Episode 19

I find it terrible when our approach to sin so quickly abandons the power of grace by reverting back to the law. So often people are given rules to obey or worse still ways to atone for sin instead of being point back to Jesus! This approach of using the law is not only tragic, but unsuccessful because it sets a person’s focus onto the wrong thing. When the law is used to address a believer’s sin only one of two counterproductive results occur: In most instances this approach simply lends to greater condemnation… Using the law to address sin does nothing more than emphasize the reality they once again weren’t good enough and have failed.

In an interesting twist, if greater condemnation isn’t produced, using the law to address sin can actually lend the opposite result - The believer's excusal of sin! You see because the law tells the believer that despite their sin they’re still righteous before God, it’s the law that often produces a “Grace, So” I can do anything Gospel distortion.

Understand… The law fails because it focuses on a person’s sin as opposed to grace - which emphasizes the ultimate remedy for sin! This is why instead of directing a believer who’s failed back to the law - we should direct their attention back to the cross.

Amazingly, when a person gets their eyes back to Jesus and the source of their right-standing before God it’s impossible to stand in either condemnation over sin or to justify the continuation of sin. Coming back to the cross - especially in the moment of failure - reminds that person of the glorious truth that His sacrifice remains sufficient.