It seems to me that so many members of Christ’s body have a grave misconception of the role of grace in our right-standing with God. Because of this many feel insecure in their relationship with God. They tend to rely on their own righteousness, and, realizing their frailties, imperfections, and short-comings, lose heart or become fearful that they might miss Heaven. The fact of our imperfection is precisely why God’s grace is provided and why it is so valuable in our lives.

Why Law Cannot Produce Righteousness

In a law system such as we see in the Mosaical age, absolute obedience is required in order to produce righteousness. “For as many as are of the works of the Law are under a curse; for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who does not abide by all things written in teh book of the law, to perform them.’ Now that no one is justified by the Law before God is evident; for ‘The righteous man shall live by faith.’ However, the Law is not of faith; on the contrary, ‘He who practices them shall live by them’” (Gal. 3:10-12). Those who feel that right-standing comes only by law-keeping (any law) must face up to the consequences of their choice. That choice demands total and perfect law-keeping. “So you shall keep My statutes and My judgments, but which a man may live if he does them” (Lev. 18:8). If you miss one little point, you are a law-breaker (See James 2:10). Now, if you are a law-breaker, you are a sinner and are not “righteous” and cannot stand before God, but are under a curse (v. 10 above). “Cursed is he who does not confirm the words of this law by doing them” (Deut. 27:26).

What Can Forgive Sin?

Law cannot forgive sin. You will have to rely on something other than law to have right-standing. The fact is that no one perfectly keeps the law (except Jesus). For that reason, “no one is justified by the law before God.” It is this realization of our falling short that often makes us miserable in our religion because we feel that we must render perfect obedience to be right, but we don’t!

If we cannot obtain right-standing by law-keeping, then by what means does it come? Enter the grace of God. You see, God loved us even when we were sinners (Rom. 5:6-9). That love provided a way through Jesus Christ who came and who died in our place and for our sins. “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us” (Gal. 3:13). But how do we gain access into this grace and thus obtain righteousness? The answer is plain. It is by faith. Our text above says, “The righteous will live by faith.” Or to put it another way, “The man who is right with God by faith will live.” Paul stated it this way, “Therefore having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand” (Rom. 5:1-2). The way of faith takes God at His word. It trusts Jesus and His sacrifice to take away our sins. When my faith leads me to genuine repentance and to a burial with Him in baptism, it is His blood that forgives and gives me a right-standing that I have not earned and do not deserve. Actually, what I have is an imputed righteousness (Rom. 4:5-8). It is not of debt but of grace that I am declared righteous. And, I might add, it is this grace which continually provides the blood of Christ by which I can daily stand in righteousness before God and have fellowship with Him (1 Jn. 1:7).

Paul speaks of the “righteousness of the law” (Rom. 8:4). That is, the righteousness which was demanded by the law and could only come by perfect law-keeping. Paul says that this right-standing that perfect law-keeping could have produced can be fulfilled in us. How? Remember, it doesn’t come by perfect obedience. Then how? By grace on God’s part and by our faith accessing that grace. When my faith leads me to repent and be baptized and to “walk according to the Spirit” (Rom. 8:4), then I have full faith that God’s grace accepts “such a worm as I” (Ps. 22:6). Truly, I can praise Him for imputing to me a righteousness which I have not earned and be as Abraham of old, who “believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness” (Rom. 4:3).

One other thought: God’s grace is not a license to sin. I cannot reason that since I am saved by grace that it doesn’t matter whether I try to follow His will or not. His will was given for the purpose of our striving to follow it in our lives. Our faith takes Him at His word and seeks to walk in His way so long as we live. Understanding His grace helps to have full assurance as we walk humbly with our God. (1989)

Forrest D. Moyer, 1989