“But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law” (Galatians 5:18). The word “But” indicates that something came before and that what came before might have more or less value than what follows. What came before that statement in Galatians? “I say then: ‘Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish’” (Galatians 5:16-17). For the flesh lusts against the Spirit so that you do not do the things that you wish (the desires of your heart), but if led by the Spirit you are not under the law. “For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes” (Romans 10:4). What is under the law? It is under the weight of the law; under the sentence of death. If led by the Spirit you are not under the penalty of death, and no longer need to hold others under the weight of the law. Your righteousness is not in your ability or strength to comply or die.

Paul is defining grace. The devil is a liar and the father of all lies (see John 8:44). Paul is taking the power of the lie away from the devil, by speaking the truth about your life. “For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them’” (Galatians 3:10). If your works are for salvation, then you are still under the penalty of the law, death. “Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree)’” (Galatians 3:12). If you walk in the Spirit you are not under the curse of the law, because of grace. That is truth.

“For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself’” (Galatians 5:14). If you love your neighbor you have fulfilled the law; is that grace? “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law” (Galatians 5:22-23). Against the things that the Spirit will produce in you, there is no law. If there is no law against walking in the Spirit (walking in love that the Spirit produces), then there is no need of grace. Grace is for where the law was broken, where the sentence of death lingers, and redemption is required. For the flesh that wars against the gospel. Grace is God’s love fulfilling the law for us, while we are yet at enmity with God.

“What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?” (Romans 6:1). No, believe and walk in the Spirit. Be led by the Spirit. “For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes” (Romans 10:4). Christ is the end of living the law to be righteous. Christ is the beginning of walking in righteousness and Way we walk in righteousness. His way is walking in the Spirit in love. All the law and the prophets hang on two commands to love (see Matthew 22:37-39). When you are led by the Spirit that produces love in you, then you are led by the Spirit of Christ who has paid the penalty for sin; and you are not under the penalty of the law, death. When you are led by the Spirit that produces love in you, then you are walking in a way where against such there is no law.

“But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” (Romans 3:21-24). What came before that “But”? “Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin” (Romans 3:20). “Against You, You only, have I sinned, and done this evil in Your sight — that You may be found just when You speak, and blameless when You judge” (Psalm 51:4).

Judging us by grace (the “now righteousness of God”) is God’s right and God is blameless when He judges (when He judges us dead and when He judges us alive by grace). It is not that grace makes the law so that we have not sinned. Grace is God’s judgment on those who have sinned, but that believe and are not dead. What came before the “but”? Our sins came before, but grace came first. Believe what? That Jesus died to be our death, the payment for our sin, and lives to be our life.

© 2007, 2017 Tim D. Coulter Sr.