Lord, Have Mercy | For Abusing Your Commandments (Romans 3)

We often think of abusing God’s Commandments as simply breaking them, but there’s a more subtle and dangerous abuse: trying to obey them in an effort to earn God’s favor and secure our place in heaven. This view sets aside God’s perfect plan of salvation and replaces it with a futile attempt to climb to Him. Satan turns the law into a ladder, leaving us either crushed by guilt or puffed up with pride. But in Christ, who was lifted up on the cross, we don’t need to climb. Salvation is already ours! So, we end this Lenten series by crying, “Lord, have mercy, for abusing Your commandments!” and we rest in the gospel that frees us to obey with hearts of gratitude.