The Grace of God 105 2. The law has executed its sentence upon the believer (Gal. 2 :1 9 ) ; death has freed him. Identified with Christ’s death by faith, he, in the reckoning of God, died with Christ (Rom. 6:3-10; 7 :4 ) . 3. But righteousness is by faith, not by law (Gal. 2 :21 ). 4. The Holy Spirit is given to faith, not law-works (Gal. 3 :1 -9 ). 5. “As many as are of the works of the law are under the curse”—and the reason is given: “Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them” (Gal. 3 :10 ). The law, then, cannot “help”, but can only do its great and necessary work of condemnation (Rom. 3:19, 20; 2 Cor. 3 :7 , 9; Gal. 3:19; James 2 :10 ). Elsewhere (Rom. 5:1-5) the Spirit, by the same Apostle, sums up the results of justification by faith with every sem blance of human merit carefully excluded. Grace, through faith in Jesus Christ, has brought the believer into peace with God, a standing in grace, and assured hope of glory. Tribu lation can but serve to develop in him new graces. The very love that saved him through grace now fills his heart; the Holy Spirit is given him, and he joys in God. And all by grace, through faith! THE SECOND ERROR The Spirit next meets and refutes the second great error concerning the relations of law and grace—the notion that the believer, though assuredly justified by faith through grace wholly without law-works, is, after justification, put under law as a rule of life. This is the current form of the Galatian error. From Luther down, Protestantism has consistently held to justifica tion by faith through grace. Most inconsistently Protestant theology has held to the second form of Galatianism.
Made with FlippingBook flipbook maker