Galatians 2:21

I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.

For people who claim to be Christians while hoping that their good works are enough to earn them a spot in Heaven…this is a devastating verse. “If you are hoping to get into Heaven because you have lived a pretty good life, then why did Jesus have to die on a cross?” In other words, if you can be declared righteous—in good standing with God—by working on it yourself, then Jesus’ death was meaningless. Are you comfortable with that statement?

Probably not.

Paul is beating the drum of works vs. grace because he lived in a culture and within a religion that was entirely works driven. Follow the Jewish Law. Get circumcised. Observe all of the feasts and holidays. Don’t violate the Sabbath. Don’t eat meat sacrificed to idols. On and on the list goes. In fact, in Jesus and Paul’s day, there were officially 613 commandments to be followed. Some were positive—things that you do—while others were negative—things that you don’t do. Artist (and secular Jew) Archie Rand created 613 individual paintings and released them to the public back in 2008. The only time he has been able to display all of them at once was in a warehouse on a wall that was 100 feet long and 22 feet high.

Good luck keeping the Law.

It must have been a terribly depressing and frustrating process. Keep as many of the laws as you could, then make your way to the Temple to offer up the appropriate sacrifices for the ones that you couldn’t. Do your best for the length of your life and then hope that God has mercy on you when he weighs out the results? No hope there. Sadly, that’s exactly what Islam does. Keep the 5 Pillars and God may have mercy on you. Don’t…and he won’t. I spoke with several Muslims on a mission trip to Iraq several years ago and not a single one of them had any hope for Heaven (or Paradise). “I will definitely go to hell. I’ve been a terrible Muslim.” It was heartbreaking.

What about you? If you are thinking you might make it to Heaven because you have been a pretty good person, I can assure you on the authority of the Word of God…you will not. Additionally, as Paul said, if you can work your way into Heaven, then Jesus’ death was pointless. A nice guy who did some amazing things and shared some powerful moral teachings but tragically was executed by the Roman state. That’s it. Nothing else. No greater meaning. Christ died for no purpose and rather than being the answer to mankind’s sin…you are the answer for yourself.

I certainly hope that is not what you are putting your hope into.