Substance, Not Shadows, Under Grace

Christ is not the shadow on the wall—He is the Light who has come.

Devotional Credit: Day by Day by Grace – Bob Hoekstra
Photo Credit: Unsplash

The old covenant law was never meant to be the destination—it was the silhouette of something far greater. It gave the outline, but not the essence. It hinted at holiness, but couldn’t provide it. Its sacrifices foreshadowed cleansing, but never truly purified. All it could do was gesture toward what only Christ could accomplish.

Under the law, year after year, rituals were performed in hopes of pleasing God. Yet perfection was never reached because the sacrifices themselves were only symbols—shadows without substance. But now, under the new covenant of grace, we no longer cling to the shadow, because the true form has come: Jesus Christ. He is the Lamb, the righteousness, the rest. He doesn’t merely point to what is good—He is the good.

The Passover lamb protected Israel for a night; Christ our Passover saves for eternity. The law demanded holiness; grace delivers it through union with Christ. As Paul said, we no longer pursue a righteousness of our own, derived from law-keeping, but we rest in the righteousness of Christ by faith.

✍🏼 Personalized Journal Entry – Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture

I did not call you to chase shadows. I called you to abide in substance. The law served a purpose—it revealed the need, but not the provision. It pointed forward, but could not walk with you. Now, I dwell within you, not as a silhouette on stone, but as the living Christ in your spirit.

You are not made holy by effort or ritual. You are made holy because My Son fulfilled every requirement. His blood was not symbolic—it was sufficient. His righteousness is not borrowed—it is yours by faith. You have no need to strive for acceptance; you are already accepted in the Beloved.

Why grasp for outlines when I have given you the reality? I am the one who makes you perfect in Christ, who passes over your guilt with mercy that is permanent. I am not behind the curtain—I am within the temple of your body. And My righteousness, not your resolve, is the foundation of your life.

Walk now not under the weight of obligation, but under the freedom of grace. You are not called to mimic holiness—you are called to manifest Me. The shadow has passed. The substance is here. And I am enough.

Scriptures referenced: Hebrews 10:1; Colossians 2:16–17; Exodus 12:21, 23; 1 Corinthians 5:7; Leviticus 19:2; Philippians 3:8–9

🧺 Real-Life Analogy

It’s like receiving a letter in the mail with a photo of someone you love. For a while, the photo brings comfort. But once the person arrives in the flesh, you don’t cling to the picture—you run to the arms that the photo pointed toward. The law was the photo. Jesus is the embrace.

🙏🏼 Prayer of Confidence

Father, I thank You for bringing me out from the shadow of trying and into the fullness of trusting. Christ is my righteousness. Christ is my deliverance. Christ is my life. I rejoice that I no longer live by symbols and signs, but by the indwelling presence of Your Son. Because of Him, I lack nothing. Because of grace, I rest. I confidently walk today not under the old yoke, but in the liberty of Your completed work in me.