The Law and The Savior

I had a lot of things I wanted to write from my Bible reading, but there were too many to choose from, so I picked none for today. I thought I would write about something else I have been thinking about lately.

“..Scripture imprisoned everything under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” -Galatians 3:22-27

Throughout the New Testament, it is made abundantly clear that salvation comes by God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone, apart from any works of the Law. It is also made clear that this has been the case since the beginning, that those who had right standing before God had it because of their faith, not by following the Law. This passage in Galatians shows that the purpose of the Law was to imprison people under sin. To say it differently, the Law existed to show the people of Israel that they could not follow the Law. Why? Because their hearts were sinful and loved to chase after other things, rather than seeking to please God. So why would God do it this way? Maybe to drive His people to their knees, that they would seek His help. But one thing that is definitely clear is that the Law was not making anyone right with God; instead, it brought them under just condemnation. But God in His mercy has made us His children through faith! The Law served to point to a Savior.

Something I have noticed in the past in my life (and I definitely still fight it) and lately with other people is that we do not buy into the idea of salvation by grace through faith alone. Sure, we may affirm and thank God for the truth that our works do not save us, but how many of us live with the feeling that we need to do something to prove our worthiness? How many of us would agree that we need to Jesus to save us, but then think we need to do something to keep ourselves saved? As if Jesus gets us in the door, then leaves us to try our hardest to please God. And if we do not, back out the door we go. Folks, this is law! Where is the hope in that? For years I lived as if I needed to do a certain amount of things and not do a certain amount of other things in order to get my way into heaven. My security rested daily on my efforts. I believe that many people live this way, and because of it have no security, no real hope. Daily they have to question whether they are even in the faith, because their “faith” rests on their efforts. Something we may not realize is this:

“God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, ‘Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.'” -1 Corinthians 1:28-31

Jesus is our wisdom! Though it may sound foolish to the ears of many, we who are in Christ know that it is He alone who saves. The world reasons away and scoffs at the notion of a crucified Savior, but when eyes are given light, they see the glory of Christ and the depths of their sin. There is infinite wisdom in the person of Jesus, and infinite foolishness in trusting our own wisdom!

Jesus is our righteousness! When we who have faith in Christ stand before God one day, He will pronounce us righteous, in right standing with Him! We will enter into His eternal glory and joy! Why? Not because of a single thing we have done, because on our own we have rejected God, gone after idols. But God will look upon us and see the righteousness of His Son Jesus and count us righteous in Him. Even now, we have right standing with God because He sees us as clean in Christ. My righteousness is never my righteousness, my righteousness is Christ’s righteousness given to me!

Jesus is our sanctification! We are set apart by Him, we are made holy through Him, and we are enabled to live godly lives by His power working within us (Philippians 2:12-13). We would be foolish to think that Jesus saves and then we work to earn it. Jesus saves, and then Jesus empowers holy living that brings glory to God. He alone is our hope for living a life pleasing to God. How long have we labored under heavy burdens, trying to earn that which cannot be earned? Find your rest and truly good works in Jesus!

Jesus is our redemption! How amazing to think that we have been bought! A debt that could only be paid by death was paid by the death of Jesus Christ! Jesus redeemed us from the curse of the Law (Galatians 3:13-14), from our imprisonment in sin. Why then would we want to go back and live for the thing that we have been redeemed from? We have been paid for by the precious blood of Christ, let’s not turn back and try to redeem ourselves by works of the Law.

How great a hope is found when we realize that Jesus is our all in all! He is our wisdom, our righteousness, our sanctification, and our redemption. Apart from Him we have no good thing and can do no good thing. And this is good news! Never will my law following be sufficient, but always will Christ be sufficient! May we boast in Him alone!

“In Christ alone my hope is found;
He is my light, my strength, my song;
This cornerstone, this solid ground,
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
What heights of love, what depths of peace,
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease!
My comforter, my all in all—
Here in the love of Christ I stand.

In Christ alone, Who took on flesh,
Fullness of God in helpless babe!
This gift of love and righteousness,
Scorned by the ones He came to save.
Till on that cross as Jesus died,
The wrath of God was satisfied;
For ev’ry sin on Him was laid—
Here in the death of Christ I live.

There in the ground His body lay,
Light of the world by darkness slain;
Then bursting forth in glorious day,
Up from the grave He rose again!
And as He stands in victory,
Sin’s curse has lost its grip on me;
For I am His and He is mine—
Bought with the precious blood of Christ.

No guilt in life, no fear in death—
This is the pow’r of Christ in me;
From life’s first cry to final breath,
Jesus commands my destiny.
No pow’r of hell, no scheme of man,
Can ever pluck me from His hand;
Till He returns or calls me home—
Here in the pow’r of Christ I’ll stand.”

-“In Christ Alone” by Keith Getty and Stuart Townend