“And the law is not of faith: but the man that doeth them shall live in them.”
(Galatians 3:12)
In his epistle to the Galatians, Paul makes a clear distinction between salvation by works (based on the law) and salvation by grace through faith in the gospel of Christ. The law says, “The man that doeth them shall live in them;” whereas faith states that life comes not by doing but by trusting in the promise of God fulfilled in Christ.
To understand this properly, the distinction between the covenant of works and the covenant of grace must be kept clear. The covenant of works, first made with Adam, promised eternal life upon the condition of perfect obedience. Its requirement was absolute righteousness, and its consequence was that anyone who did not continue in all things written in the book of the law would suffer the curse of death. That covenant established the original and perfect rule of righteousness, but after the fall it could only bring condemnation, because no sinner can fulfill its demands.
When the law was delivered at Mount Sinai, that original covenant principle was displayed with great solemnity. Thunderings, lightnings, and the fearful voice of God proclaimed the holiness of His law and the seriousness of His command. The apostle identifies the covenant from Sinai as one that “gendereth to bondage,” showing how it exposes sin and reveals the inability of fallen humanity to obtain life through obedience.
Yet the giving of the law at Sinai could not disannul the covenant of grace given to Abraham and confirmed by God long before the law appeared. Instead, it was added for a particular purpose: to reveal transgression, to awaken the conscience, and to turn the eyes of sinners away from themselves toward the promise of salvation in Christ.[1]
The purpose of the law, therefore, is to outline God’s perfect standard of righteousness and the impossibility of attaining it by human obedience. The law cannot save; rather, it prepares the way for salvation by exposing the poverty of self-righteousness and closing every door of self-confidence so that the promise of God in Christ becomes the only refuge.
For this reason the law remains valuable to the church. It shows the holiness of God and the seriousness of sin. It reveals the depths of human failure and points to the necessity of a Mediator. And in doing so, it directs the sinner toward the promise first given to Abraham and fulfilled in Christ, where righteousness is received by faith in His finished work.
Contemplations:
- Confessing my tendency to trust my own works. Lord, I confess that my heart tends to trust in my own obedience rather than rest entirely in Your promise. Even when I know the gospel, I find myself measuring my standing before You by what I have done. I know that I cannot obtain eternal life by my doing, and I confess the pride that often makes me think otherwise.
- Acknowledging the holiness of Your Law. Holy God, I confess that Your law is perfect and righteous in all it demands. It requires a holiness that I cannot attain. But instead of humbly submitting to this truth, I sometimes minimize the seriousness of Your commands or compare myself to others. Forgive me for dishonoring Your law in this way and help me see it as a reflection of Your own holy character.
- Admitting my need for the promise of grace. Father, I confess that without Your promise I would remain condemned under the demands of the law. My obedience is incomplete, my efforts are flawed, and my righteousness is insufficient. I acknowledge that my only hope is the grace You have revealed in Christ. Let this confession become not merely words but a settled conviction in my heart.
- Turning from self-reliance to faith in Christ. Lord Jesus, I confess how easily I drift toward self-reliance instead of trusting wholly in You. The law reveals my failure, yet my heart often tries to repair that failure by striving harder rather than resting in Your finished work. Deliver me from this error. Teach me to abandon every self-confidence and to cling to You as my only righteousness and source of life.
Prayer (Confession)
Holy and righteous God, I come before You acknowledging the truth of Your Word and the exposure it brings to my heart. Your law declares that the one who would live by it must perform it perfectly. When I consider this standard honestly, I must confess that I fall far short of it.
I confess that I have often treated Your law lightly. Instead of recognizing its holiness and weight, I have sometimes reduced it to something manageable, something I imagine I can fulfill well enough. Yet Your Word shows me that Your law requires perfect obedience, constant obedience, and complete obedience.
I also confess the deeper sin beneath this failure: my inclination to trust myself rather than Your grace. Even when hearing the promise of life through Christ, I find my heart drifting back toward self-righteousness. I measure myself by my efforts, compare myself with others, and quietly hope that my obedience will secure Your favor. Forgive me for this pride and blindness.
Your law reveals my sin, and I deserve the condemnation it pronounces on those who fail to continue in all things written in the book of the law. Yet I am thankful that You have not left sinners under that curse without hope. You have given the promise of life through Your Son.
Grant me a heart that receives this promise with humility and faith. Deliver me from the subtle ways I attempt to build my own righteousness. Teach me to see clearly the difference between the law and faith, so that I may abandon every false refuge and cling only to Christ.
Let Your law continue to humble me, and let Your gospel continue to comfort me. Make me quick to confess my sin and quick to rest in the mercy You have provided. Form within me a life of sincere obedience as the grateful response of one who has received it by grace.
In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
Further Scripture References for Gal. 3:12:
Lev. 18:5; Rom. 10:5; Ezek. 20:11; Matt. 19:17
[1] Thomas Boston, The Whole Works of the Late Reverend Thomas Boston, vol. 7, (Aberdeen: George and Robert King, 1850) 198.
