Matthew 5:17 “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.” What do you think? Is the Law still valid in today’s world? There are some that say no. There are some that try to establish their own righteousness by keeping the law. There are some that believe that since the Law was fulfilled, it no longer applies. Some believe that the Law is only to the Jews. Since God is not the author of confusion, then someone else is trying to confuse men. 1Corinthians 14:33 “For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.”
“We have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law.” Galatians 2:16.
So here if Paul is speaking to the Galatians about trying to fulfill the law, then it must mean that the Law is still in force and calls on man to comply. He can’t, of course, do that. Romans 3:23 tells us, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;” “We see in Galatians 2:16 that the Lord’s promise of liberating truth includes truth to deliver us from the law. If we are going to be justified (declared not guilty and pronounced righteous in Christ), we must be delivered from the law (which condemns us, pronounces us guilty of sin). This rescue from the law is secured by placing our faith in the Lord Jesus, enjoying His justifying grace.” Bob Hoekstra In our text Jesus Himself tells us that the law is still in effect, but that He came to fulfill its demands to show that it can happen, yet man cannot live a clean enough life to be judged pure by the Law.
Like Bob Hoekstra tells us, we need a rule of law to judge ourselves against. Our own yardstick might be a few inches short of a yard. We tend to make excuses for our faults.
Have you ever listened to Flip Wilson, the comedian? One of his most famous skits was when Geraldine bought a new reds dress…the devil made me buy this dress … was the famous line. Then the humor of the explanation caused many to laugh.
But it is also true that men try to cover their faults with excuses. Rest assured, God still has His yardstick and it is a full 36 inches. All men will be judged by the same set of rules with the exception of those who acknowledge their sin, repent of it, and ask for Salvation through Jesus Christ. Those who receive Christ as their Savior have their sins forgiven and their records purged. Justified means…just as if I’d never sinned.
Only through Christ is that accomplished. How about good works? Nope. How about my good outweighing my bad. Nope. The Bible is quite clean on the subject.
John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Acts 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
Romans 3:24-25 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; Jesus only can justify…Why? Because He fulfilled the law.
Now back to the Law. 1John 3:4 “Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.”
The Ultimate Lawgiver is also the Untimate Judge. The Rule of Law is always in effect. And those whose duty it is to watch us watches and records mankind’s deeds.
Revelation 20:11-15 “And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.”
What is written in your book? Is your name in the Book of Life? These are timely questions that need to be answered soon. Proverbs 27:1 “Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.”
