19 Why then was the law given? It was added because of transgressions, until the arrival of the seed to whom the promise referred. It was administered through angels by a mediator.

22 But Scripture has locked up everything under the control of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe.

23 Before this faith came, we were held in custody under the law, locked up until faith should be revealed.

24 So the law became our guardian to lead us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith.

— Galatians 3:19, 22-24

My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate before the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.

— 1 John 2:1

5 This is the message we have heard from Him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all.

6 If we say we have fellowship with Him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.

7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.

— 1 John 1:5-7

Thoughts on Today’s Reading

Grace, mercy and love from Christ to you.

God‘s righteous Law confronts us when we do something against it, but He doesn’t mean to trample us down. God’s Law means to fix us, to prepare us for the best news in the world— the salvation of Jesus Christ. The 10 Commandments aren’t just ancient laws but divine Law that points straight to the grace of Jesus Christ.

Today if we are brought into God’s courtroom to be judged, though we will face God, the righteous Judge, and His righteous standard, we also will meet our Advocate Jesus Christ. Our Advocate is there to assure us this is not a hopeless case and He is there to deliver us and because His death on the cross has paid for our debt to God’s requirements from the Law and has turned God’s wrath to unconditional forgiveness for us.