I died to the Law through the Law, so that I could live for God. I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. And the life that I now live in my body, I live by faith, indeed, by the faithfulness of God’s Son, who loved me and gave himself for me. I don’t ignore the grace of God, because if we become righteous through the Law, then Christ died for no purpose. - Galatians 2:19-21
Have you ever caught yourself saying all the right things, but not really living them? It is easy for us to do, because most of us grew up hearing: “Do as I say, not as I do.” Because of this, we have found that it is pretty easy to ignore the things that we don’t think apply to us, and go on living our lives. We know all the rules, we know all the right things to say, and we know how we are supposed to love God and our neighbor. However, living that out isn’t always easy, nor is it our main focus. We think these are great theories for life, but practicing them is out of touch with reality.
As Paul is writing this letter to the gentile Galatians he talks to them about a fellow Jew named Cephas. Cephas has been sent out to spread the gospel message to the gentiles as a companion of Paul’s. Unfortunately, Cephas fell into what so many of us do when we get around people who don’t follow all the same rules and laws we do. Cephas began to act and live like they lived. He began to break his Jewish law, but continued to tell the gentiles to live like the Jews. Paul takes this opportunity to teach a little lesson. That lesson is - we should be bound to the Law, but the Law never could save a life; therefore, if we die to the Law, that is if we die to the idea of doing right for the sake of being right, then, we can have life and live forever through Christ.
Paul’s message is that we should not ignore the grace that God gives to save us from the way we live. It is only by God’s grace and the righteousness of Christ that we are saved. The salvation God gives through Christ brings us back on point with eternal life, remembering that Christ died for sinners, those who had not lived by the law, in order that they might find something greater in idea of loving one another as Christ has first loved them.
This is done through the cross, not that we would sin more, but that we would strive to live better, and know that grace can cover even our mistakes while trying. God’s grace will cover it all as we seek to live in that perfection of the Law, which is seen in the love poured out on the cross. That’s not something we should ignore, but something that we should understand that as Christ forgives me (which is often) I, too, should offer forgiveness, and lean in when I’m called to love my neighbor; because it is our actions that speak greater than our words, or as that one song says: “they will know we are Christians by our love.”
Grace & Peace,
Sam