Galatians 2:21 I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died for no reason.
Paul’s explanation of the gospel needs to be carefully balanced and understood. In this verse, he is addressing a potential misunderstanding about grace and law. His view of the law is one of the most challenging aspects of his thought to understand. This letter, particularly the next chapter, is important in this regard. This verse connects what he just wrote and his personal story of dealing with legalists, with his discussion about the law in ch. 3.
Living the life of faith confirms God’s grace and does not invalidate it. Trying to be justified by works of the law, such as circumcision, relies on human effort and not the grace of God. If we could be made righteous through the law, then Christ did not need to go to the cross. To be righteous requires that a person be faultless and sinless, in perfect obedience to God’s laws. Experience and honesty prove this to be impossible. As Paul concludes in Romans 3:23, “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” It is illogical to claim that righteousness can come by obedience to the law.
Following the way of the cross does not nullify or limit the grace of God. We do not put ourselves on the cross in order to justify ourselves. We are not the sacrifice of atonement. Our sacrifice is one of commitment. It symbolizes in the negative of rejecting the life controlled by sin and in the positive embracing a new life with Jesus as the sovereign Lord. Our personal sacrifice is one of total worship. Faith is not a form of works or obedience to the law but is a response to the grace of God. This faith will be show in righteous living, but this living is in obedience to the leading of the Holy Spirit. The sequence is important: grace first, faith second, and obedience third. Faith in Christ and obedience to the law are empowered by God’s grace and experienced through the indwelling Holy Spirit.
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