Did Christ Die Needlessly?

August 27

Job 36-37

Psalm 97:6-12

Proverbs 21:11-12

Galatians 2

Did Christ Die Needlessly?

“I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ who 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 up for me.  I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly?”  Galatians 2:20-21 LSB

The concept of grace is a central theme in Paul’s ministry and writings.  “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not of works, so that no one may boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9 LSB   “But if it is by grace, it is no longer of works, otherwise grace is no longer grace.”  Romans 11:6 LSB   Many Jewish believers were still emphasizing obeying the law suggesting that salvation must be earned through works.  While they believed Jesus was the Messiah, they thought that they needed to adhere to all the Old Testament laws.  While they accepted Gentiles into the faith, they believed that the new converts had to become Jews and go along with all their laws to be saved.  This passage is a strong rebuke of this idea.  Paul was trying to help them understand that the law was not sufficient to save them.  They had tried unsuccessfully for centuries to obey the law and had failed.  If the law had been successful in bringing about righteousness, Christ’s death would not have been necessary.  Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection brought in a new system that was sufficient to save everyone who believed through grace by faith.  It is a free gift, not one earned by human effort or obedience to the law. 

When we accept Christ into our hearts and receive the gift of grace by faith, our old self with its sinful passions and desires is put to death and we are raised with Him to walk in the newness of life.  “Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.  For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin, for he who has died has been justified from sin.  Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him…Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.”  Romans 6:4-8, 11 LSB   We no longer live to satisfy our sinful self, but we live to please God and we cooperate with the Holy Spirit to transform us into His image.  “Or do you not know that your body is a sanctuary of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?  For you were bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.”  1 Corinthians 6:19-20 LSB   Out of love and gratitude for His sacrifice for us and our salvation we submit to His leading and control of our lives.  We no longer live, Christ lives in us!