Seventh-Day Adventist Devotional For Children: “What The Law Can’t Do”

DAILY BREAD – DEVOTIONAL FOR CHILDREN

EASTERN NIGERIA UNION CONFERENCE CHILDREN’S MINISTRIES

Saturday, September 9, 2023

Topic: What The Law Can’t Do

We know that the law is good if a man uses it right. 1 Tim. 1:8

To understand the proper use of God’s law, let’s look at three illustrations to explain . First, the law can be likened to a dentist’s mirror. With that little mirror he can spot cavities. But the dentist doesn’t drill with the mirror. The mirror can reveal a cavity, but it can never repair it.
Again the law has been compared to a flashlight. If the lights in your home suddenly go out, you use a flashlight to guide you through the darkness to the electrical box. The flashlight enables you to see the blown fuse or tripped circuit-breaker, but you don’t insert the flashlight in its place.
For the third illustration, the law can be likened to a plumb line. A builder uses a weighted string to see if his work is properly aligned. If he discovers a mistake, he doesn’t use the plumb line to correct it. He uses his hammer and saw.
The apostle Paul said, “We know that the law is good if one uses it lawfully” (1 Tim. 1:8). The law of God reveals the problem of sin, but it doesn’t provide a solution. The answer is found in Jesus Christ. He bore our guilt on the cross and now offers us new life. When we put our faith in Him as our personal Savior, He forgives us and enables us to live by His strength in ways that please Him. What the law can’t do, Christ can. Have you asked Him to be your Savior? God’s law pinpoints our problem; God’s grace provides the solution.

Thought for Reflection
The law of God serves an important purpose in our lives. It reveals our sin and points us to our need for a Savior. However, it is crucial for us to understand that the law itself cannot save us or bring about true transformation. Only Jesus Christ can do that. Let us remember that our salvation and sanctification are found in Him alone.

Song
There is a fountain filled with blood
Drawn from Immanuel’s veins
And sinners plunged beneath that flood
Lose all their guilty stains

Lose all their guilty stains
Lose all their guilty stains
And sinners plunged beneath that flood
Lose all their guilty stains

Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You for Your law that reveals our sin and our need for a Savior. We confess that apart from Jesus Christ, we are lost and broken. We acknowledge that Your law alone cannot save us or bring about true transformation in our lives. We thank You for the gift of Your Son, who bore our guilt on the cross and offers us new life. We place our faith in Jesus as our personal Savior and ask for forgiveness and strength to live according to Your will, pleasing you in all we do. Help us to always remember that it is by Your grace that we are saved and may we never forget the depth of your love and the gift of salvation. In Jesus’ name, amen.