Law vs. Grace

Law vs Grace

By Dave Pound

Today, I would like to discuss a passage of scripture found in Galatians 2:14-21. Galatians is the first book the apostle Paul wrote around 48 A.D.

In chapters 1 and 2 of Galatians, Paul talks about defining the gospel and about the grace and peace that we have in Christ alone. He warns the Galatians about false teachers and how they try to add keeping of the law to salvation when we are only saved by faith and grace in Christ Jesus alone. Paul explains to them that adding the keeping of the commandments to saving faith, they are perverting the gospel. He goes on to say that the gospel he preaches is not of human origin, rather he received it by divine revelation from Jesus Christ. To add laws to the gospel is to eliminate the gospel (v. 21).

When it comes to justification by faith we need to understand that it is essential to the gospel not just central to the gospel. As followers of Jesus Christ, we are called to live by grace, not works-based faith. In the book of James chapter 2, he was not contradicting Paul's view of salvation by faith. James' teaching compliments Paul's writing. Salvation is determined by faith alone (Ephesians 2:8-9) and demonstrated by faithfulness to obey God's will alone (Ephesians 2:10). James is calling attention to two ways of justification, by faith before God and by works before people. While one is justified (declared righteous) before God by faith alone, the other is believed to be justified (demonstrates his godliness) before people by his or her works.

Justification is an imputation or placing of the righteousness of Christ into a believer. There is a legal declaration, a legal document if you will, written on your soul (indwelling of the Holy Spirit) that you are now forgiven and your identity is now found in Christ alone. The whole book of Galatians encourages the church to step out of works-based faith into the freedom of faith living. Paul will tell us there are two ways to live as Christians. One is grace-filled living and the other is obligational living, where you feel the need to earn something. As Christians, we have a tendency to move back and forth from grace-based faith to works-based faith. However, grace-based faith is where we access resurrection power through faith in Jesus.

C.S. Lewis in his book "Mere Christianity" suggests there are three ways to live. First, you throw out all the rules, believing that by nature I view myself as king and choose to do things my way (atheist; agnostic). Secondly, you try to keep the rules (all 613) and by doing so you drive yourself crazy, hopefully realizing at some point it is literally impossible to do (pharisaical; perfectionist). Rules become like a tax, where you are obligated to pay for something. Keeping rules out of obligation, not out of love or relationship with Christ. Thirdly, when you choose to fall freely into the grace of God alone and decide to allow Him to live in and through you (Galatians 2:20). Everything that takes place is filtered through your life for Christ: your career, your relationships, your finances, and all other areas of your life.

There are questions that present themselves: what does it look like? How do I know if I am living out a works-based faith (obligation), or a graced-filled faith, out of love for God? Obligated living has a source, it's called the law, and those whose activities are performance-based choose to live this way. The power they receive is generated by flesh and their identity is found in their daily performance. They become a slave to the law believing and feeling they need to earn God's approval. The source of gospel living is the promise of eternal salvation and abundant living for those who believe (Galatians 5:16-18). The activity of the gospel is the believer's faith and their power is from the Holy Spirit who lives inside them and leads them into all truth (John 16:12-13). You find your identity in your relationship with Jesus Christ and Him alone. By your faith, you become a child of God (Romans 8:14-17).

How do we become a new creation? We find the answer in God's word. I would like to share a few of the many scriptures that support the transformation from old creation to new creation. In Ephesians 2:8-9, we read "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast". In Romans 3:22, we see "The righteousness of God is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe." In the same chapter verses 23 through 25, "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are Justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement through the shedding of His blood to be received by faith." And in verse 28, "for we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law." In Romans 5:1-2, "therefore, since we have been justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand." In Romans 6:22-23, "But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." In Galatians 2:16, "know that a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we too have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law because, by the works of the law, no one will be justified."

So then how are we justified? We are justified because of the righteousness of Jesus Christ. By Christ's atoning sacrifice on the cross, the shedding of His blood, for without the shedding of blood there can be no forgiveness of sin. Through Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me (John 14:6)." But if God looks at me as I am, He will see a sinner. Romans 1:17, says "The righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, the righteous man shall live by faith." Take the next step of faith.

Whatever it is God has shown you to do, stop allowing fear and indecision to hinder you. Just go forward, trusting that He knows what He is doing even if you're not sure. When Paul contrasts Spirit and flesh in Romans 8:4-9, he is not contrasting two parts or aspects of the human personality, rather he is contrasting dependence on God's Spirit (and on Christ's justification that provides the Spirit) with humanity that's left to its own devices. The point is that one belongs to the people who have the Spirit, and therefore their hearts are being transformed by God, or one

belongs to those who are left to merely the best (or worst) of human effort without dependence on God's gift of the Spirit through faith in Christ.

We are not saved or reconciled back to the Father according to the law, but by Jesus Christ's substitutionary sacrifice, His atoning death on the cross. The apostle Paul said "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). Therefore, discipline your mind to focus on this truth, because of Jesus' substitutionary work on the cross there is no record of your sin (Psalm 103:12). You've lived your life trusting your limited senses, but now it is time to rely fully on God's unlimited wisdom, strength, knowledge, and love. Prepare yourself by reading Scripture, praying, and remembering how He has helped you in the past. Then do what you know He desires of you. He will do whatever is necessary to lead you to triumph as you obey Him.

Resources:

● Greg Majchrzak, Pastor at Calvary Christian Center in Harborcreek, Pa.

● Trusting God with Today devotional "Step of Faith” page 344

● The Moody Bible Commentary (page 1952). Moody Publishers, 820 N. LaSalle Boulevard Chicago IL 60610