“If you wait for perfect conditions, you will never get anything done.” Ecclesiastes 11:4 

Law or grace? Now that we have accepted Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, don’t we still have to try living by the 10 commandments, and some of the other elements of the law? Can we simply turn our backs on what God gave His people through Moses, His loyal servant? I hear Christians refer to meeting on the Sabbath, meaning Sunday, or for some, Saturday. Recently, I overheard a person talking about someone violating one of the 10 commandments. Is that applicable for Christians today? Reading the Book of Galatians will solve this puzzle.

CHRISTIANS ARE DEAD TO THE LAW! 

Realizing how difficult it is for Jews who have been taught that following The Law is essential, Paul uses strong language to explain that faith in Christ is what justifies everyone…Jew and Gentile. According to Paul, we are dead to the law.

(Galatians 2:19)~”For when I tried to keep the law, it condemned me. So I died to the law; I stopped trying to meet all its requirements, so that I might live for God.”

(Galatians 3:1-5)~ “Foolish Galatians! Who has cast an evil spell on you? For the meaning of Jesus Christ’s death was made as clear to you as if you had seen a picture of His death on the cross. Did you receive the Holy Spirit by obeying the law of Moses? Of course not! You received the Spirit because you believed the message you heard about Christ. How foolish can you be? After starting your Christian lives in the Spirit, why are you now trying to become perfect by your own human effort?”  

  IT IS BY FAITH WE ARE SAVED!

(Galatians 2:16)~“Yet we know that a person is made right with God by faith in Jesus Christ, not by obeying the law. And we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we might be made right with God because of our faith in Christ, not because we have obeyed the law. For no one will ever be made right with God by obeying the law.”

(Romans 3:19-26)~ “Obviously, the law applies to those to whom it was given, for its purpose is to keep people from having excuses, and to show that the entire world is guilty before God. ²⁰For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are. ²¹But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses and the prophets long ago. ²²We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are.”  

 And in the Gospel of John, (John 1:16-17) the Apostle John writes, “From the fullness of His (Jesus) grace we have all received one blessing after another. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” 

(Luke 22:20)~”This cup is the new covenant between God and His people—an agreement confirmed with My blood, which is poured out as a sacrifice for you.” 

(Galatians 5:1)~”So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t  get tied up again in the slavery to the law!” 

The law was bondage and Jesus, by his death on the cross, has established a new covenant, a covenant of grace whereby the blood of Jesus has cleansed us from all our sins.