Galatians 5:4-5
Those of you who try to be put right with God by obeying the Law have cut yourselves off from Christ. You are outside God's grace. As for us, our hope is that God will put us right with him; and this is what we wait for by the power of God's Spirit working through our faith. Galatians 5:4-5 (GNT)
Have you ever had a person share their ideas of a perfect life, following the Ten Commandments so perfectly that God has no choice but to accept you into heaven? I recently had the opportunity to hear someone like this, and they even said they really didn’t need forgiveness because they didn’t sin like other people. I’ll have to admit, I was a little dumbfounded, and couldn’t really respond, so I waited until the subject changed, and moved on. What I should have said was something along the lines of Paul’s letter to Galatians, but it just didn’t seem like the right time in front of others. Maybe in private this subject can be brought up.
Paul’s letter to the Galatians is straightforward. Faith is what makes us right with God, not adhering to the Law. Since we are sinful, adhering to the Law is pretty impossible, and it is God’s grace that makes us right with Him, which we only have to accept humbly. We often encounter people who try to tell us how God wants us to live to be accepted by Him. The Galatians also had these people who contradicted Paul’s teachings. His letter goes into detail how we are set free from sin by the Gospel, but the Law condemns us. The Law helps us live by showing us how to live, even if we can’t attain perfection. The Gospel and the Spirit help us put down our human natures to focus on love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, humility, and self-control (vv. 22-23). We give thanks for God’s grace that makes us right with Him!
Questions for Reflection:
- How would you respond to someone who believes the Law will justify them before God?
- Can you say you rely totally on Jesus and his grace to come blamelessly before God?
Prayer:
Dear Lord,
We often forget it is You that justifies us, not our good works or efforts to follow your Law. Remind us daily of Jesus’ sacrifice and grace that frees us to follow your Law without fear, but full of love for you and those around us. In His name, Amen.
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