Liberty to Obey God

"Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage. Indeed I, Paul, say to you that if you become circumcised, Christ will profit you nothing. And I testify again to every man who becomes circumcised that he is a debtor to keep the whole law. You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace. For we through the Spirit eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love. Galatians 5:1-6 NKJV

We cannot know God by keeping the law. Why not? Remember the Scripture says that we are set free not by works but only by faith in Jesus Christ the Lord. From the beginning, we are saved by faith in Him, so we shall continue to walk in the faith. We're not set free to go back to the old way of living by keeping the law, but to live His life in full by faith.

Christ Jesus had to die for we cannot keep the law. A new and living way has been provisioned for us to keep the law. That is “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” The old self who cannot keep the law died to sin. The new self made alive in Jesus Christ lives to God. So, it does not make any sense to go back to the law. It’s just like a prisoner who was pardoned and set free walks back the old house again. “Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:11 NKJV)

This is a serious problem among many Christians like the saints in Galatia. Although we’re saved not by works but by faith only, many are pressured to keep the law in order to gain the favor of God. They neglect the fundamental truth that we cannot earn any favor of God by works at all. Yes, we need discipline like reading the scriptures and praying and gathering. We shall do them diligently. Again, the activities themselves cannot contribute to earn the righteousness of God.

Then, what matters? What God is after is our hearts and attitudes. Do we do all the disciplines by relying on Christ Jesus who is indwelling the hearts of Christians? Or do we do them by relying on ourselves? There is nothing we can count on our part. The competence and confidence of Christians solely comes from God in heaven. “Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God, who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.” (2 Corinthians 3:5-6 NKJV)

Since we're justified in Jesus Christ through faith, we eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. It’s because only faith working through love avails. Those who keep the commandments by faith are true worshipers because loving God is to keep His commands. Therefore, we have perfect liberty to choose to obey God.