Did that which is good [the Law], then become death to me? Certainly not! But sin, in order that it might be revealed as sin, was producing death in me by [using] this good thing [as a weapon], so that through the commandment sin would become exceedingly sinful.

Have you ever been around someone who had a plan for evil, but in the end their plan was thwarted, and something good came out of it? I have. Satan is the master of all things evil and he uses sin as a weapon against good-intentioned people. Sin corrupts, corrodes, and contaminates our hearts. It controls our thoughts and our minds. It even gives us ways to justify our sins by judging “in comparison”. Its deceptive practices lead to death. But all the while, while sin reeked havoc on our hearts, THE LAW STOOD; uncompromising and true, as a standard. And it forces people, who are caught in the traps and slavery that sin brings, to see God’s truth, his goodness, and his love. Strangely enough, the same law that condemns us gives us hope. This hope is in the person of Jesus Christ, who obeyed the law perfectly. Because, while sin’s sinfulness multiplied in our hearts, it could never out-do or out-multiply the goodness of God. And so God sent Jesus Christ to BREAK THE POWER of sin and death once and for all time, for all people. “‘He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and LIVE FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS; ‘by his wounds you have been healed.’” (I Peter‬ ‭2:24‬, emphasis mine) So precious is the phrase: “by his wounds you have been healed.” Why would someone ever die to heal me of my wounds, which they were not responsible for? Such a love is too rich, too pure for my human heart to comprehend. Only by God’s grace can I receive it. “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.” (Ephesians‬ ‭2:8-9‬) Jesus conquered sin and death so that we could, by grace, be rescued, saved, healed, and restored to a right relationship with God.

Lord, thank you for letting the law point out how utterly sinful I am! It is now easy for me to see my need for a Savior. Come in and continue to purify and cleanse my heart, I pray. Train my mind, by your grace, to call on your goodness, which overpowers my sinful desires every time!