Under the law, even the best failed. Under grace, even the worst can be saved! —Joseph Prince
Choices, choices, choices. We usually like them. What do I want on my burger? What should I do this weekend? And most of us like to keep our options open. Why limit yourself to one way when you could do it all? Okay, cheese and mayo on the burger, and let’s have a barbeque while we swim at the lake…
Sure, some things in life offer us simultaneous options. But what if I told you that you had to choose between the cross of Christ and the Ten Commandments? This is awkward, isn’t it? We tend to think of this as a both-and decision, but it’s really either-or.
We have salvation—the free gift from God’s grace. And then we have sanctification—our spiritual growth. We’re good with our salvation being completely God, but then many get confused and insist spiritual growth is a result of our own effort. They aren’t sure where to start… so they usher in the law.
It’s as though they’re saying, “God, Your Spirit has served its purpose. We’ll take it from here. After all, we have this list of do’s and don’ts to guide us.”
Right?
Wrong.
I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—which is really no gospel at all. (Galatians 1:6-7a)
That different Gospel was one that included human effort and strict adherence to the law. Moses didn’t hold the Gospel—he held the law, once beautiful in its time but now fulfilled. Today, in the shadow of the cross, He calls us to walk in the Spirit—in an intimate, willful following of the living Word that guides us. Jesus was all about this. Over and over again, He presented the choice: Who is it going to be, Me or Moses? Trusting or working? Either the Gospel is enough, or it isn’t.
Yes, you can have it both ways with your burger. But when it comes to God, you can either choose the cross, or you can choose the law.
Gracious Savior, open my hands to release the old so I can firmly grasp this new Life of grace! Amen.