One of the cutest things little kids do is place Band-Aids on their bumps and bruises. Seeing a kid carefully pick between Frozen, Dora, or smiley emoji Band-Aids to put on their knees they bruised with absolutely zero blood and no chance of the skin breaking makes us smile. But we happily oblige because it makes lil’ Jasmine feel better. When Jasmine asks to put it on her stuffed bear, we put up no fight either. We know that the Band-Aids will have zero effect in helping her heal a bloodless bump, and even less so for her teddy. But, when Jasmine grows up and is in her mid-thirties asking for a Band-Aid for her bruised knee, you can expect many perplexed faces and probably some side eye. In the same way a Band-Aid is unable to heal a bruise, the law is unable to heal our brokenness. They might make us feel better, but they lack the power to save.
Can we be fixed?
Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God.
limited law
The law—the statutes given by God to govern his people—served a beautiful and good purpose. It revealed God’s character, his values, and his standard for just and right living. It also provided regulations and boundaries for God’s people. We celebrate God’s gift of the law, while also recognizing the limitations of it. Though the law helped humans to know the righteous standard, it was powerless toremove the stain of unrighteousness when sins were committed.
It told us how to live but did not empower us to do so. The law, though good and beautiful, only revealed our sin, it did not have the ability to atone for it.
So, while we celebrate that the law is both regulatory (helps regulate our behavior) and revelatory (reveals God character), we must look elsewhere for a savior for our sin problem.
you can't work for it
In God’s gospel, the fact that the law was powerless to save us is in fact good news. If the law could save us, the gospel message would always be: Do better, strive harder, sin less. Instead, we have a more holistic gospel that says something greater than the law came to make a way for us to cease striving, to stop working, to trust that God will free us from sin. In a world of more, bigger, better, louder, we need a gospel message that says be still, rest, trust, and receive. The beautiful law could not save us and thank God for that. Instead, the gospel message is much more beautiful and causes far less striving.
Watch Session Two
Why We're Broken
Daily Question
In what ways have you tried to earn God’s favor? Does the idea of “cease striving” comfort you? Why or why not?
Comments (10)
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In a lot of ways I try to earn God’s favor by being a perfectionist in order to redeem my past failures. I work so hard to keep everything in place, and God has been showing me over and over that His ways are so much better than mine. He gives rest to His children. He doesn’t require perfection, He requires that I come and lean on Him with my whole heart.
Cease striving is a major comfort. I don’t have to work to earn His favor, because His favor was bought with the precious blood of His Son. In a lot of ways though this is a challenging command. Even in this command I must lean on Him and His strength.
I grew up with the "do better, strive harder, sin less" religion. Avoiding sin because it will screw up your life. It’s true but it’s not the Gospel.. it’s works! And exhausting! I found great freedom in the statement in today’s lesson "Though the law helped humans to know the righteous standard, it was powerless to remove the stain of unrighteousness when sins were committed. It told us how to live but did not empower us to do so. The law, though good and beautiful, only revealed our sin, it did not have the ability to atone for it." We need someone else’s power and righteousness to cleanse us and give us a new start. Jesus did. That’s the Gospel.
I thought that if I was ‘good’, daily Bible reading, attend every public service, dressed ‘appropriately’, etc then I’m in good standing. None of that kept me from becoming a single parent. Today I am free. I cry out to Jesus, lean on Him, converse with the Holy Spirit daily to sanctify me.
Doing everything to gain God’s favor like deciding to forgive those who hurt me, thise who bully me, judged me and discriminate me every single day. The idea of cease striving comforts me when I totally surrendered my life. To God and trust Him all the time.
God asked to serve him and follow him I have give up every thing for him Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 25 Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26 Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.
John 11:1,12:25-26 – https://www.biblegateway.com/passage?search=John%2011:1,12:25-26&version=NIV
I have been quite the perfectionist and people-pleaser for most of my life. I want to do a good job in all that I do, give 110%, and I sometimes associate my worth with my accomplishments. God’s word stops me in my tracks and reminds me (daily) that I cannot "work" for my salvation. To "cease striving" is very comforting to me. I’m learning to rest more vs.. trying to be productive, trust more vs. trying to control, and be still more vs. on the go.
I think that I have already read in the comments about having God on a "check list" something that needed to be done everyday and sadly I think I too have done this in the past. I am trying to turn from that mindset and really focus on what I am reading and saying when I am speaking to Him. It is a comfort for me to know that I do not have to strive for God to love me and accept me because he already does, He already has. This I need to keep in my mind. This is what I need to focus on in times of stress, craziness, questioning and striving.
The idea of ceasing makes me anxious because I feel like I have always been a person that strives for people’s acceptance (I know bad habit). I really feel like my acts can help people like me more or atleast know that I mean well. But as I get older, I feel a sense of peace in the stillness and at times I even long for it, knowing that I will have time to sit, rest and focus on His grace
I feel everyday that earning Gods favor is my foremost thought. It just helps to keep me focused and grounded. I know God loves me anyway that I am and yes the idea of ceasing to strive for His acceptance and love makes me a tad bit uneasy. I will do everything that I can to keep His favor.
I have tried to earn God’s favour in the past through denominational doctrine and, like others have mentioned, a check-list. But, oh, how much deeper my relationship with God has developed since I realized I could leave those things behind and just walk with Him. Knowing there is nothing I can do to make God love me less and nothing I can do to make Him love me more. He loves me in my shortcomings and weaknesses; for in those He is magnified. He loves me in my strengths and gifts; for in those I become His witness.