Grace vs. The Law

"You have these rules, and you think that they'll save you." — The Joker, "The Dark Knight"

In our Sunday School class lately we've been studying the book of Philippians. There's something amazing about the way he lays out faith in the book, and something challenging, too.

The third chapter, which we looked at Sunday, focuses on the idea of grace — God's free gift to us — versus the law, and the ways we try to "earn" righteousness for ourselves. Of course, we know that's a fool's errand. But something in us is always trying to go that way.

One of the questions prompted by the study was what things have we put our faith in — or seen others put their faith in — that turned out to be "rubbish?" Most modern Christians understand works doesn't get us to salvation, but it can be easy to put our faith in people — like ministers or leaders — or institutions — like Christian college or churches — and be let down.

I think that is some of what Paul warns against. In his first life, Paul put a lot of faith in institutions and the law. But when he realized the truth of who Christ is, it changed his perspective. He said, "But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith." — Philippians 3:7-9.

For Paul, losing everything he thought was important was worth it to fully live the faith Christ put before him. It sounds radical, and it is radical, but it's also beautiful.

Paul's whole ministry is interesting. He spoke hard words of truth, but he backed them up with his life. He was always quick to point out he was the biggest sinner there was, using that as evidence of the greatness of grace versus the law.

Too often I think Christians forget about what it means to follow Christ, boiling there lives down to a set of rules or guiding principles for conduct. But Paul reminds us our walk is about so much more than that.

If we're focused on the rules, we're lost. The rules won't save us, Jesus already did that. We just have to live like we remember that.