April 17-Tax Day, Law Day

Happy Tuesday. Well, I hope you got your taxes done and if you did, cheeseburgers are 1/2 price at Sonic today. I’m still not quite finished so probably no reward for me. It’s like a tradition for me though, to wait as long as possible—my sister called me the great procrastinator—but I like to keep that money every day I can. It’s like going to the very edge of the line and not crossing it. Laws. But whether you filed in January or waited until today, we all have to be in line with the law on this day, this wonderful Tax Day. Not exactly what Paul was speaking about here in this passage but it is adherence to a strict set of guidelines and a HUGE set of guidelines just like the Jews were trying to live under. 

Like many teachers of his day, Paul's position before his conversion was that the solution to the Jews’ justification was to obey the Law harder. All kinds of elaborate scenarios were drawn up and enforced on believers so that they wouldn't break the Law. If God saw that Israel was more obedient, then maybe He would justify them and save them from their condition.

But Paul HAD had an encounter with the risen Lord. And Paul saw that Gentiles who barely did any of the things the Law requires received the Spirit when they had faith in Jesus. He realized that God was forming a new people out of both Jew and Gentile, and the Law divided them. Not only that, but the Law had only led to curse.

“I do not treat the grace of God as meaningless. For if keeping the law could make us right with God, then there was no need for Christ to die.”

Galatians 2:21 NLT

God wouldn't justify a people who were trying to keep the Law; He would justify the people who had faith in Jesus. This would bring together Jew and Gentile. This would overcome the penalties of the Law.

How easy it still is for us, today, to measure our "rightness" on the strength of our obedience. We may believe God is on the side of those with the most rigorous moral rules. We might define our whole Christian life around our list of dos and don'ts.

Obedience is important, but God does not justify Law-keepers. God is on the side of those who have true faith in Christ - a faith from which obedience will flow.

Father God thank you for justifying us—for teaching us that obedience is a natural outcome of our faith. You are the great collector of persons regardless of where we come from or what we lay before you—you bring us together Into your fold. You are everything to us. We bring the sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving to you this day and to you our great King we sing alleluia alleluia and amen. 

Love you dear friend, 

Pam and Philip

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