Holding the Hand of My Savior
The End of the Law and the Beginning of Faith
The book of Romans reveals that all people are sinners, destined to face the judgment and wrath of God. Paul describes the Gentiles as being given over to lives of immorality and corruption—filled with envy, murder, strife, deceit, and malice. They are gossipers, slanderers, haters of God, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, and lacking understanding, trust, love, and mercy. Such people, he declares, are deserving of death (Romans 1:29–32).
Yet Paul also turns to the Jews—who might have felt a sense of moral superiority hearing the Gentiles condemned—and warns them not to judge, for they too are guilty before God. In the end, Romans reminds us that none are righteous; we have all fallen short of God’s perfect standard, and no human effort or adherence to the law can bring salvation (Romans 3:10–12, 23).
I once heard a theology teacher ask his class, “How many ways are there to get to Heaven?” Naturally, the students, being good Christians, answered, “Only one—through faith in Christ Jesus.” The teacher smiled and replied, “Actually, there are two ways: one is to keep the law perfectly, and the other is through faith in Christ.”
He went on to explain that this is exactly what Paul teaches—not to encourage us to take on the futile challenge of perfect obedience, but to show us that we must give up that pursuit and place our faith entirely in Christ (Galatians 2:16).
But I want to make this clear: there is only one way to Heaven—through faith in Christ Jesus. To claim that there is another path to God is to question the authority of Jesus Himself, who declared that no one comes to the Father except through Him (John 14:6). It is utterly impossible to reach God by our own works. God knows it, Jesus knew it, and deep down, if we’re honest, we know it too.
We are all unrighteous. We may like to think our sins aren’t as bad as someone else’s, but in God’s eyes, sin is sin. He tells us to stop judging others because every one of us has fallen short of His glory (Matthew 7:1–3). We often compare ourselves to others to feel better, but at the foot of the cross, the ground is level.
What does it matter if I drove in ten nails while someone else drove in three hundred? Sin is like a cancer—whether one has more or less of it, it still corrupts and destroys what is good.
If it were even possible to reach Heaven by perfectly keeping the law, I have to ask—who would want to go to Heaven without Jesus? Too often, even believers fall into the trap of turning faith into legalism—making it all about sin and rules, and losing sight of relationship.
Yes, we have sinned, and yes, we should repent. But what is sin, if not an offense against God Himself? And if we long to be made right with Him, shouldn’t we also long to know Him—to love and be loved by the One who created us, who pursued us when we wandered, and who gave His life for us? God loves us deeply—shouldn’t our greatest desire be to dwell in that love forever? (1 John 4:9–10).
Many people return to God out of fear—fear of judgment, or a hope that He will bless their lives. But that mindset misses something vital. It’s like someone who cheats on their spouse and wants to return—not out of love, but out of fear of being alone or losing comfort. That’s not reconciliation; it’s self-preservation.
To return to God without love is to fall back into works—to follow His commands merely to keep the relationship intact, rather than because we cherish Him. And when faith becomes obligation instead of love, it bears dead fruit (Galatians 5:6).
How can we look upon all that God has done for us and not be moved? How can we hear of His boundless love and not be utterly captivated? There is only one way I ever wish to enter Heaven—by holding the hand of my Savior. I would never dishonor Him by trying to reach Heaven through my own effort, as if His sacrifice were not enough. When I stand before God, it will be clothed only in the righteousness of Christ—no other covering will do (Philippians 3:9).
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