Galatians 5:4
Memory Verse
You have become idle from Christ, the ones by law being justified, you have fallen from grace (Galatians 5:4).
The commandments of Christ are the things that He instructed the Church to do. In the upper room, Jesus gave us a new commandment (John 13:34). For a new commandment to be given, the old commandments must be fulfilled (Matthew 5:17). Christ is our High Priest according to the order of Melchizedek, not the Levitical order. The significance is that, since the priesthood has changed, so has the standard (Hebrews 7:11–12). Therefore, the commandments of Christ have nothing to do with the Mosaic law or righteousness out from works of law.
Those who seek to be justified out from any law render idle the freedom they have in Christ. This freedom has not ceased; rather, they are not using it. Therefore, they are setting aside the righteousness they have in Christ to seek their own righteousness out from law. Those of the Church live out from faith (Romans 1:17). The law is not out from faith (Galatians 3:12). A Christian who allows his righteousness to be dictated by a law rather than out from faith is not living by grace.
Grace is God’s attitude whereby He gives us a benefit without consideration of merit. Thus, grace and works do not mix (Romans 11:6). Those who seek to use law as the standard for their righteousness in the things they do set aside the grace of God (Galatians 2:21).
Do we live by the freedom we have in Christ to live a life of righteousness based upon who we are in Christ, or seek to gain our own righteousness through our works? Law is not out from faith. Faith is taking God at His Word. Thus, the standard for the Christian is the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:2).
Law may seem like a comfortable place for some because it dictates every aspect of life, but in reality law only puts those who live by it into bondage and gives their sin nature strength to work out the bad things their new nature does not want to do (1 Corinthians 15:55). Our standard is to love other Christians (John 13:34), and feel at ease in the Christ (John 15:1–4). In this frame of mind, we will yield our members to the righteous desires the Holy Spirit produces in us and thus manifest the righteousness we have in Christ as we use His fruit to display who we are in Christ. Against this type of lifestyle, there is no law (Galatians 5:22–23).