I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain [for nothing]. 

Galatians 2:20-21 

The Lamb of God in my place

Your blood poured out, my sin erased

It was my death you died; I am raised to life

Hallelujah, the Lamb of God. 

This chorus to the song “Lamb of God,” by Vertical Worship encapsulates beautifully just what Christ did in dying for our sins on our behalf. In connection with this passage, it serves as a reminder that Christ’s death was a gift. For us.

Even though it may not seem like it, Christ’s death truly was a gift. It was something that we did not deserve, but we received through the sheer generosity of the Father. In fact, that’s what the word “grace” means - the favor of God, expressed in his generosity even when we don’t deserve it. 

The ultimate expression of God’s grace towards undeserving sinners like us of course comes through the crucifixion, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ - His Son.

Consider it. If you made the world and the people you made consistently turned away from you, from the commands that you knew and told them would give them life, how would you feel? If you’re anything like me, you’d probably feel sad. And maybe really upset too. So upset that you would say to yourself, “That’s it. I’m done with these people because they refuse to follow me.”  

Keep in mind that God had every right to do that. But in the book of Isaiah, God says His ways are higher than our ways, and His thoughts are not like ours (55:8). While we usually refer to this verse in reference to God’s sovereignty, the context actually shows it is talking about the mercy and grace of God for the sinner who repents (55:6-7). This is continued in the book of James where the namesake author says that mercy triumphs over judgment. 

So in mercy towards us, Jesus lays down his life for us, even though we do not deserve it. He takes it back up again in resurrection from the dead, and gives all who believe in His work eternal life. He did it even though he did not have to; He did it even when He would have been perfectly just and justified in condemning us to death and hell. 

That is extreme grace and mercy. The Son of God gives himself for us to save us from death and hell, and He takes His life back from the grave so that we don’t have to fear death, so that we don’t have to grieve as those without the hope of everlasting life (Hebrews 2:15, 1 Thessalonians 4:13). All so we might experience everlasting life, the way things were supposed to be. 

Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.

1 Thessalonians 4:13

So then why would we add to the gospel? Why throw away the grace of God for a gospel that nullifies Christ’s work? In the book of Galatians, the church in the region of Galatians were being tempted by the Judaizers, who believed in Jesus the Messiah, but believed that Christians must obey the ceremonial law, especially male circumcision. 

We must keep in mind that Christianity depends on Judaism and not vice-versa, and that since Jesus was Jewish, there is absolutely no place for Christian antisemitism - a contradiction in terms. We owe a debt to the Jewish people because the oracles of God, including the whole Bible, were entrusted to the Jewish people (Romans 3:2).

However, to add to the gospel in any way (including by obeying the law for salvation) is to deny it. Ephesians 2:8-9 says that it is by grace through faith that we are saved, not through works, including the law - so that no one may boast. 

Moreover, if we think that we are saved by obeying the law - whether the Jewish ceremonial law or our own standards of goodness - we are essentially saying that Christ died for no reason. By analogy, it would be like receiving a free gift from a friend and then saying that you would pay it back with your own money.

Your friend does not want the money; otherwise, you would be saying you owed her a debt that you must repay, thus making the concept of a free gift mean nothing. She simply wants you to receive the gift. We owed God a debt, namely our lack of perfection before Him, but he paid it off for us! Why then would you try to pay back what you cannot possibly pay? 

If we try to add our own standard of goodness to the gospel, we are essentially mocking God, saying his gift is of no use to us. While we should not live licentiously and live for God in everything we think, speak, and do, we must not also think that Christ will love us more if we obey the law (as a means of gaining his approval). In Christ, God already has made us acceptable in the beloved through His grace (Ephesians 1:6). We don’t need to strive for his approval; it’s already there. When God looks at us, He sees Jesus. 

If you are striving for the love and approval of God through your works, stop. Please, stop, and ask God for forgiveness, which He will grant. Instead, rest in the love that God has for you and demonstrated to you on the cross, and live for God from that love which will never fade away. 

Discussion Questions 

How does it impact your view of God to know that He is generous? 

1. How does it make you feel that Jesus sacrificially gave up His life for you?

2. What is one thing you want to do this week to rest in God’s love for you?