God gave the law to Moses to outline His requirements for His people to live a holy life (Ex 20:1-17). The law was intended to set His people apart from the evil nations they were surrounded by and to reveal and hold them accountable for the sin in their lives (Ezr 10:11, Gal 3:24). The law also revealed that no man could perform enough works to bring himself right with God; a Messiah was needed. By the time Jesus came to earth, the Jewish leaders had added hundreds of their own rules (Mk 7:7-9). They had created a burden that was impossible to bear, and their legalism was oppressive. Even the leaders did not uphold all their laws, a practice that Jesus strongly condemned (Lk 11:46).

Out of the reformation came the concept of Sola gratia. This Latin phrase means that salvation is a gift from God’s grace alone rather than by any works of man (Eph 2:8-9). Grace is the undeserved favor that God shows toward His creation. Jesus came as an expression of God’s grace, to teach us to deny worldliness and live in a manner that pleases God (Tit 2:11-12).

While the Old Testament emphasizes the law, the New Testament emphasizes grace. Jesus did not come to nullify the law, but to fulfill it (Mt. 5:17). Jesus demonstrated that it was possible to keep the law perfectly, something He did on behalf of all humanity. Sin would no longer be man’s master by living under the law. Believers are now justified by their faith in Jesus Christ (Gal 2:16). Contrary to the law enticing good works as a means to achieve godliness, it was “our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith” (Gal 3:24). Once we accept Christ as our Savior, God desires us to bring Him glory through our good works (Mt 5:16). Our good works are a result of and follow our salvation, not the cause of it. We are not under the law to acquire salvation, but the law continues to show us God’s morality, which is still a good thing.