Galatians 2:21
I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain.
Truth to Learn
Salvation is all God’s work and none of ours.
Behind the Words
The word translated “set aside” is athetō, which is made up of a, meaning “not” and thetos which refers to something that has been placed in a certain location. Therefore, this word literally means “not placed” or, as we would say, “displaced.” Hence, it has the notion of something that has been cast aside, abolished, or thrown away.
The expression “in vain” comes from the Greek word, dōrean, which is a form of dōrea, meaning “as a gift,” “freely,” or “without value or purpose.” So, Paul is saying that if righteousness comes through obedience to the law then there was no value in Christ’s death on the cross.
Meaning Explained
Paul’s argument to Peter, Barnabas, and the other Jewish Christians is that we are made righteous, and kept righteous, by God’s grace, not by obeying the ordinances of the Law. But obviously, Peter and the others by their actions are still trying to uphold at least part of the Law. They are, in effect, throwing away the grace of God by trying to keep the ordinances of the Law after they have been saved.
Paul now strongly admonishes them that they should not get rid of God’s grace. After all, if our righteousness comes by obeying the Law and not by grace, then Christ died in vain. And His sacrificial death on the cross has no effect if we must also satisfy the Law after we have been saved.
In Ephesians 2:8-10a Paul said:
For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship
Our salvation is a gift of God, it is not earned. It is a work that He did, not us. If we earned (or completed) our salvation by fulfilling the Law (or obeying church rules and ordinances) then we would have something that we could boast about. As it is, we can’t boast about any part of our salvation because we didn’t earn it in any way at all! It is a gift, freely given by God!
Old habits are hard to break. Peter, Barnabus, and the other Jewish Christians who were caught-up in this legalistic practice were raised on the Law of Moses. Throughout most of their lives they were taught that they had to do these things in order to please God. Paul, too, had been brought up under the law, but he understood God’s grace as being all God’s work with nothing from man. That’s how this marvelous grace is: it’s all (all from God) and nothing (nothing from man).
Application
If you are saved and you are still trying to make yourself acceptable to God by obeying any set of rules, then you are declaring by your actions that God’s gift is not sufficient for you. And, by doing this, instead of showing God how worthy you are, you are trampling all over His gift.
Now, that’s something to think about!
In God’s service, for His glory,
Copyright © 2007 Will Krause. All rights reserved.
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