He Did It! | Previous Challenge Entry

how it works

TITLE: He Did It! | Previous Challenge Entry
By Donna Martelli
08/26/26
LEAVE COMMENT ON ARTICLE
SEND A PRIVATE COMMENT
ADD TO MY FAVORITES

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I have not come to abolish, but to fulfill.” (Matthew 5:17 MEV)

We are saved by grace. It is the gift of God. Yet why do some people think that grace means the Law is no longer valid? The truth is that the Law was never given as a way to earn salvation.

The Law was given to reveal God’s character and to show us how He desires His people to live. It also revealed something else: our inability to live perfectly according to God’s standard.

Paul explains,

“Therefore by the works of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for through the law comes the knowledge of sin.” (Romans 3:20 MEV)

The Law showed us our sin, but it could not remove our sin. It could tell us what righteousness looked like, but it could not make us righteous. It was like a mirror; it could show us that our face was dirty, but the mirror could not wash our face. That is where grace enters the picture.

Jesus did not come to throw away the Law. He came to fulfill it. He accomplished what we could never accomplish on our own. He lived the perfectly righteous life the Law required, then gave His life on the cross as the sacrifice for our sin.

Under the Law, sacrifices were continually offered for sin. Under Christ, we have the perfect sacrifice that was offered once for all.

Grace does not say, “Sin doesn't matter.” Grace says, “Sin matters so much that Jesus paid for it.” That changes everything.

The Law says, “This is God's standard of righteousness.” Grace says, “You cannot reach that standard by your own strength, so God has provided righteousness for you through Jesus Christ.”

Paul wrote,

“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not of yourselves. It is the gift of God.” (Ephesians 2:8 MEV)

But notice what Paul says immediately afterward: “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, so that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:10 MEV)

Grace saves us, but grace does not give us permission to live however we please. Grace changes us. We do not obey God in order to earn His love. We obey because we have already received His love.

This is the difference between legalism and grace. Legalism says, “I must obey so God will accept me.” Grace says, “God has accepted me through Christ, and because I love Him, I want to obey Him.”

Jesus summarized the heart of God's Law in love: love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself. (Matthew 22:37-40 MEV)

So, we have not moved from law to lawlessness. We have moved from law as a standard we could never perfectly fulfill to grace through the One who fulfilled it for us. Here are the keys:

• The Law points us toward righteousness. Jesus gives us righteousness.

• The Law reveals our need. Grace meets that need.

• The Law shows us our sin. Grace gives us forgiveness.

• The Law says, “You cannot do this perfectly.” Grace says, “Christ has done it for you.”

And now, because of what Jesus has done, we don't obey God to become His children. We obey because, through Christ, we already are His children.

That is the beauty of moving from law to grace. Grace doesn't make God's standard less holy. Grace makes a way for imperfect people to stand before a holy God—not because they have perfectly kept the Law, but because they are clothed in the righteousness of Jesus Christ.

“For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.” (Romans 10:4 MEV)

The Law was never the Savior.

Jesus is.

PREVIOUS ENTRY | NEXT ENTRY
SUBMIT YOUR ENTRY FOR THIS WEEK'S CHALLENGE

The opinions expressed by authors may not necessarily reflect the opinion of FaithWriters.com.

Accept Jesus as Your Lord and Savior Right Now - CLICK HERE
JOIN US at FaithWriters for Free. Grow as a Writer and Spread the Gospel.