Justification and the Law

To those of you who believe in just being a good person, this is to give you understanding. I'm not disrespecting you in any way, I'm just trying to help you.

God's law is beautiful, perfectly designed and authored according to His will. Christians are supposed to live according to the laws written in the scriptures, but there is an issue that has to be addressed. We twist the law by transforming its role into a safety net just like what the Galatians did.

Let's clear the air about this right now. The law was never meant to save you. Its original purpose was to show us our flaws. I refer to the law as a mirror. Every time you crack open the Bible, you're unveiling the mirror. What that means is this; when you dive into the law, two reflections should unfold before your eyes. The first reflection is the lawful (Perfection). This image is of one who follows the commandments of God, who walk the narrow path of rightneousness.

The second reflection is of the viewer (you) reading the text in whatever stage you're in. In short, the law shows you your stumbling blocks to help you do one of two things
1). Saved: to realize that you're slipping in an area or areas in your life and that you must continually strive to seek Him. Endure the process because Christ will finish the work He started in us.

2). Unsaved: to get you to realize that you're a sinner. Since you haven't been released from the grip (which comes from giving your life to Christ), you don't have the power; the power to do good (follow the law in the scriptures).

Let's switch gears for a minute.

Justification

The Apostle Paul argued that those who simply rely on the law are under a curse (Galatians 3:10). These people Paul referred to are legalists-those who refuse God's grace and insist on gaining righteousness through works alone. Think about this for a minute. The Galatians had a lot of laws to abide under, but they couldn't. It's almost impossible to keep every law perfectly. They were missing the true ingredient to real righteousness; FAITH. God's blessing of righteousness can't be earned. Why? The answer is it was always freely given. This is where justification comes in.

Justification means God deems us righteous, He acquits us of our guilt on 2 conditions:
1). The grace of Christ that came from His sacrifice
2). The acceptance of Christ by faith.
In other words, because of Christ' sacrifice and our choice to surrender our lives to Christ, God deems us righteous. Therefore validating the fact that righteousness CAN'T BE EARNED, IT'S FREELY GIVEN by what Christ did for us.

The Galatians had good intent (maybe), but their process of righteousness was backwards and ultimately, futile. Don't get it twisted, you do have to work to show that you're righteous (justified), but works are evidence that you have been justified (deemed righteous). Without being justified, your works mean NOTHING.

Well that is the overall view of justification and the law. If that was a lot for you to swallow in one sit, le me make it simple. The law can show you your flaws, but only Christ can save you from your sin. If you have any questions, talk to your pastor, a trusted minister, or your spiritual advisor. If you're amped about studying it, like I was about writing it, do your own research into the book of Galatians. God Bless.