Righteousness is not by law !
Gal 2:21
I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.
If Righteousness comes by the Law, Christ is dead in vain, that is if Righteousness or Justification before God is premised on our personal obedience, then Christ's Death is worthless or in vain.
The word law in this verse in the greek is without the definite article, so its not restricted to any specific law, but the principle of law in general is meant and can be applied, it is the greek word nomos and means:
anything established, anything received by usage, a custom, a law,
a command
a)
of any law whatsoever
a
precept or injunction
3)
the rule of action prescribed by reason
You see, Believing on Christ is a command or an imperative. Paul told the Jailor in
Acts 16:30-31
30And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?
31And they said,
Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.
The word believe here
is in the imperative mood, which mood denotes:
The imperative mood corresponds to the English imperative, and expresses a command to the hearer
to perform a certain action by the order and authority of the one commanding. Thus, Jesus' phrase, "Repent ye, and believe the gospel" (
Mk.1:15) is not at all an "invitation," but an absolute command requiring full obedience on the part of all hearers.
Command means:
to direct with specific authority or prerogative; order: The captain commanded his men to attack.
2.
to require authoritatively; demand: She commanded silence.
3.
to have or exercise authority or control over; be master of; have at one's bidding or disposal: The Pharaoh commanded 10,000 slaves.
So, if one gets saved or becomes Righteous, or is Justified by obedience to any command whatsoever, then Christ death is in vain for them, it is for naught.
Now, it behooves us to understand what Paul and Silas really meant when they gave the imperative Believe in
Acts 16:31. Did they make Believing a condition for the Jailor to obey in order to get saved ? If they did, then they were teaching Righteousness by Law ! Yet most in the modern religious world say that is what they taught by that. However they were not teaching that at all, but they were giving instruction to one who gave evidence of being already spiritually saved and being alarmed of his sinful condition, of such it is appropriate to speak to them the word of the Lord, the Gospel of their Salvation, but if we insist that the Jailor was in a unregenerate state at this time, and he was given a command or imperative to believe in order to get saved by that act of obedience of his, then we teach Righteousness by Law, and make Christ's Death of none effect !