I Just Keep Messing Up | Monday
Week 1 | The Rules That Break You
Listen instead of reading
Take a Moment
Ask God what He wants to show you before reading today
Read The Daily
For the person who keeps all of the laws except one is as guilty as a person who has broken all of God’s laws. (James 2:10)
Our journey to a deeper understanding of salvation and life through grace begins with recognizing that we can never achieve God’s standard by keeping God’s commandments. Here’s a breakdown of how the Law demands but Grace gives:
| The Law | Grace |
| I Do | It’s Done |
| I’ve “Got To” | I “Get To” |
| Keep Rules | Jesus Rules |
Even on our best days, when we resist some temptations, we still fall short in many ways. This highlights our inability to save ourselves from condemnation, just as it was the day before. Paul reminds us that the Law was never meant to be a means of salvation but to show us our need for grace (Galatians 3:24). As our daily said, the Law is an all-or-nothing proposition. This means that even a decent attempt at law-keeping cannot erase our failures.
In Matthew 5, Jesus amplifies the Law to reveal our inability to save ourselves. He equates anger with murder and lust with adultery, showing that the Law’s standard is impossible to meet (Matthew 5:22, 28). This is not to condemn us but to drive us to the grace found in Him. The Law says “I Do,” but grace says “It’s Done.”
If you feel a sense of inadequacy, remember that this is where the Good News begins! Only when we grasp the magnitude of our need can we fully receive the grace of Christ. “Clearly no one who relies on the law is justified before God, because ‘the righteous will live by faith’” (Galatians 3:11). Grace invites us to rest in what Jesus has accomplished, not in our own efforts. Do you struggle with the idea that your efforts to keep God’s commandments or religious rules are insufficient? Do you believe that Christ wants to set you free from the cycle of trying and failing? Over the next few days, we will explore why the rules were designed to break you. These truths bring you freedom and joy, as you embrace the reality that “Jesus Rules” and “It’s Done” through His finished work on the cross.
Prayer for the Day
God what are you showing me? What am I going to do about it?
God help me to see one person that I can serve through a kind word, random act of kindness, or simple gift today?
Make sure you complete the reading or comment today.
Read The New Testament In A Year
4 x 6 Plan | Read: Acts 2:1-13 & 2 Peter 1:1-15