Romancing The Rock

“I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!” [Galatians 2:21 NIV]

Photo by Bren Leslie

All of Galatians emphasises that we are no longer under the law, or the curse that goes with it. We live by the grace, believing in the salvation that Christ bought on the cross. It is a powerful message.

In Galatians 3:19 Paul says, ‘Why, then, was the law given at all? It was added because of transgressions until the Seed to whom the promise referred had come.’ So the law was never intended to be a permanent thing. It was only put in place to help people in their quest for righteousness until the time was right for Jesus to come and offer Himself as the perfect lamb for once and for all.

If we think about modern law, we see that new statutes are formed constantly to try to keep society as peaceful and ordered as possible. For example, too many people take to hunting a certain animal and pretty soon, regulations are put in place to make it illegal in order to protect that species. If a better solution comes along, regulations are changed.

Photo by Niels Timmer

In our case, the better solution was Jesus’ death on the cross. Through His sacrifice, the whole of the law was fulfilled and we were free to live under the grace that was given. The law is now written on our hearts in love, and we live out of a love relationship in obedience to His Word, not in fear of punishment, but to honour Him who sits on the throne.

It was, and still is, a beautiful exchange.