Living Free From the Law

Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor. ~Gal. 3:24-25

Believers are no longer under the law. We have been justified, are in the process of being sanctified, and are waiting to be glorified. Why, then, is it so easy to live as if we must measure up to the law?

We should be doing or best to live up to the law. Not out of a “if I do this, I will go to Heaven” mentality, but out of a “I’m going to Heaven because Christ paid my sin debt, and out of thankfulness for God’s salvation, I refuse to go back to my old sins or give in to new sins” mentality.

One type of thinking says that we get to Heaven on our own merit, so we must try, try, and try again. The other says that a Mediator whose name is Jesus has already made a way for us to live in Heaven with God forever, and out of gratefulness, we will not offend. Because the Lord already sees us as righteous, we want to do our best to live up to His assessment.

Either way, we are going to fail. So the question is: whose merit are we ultimately counting on to get us to Heaven? In our heads, we know it’s Christ’s merit. In our actions, we clearly believe at times it’s our own merit. We simply forget, and start obeying out of fear of our own failure rather than out of awe, love, and thanksgiving that we have been, are being, and will be transformed.

 Lord, free us from the tutor and point us toward your grace, love, and forgiveness. Help us to see the futility of self-focus and self-righteousness and make us keenly aware that without you, we can do nothing. You are our righteousness. Help us to live, rest, and die in that truth. ~Amen