The Law: Living or Dead?

Gal 2:16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.

Gal 2:17 But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid.

Gal 2:18 For if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor.

Gal 2:19 For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God.

Gal 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

Gal 2:21 I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.

 

Am I crucified with Christ, by the law? This is a hard question to answer on a daily basis. Often I find that I am alive and well to the law. I am trying through some merit of my own strength to meet the demands of the law. I even create new laws to help me live within boundaries that stifle my life and the joy that a spirit filled life brings. I then try to impose those on others. Those are good days compared to the ones when I meet someone who has a stricter definition of what is righteous. So whether being imposed upon or imposing, I find a lot of the times my actions are one of rule keeping rather than faith living. I have never been able to obey the law and I know that I cannot be justified by the law so why do I pursue the aspects of the law so fervently? Why do I return to that which has never been able to perfect the conscience of the believer?

The law stated that I must die. I have sinned many times in my life. I will not enumerate those sins here in this writing. Accordingly, in the most God-honoring act of obedience known to man Christ died on the cross, and I enjoy the benefits of that act of obedience. This is why I am able to be dead through the law, and now live to God. However, does Christ live in me? Is my life in the flesh a reflection of faith in the Son of God? I have thought about this often and I am not sure of all the truth these verses hold. I am inclined to think, today at least, that this means I am to live in a demonstration of confidence in Christ, and not in a demonstration of meeting the expected norms of my culture. Let me see if I can expand this thought?

Jesus, did things that the religious culture of His day deemed sin. The priests declared that He was a sinner for healing on the Sabbath. The priests said His followers were sinners for plucking corn on the Sabbath day. In fact, they were consistently finding new definitions of how He was wrong. Through an overzealous attempt to live righteous lives, they failed to be righteous, for the just live by faith. So, I ask myself (and by proxy of writing, you) this question: Am I confident my actions are in line with God and His guidance for my life? I know that they may be against the desires of some friends and loved ones but are my actions in line with Christ? Am I living as Christ would have me live or am I living as man would have me live?

I am not saying take your uniforms off and go to work/school in a wrong manner. I am not advocating disobedience to parents (Christ was subject to His until about the age of 30). Christ only did that which was against the norm when the norm limited His worship of God. Laws of our land, work, and school generally do not limit our worship of God. Work itself can be a form of worship. My purpose here is to ask questions like: Is what I am listening to, watching, reading, and wearing, in line with God's direction for my life? Am I living in the spirit of Christ's command "Forbid him not: for there is no man which shall do a miracle in my name, that can lightly speak evil of me.
For he that is not against us is on our part."?

 

The challenge: I need to let go of my perceptions and preferences in order that someone else might grow in their walk with Christ.