Are you tired of running from your failures? Are you weary of trying to fix what you’ve broken? Are you done with maintaining coverups and facades? Are you ready to be at rest and for your heart to be at peace? If so, then Jesus has an invitation for you:

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. Matthew 11:28

King David was ready for rest. Every fallen man can relate to what David was feeling as he wrote these words:

My heart is in anguish within me; the terrors of death have fallen on me. Fear and trembling have beset me; horror has overwhelmed me. I said, “Oh, that I had the wings of a dove! I would fly away and be at rest. Psalm 55:4-6

David learned that flying away doesn’t work. Neither does running. We can’t escape our failures. We can’t fix them or cover them up. The only hope for a fallen man is the relentless, fierce, and inexhaustible grace of Almighty God. David concludes his thought in Psalm 55 with this statement of reliance upon God:

But as for me, I trust in you. Psalm 55:23

The force of grace is exponentially greater than the force of gravity. Gravity is fed only by our vulnerabilities and weaknesses. Grace, however, rises from deep within the fathomless love of almighty God. No force in all of creation can compare with grace. Its power overcomes every obstacle and floods every low place.

There is only one obstacle that can block the mighty flow of grace — pride. If you do not want grace, you can stop its flow. That’s what Achan and Judas did. Unyielding pride sealed their fate as gravity pulled them back into the ground.

It doesn’t have to be that way. Through humble confession and submission, we can receive the full flow of God’s grace. When we do, the running stops. Fear is cast out by perfect love. Shame, guilt, and regret are replaced by forgiveness, transformation, and redemption. Hope and light flood into the soul, scattering all darkness and fear. The result is rest.

There remains, then, a Sabbath — rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his. Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest so that no one will perish by following their example of disobedience. Hebrews 4:9-11

If you are ready to be at rest, then the Five Laws of Grace are for you.

Law #1 – The lower you go, the greater the grace.

Grace is everywhere. It flows down from God to the lowest place and pulls up on every fallen man. The upward pull surprises us. We thought God had rejected us or forgotten about us. We assumed our chance to experience redeeming grace and life-giving hope had been withdrawn forever. Then, suddenly, God awakens us to the power of His grace. It is the greatest miracle a fallen man experiences.

King David wrote about the upward pull of grace. He knew something about it because David fell from the highest height into the lowest depth.

Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. Psalm 139:7-8

Paul the Apostle, the murderer of Stephen and the persecutor of Christians, believed he was as low as anyone could ever get, yet amazing grace pulled up on him, too.

Even though I was once a blasphemer and, a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason, I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus, might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life. The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 1 Timothy 1:14

Be encouraged; wherever you are right now, grace pulls up on you. How do I know that? My friend, you are reading this article. That’s not by chance — it is by grace. God is still pulling upward on you.

Law #2 – Only a confessing man can rise.

God’s Spirit empowers us dead men to give just one humble response to the upward pull of His grace — confession. That’s it. There is nothing else we can do. Our first step on the road to life is always confession. To illustrate this law, Jesus taught a parable about a self-righteous Pharisee and a confessing tax collector.

Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: “God, I thank you that I am not like other people — robbers, evildoers, adulterers — or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.” But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven but beat his breast and said, “God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.

Again, confession is the first step God’s grace empowers us to take. We are granted no other response.

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. I John 1:9

Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper, but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy. Proverbs 28:13

Law #3 – Redemption is always possible.

King David’s story is awful, yet God’s grace redeemed him. If God could redeem David, then God can redeem you. No matter what you’ve done, redemption is always possible. This is the good news of Jesus Christ.

While redemption is always possible, its future availability isn’t guaranteed. Neither is our next heartbeat. Grace has given you this moment. It may never come again.

But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. Hebrews 3:13

Law #4 – Redemption is always predictable.

There are two steps God’s Spirit empowers us to take on the road to life. Confession is the first, and submission is the second. When we take those grace-empowered steps again and again at the prompting of God’s Spirit, redemption always happens. It is the only way, and it is completely predictable.

Law #5 – Redemption is always preventable.

Because we know the steps that lead to redemption, we can choose not to take them. When we choose pride and rebellion, we prevent redemption from happening.

Grace is pulling on you today. What will you do? I pray you will receive it and be at rest. Today can be your greatest day.