Ministry of Condemnation versus Ministry of Righteousness
Self-effort is like a flashlight with dead batteries. Grace plugs us into the Source of light.
Devotional Credit: Day by Day by Grace by Bob Hoekstra
Photo Credit: Unsplash
Today’s devotional by Bob Hoekstra contrasts two entirely different ways of living and ministering: one rooted in the old covenant of law, the other in the new covenant of grace. The law, though holy and glorious, is described as a “ministry of condemnation” because it demands righteousness without providing the means to produce it. It holds up God's standard but offers no power to meet it. As a result, those who live by it—and those who minister it to others—find themselves burdened under its weight, striving in the flesh and falling short. Even their best efforts are stained with unrighteousness.
Grace, however, is a "ministry of righteousness." It doesn’t lower the standard, but it changes the source. Instead of relying on our flesh, we draw upon the life of Christ within us. We receive His righteousness by faith—first as a once-for-all imputed standing before God, and then as a moment-by-moment imparted life through the Spirit. This is where godliness truly begins: not through demands, but through dependence. The Spirit brings forth the life of Christ in us when we stop striving and start yielding.
The contrast couldn’t be sharper: condemnation through self-effort versus righteousness through Spirit-dependence. Ministry from the law discourages; ministry from grace transforms.
Personalized Journal Entry – Voice of the Holy Spirit
I never called you to live under the shadow of condemnation. That burden is not yours to carry. I gave the law to reveal what the flesh cannot do—not to shame you, but to point you to Me. Every time you try to perform righteousness in your own strength, you set yourself up to fall under a weight I never meant for you to bear.
But now you are under grace. You have been united with Me. My righteousness is yours—not just in heavenly accounting, but in daily expression. The same Spirit who raised Me from the dead lives in you, empowering you not to strive for godliness, but to express it through trust. Walk with Me—not as one working to earn favor, but as one already favored.
When you minister to others, do not bind them to the law that I fulfilled. Invite them to rest in Me. Tell them what I’ve done. Show them the gift of righteousness I give to all who believe. Let them see that the requirement of the law is fulfilled in those who walk not by their own effort but by My Spirit. This is the ministry of righteousness—a ministry not of demands but of divine supply.
Let My grace be your message. Let My life be your source. And let My glory be seen not in your perfection, but in your peaceful dependence.
Scripture references: 2 Corinthians 3:9, Leviticus 19:2, Isaiah 64:6, John 6:63, Romans 3:21-22, Romans 8:4
Real-Life Analogy
Trying to live by the law is like using a flashlight with dead batteries—it still looks like it should work, but no matter how hard you press the button, there’s no light. Living by grace is like plugging into a steady power source—light flows effortlessly when the connection is right. One relies on depleted energy; the other draws from an infinite supply.
Prayer of Confidence
Father, thank You that I am no longer under condemnation but under grace. You have joined me to Christ, and in Him I have been declared righteous and am being made righteous by Your Spirit. I trust You to express Your life through me today—not by trying harder, but by resting in the truth that You are enough. You are my source, my righteousness, and my peace. I rejoice that I don’t have to live under the burden of law anymore. I walk in the light of Your grace.