Wouldn’t it be so easy if we could reduce following Jesus down to a list of rules? “Do this.” “Don’t do that.” Then we would know exactly what to do when we are unsure. Well, that has already been attempted, and it didn’t work out too well. The Old Testament law was a list of rules, and we have centuries of evidence showing that even when men have strict rules, they don’t follow them. Jesus introduced us to a more relaxed way, living by faith. The righteous live by faith.
Galatians 3:11, 13-14
Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for “The righteous shall live by faith.” Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree” so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith.
Broken Curse
We can never justify ourselves before God by our actions. No matter how good we get it, we will never measure up to his standard. We are right in God’s eyes because of Jesus Christ. His blood paid the price that redeemed us from the curse of sin. Jesus lived his life without sin which qualified him to take the curse we deserve and put it upon himself. In exchange, his righteousness was given to us, and we are accepted by God because of it.
Living By Faith
What does it mean “the righteous live by faith”? It means that we put our trust in Jesus and look to him to lead us. We are guided by the Holy Spirit and by the principles in his Word. When we come to a decision where we need direction we ask him to guide us. We don’t consume ourselves with following a set of rules, but we fill ourselves with God’s Word and allow the Holy Spirit to instruct us as we go.