Jesus finished what the law required and fulfilled what the law promised.
The law revealed God’s holiness,
showed us our sin,
and made clear our need for a Savior.
But it could never make us righteous because none of us could keep it perfectly.
Jesus fulfilled the law through His perfectly obedient life.
Jesus satisfied the law’s demands through His death on the cross.
Paul writes in Romans 10:4 that, “Christ is the culmination of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.” (NIV)
The word “culmination” means the goal, fulfillment, or intended destination.
Paul is saying that the Old Testament law was always leading toward Jesus.
Jesus accomplished what the law was pointing to.
Therefore, we no longer strive to earn righteousness by keeping the law.
We receive righteousness as a gift through faith in Christ.
Paul is not saying that Jesus made God’s truth or moral standards meaningless.
He is saying that the law is no longer the means by which we try to become right with God.
Jesus is.
The law shows us our need for righteousness, Jesus gives us the righteousness we need.
We can not work our way to it, we must receive it by faith.
What are you striving for in your relationship with God today?
What would it look like to stop striving for it and “receive” that it’s already yours in Christ?
Lord Jesus, thank You for doing what I could never do for myself. Help me stop striving for Your approval and begin living confidently from Your love today. In Your Powerful Name, Amen.