Galatians 3:21-22 (ESV) – Is the law then contrary to the promises of God? Certainly not! For if a law had been given that could give life, then righteousness would indeed be by the law. [22] But the Scripture imprisoned everything under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.
If the Law is completely unnecessary for saving people, then why did God give it in the first place? Does the Law contradict the Gospel? It does not. The Law cannot save but it is crucial in bringing people to see their need to be saved. If the Law could give life then we could be made righteous by it. But the Law cannot give righteousness. The righteousness that God required comes only by faith in Jesus Christ.
The role of the Law in this is to show that we need something from outside of us if we are going to be able to stand before God. The Law “imprisoned everything under sin”. When, through the Law of God, we see that we are desperately lost, then we come to see that we need something great and powerful and loving to rescue us from our plight.
The Law acts like a diagnosis on our car. The mechanic must first determine the problem before he can begin to do what is required to fix the automobile. Telling us what the problem is does not fix it. The Law tells us what the problem is. Now that we see that, we see also Christ as the only solution to the problem.
So, the Law is not opposed to the Gospel. The Law is what drives us to the Gospel. But it cannot fix us up. The Law cannot be put to work to remedy the problem. That is beyond its scope and its ability. Do not try to make the law do what it cannot do. If you are trying to be saved by keeping God’s law you are asking the Law to do what it is designed not to do.
You may have never read the law of God at all. But that does not mean that you are not seeking to be right with God by keeping it. In Romans 10, Paul talks about people who try to establish their own righteousness. Everyone does this, no matter how much of God’s law they know. You are trying to save yourself by keeping the law if you can think of reasons about yourself why God should let you into His presence forever. If you can say “Here is why God should let me into heaven” and not refer to Jesus doing everything to save you and your faith in Him, then you are trying to keep the law. And it will fail you. You need Christ. The Law clearly shows that you do.
Jesus said, “if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments” (Matthew 19:17). In Romans 7, Paul not only calls the law “holy” and “good” (verse 12), he said, “I myself serve the law of God.” James wrote that if you offend the law in one point, you are “guilty of all” (James 2:8-10). John said if we say we know God, but do not keep His commandments, we are liars (1 John 2:3-4). For those who reject the Old Testament, these are New Testament verses, most of which were written long after Christ died!
Be honest with yourself. Would God allow the violation of His law because of grace, when it was the violation of those laws which necessitated the death of His Son in the first place? If you still say yes, then how do you explain the verses listed above? Believe your Bible, not men! God’s Word is truth (John 17:17).
It is true that we cannot become a Christian without grace. Neither can anyone be saved without God’s grace. But the question is, can one remain a Christian and receive all the benefits of God’s grace while continuing in sin? God forbid!
Living under grace means living according to God’s Spirit in humble obedience to His laws. By living a life without sin, Jesus Christ set for us an example which we are to follow (1 Peter 2:21-22). Are you willing to follow in that example—to strive diligently to keep and obey God’s every command? That’s the only way we will ever truly be under God’s grace.
God’s grace is free and unmerited. None of us deserve it. We only deserve death. But make no mistake. If we are not willing to change our lives and serve righteousness through the Spirit, God will never extend His grace upon us. May God help us understand so that His grace will be upon us!
Hi Mahalia,
Thanks for your comments. It sounds like you think I said that grace means that a person can live in sin and still count on eternal life. I didn’t say that. The point of the article is that the law is powerless to save us from sin. You will see that I said, “Does the Law contradict the Gospel? It does not”. The purpose of the law is to point us to Christ. If we try to be saved by keeping the law we will fail because God requires absolute sinless obedience to all the law. None of us can do that. But Christ did and when we trust Him His perfect obedience to the law is counted as ours. Since, as James points out, we are all guilty of breaking all the Law the only way we can be saved is to have Jesus’ perfect righteousness counted as ours.
Does this mean that we can put our faith in Christ and then live in sin? Of course not. Paul addresses this in Romans 6.
Also, when you quote Paul as saying in Romans 7 “I myself serve the law of God” you only quote half of the verse. He said “So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.” What Paul was saying was that he wanted to serve the law of God but he still broke it. Read all of verses 14-23 in Romans 7 where Paul’s point is that while he desires to obey the law perfectly he does not and needs rescue. The key to Romans 7 is verse 24 when Paul asks “O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?” The answer comes in chapter 8:1 – 1″There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit”
Note the order in this verse. First we are brought out of condemnation by Christ and then we walk after the Spirit. The proof of salvation is holiness of life. But our keeping the law does not save us.
The grace of God is the first thing that happens to us in our salvation. God does not extend grace because He see that we are willing to change our lives. We are willing to change our lives because of His work of grace. This is the point of Ephesians 2:1-10. We were dead in sin and He “Made us alive”. Romans 3:10-18 shows just how helpless we were – “no one seeks after God” (verse 11). Then how can anyone be saved? Romans 3:21 -24 “But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:”
This is a powerful grace. It is a grace that enables us to obey Him. Grace does it all. God does not save us because we are willing. We become willing because He has set His grace upon us to save.
Thanks for your thoughts