I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!

‭‭Galatians‬ ‭2‬:‭21‬ ‭NIV‬‬

For most, keeping your nose clean, following the rules, and being a good person seems a solid path to whatever lies beyond this life.

Wouldn’t it be great if that’s all it took?

Gaining a righteousness just from observing the law as the Jews did will get you pretty far but not far enough.

That last step has long been a stumbling block but a necessary one for passage into eternal life.

No matter how much you may try, nobody ends up sinless.

Belief that Jesus was the Messiah sent by God to die and resurrect for us as payment for our sins is the final step over the threshold into the acceptance of God who can do anything but tolerate the presence of sin.

Be good and follow your rules, yes, but to understand that faith and belief in Jesus is the final chapter completing the story is a whole new revelation to which the entire new testament testifies.