“The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law” (1 Corinthians 15:56).

There are some Scriptures that are specific benchmarks of our Christian lives. This is one of them for me. It is so tempting to reach back to the Law as a way of life, even though we are trusting what Jesus did for us. We find it so easy to try hard to please God by relying on our ability to keep the rules and regulations of religion.

Instead of living by faith in what God has done for us through Jesus we try to earn God’s continuing favor by what we do. This Scripture reminds us that going back to the Law is not an option.

Paul boldly repudiates legalism as an effective way to live. “The power of sin is the law” is a strong statement. If the power of sin is the law why do we think that throwing the law at sin will work? That only empowers sin. Grace is and always will be our answer to sin. Don’t empower sin by trying to keep the Law. What Jesus did for us, and believing it, is the only way to live a victorious life.