Justification (law or grace)
“... whosoever of you are justified by the low, ye are fallen from grace’ (Gal 5:4). We are saved by grace through faith and by faith alone, for it is written, “For by grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God” (Eph 2:8). This justification (by grace) must remain prominent and paramount in our hearts as being saved. If this position is not maintained, you will start thinking that your “holy walk” makes you look good in God’s sight and in the sight of men. At this point you wear your salvation as a badge and pride seeps in (See - Pride click to read!) and you no longer consider your salvation as a gift but an achievement or an award. No man is justified by the works of the flesh, for it is written, “Who hath saved us, and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began” (2Tim 1:9). We must remain mindful that the salvation we have was afforded to us purely by grace and our relationship with God through Christ is based solely on His mercy. With this mindset, we will always be humble for we know where we came from and that our salvation comes only from Gods’ grace and mercy. We should always keep looking up with our salvation in thankfulness, humbleness, and reverence to God through Jesus Christ and not look with our salvation to others as if we deserve it with our works, earning it with our works, or maintaining it with our works. We are justified by grace through faith only and not by the works of the law or of the flesh. Although the law was righteous in its time, no one could live in them because of the weakness of the flesh. This situation necessitated sacrifices and offerings to address the failures with the penalties being death. The “law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after faith is come, we are not longer under a schoolmaster” (Gal 3:24, 25). The law (Mosaic Law) has been instilled in our moral fiber as to what is right and what is wrong to the degree that it is difficult to set it aside, not that we should for it is part of our conscience to God as to what is right or wrong. It is written, “For when the Gentiles, which have not the low, do by nature the things contained in the law, these (the Gentiles), having not the law, are a law unto themselves: Which show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another” (Rom 2:14, 15). However, once you have been regenerated with the Spirit of God your attitude toward right and wrong should change. When a person feels that obeying the law (Mosaic) counts for something to God (justification), technically he has adopted the whole law and it is written, “For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all” (Jas 2:10). If you pick one law to obey it as a law, you are responsible to keep the whole law and “Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law, ye are fallen from grace” (Gal 5:4). You must forever keep before you that Christ fulfilled all righteousness and paid the price for all sin and that no flesh can nor should glory in the works of the law or works of the flesh and that your righteousness is of Christ by faith and “Not by works, lest any man should boast” (Eph 2:9).
