Beyond The Rules

Pretend for a moment that you have been sentenced to life in prison. However, after many years, you receive a full pardon. Walking into freedom, you no longer obey out of fear, but out of gratitude to the one who set you free. Through our union with Jesus Christ, our old self died to the legal burden and condemnation of the Law. We were released from the impossible contract of rule-keeping so that we could be joined to Jesus Himself and bear genuine spiritual fruit.

God's Law was never designed to save our souls. Instead, it acts as a spiritual mirror, exposing our deep-seated sin and showing us our natural urge to push past boundaries. The Law reveals how extensive our sin really is, so that we will stop trusting in our own self-righteousness and run straight to the Savior.

Even after coming to faith, Christians quickly discover an intense battle taking place within. There is a constant tug-of-war between our old sin nature and our new life in the Holy Spirit. In the heat of this internal struggle, we are meant to cry out alongside the apostle Paul: "Who will rescue me from this body of death?"

The answer is Jesus Christ, who breaks the power of canceled sin and grants us a complete victory over fallen flesh. We will see when we are no longer bound to this current body. Victory comes not by human willpower or rigid legalism, but by surrendering daily to the Holy Spirit and feeding our souls on God's Word.

Today, step out of self-reliance, drop the burden of performance at the cross, and walk in the true peace, freedom, and power that belong to those who are in Christ.