serve in the newness of the SPIRIT and not in the oldness of the letter.”
Romans 7:4-6
“And we have such trust through Christ toward God. Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God, who also made us sufficient as ministers of the NEW covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.”
II Corinthians 3:4-6
“And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you ALL trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was CONTRARY to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.”
Colossians 2:13-14
“So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ. Let no one cheat you of your reward, taking delight in false humility and worship of angels, intruding into those things which he has not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, and not holding fast to the Head, from whom all the body, nourished and knit together by joints and ligaments, grows with the increase that is from God. Therefore, if you died with Christ from the basic principles of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to regulations— “Do not touch, do not taste, do not handle,” which all concern things which perish with the using—according to the commandments and doctrines of men? These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed religion, false humility, and neglect of the body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh.”
Colossians 2:16-23
“For I through the law died to the law that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.
>I do not set aside the grace of God<;
for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain.””
Galatians 2:19-21
“For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity.”
Ephesians 2:14-16
“And therefore “it was accounted to him for righteousness.” Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him, but also for us. It shall be imputed to us who believe in Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead, who was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our JUSTIFICATION.”
Romans 4:22-25
“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.”
John 13:34
“Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law. For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not bear false witness,” “You shall not covet,” and if there is any other commandment, are ALL summed up in this saying, namely, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore LOVE is the FULFILLMENT of the law.”
Romans 13:8-10
“And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment.”
I John 3:23
““I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.”
John 15:5