Law Or Grace?
Google recently celebrated the birthday of Elijah McCoy, a black man who invented many important and time saving devices. One of the most well known and important of his inventions was the automatic lubricating device for trains. It allowed a train’s engines to be continually lubricated vs the previous practice of having to stop the train and manually engage in the process of lubrication. Soon others were making devices that claimed to do the same thing. The problem was that they were inferior to McCoy’s patented device. As a result, buyers began asking for “the real McCoy” when making purchases of these lubricating devices. There is no substitute for the real thing, that you can trust to do what you need it to do. In this week’s scripture (Galatians 3:18-29), Paul tells us that our justification and salvation comes by God’s grace through faith in Jesus…not by obedience to the Law given through Moses. The Law is inferior to grace because it can not save. But we are saved by God’s grace. We can trust it…it’s the real McCoy!
For if the inheritance depends on the law, then it no longer depends on the promise; but God in his grace gave it to Abraham through a promise. (Galatians 3:18) In this this scripture, Paul is addressing the Judaizer argument that obedience to the law was necessary for someone to stand justified before God. Paul responds by asserting that We are not justified by obedience to the law and can not be saved by it. Our “inheritance” (justification by faith) is an unconditional gift from God to believers. In fact, God’s salvation has always been by grace through faith, and His grace in giving the promise to Abraham was an example of this.
Why, then, was the law given at all? It was added because of transgressions until the Seed to whom the promise referred had come. The law was given through angels and entrusted to a mediator. A mediator, however, implies more than one party; but God is one.
Is the law, therefore, opposed to the promises of God? Absolutely not! For if a law had been given that could impart life, then righteousness would certainly have come by the law. But Scripture has locked up everything under the control of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe. (Galatians 3:18-22) Paul now addresses the purpose of the Law given through Moses. If it wasn’t the thing that could save, why was it given? Paul put forth that the Law was given for multiple reasons. First, the Law served to point out our transgressions against a Holy God. Second, the Law was given to temporarily serve until Christ came, after which it wasn’t needed. Third, the Law was given through mediators (angels presented it to Moses) whereas grace is given by God directly to believers (again God’s promise directly to Abraham is used as an example). In all of these ways, Paul asserts that the Law is inferior to God’s grace. Paul further says that the Law is not in “opposition” (i.e. also has the power to save and give eternal life) to God’s grace. The Law (scripture) has made us aware that we are prisoners to sin. Therefore, believers know that our faith in Christ is the only way to be saved (the promise given to those who believe) from sin’s sentence of imprisonment and death.
Before the coming of this faith, we were held in custody under the law, locked up until the faith that was to come would be revealed. So the law was our guardian until Christ came that we might be justified by faith. Now that this faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian.
So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise. (Galatians 3:23-29) Paul says that the law held us in custody (like a jailer) until Christ arrived to set us free. We are set free through faith in Christ. Through faith, we are not only set free, but we have become children of God, and we are full heirs of salvation.
Paul referenced grace often in his writing. It was an important concept for believers to understand and fully embrace, then and now. Without fully understanding and embracing grace, we fall back into legalistic thought, actions and bondage to sin. We allow the Law to point out our unholiness and lock us up all over again. And just as bad is our tendency to want to lock up others with the same guilt, shame and regret. Paul wrote about God’s grace often, to remind us that the Law can not save. But as a believer, you are a child of God, an equal heir of God’s promise to Abraham ( no matter your history or background). And any failure to fully obey the Law can never that away. Law or Grace? If you know what Paul and I know…choose Grace at every turn!
Blessings,
Rev. Glenn
