"But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for the just shall live by faith" (Gal. 3:11).
A common problem in the Christian life is the tendency to continue “in works” what we began “in faith.” This was the problem Paul dealt with in writing to the Galatians. They did not think their justification was really complete unless they kept the law. This error was, in essence, a denial of the efficacy and sufficiency of the Gospel. It also revealed a lack of understanding concerning the nature of God’s holiness, the necessity of faith in Christ, and reliance on the Spirit. If the Galatians had really understood the Gospel, they would never have fallen into “works righteousness.”
While we are not generally guilty of trying to keep the Old Testament ceremonial law like the Galatians were, we nonetheless can develop the mentality of trying to earn God’s favor. We pray, not because it is a response of our love for Christ, but because we want to perform a duty. We obey, not because we love God and His holiness, but because we think we have to do good things in order to come into His presence. We grow negligent in prayer because we don’t think we are good enough; we wait until we have performed some good deed before we pray, serve, or worship. This is nothing less than continuing in the law what was begun by faith because we are trying to justify ourselves by our works.
Paul tells us that this cannot be our practice because the law cannot make us righteous. No matter what we do the law condemns us. The works of the law are under the curse, “for it is written, cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them” (Gal. 3:10). For any of your works to be acceptable before God, they must be perfect. You must do “all things” written in the law. Any point of failure brings about a curse.
Only in Christ, through faith in His righteousness, are we redeemed from the curse of the law. This is the only way: “the just shall live by faith.” Your works will never give you even a hint of righteousness. The righteousness that brings blessing comes only through faith in Christ. The law brings only condemnation. That is why we must always trust in Christ’s righteousness and not try to earn any merit on our own.
Before you read the Bible, ask yourself, “Why am I reading God’s Word?” Before you pray, ask yourself, “Why am I praying?” Before you go to worship or serve a fellow believer, ask yourself the same thing. If you even have a hint of trying to earn God’s favor, confess it right then and pray that God would help you live by faith.
