Does God accept us when we keep the Ten Commandments and reject us when we don’t?
Jun 7, 2011
The Race for Grace - part two in a study of the book of Galatians
By Mike Gaudet
Does God accept us when we keep the Ten Commandments . . .
. . . and reject us when we don’t?
“I died to the law so that I might live for God. I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!” Galatians 2:19-21
The Revolutionary War changed the relationship of Americans to the Law of England.
After July 4, 1776 the American colonies were no longer under the jurisdiction of English Law. Most American colonists celebrated the freedom that was gained by the Revolutionary War and inaugurated by The Declaration of Independence.
There were, however, some colonists who chose to remain loyal to the British Crown. These British loyalists known as Tories ended up re-settling in Canada, Nova Scotia and the Bahamas. It isn’t hard to understand why. Their continued allegiance to the Law of the United Empire insinuated that Americans died for nothing.
Christ’s crucifixion changed the relationship of believers to the Law of Moses.
The book of Galatians has been called the Christian’s Declaration of Independence. In this letter Paul argues that believers in Christ are no longer under the jurisdiction of the Law of Moses. Christians are freed from the obligation to obey the Ten Commandments in order to invite God’s blessing and avert His condemnation.
Why do we need to be liberated from this law?
Law reveals sin: “Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight
by observing the law; rather, through the law we
become conscious of sin.” Romans 3:19
Law produces sin: “The law was added so that the trespass might increase.”
Romans 5:20
Law energizes sin: “For apart from law, sin is dead.” Romans 7:8
God’s Law creates problems for us. It’s supposed to! God introduced it in order so that “the trespass might increase.” He gave us the His Law in order to make sin a greater problem, not a lesser one. Only those who are faced with an unmanageable sin problem will be motivated to “live by faith in the Son of God.” God never intended that “righteousness could be gained through the law.”
Jesus was crucified so that we might be released from the jurisdiction of Mosaic Law. In Paul’s thinking, “I have been crucified with Christ” and “I died to the law” belong together. They are cause and effect. Believers in Christ share in the benefit of His crucifixion and as a result no longer live under the heavy weight of Old Covenant Law.
Why did Jesus need to die in order to provide this freedom? A covenant is a sacred obligation. Once it is ratified, it cannot be dismissed by a wave of the hand. It can only be undone by the death of one of the parties that entered into it.
Covenant accountability is annulled only by a coffin . . .
. . . or the cross!
This gets to the heart of why Jesus died for us.
Jesus was born a Jew. As one of the children of Israel, He was born under the authority of the Old Covenant. He was the only Jew (or Gentile for that matter) able to perfectly obey the Ten Commandments. Being sinless allows Him to “taste death for everyone.” Hebrews 2:9 Jesus died on the cross so that we could come out from under the jurisdiction of law . . . and live to tell about it.
Continuing to rely on the Ten Commandments as a means by which we attempt to earn God’s acceptance makes us “spiritual Tories.” By this continued allegiance to the Mosaic Law we “set aside the grace of God.” and act as if “Christ died for nothing.”
What about obedience? If we are no longer under law can we do whatever we want? When it comes to God’s commandments, we must live “by” them. However, we must learn not live “under” them.
When we live “under” God’s commands, we seek to obey Him because we believe that this is how we earn His favor and avoid His condemnation.
When we live “by” God’s commands, we seek to do what He has commanded because we trust Him and desire to live a life that pleases Him.
There are those who teach that God wants us to love His law. This is wrong: God does not want us to love His law. He wants to liberate us from the law so that we can love Him and love others. Paul declared, “I died to the law so that I might live for God.” We cannot live for God and live under law at the same time.