Irrelevant

"If justification were through the law, then Christ died irrelevant," Galatians 2:21.

What? Does this say that if you could get right with God by working the Law's rules, then the whole thing about Jesus was stupid? That Christ and church and communion and baptism and death and resurrection (and Christmas!? and Easter!?) and all that religion was just a fool's errand? Hmm. Well. Yes. That's exactly what it says. And if resurrection's irrelevant, whoever believes in it is even moreso. So. That's why the Good Book emphasizes nobody can get right with God by the Law's works. And. That's why we believe: We died with Christ. We no longer live. Christ lives in us. We live by faith in God's Son. He loved us. He gave himself for us. We affirm, and do not nullify, God's grace in this faith.

As we visit with a brother or sister today, we assert Jesus lives doing his good work through believer humans. And, together, we give thanks that Christ died and made us right with God.