This is a part from a book by Jeff VanVonderen “Tired of Trying to Measure Up’

Recently, I heard a sermon on my car radio that illustrates the abuse of the Law very clearly. A well-known radio teacher was preaching on the Ten Commandments. He suggested to the listening audience that we picture a balance scale. We were instructed to place the Ten Commandments on one side of the scale. On the other we were to place our obedience to God. HE then asked us to see if the scale was heavy on the Commandment side(which it always will be). If it was (as he knew it would be), he said we ought to feel ashamed and get busy trying harder to live the way we should. This is abuse of God’s Law.

In Philippians, Paul warns us to beware of people who sound holy but really “ enemies of the cross” (3:18). When we hear that phrase today we think of atheists, agnostics, or secular humanists who say that the cross isn’t real. But the enemies of the cross at Philippi were those who said the cross was not enough! My conviction is that similar enemies of the cross are alive and well in churches today.

For a person to assess his life as victorious based upon how well he has followed the Law indicates that his source of satisfaction is derived from his own self-effort. This is idolatrous; it leads to self-righteousness, and it is not what God intended.

The purpose of the Law – let me emphasize – is not to control evil people. Read the newspapers to see how incapable law is to restrain lawbreakers. God’s Law was given to drive us to grace and hold us there. The victorious life cannot be found in, under or through the Law. It is to be discovered and lived in a “ gift- based “ environment and through a “ gift- based “ relationship with Jesus Christ and with others, under grace.