THE LAW DOES NOT SAVE YOU, YOUR FAITH SAVES YOU – Galatians 3:11
Galatians 3:11 But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.
You are not saved by the law but by faith. While you are commanded to do good works, your good works will not save you. You can obey every law in the Bible but until you take a step of faith, you will not be innocent of your sins.
During the time of Jesus, the Pharisees and the Sadducees sought to be justified by the law. They obey their laws down to the last detailed. However, they were not any closer to God because of it. Yes, they received the praises of men. Nonetheless, they did not recognize Jesus for who HE really was and they crucified the One who they had been waiting for.
Because the Pharisees and Sadducees were so focused on the law and not on listening to the words of Christ, they missed the whole message. If you remain so focused upon the law, you will miss the opportunity to live by faith. Instead of focusing your attention upon being legalistic, you need to focus your attention on listening to the Holy Spirit. You will miss many blessings that could have been yours if you had just been willing to stop and seek God.
When Jesus came to visit Mary and Martha, Martha was so busy trying to please Jesus by how good of a host she could be that she failed to hear the words of the Master. Martha desired to please Jesus, but she was doing it in the wrong way. She was trying to please HIM by doing what she could do. What Jesus desired that Martha do was stop, sit down and listen to HIM speak. Until you hear the voice of God, you will never be able to live by faith.
We like to be in control. We like to determine what we do next. Living by faith does not allow us to be in control of our own life. Living by faith requires that we spend time being patient listening to HIM. Living by faith is similar to a horse and his master out for a ride. The horse may desire to be finished and go back to the barn for feeding. The horse probably is comfortable in its routine. However, what happens if the master changes the routine. What if after finishing the normal lap the master guides the horse down a new trail? Will the horse be attentive to its master’s signals and go to a new destination, or will it balk and demand that the master stay within the horse’s comfort level?
Living by faith is how you are commanded to live your life. You are not commanded to live by the law but by faith. Granted, both living by faith and living by the law require obedience. However, living by the law allows you to make the law and your works the most important thing. You receive the credit when you obey the law. However, when you live by faith, God is the one who receives the glory.
You cannot afford to become legalistic. If you focus your attention upon the law, your law will become more important to you then people. It is not your obedience to your laws that will make you righteous. It is not your diligent observance to your doctrine that will make you innocent. It is your ability to listen to the voice of God and to do what HE has said. It is when you take that step of faith that enables you to live a life pleasing to God.