In Galatians 5 Paul is very emphatic regarding our adding anything of value toward the payment for eternal life. He wants to make sure we understand that salvation is not a 50% payment of effort on our part with Christ making up the other half. We can’t add even 1%. He said, “You who are trying to be justified by the law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace.” If we are trying then we have fallen from grace! That is very strong language. Then if that is not enough he also says, “I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law.” (Circumcision was the specific issue but the principle involved could be anything we try to use to be justified.) He is not speaking of merely the Ten Commandments when he says “the whole law.” He means all of Leviticus which would make life very different from how we now live.
Lest someone misunderstand Paul and think that Jesus than gives us license for any behavior Paul goes on to say, “But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” He then goes on to describe the characteristics of people in love with their Savior. “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.”
This is not complicated. Let’s see if we can reduce it to one sentence a child can grasp. Jesus saves us and we respond with love because we want to be like Him. That’s it!
Spring Of Life