Galatians 2 - You can't keep the law! It won't work.

We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners; yet we know that a  person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ.

Paul declares that salvation is only through faith in Christ, and NOT through keeping the law.   Keeping the law is unacceptable because it does not address the root of sinfulness - man's heart.


Jesus taught that food could not contaminate a person (Mk 7:19; Acts 10:13-15); So eating pork on Christmas day or any other day is fine.  Enjoy that bacon!


If someone thinks they can become more righteous by keeping the law as the Judaizers thought, they are denying the need for God's grace, and they nullify the benefit of Christ's death.  

I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law,

then Christ died for no purpose.

But He died for a wonderful purpose - to save the lost.  
He died for me - because He loves me.  He died so I could LIVE!


Pray with me:


Abba, Father, my perfect Daddy,
How quickly we children want to turn back to the law.  
We want to keep a checklist, 
     to do good things, 
     to obey You perfectly, 
          so that we can feel good about our accomplishments, 
  and so we can ignore how dirty we are
          how full of sin,
          how centered on self
          how tainted our tasks.


We want to please You.
So we strive 
          and we do
               and we work 
                    and we toil 
                          and we get busy and we mess things up.


We forget that what pleases You most is
                Joy in Your Son.
               Glory to His Name.
               Praise for His Work.
               Gratitude for Your grace.


When we see that Jesus Your Son loved us, 
                                                           forgave us,
                                                           finished the work He planned for us to do...


When we see that He accomplished all things
                                      kept the law perfectly, when we could not. . . 
         
     and when we understand that we are IN HIM
                                                                       Indwelt by Him
     and that You, Father, Daddy, 
                                               see Jesus
                                                         instead of us...
              when You gaze on us, it is with fondness and delight.


You are truly our Daddy.
We climb into your lap
                                      and rest.


                              Father, we thank You.
                              Spirit, we thank You.
                              Jesus, we thank You.