Salvation: Not by Works, But unto Them – The Law of God: Question and Answers

Salvation: Not by Works, But unto Them
The Law of God: Question and Answers

The Law marks the pathway into Kingdom living.

Question: What does Paul mean when he says that we’re not under Law but under grace?

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:8-10

Believers are called to be the people of God, zealous for good works (Tit. 2:11-14). We are not called to be zealous for good works in order to be the people of God.

Put another way: We are not saved by works, but unto them.

And which works might those be?

Those which are in accord with the mind of the Spirit, the righteousness of Jesus Christ, and the civic responsibilities of the Kingdom of God: The works of the Law, and of all the Word of God (2 Tim. 3:15-17).

When Paul says we are not under law but under grace, he means we are not to shelter in good works as though we might find salvation there. We must shelter under grace, in the shadow of the cross, hoping in the resurrection and return of the Lord, and living for His glory. We are under grace, not Law, when it comes to attaining to the saving benefits of God’s covenant promises in Jesus Christ.

But in Jesus Christ, following in His way by the power of His Spirit, we take up the Law of God as the lamp unto our feet and the light unto our path, delighting by it to know God’s will, dwell in the liberty of the sons and daughters of God, and bring to ever-greater heights of glory the salvation freely given to us and daily being worked out in us.

We are not under Law, but grace, where attaining salvation is concerned. But we are under grace, working through the Law and Word and Spirit of God, for the sake of our great salvation in Jesus Christ.

Got a question about the Law of God? Write to T. M. at tmmoore@ailbe.org, and your answer might appear in this series of In the Gates columns.

Visit our website, www.ailbe.org, and sign up to receive our thrice-weekly devotional, Crosfigell, featuring writers from the period of the Celtic Revival and T. M.’s reflections on Scripture and the Celtic Christian tradition. Does the Law of God still apply today? Order a copy of T. M.’s book, The Ground for Christian Ethics, and study the question for yourself.

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In the Gates is a devotional series on the Law of God by Rev. T. M. Moore, editor of the Worldview Church. He serves as dean of the Centurions Program of the Wilberforce Forum and principal of The Fellowship of Ailbe, a spiritual fellowship in the Celtic Christian tradition. He is the author or editor of twenty books, and has contributed chapters to four others. His essays, reviews, articles, papers, and poetry have appeared in dozens of national and international journals, and on a wide range of websites. His most recent books are The Ailbe Psalter and The Ground for Christian Ethics (Waxed Tablet).

Scripture quotations in this article are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, (c) copyright 2001, 2007 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.