Faith Alone

In Chapter 2 verse 15 of Galatians Paul states:

“We ourselves are Jews by birth and not gentile sinners, yet we

know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through

faith in Jesus Christ, so, we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in

order to be justified by faith in Christ AND NOT BY WORKS OF THE 

LAW, because by works of the law is no man justified.”

The Galatians began with grace alone and then were seduced into 

believing that they also had to obey the 633 laws which not one Jew

had ever been able to keep.

When I attempt to measure up to the standards of a particular church

or group to which I belong in order to feel good about myself, am I 

not attempting to be righteous by living up to a standard? “Do this, don’t do

that, witness everyday, whatever.” Do I try to get life by what I do to please

God and other Christians? Do I try to get points by doing A so that God will

give me B?

Oh, dear reader, the oughts are so subtle. I can remember a time when the

word “ought” defined my whole Christian experience. When I was praying I 

suddenly felt that I “ought” to be reading the Bible, or I really should go over 

to that neighbor and witness, or maybe I had not prayed enough. When I 

discovered that the Christian life is lived by faith, that I live and love out of the 

overflow of His Life in me, it stopped being about ME and started to be 

about HIM. I have a choice everyday. Am I going to try to gain His approval

through my behavior, or am I going to trust that He is crazy in love with

me, and nothing I do will ever change that? Even if I go take a nap....