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Simply Grace

Read Romans 6:1-14

Discerning the purpose of the law was a big issue in the early church. It’s still a big issue today. Some first-century believers, particularly the group gathered in Galatia, struggled to understand the purpose of the law. They looked at it as the means for living the Christian life. Paul didn’t bother being delicate when he addressed the situation: “You foolish Galatians…” That’s not very nice, but it sure got their attention.

He asked them, “I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by believing what you heard? Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh?” (Galatians 3:2-3)

The Galatians were relying on human effort to fulfill the law—the Ten Commandments and the entire Mosaic covenant—in order to become righteous. A quick read through Galatians shows the harmful results of this approach. These well intentioned believers were…

• deserting the one who called them and turning to a different gospel (1:6)
• trying to please men (1:10)
• dividing the body of Christ (2:12)
• being hypocritical (2:13)
• not acting in line with the truth of the gospel (2:14)
• setting aside the grace of God (2:21)
• letting themselves be burdened by a yoke of slavery (5:1)
• using their freedom to indulge the flesh (5:13)
• backbiting and devouring one another (5:15)

The same is true today when believers try to live the Christian life through human effort. They are living as if they are under law. But that is not the case. They are no longer under law, but under the grace of God.

The law was our guardian to bring us to Christ so that we would be justified by faith. And “now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian” (Galatians 3:24). The law has given way to Jesus and the indwelling Spirit.

Believer, you’ve been released from the law of sin and death. The law fulfilled its purpose in you so that sin would no longer be your master. Now you “serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code” (Romans 7:6).

For further study read these passages: Romans 7; Romans 10:4; Galatians 2:16-3:29

What do these passages say about the importance of grace in everyday living?

Adapted from Simple Gospel, Simply Grace by Bob Christopher.