“19 For I through the Law am dead to the Law, that I might live unto God.

20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me.

21 I do not frustrate the Grace of God: for if righteousness come by the Law, then Christ is dead in vain.” Galatians 2:19-21

The door to the Kingdom of Heaven is only opened to the One Who kept the Law in it’s entirety. If we enter in another way, we are a thief and a liar. It is “through” the Law that we are dead unto the Law. Only as we are IN Christ are we approaching God through the perfectly kept Law.

Attempting to live for God by means of good works or religious rites, makes us a thief and a liar as we go the way of Cain.

“1 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that enters not by the Door into the sheepfold, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.

2 But he that enters in by the Door is the Shepherd of the sheep.

3 To Him the porter opens; and the sheep hear His Voice: and He calls His own sheep by name, and leads them out.” John 10:1-3

The Law, aka the porter, only opens the gate to the Law Keeper Who is Jesus Christ. It is through Jesus and Jesus alone that we are dead unto the Law. He came not to destroy the Law but to fulfill the Law of which He did perfectly. The penalty of the broken Law is death. At Calvary’s Cross, Jesus Christ paid the penalty of sin for whosoever will believe upon Him as their Lord and Saviour. The Law, having no power to pay sin’s penalty nor break the power of sin, was given to reveal sin and to show the Israelites their need for a Savior.

Today the modern church doesn’t necessarily apply the Mosaic Law to the Believer to enter into the gate but another law…another religious rite cloaked in Scripture and taught as Biblical doctrine which the porter does not allow in. Through the Law, they are not dead to the Law and alive unto God but are in fact dead (spiritually dead) unto God and alive unto the Law. Under law, any kind of law, the Grace of God is hindered because the Cross of Christ is of no effect. If we are not IN Christ, the Law Keeper, the Grace of God is not flowing uninterrupted in our heart and life.

“For the Law of the Spirit of Life IN Christ Jesus has made me free from the Law of Sin and Death.” Romans 8:2 (emphasis added)

We must fight daily to remain IN Christ Jesus. Our faith placed solely and purposefully in the Cross of Christ is what allows us access to God. Jesus IS the Door. It is HIS Blood that paid the price of our Redemption. He has gone before us and prepared a place for us. Jesus is our Good Shepherd. He bought us and cleansed us because He loves us. He doesn’t love us because we are clean but cleanses us because He loves us.

Do not frustrate the Grace of God by trying to enter in another way. Don’t be a theif and a liar. Trust God. Believe that Jesus Christ and His finished work is sufficient to maintain both our position AND our condition in Jesus Christ. There will be days when we are on the mountain top and others that we feel like we’re hanging over hell on a rotten stick, nevertheless, we keep looking unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith Who is exceedingly and abudantly able to keep us until the day He calls us Home. While in the valley, as we’re going through the storm, He’s working all things out for our good. He’s continually teaching and guiding His sheep. There will be teaching moments and moments of rebuke but it is because of His great love for us.

Trust the Lord. At Calvary, the Gates of Heaven opened wide. There we live by faith in the Son of God Who gave Himself for us. Do not frustrate His Grace. Stand still and see the Salvation of the Lord.

-Donna Clark Warren