Jesus Is The Way

Romans 3:19 Obviously, the law applies to those to whom it was given, for its purpose is to keep people from having excuses and to show that the entire world is guilty before God.

This verse reveals how the law is to be used. When the law is used properly, as it is intended, it is good. The law came with glory under Moses for a purpose: to show the world just how sinful it is and reveal the great need humankind has for a Savior.

Romans 3:20 For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are.

The Law was never intended to make a person righteous. As Romans 8 reports, the Law was weak because it relied upon the strength of the flesh, which is weak.

There needed to be a sure way of making people right with God.  A foolproof way planned in eternity past before the creation by the Trinity.  That plan, “The Plan,” was that Jesus would come in the fullness of time and offer Himself as the once-for-all sacrifice for sin.  Once Jesus’ work was finished, the Law was no longer needed to govern the people of God, who became children through their faith in Jesus and could now receive the Holy Spirit and live according to the Spirit.  Jesus fulfilled the law on our behalf. If Jesus failed to fulfill, then none of us would be saved because His sacrifice would have fallen short of the requirement.  Scripture confirms these thoughts.

Romans 3:21 But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses and the prophets long ago. 22 We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are. 23 For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. 24 Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. 25 For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past, 26 for he was looking ahead and including them in what he would do in this present time. God did this to demonstrate his righteousness, for he himself is fair and just, and he makes sinners right in his sight when they believe in Jesus.

Because this is so true, there’s no way that even one of us could boast about our position in the faith.  Not one of us can boast about what we have freely received as though we did anything to earn it or deserve it. It is a free gift.   But when people think in terms of performance or think the Law is still a way of gaining God’s attention or affection, they then make the mistake of thinking they can compare their walk with others in the faith to measure their progress or the lack thereof.  Such comparisons are rooted in wrong thinking and result in a wrong perspective about God and the way He is relating with His children today.  They need to cast down any idea that the Law can in any way make them righteous to start with or keep them righteous going forward.  They need to learn to walk by faith in the Son of God.

Romans 3:27 Can we boast, then, that we have done anything to be accepted by God? No, because our acquittal is not based on obeying the law. It is based on faith. 28 So we are made right with God through faith and not by obeying the law.

Law-based thinking is wrong-based thinking for a New Covenant believer in Jesus.  Jesus is the one who condemned sin in the flesh and paid for sin past, present, and future.  His death paid for the sins of the whole world.  His blood was enough to pay for sin from the beginning of mankind to the end of mankind.  Only by faith in Jesus is my sin, or your sin in its entirety, completely removed so that we are now clean and righteous.  Only by grace through faith in Christ can we be made the very righteousness of God in Christ and have a relationship with God with strong confidence and assurance.

I encourage you to look to Jesus today and find strength and hope in Him alone.  In Jesus, there is no longer condemnation, but if you go back under the law to ascertain whether or not you are okay with God, you bring yourself under the ministry of death, and you will find that in your flesh, you do not measure up.  Jesus is the only way!