"Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing." Galatians 5:2
Depending on any provision of the law as a necessary addition to Christ for salvation or sanctification, is tantamount to renouncing Christ because salvation is either Christ alone, or not Him at all. The gospel, which is the power of God unto salvation, presents Christ alone for salvation, without any help from the law.
This is the danger that the Galatian church was faced with when they sought to make complete, by the law, what Christ finished by His death on the cross. "Christ shall profit you nothing." These are frightening words for those trying to rest on the law for salvation, and every believer must give due consideration to them, and make sure that they are not in any way assuming that they can make perfect by the law what Christ finished on the cross.
Are you, like the Galatians, turning to the law to make complete what Christ finished on the cross? It is important that you know the implication of such a move: it is equivalent to saying that what Christ did on the cross is not enough to save you. No one can be saved holding onto the law and Christ, it is either you hold onto Christ, and be saved, or you hold onto the law, and be under the curse, as it is written, "For all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse, as it is written: "Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law." Galatians 3:10
So, you see, the law cannot be added to grace, to do so will be to make a mockery of what cost God the life of His only begotten Son. This is by no means suggesting that the law is bad, absolutely not, it is simply saying that the law was not given to save us from sin. In fact, "...before faith came, we were kept in custody under the law, confined for the faith which should afterwards be revealed." Galatians 3:23 (World English Bible). Now that faith has come, the law has fulfilled its purpose, therefore, we are to turn entirely to Christ, and rely exclusively on Him for justification.
Toni
