God loves us despite our sin, but it is contrary to His perfect character to be in intimate relationship with sin.

The penalty for sin has always been death. The Law received by Moses couldn’t repair Man’s relationship with God and save us from death because we can’t be perfect. Rather, scripture tells us that the Law was a “guardian” that set boundaries for us and a “tutor” to help us recognize sin in ourselves and realize how utterly in need of salvation we are.

Loving us enough to not leave us sitting on death row, God sent Jesus to die in our place. Taking our sins upon himself, Christ paid the debt we owed, and the Holy Spirit took residence within us to convict our hearts when we act unrighteously. We didn’t need the Law anymore!

Holding ourselves to the Law leads to anxiety, failure and guilt. Holding others to the Law causes division and destroys relationships, even the Church itself.

Salvation comes from Jesus alone, not Jesus and anything else -- not philosophy, not works, not being a “good” person. When we choose to live by the Law, rather than by grace, we voluntarily return to the bondage from which Christ freed us and treat his death as meaningless.

Jesus’ sacrifice restored the fellowship with God that was destroyed by that first act of disobedience, making us co-heirs with the King of Kings. As believers, our submission to God’s authority as His children is manifested by mirroring Christ’s example of self-less love for others. Unlike the Law, this submission yields peace and joy.

Jesus said,

Matthew 11:29-30 “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”