For through the law I died to the law so that I might live for God. I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!
Galatians 2:19-21 New International Version (NIV)
Dying to the law can be confusing to our finite minds. After all, we are encouraged to be "law abiding" citizens in this world. However, there are many laws commanded by God we cannot seem to keep. We are prideful, selfish, greedy, unkind and many other things which counts against us as sin. All our righteous acts are like filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6).
In His grace, God sent us a Savior. When we start to think we can clean up our own lives without Jesus in them, we offend the God of Creation who makes the rules. Would God have given His Son to die if it were possible for us to save ourselves? Christ died to give us new life. Our dying to live means our dying to self and living for Christ. It means believing that Jesus gave His life for our sins so that we would not die but be reconciled to God and have eternal life. This is something we cannot accomplish on our own, no matter how good we think we are. Without Jesus, we will never be good enough.
For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again. 2 Corinthians 5:14-15 NKJV
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