Acts 13:39 Through him everyone who believes is set free from every sin, a justification you were not able to obtain under the law of Moses.

Andrea Bargnani, the number-one overall pick in the 2006 NBA Draft, was having a terrible season. So terrible, in fact, that he was being loudly booed by his home fans. Bargnani's case is certainly not unique. Underperforming players are often booed at home. But we have to ask: Does this strategy work?

In theory, home fans boo their own players to shame them into working harder. Some, of course, might be expressing simple hatred, but most fans would prefer that their players actually play well. So let's take a quick look at Bargnani's stats: he's shooting 47% from the field on the road and an absolutely horrific 30% at home.

The Apostle Paul said that "the law was brought in so that the trespass might increase" (Romans 5:20). This is evidenced by Andrea Bargbnani's stats at home. When subjected to the law (the chorus of boos that tells him he's not good enough), Barnani's performance is significantly worse. The law comes in, the respass increases. The more Bargnani is reminded of how terrible he is, the more terrible he becomes. The same is true of every one of us.

Christians have an outlet that Bargnani lacks: when we hit bottom, we have a Savior there to pick up the pieces, a Christ who substitutes His perfection for our failure. The more shots Bargnani misses, the more likely he is to be out of a job. The more we fail, the more likely we are to call for that Savior.

So what are we left with? Does the strategy work? Well, yes and no. The application of the law only works to weaken. Those who are oppressed perform significantly worse than they do otherwise. The law, remember, was brought in so that the trespass might increase. But for the Christian? The law works, absolutely. Paul again: "Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God's sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin" (Romans 3:20).

Thank God Christ has come for failures.

--Helping people live life with Jesus everyday,