DON'T KICK GRACE TO THE CURB
GALATIANS 2:16, 21 NKJV
16 knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.
21 I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain."
If the title seems rather harsh, Paul might argue that it's not strong enough.
One of Paul's biggest challenges was dealing with Jewish believers and unbelievers. Even those who had accepted Jesus as their Savior had a difficult time letting go of the Jewish laws.
The Jewish laws were a works-based relationship with God. You would earn God's acceptance and righteousness by keeping the law.
The problem was that no one could keep the law. Jesus was the only one who did it successfully.
So Paul is writing to these Galatians, reminding them that their right standing with God was not based on keeping the law. By keeping the law, no man is justified. Only through faith in Jesus could someone be made right, justified, righteous in the sight of God.
Paul recounted for the churches in Galatia how he had appeared before the apostles, the leaders of the early church.
These leaders saw that God had given Paul grace to reach the Gentiles, the non-Jewish world. And that God had given Peter grace to reach the Jews.
All that was well and good, but when Peter visited Antioch and the Gentile church there, he reverted back to his Jewish isolation. Peter and other Jewish believers separated from the Gentile believers. And Paul called him out publically.
This is the essence of our verses for today. If a man could be justified and made right by keeping the law, then Christ died in vain.
This is why Paul said he did not set aside the grace of God. Paul knew mankind needed grace to be made right with God. He knew we could not kick grace to the curb and try to work our way to God.
APPLICATION:
Spiritual truth is timeless. Nothing has changed. We still need grace today. We are still made right with God through our faith in Jesus. Not by keeping religious laws.
But now that grace has come, we are free to live right and act differently. Not in order to earn God's favor but as a result of the favor we have.
PRAYER:
Thank You, Lord, that I am blessed through faith in Jesus. Thank You. I am right in Your sight.