Description
Meditate on Galatians 2:21 and perhaps ask, “Why then did Christ die?”
Galatians 2:21
I do not nullify the grace of God… (visit YouTube for more)
Transcript
We’re going to meditate on Galatians 2 verse 21. We need to pay close attention to this one and follow Paul’s reasoning. Galatians 2:21. I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.
And Paul’s just been saying that he’s achieved righteousness through faith in Christ. But by coming to Christ, he discovered that he wasn’t righteous. That he was a lawbreaker, that there was no righteousness for him. Christ revealed his sinfulness, so how then can he be righteous?
But he then says in this verse. Ah, the conclusion that we draw is that Christ himself gives us righteousness. Christ himself brings the grace of God, but does what we could not do, and importantly does what the law could not do.
And we think that if we do the right things, then we’re good people, then we will be saved. But that absolutely is not what the gospel is about. The gospel tells us that Christ died so that we wouldn’t have to do that stuff.
Because we were never going to do it all. So many laws. Who can keep them all? And even if you keep them all, are you keeping them for the right reason? Probably not.
So Paul says, Christ clearly didn’t die in vain. His death did everything. The law showed us we couldn’t become righteous. Certainly not by our own effort.
Therefore, Christ’s death, that’s what we need. That is the way to righteousness. And that is the way to everlasting life.
The law didn’t fail. But it did show us our great lack, our great need. And then Christ comes and meets that need and puts us in right relationship with God.
That is a triumph.
