If is it not apparent by
now, we should be able to see the love and care that Paul the apostle
has for the church members in Galatia. Over and over again he has
made an appeal to them to understand the grace or “unmerited favor”
of God and how this grace through Jesus Christ does not require that
one return to the ceremonies and regiments of the law of God.
However, it seems that the Galatians are persistent, and so Paul
continues his discourse with them in chapter five and verse four
where he wrote:
Christ is become of no
effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; you are
fallen from grace.
Paul has
formerly told the Galatians that if they desire to be circumcised,
then they must follow the whole law. In other words, they were
returning to the very attempt that showed them their need for Jesus
in the first place. Paul begins, “Christ is become of no effect
unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law;...” In
other words, there is no need for Jesus Christ if a person can be
justified by the law. The problem with this line of thinking is that
no one can be justified by the law because no one keeps the law. The
law, as we have learned from earlier passages, was to show us our
unrighteousness before God. The intent of the law of God was to
demonstrate our own sinfulness and our need for Jesus Christ. Only
Jesus kept the law perfectly, and to seek to be justified by the law
only meant certain unrighteousness again.
Paul
continues, “you are fallen from grace.” If a person seeks
to be justified by the law of God, he or she forsakes the grace of
God. In other words, a person may choose one of two ways to be
righteous. First, they may choose to be righteous by the keeping of
the law. If they keep the law in every aspect and not violate it in
any manner whether by spirit or by action, they may be righteous. The
second way of righteousness is by faith in Jesus Christ. Jesus lived
a perfect life, and he fulfilled all righteousness. Once a person
receives Jesus as their personal Savior, the grace of God is
appropriated to them, and they become righteous before God. The whole
idea is to establish a relationship and fellowship with God. A person
must be holy and righteous to stand before a Holy and Righteous God,
and if a person seeks to be justified and righteous by keeping the
law, if they violate it in one point, they have violated all of it.
They are fallen from the position of grace.
Paul the
apostle wrote to the Romans in chapter eleven and verse six the
following words:
And if by grace, then
[is it] no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if
[it be] of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more
work.
The work
of righteousness has been fulfilled by Jesus Christ, and now any
effort on our own to fulfill the law of God simply comes up short. We
should desire to continue in the grace of God and enjoy the benefits
of standing in God's grace. Rather than falling away or making void
the grace of God, let us find ourselves enjoying the provision made
for us through the substitutionary sacrifice of Jesus Christ. As the
old hymn rings out, “Grace, Grace, God's grace. Grace that will
pardon and cleanse within. Grace, Grace, God's grace, Grace that is
greater than all our sin.”
Next time we will see what it means to wait for the hope of
righteousness, so read ahead, and let us join together then.
Until
tomorrow...there is more...
Look for
the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation
to Generation” in all major
bookstore
sites, www.amazon.com ; www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to
e-books, and find it locally
at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore
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