Before I try to do my best to drop some truth, I want to say thank you. Thank you for checking out The Majesty’s Men. This website is the work of God. This is community — a place where we can all run to Jesus together. Come, get involved here. We want you here, like for real. We can all greatly benefit talking together about Christ. Now with that being said, let’s get to it!
In this post, I hope to blow you away by showing you the grace of God.
The Apostle Paul’s statement, “For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, ‘Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them’ ”, was revolutionary for me. (Galatians 3:10)
During my childhood and adolescent years, I believed the Ten Commandments were like a ladder to climb to get closer to God. Needless to say, I spent many years being overwhelmed, self-conscious, and dissatisfied.
Upon reading Paul’s epistles and growing in understanding of the biblical gospel, my perspective changed. We know that many laws exist in the Bible aside from the Ten Commandments, but I knew most of those were cultural (even though they revealed God’s heart).
Timeless truths exist in all of the Bible, no matter the relevancy to cultural commands. But at the church I grew up in, it was normal to hear more about the Law rather than the full gospel of Jesus – the one who was the fulfillment of the law.
Why Then The Law At All?
“Why then the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the offspring should come to whom the promise had been made, and it was put in place through angels by an intermediary.” (Galatians 3:19)
The purpose of the law is to reveal our need for a Savior.
For many, this is earth-shattering: the law is not like a climbable ladder, but like a true, honest, clear mirror. It illuminates our sinfulness for us. Without the mirror, we wouldn’t be able to see ourselves for who we truly are: slaves of sin!
Thanks be to God that we are shown our sinfulness in order to be free bondservants of Christ — slaves of righteousness (Romans 6:18).
Without the commandments, I wouldn’t understand my need for help.
Through the law, I learned what not to do. The problem, however, is that even though I know it’s evil in God’s eyes, I still commit sins. Whatever I want to do, I cannot; the things I don’t want to do, I do. (Romans 7:15-20)
If you see the law as a ladder, you will be stuck in anxiety. Its like trying to climb a massive mirror. You can’t. Don’t see it as that. The gospel requires humility — a state of mind that understands we have zero righteousness apart from Christ.
Really, the book of Galatians hits on this subject hard, especially chapter three. God established a law to increase the trespass. Not to make people sin, but to realize their sinfulness.
Before observing the law, I was unaware of my helplessness. I felt like a good person. Nothing I did was “super evil”. Sure, no one is perfect but my works weren’t totally crazy or anything… Until I tried to keep the commandments of God, that is!
We cannot keep the laws of God by our own power. We must have God’s power, the Spirit himself, in us. Obeying the biblical gospel means not trusting in one single ounce of your own righteousness, but wholly in Jesus instead.
Ask yourself, “Either Jesus paid for your sins, or he didn’t, which is it?”
He does not make a partial payment for your debt then leave you to pay the rest. It’s all or nothing. You are either in Christ or not in Christ. The truth is he did pay for them. Now we only have to believe his work was enough.
Let this perspective of the law sink in… Selah.
It Is Finished, But We Still Love The Law
Being “in Christ” also does not mean we ignore the law. God calls us to uphold the law (Romans 3:31), and we now, in Christ, have the power to obey God because God resides in us. But understand, we are not called to fulfill the law. Christ did that already. He is our righteousness.
Christ is the reason our righteousness exceeds that of the Scribes and Pharisees (Matthew 5:20).
“And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption” (1 Corinthians 1:30).
He is our all in all.
Thanks be to God!
In Christ, we now are freed from the law and called to serve in the new way of the Spirit (Romans 7:6). So, I encourage you now, rest. Rest in Christ. We will never ever be able to add to the work of Christ. Jesus’ blood was sufficient to justify us to the Father (Hebrews 10:14).
If the purpose of the law was for us to climb to God, Christ died for no purpose. If salvation were attainable apart from Jesus’ work, Christ died for no purpose.
See the grace of God in this. He first shows us our great need for a Savior before we see the beauty of Christ, the savior.
God shows us so much patience and perseverance. His love is relentless as we discover the riches of Christ.
When you are tempted to think you must try harder or do better, remember that your works are no competition to Christ’s. We have all we need in Jesus.
Rest. It is finished.
This post is included in our #GospelFoundations series. View the full index to understand more about the greatest story and news humanity will ever have!
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