DAVID DECLARES IMPUTED RIGHTEOUSNESS Devotion 7 of 28 It is the nature of men to receive partial works as though they were sufficient. "Trying hard," so to speak, is imagined to make human effort acceptable. Thus people say, "I am doing the best I can. If He is just, surely God will receive me." Such a notion is a vain imagination, promoted by the devil, and condemned by God. It is not at all the view of the Lord, which is the ONLY valid view. The Law, which is the foundation for the "works" of our text, makes no allowance for failure. It does not impute conscientious effort to the individual as the fulfilling of the Law. "WORKS" BY ANY DEFINITION If righteousness cannot be attained by keeping GOD'S Law, how much less by fulfilling ones own definition of the law! Certainly no church law or creed can be the basis for justification. Technically, God's Law stands for ALL law. As it is written, "For if a law had been given which was able to impart life, then righteousness would indeed have been based on law" (Gal 3:21, NASB). If it was possible for righteousness to be realized on the basis of Law – any law – then that is precisely how it would have been granted. Allow me to state this another way. If all man required was direction, or to be told what to do, then he would have been saved by laws or commands that identified what he should or should not do. In such a case, there would have been no need for Christ, no need for faith, and no need for salvation! – Tomorrow:
"But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness, just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works: 'Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, And whose sins are covered; Blessed is the man to whom the LORD shall not impute sin." (Romans 4:5-8, NKJV)
Nowhere does the Law say, or suggest, that a hearty effort will satisfy its requirements. Under the law, life before God depended wholly upon the DOING of the commandments, not on ones attitude toward them, or even the desire to do them. The reading of the Law will never lead anyone to the conclusion that TRYING to fulfill its requirements is satisfactory. Hear what the law required. "Ye shall therefore keep my statutes, and my judgments: which if a man DO, he shall live in them: I am the LORD" (Lev 18:5). Over and over, Moses emphasized that ALL of the commandments statutes, and judgments were given " to DO them" (Deut 4:1; 7:11; 11:22; 17:19; 19:9; 28:13). Being even more specific Moses said, "Ye shall therefore keep ALL My statutes, and ALL My judgments, and DO them" (Lev 20:22). The people were also to "learn them, and keep, and DO them" (Deut 5:1). DOING all of the commandments also required that they "LOVE the LORD your God, to WALK in ALL His ways, and to CLEAVE unto Him" (Deut 11:22). ALL of them had to be DONE (Deut 11:32). The commandments were to be kept "ALWAYS," or without interruption, not just on certain occasions, or in a cyclical manner (Deut 5:29).
Ezekiel takes up the matter, confirming that even in his day, there was no change in the demands of the Law. "And I gave them My statutes, and showed them My judgments, which if a man DO, he shall even live in them . . . they walked not in My statutes, and they despised My judgments, which if a man do, he shall even live in them . . . they walked not in My statutes, neither kept My judgments to do them, which if a man do, he shall even live in them" (Ezek 20:11,13,21).
When the rich young ruler asked Jesus what he should DO to inherit eternal life, Jesus asked him how he read, or comprehended, the Law. The man answered by giving the summation of the Law: "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself." Jesus then confirmed what the Law had said. "Thou hast answered right: this DO, and thou shalt live" (Luke 10:26-28). The law said nothing about believing, or having faith. You were required to DO what it said. If you did not DO what it required, you could not be blessed, or have eternal life. There were no exceptions.
In dealing with salvation, Paul makes a comparison of the righteousness that comes through faith, and that which is in the Law. He also pointed to the absolute necessity the Law required of DOING. "For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which DOETH those things shall live by them" (Rom 10:5). In his Epistle to the Galatians he also underscored this requirement, affirming the law was not related to faith. "And the law is not of faith: but, The man that DOETH them shall live in them" (Gal 3:12).
This is a pivotal point in the passage before us. Here is what the Spirit says, "For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, CURSED is every one that CONTINUETH NOT in ALL things which are written in the book of the law to DO them" (Gal 3:10). Moses put it this way, "Cursed be he that confirmeth not all the words of this law TO DO THEM" (Deut 27:26). These days it has become fashionable for people to speak of "curse of the law" being poverty and sickness. Nothing could possibly be further from the truth! That doctrine has anaesthetized the souls of men, and hidden the truth from their eyes. The Scriptures are plain on this, and contrary notions must be dashed to the ground. The curse of the Law is specified: "CURSED is every one that CONTINUETH NOT in ALL things which are written in the book of the law to DO them." That is the curse referred to in verse thirteen: "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree."
The Law, therefore, will not exonerate the individual who fails in a single point of its requirements. Thus James says, "For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all" (James 2:10). Man cannot choose the works he thinks are necessary, and discard the ones considered unnecessary. If man is justified by works, he must do ALL of the work, not just a part of it, and he must do it ALL of the time. That is being justified by works.
This is precisely the argument of the Spirit. He is showing us the utter absurdity of a Savior if man can save himself. It is preposterous to postulate the need of remitting the sins of a person who has achieved righteousness on his own. That should be apparent, and yet this truth eludes the person who insists on justification by law. If a person can be justified by what he does, then he has no need of a Savior. If, on the other hand, he cannot do everything – jot and tittle – that the Law requires, a Savior is needed. Thus, a means must be provided for righteousness to be obtained some other way, for the Law substantiates, it cannot come through man's doing.
PRAYER POINT: Father, on my own, I stand convicted by Your holy law. I confess that I need Your mercy, and Your Savior. In the name of Jesus I thank You for delivering me from the curse of the law.