Living By Faith, Not By Law
Morning light on the table, a quiet picture of resting in Jesus while He warms the house of the heart.
Devotional Credit
Day by Day by Grace, Bob Hoekstra
Photo Credit
Unsplash
Grace meets us where striving fails. The passage in Galatians sets two roads in front of us. One road is performance under the law, where the standard is perfect and the pressure never sleeps. The other road is trust in Jesus, where righteousness is received, not earned, and daily living flows from union with Him. Bob Hoekstra’s reflection helped me slow down and really see the contrast. The law exposes need. Faith welcomes a Person who meets it.
When I try to live by rule keeping, I end up measuring, comparing, and coming up short. That path sounds holy, but it keeps my eyes on me. Faith moves my focus to Jesus, who bore the curse of my failure at the cross and now lives in me. He does not ask for more promises from me. He gives His own life to me. The just shall live by faith is not a slogan. It is the daily way of drawing from the life of the risen Lord.
Some hear these verses and imagine a hard line of fate that excludes many. Through a corporate salvation lens, God’s plan in Jesus is a wide welcome to all who are in Him, a people created in the Messiah to share His life together. In that family, no one climbs to earn a place. We receive the gift of belonging, then we walk it out by faith, side by side.
So today, instead of trying to keep pace with a checklist, we trust the One who fulfilled the law and now fulfills His character in us. Wherever pressure rises, we look to Jesus within, and we find rest that produces real obedience in ordinary moments.
Journal Entry – Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture
I set before you life, and I am your life. The curse that shadowed your efforts fell on the Son at the cross, so you are no longer under the weight of performance. You are in the Beloved, and I dwell in you. Righteousness is My gift to you, and daily living is My work through you.
Do not return to the treadmill of measuring yourself by laws you could not keep. The law exposed sin, but grace now reigns through the finished work of Jesus. You live by faith, not by keeping score. When your heart tries to earn, turn to Me. I supply what I command. I write My ways on your heart. I lead you into the obedience of faith.
Present yourself to Me. Walk trusting Me. As you received the Messiah by faith, keep walking in Him by faith. I free you from condemnation. I cause you to will and to do what pleases the Father. I make you new, then I train you to live as the new you in the Anointed One. Keep your mind on the truth. Consider yourself dead to sin and alive to God. Yield your members to Me as instruments of righteousness. I will form the life of Jesus in you in real time.
When you stumble, do not hide. Step into the light. Confess, agree with Me about what is true, and keep walking. There is no curse left for you. There is no debt left to pay. There is only grace that teaches you to say no to sin and yes to the life I supply. I am the Spirit who gives life, and I delight to make the faithfulness of Jesus visible in your ordinary day.
Real-Life Analogy
Think of a thermostat. You do not heat the house with your hands. You set your desire, then the hidden system goes to work and the warmth spreads. Trying to live by law is like standing in the hallway rubbing your arms and scolding yourself to feel warmer. Living by faith is trusting the system that is already installed, then resting while it does what it was designed to do. In Christ, the Spirit of Jesus is your indwelling provision. Set the heart on Him, and He supplies what the moment calls for.
A simple application. When a tense email lands and your chest tightens, resist the urge to craft a perfect performance. Pause and say, Lord, I trust You to express Your patience, clarity, and truth through me in this reply. Then answer with honesty and gentleness, relying on His presence within, not on a self powered checklist.
Prayer of Confidence
Father, thank You that Jesus carried the curse I deserved. Thank You that I am righteous in Him, accepted in the Beloved, and indwelt by Your Spirit. Today I receive the gift of living by faith. I agree with You that I am dead to sin and alive to You in the Messiah. I present myself to You with joy. You work in me to will and to do what pleases You. I rest in the finished work of the cross and the present work of Your Spirit. All honor to You for a salvation that is given, kept, and expressed by Your grace.
Scripture References for the Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture Section
Galatians 3:10-14. Galatians 2:20. Romans 1:16-17. Habakkuk 2:4. Romans 6:1-14. Ephesians 2:8-9. Romans 8:1-4. 2 Corinthians 3:6. Colossians 2:6-7. Titus 2:11-12. Titus 3:5-7. Philippians 2:12-13. Romans 3:20-24. Hebrews 10:14. Hebrews 10:38. 1 John 1:7-9. John 15:4-5. Colossians 3:1-4. Ephesians 1:3-7