Not By Observing the Law

We who are Jews by birth and not “Gentile sinners” know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So, we too have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified. (Galatians 2:15–16, NIV 1984).

My Musings – The Jews were recipients of the law, handed down by God and recorded for posterity by Moses. Those Jews who recognize that Jesus is their promised Messiah realize that “by observing the law no one will be justified.” Because no one can fully observe the law.

Jesus said, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.” (Matthew 5:17-18, NIV 1984). In other words, if we violate “the smallest letter…the least stroke of a pen” contained in the law, we have not observed the law and stand condemned.

James (the half-brother of Jesus) affirms this in his Epistle. “For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. For he who said, ‘Do not commit adultery,’ also said, ‘Do not murder.’ If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker.” (Jamess 2:10–11, NIV 1984). This was not some new revelation brought by Jesus, Paul or James. “Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it.” (Joshua 1:7–8, NIV 1984). Joshua, the successor to Moses, knew it.

We cannot pick and choose which laws to obey and which ones to disregard. We cannot decide which sins are greater and which ones are lesser. For even “the smallest letter…the least stroke of a pen” is required to fulfill the righteous requirement of the law and be justified in the sight of God. This puts us in a tough spot. All of us. “There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.” (Romans 3:10-12, NIV 1984). Until Jesus, who offered His guiltless life in exchange for our sin-filled lives.

My Advice – Many today are missing the point. There is not enough good in any one of us to outweigh the bad and tip the scales in favor of meeting God’s standard for entering His Kingdom. The only standard we can offer, and the only one that God will accept, is Christ on our behalf. This is what we must do.