Is it possible to live a life fully obeying the law? Nope. Okay, let’s make it a little easier, is there a day you can live without breaking some law? If you answered, “Yes”, then let me ask you this. On the day in question, did you, drive a car? If yes, did you speed, park partly on a nature strip or over a footpath, reverse out of your driveway, overtake any car on the left hand side even if it was on the Freeway, etc. What if you stayed at home. What if you just stayed at home and watched TV… do you have a current TV Licence? We are supposed to.
And here are a couple weird ones, in Victoria, to prove a point: It is illegal to walk on the right hand side of the pavement. Taxi cabs are required to carry a bale of hay in the trunk. It is illegal to wear hot pink shorts after midday on a Sunday. It’s illegal to name any animal you plan to eat. You may never leave your car keys in an unattended vehicle. Only licensed electricians may change a light bulb. You must have a neck to knee swimsuit in order to swim at Brighton Beach.
There are so many obscure laws, we don’t have a hope of ever abiding by them all.
Add to that, the Laws that God has written.
All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.” Clearly no one is justified before God by the law, because, “The righteous will live by faith.” The law is not based on faith; on the contrary, “The man who does these things will live by them.”
Galatians 3:10-12
When it comes to the Law, we are in an impossible situation. We could never fully obey it. The instant we break just one law, no matter how minor or obscure it may be, we are a lawbreaker. And the penalty of breaking God’s Laws is death.
But here is the Good News:
Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.” He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit. Galatians 3:13,14
Jesus has paid the penalty for the Laws of God that we have broken. When we accept Jesus as Saviour, His death paid our penalty for breaking those laws (that’s what Sin is). We can have faith that we are now set free from our sin and can stand righteous (without sin) before God.
And we must remember that it was God who sent His Son Jesus to pay that penalty for us in the first place! How incredibly amazing is God for doing this and how incredibly loving is Jesus for paying our penalty for us?
We truly can thank God that we are able to now live by Faith!