“The Law of God set forth in Scripture is a transcript of Gods own moral nature. It is the Law that was fully imprinted on Adam’s heart as part of his being created in God’s image. It is the same Law that the apostle Paul said is still written on peoples hearts regardless of how obscured it may now be (see Romans 2:12-16). It is a universal law applicable to all people of all times. When the apostle Paul wrote that Christ was “born under law” (Galatians 4:4), he was referring to this universal moral will of God. Jesus was born under the Law because He came to perfectly obey it in our place. He came to do what we, because of our sinful nature, could not do. It is this perfect obedience to the moral will of God that constitutes His active obedience. There is, however, another significant dimension to Jesus’ obedience. As our representative, He not only was obligated to obey the precepts of the Law, but to suffer its penalty for our violation of it. This obligation He freely assumed in obedience to the Father’s will. So He actively obeyed the Fathers universal moral will, which we call the Law of God, and He passively obeyed the Father’s specific will for Him, namely to suffer the penalty for our sin.”
-jerry bridges
Reading Reflections:
We were incapable of obeying God’s law perfectly or enduring the rightful curse for our disobedience in a manner that would satisfy justice. Yet, this is precisely what salvation demanded. A substitute had to fulfill perfect obedience on our behalf to provide us with a righteous standing. According to the Bible, this is precisely what Jesus accomplished. His righteousness is credited to all who turn to Him in faith.
Additionally, a substitute had to bear the full weight of God’s just wrath. Someone had to pay the price for our transgressions—a payment sufficient to cover an eternal debt. Only Jesus could bear this punishment in our place. Thus, the obedience of Jesus lies at the core of the gospel. We are indeed saved by works, but not by our own. Rather, we are saved by the works of Jesus. Hallelujah, what a Savior!
