The Freedom of Grace
Grace is not us pushing uphill in our strength, but the power of Jesus within us carrying us forward.
Devotional Credit: Abide Above by Miles Stanford
Photo Credit: Unsplash
Miles Stanford reminds us in today’s devotional that the law cannot give life, nor can it sustain it. The law only ever dealt with man while he lived in Adam, but in Jesus we have died to the law and been raised into a new standing. We are no longer striving to prove ourselves under commandments, nor are we seeking to squeeze fruit out of our flesh. Instead, we are united with the risen Lord, alive from the dead, and therefore able to bear fruit unto God by His indwelling life.
Stanford, drawing from other writers as well, contrasts the way of grace with the bondage of legalism. The Gentile was never under the law, and now that we are in Jesus, we stand on entirely new ground. The law’s authority ended at the cross, for there it met its purpose. Now we live not by measuring ourselves against rules, but by resting in the life of the Son of God within us. Grace does not supplement law, nor does it need to be perfected by human effort. Grace is sufficient in itself, complete for every situation, and able to bring forth fruit that honors God.
This message lifts a burden many still carry. Religion often tries to drag the soul back under the shadow of law, as if Christ’s death was not enough. But Paul’s declaration is clear: if righteousness could come by law, then Jesus died in vain. That is unthinkable. Instead, we glory in the cross where we died with Him and in the resurrection where we rose with Him. Our standing before God is not conditional on keeping the law, but on union with the living Lord.
Stanford’s reminder leaves us with confidence. Grace is not fragile, nor incomplete. It is strong, full, and utterly reliable. We need not add anything to it. By embracing this truth, we cease striving under the weight of rules and instead rest in the Spirit’s life-giving power. Fruit becomes the natural expression of Christ within us, not the product of anxious effort.
Journal Entry – Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture
My beloved, I have not called you back under the shadow of the law. You have died with My Son, and in Him you are alive from the dead. The law has no claim on one who has already passed through death into resurrection life. Do not measure yourself by commandments written on stone, for I have written My law upon your heart.
You are a new creation in Jesus. Your standing is secure in Him, and your life is hidden with Him in Me. The law could never produce righteousness in you, but My grace is abundant and sufficient. In Him you have everything you need for life and godliness. You are not a slave to earn favor, but a child who already has My favor in full.
Fruit will come, not by striving, but by abiding. Trust Me to bring forth what pleases Me. Walk in newness of life, not as one striving to keep up, but as one carried by My Spirit. Rest in the finished work of the cross and the power of the resurrection, for in Jesus you live, move, and have your being.
Scripture References: Galatians 2:20-21, Galatians 3:10-13, Romans 7:4-6, Romans 6:4-11, Colossians 2:13-15, Colossians 3:3-4, 2 Corinthians 5:17, Titus 2:11-12, 2 Peter 1:3.
Real-Life Analogy
Think of trying to push a car uphill with the engine turned off. Every inch forward is exhausting, and the moment you stop, the car rolls backward. Now imagine turning the key and starting the engine. Suddenly the car moves with ease, powered not by your straining but by the strength within it. That is the difference between striving under law and resting in grace.
Today, when I am tempted to take on life in my own effort, I can say, “Lord, I trust You to live Your life through me in this moment.” Instead of straining like one pushing uphill, I yield to His power within, knowing His Spirit supplies what I could never produce.
Prayer of Confidence
Lord, I thank You that I am no longer under law but alive in grace. I rejoice that in Jesus I am dead to the law and alive to God, free to bear fruit that flows from Your life within me. I rest in Your finished work, confident that Your grace is sufficient and complete in every situation. I live today not in striving, but in the abundance of Your Spirit.