For the law was given through Moses, grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. John 1:17
The Bible contains two distinctively different messages. For instance:
Have you ever felt depressed, desolate, on the verge of despair because of some wrong you had done -- a deliberate lie? A dishonest business deal? A deliberate sin of sex? Did you feel miserable, worthless, guilty before God?
That was the condemning message of God's Law. His Law demands perfection; it passes judgment; it pronounces the inexorable verdict of guilt and the punishment of death.
On the other hand, did you ever feel free as a bird, completely at peace with God, fully forgiven through faith in Christ, consciously living in His grace? That was because you had heard and believed the message of His Gospel.
The Law, after all, can only demand, condemn, and ultimately kill. But the Gospel, the good news of God's love in Christ, assures us of forgiveness, peace, and joy. It is important that in our Christian faith and life we distinguish clearly between these two. When God's Law threatens to destroy us, we must always flee to Jesus' open arms and hear His Gospel: "Your sins are forgiven ... Go in peace" (Luke 7:48-50).
PRAYER: Lord, forgive me for Jesus' sake. Amen.
(Devotions from "The Abundant Life" copyright 1998, CPH. All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be printed, reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission of Concordia Publishing House. Permission is granted for one-time e-mailing of this link to a friend. For information on other devotional material, please contact CPH at 800-325-3040 or visit CPH at www.cph.org.)
Today's Bible Readings: Jeremiah 18-19 Colossians 3
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