Summer School: “Jesus + Nothing = Everything” — Tuesday
Galatians 3:10
For all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse, because it is written, “Everyone who does not do everything written in the book of the law is cursed.” (CSB)
One Christmas when I was very young, I received a basketball goal from my parents. The goal came unassembled with instructions on how to piece it together, so my dad and his dad attempted to construct the goal together. My dad’s dad wasn’t known for patience and, therefore, bypassed a lot of the step-by-step instructions in an attempt to get the project over with. Unfortunately, due to the inability—or rather, unwillingness—to follow directions, the goalposts became stuck together. While it’s a funny memory for us all now, it wasn’t quite so funny for them in the moment as they struggled to undo the mess they’d made. Whether you’re a fan of instruction manuals or not, certain tasks really do require following instructions to a tee.
There are an estimated 613 instructions, or commandments, listed in the Old Testament, which are also referred to as “the law.” And while God did give this law to His people for a specific purpose at that time, the reality was and still is that even the most well-intentioned, disciplined person could never follow every single one of those instructions to a tee. This is why Paul reminds us that when we rely on works to make us right with God, we come under a curse. Why? Because it’s impossible for us to follow His ways perfectly on our own. The law was given to us by God not so that we could strive for perfection, but for us to realize our inability to achieve perfection. The law was given to us so that we could recognize our need for Jesus. He is the only one who can make us right with God.
Tuesday’s Reflection
Today, I invite you to follow the only instructions we are expected to follow: “If you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9, CSB).
