“For as many as are of the works of the Law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who does not abide by all things written in the book of the law, to perform them.” (Galatians 3:10)
Beloved, I have spoken at various times about the sense of entitlement that many church goers have. Many people believe that God is pleased with them because of their “doing,” that is their good works. They believe God will take notice of what areas they serve in, what positions they hold or their membership in a particular fellowship. They believe their doing makes them acceptable to God and in fact they claim an identity as God’s chosen people by presenting these works as evidence of their right standing before God. Of all people in history, Paul probably knew best what it meant to claim justification before God through works. His lineage and background placed him in a unique position of “doing” as a form of righteousness. However, Paul realized that doing was not good enough. God does allow doing as a means of righteousness or acceptance in His sight but only if the record is perfect, 100% completion with zero defects. For those who accomplish this, God is truly pleased; however, is there anyone who is perfect? I’m certainly not and I think if you are honest you will see that you aren’t either. So, what happens if we are not perfect? Does God grade on the curve? According to Paul, we are cursed; that is we cannot achieve acceptance before God. Even if we manage to make it through our entire life with a 99.999% record, the .001 that is not perfect disqualifies us as being acceptable and being unacceptable means that we cannot be in God’s presence; not now, not never. Is there any hope? Absolutely, real, genuine hope is found through utter dependence. By “utter dependence” I mean that you are at your greatest point of need when you have no other options. In short, there is absolutely nothing you can do; all other options are gone. If God does not act on your behalf, you will die and go to hell. At that point, God’s grace is applied as a merciful gift that draws you into repentance and confession resulting in being acceptable to God. Otherwise, your bank account of “doing” isn’t big enough to pay back the debt you owe God.
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