Obedience

There are many today including some 
ministers of the Gospel who trust 
and believe in their obedience as a 
means of being justified and declared 
righteous before God. 
But according to God's word, this 
belief is against the redemptive work 
of Christ and an insult to face of Jesus. 
The Bible says obeying the law or 
trying to be justified by any form of 
your works or strength makes the work 
of Jesus useless, meaningless, void 
and needless. 

Galatians 2:21
I do not frustrate the grace of God: for 
if righteousness come by the law, then 
Christ is dead in vain. 

The word "frustrate" is from Greek word
 "atheteo" which means to disesteem, 
disregard, cast off, despise, thwart the 
efficacy of anything, neutralise, nullify. 

These are serious words. 
You don't have to insult Jesus to prove 
your disrespect or disloyalty to Him, 
you just have to trust yourself and 
your obedience of the law to make 
that happen. 
Many have disrespected Jesus in 
the most basic yet important 
understanding of His work. 

Let's read Galatians 2:21 in different 
versions starting with Passion Translation:

"So that is why I don’t view God’s grace 
as something minor or peripheral. 
For if keeping the law could release God’s 
righteousness to us, the Anointed One 
would have died for nothing.”

Let's use The Voice Translation:

Galatians 2:21 Voice
[21] I can't dismiss God's grace, and 
I won't. If being right with God depends 
on how we measure up to the law, then 
the Anointed's sacrifice on the cross 
was the most tragic waste in all of history!

Look at RSV:

Galatians 2:21 RSV
[21] I do not nullify the grace of God; 
for if justification were through the law, 
then Christ died to no purpose.

Look at NLT:

Galatians 2:21 NLT
[21] I do not treat the grace of God as 
meaningless. For if keeping the law could 
make us right with God, then there was 
no need for Christ to die.

Let's look at TLB:

Galatians 2:21 TLB
[21] I am not one of those who treats 
Christ's death as meaningless. For if we 
could be saved by keeping Jewish laws, 
then there was no need for Christ to die.

Well, am not one of those either.

Loom at this in Amplified Classic:

Galatians 2:21 AMPC
[21] [Therefore, I do not treat God's 
gracious gift as something of minor 
importance and defeat its very purpose];
 I do not set aside and invalidate and 
frustrate and nullify the grace 
(unmerited favor) of God. 
For if justification (righteousness, acquittal 
from guilt) comes through [observing the 
ritual of] the Law, then Christ (the Messiah) 
died groundlessly and to no purpose and 
in vain. [His death was then wholly superfluous.]

Look at the Amplified Bible:

Galatians 2:21 AMP
[21] I do not ignore or nullify the 
[gracious gift of the] grace of God 
[His amazing, unmerited favor], for if 
righteousness comes through [observing]
 the Law, then Christ died needlessly. 
[His suffering and death would have 
had no purpose whatsoever.]"

Look at this in ASV:

Galatians 2:21 ASV
[21] I do not make void the grace of God: 
for if righteousness is through the law, 
then Christ died for nought.

I don't know what else you're looking for 
but it's so clear. Trusting yourself and 
your ability through the law for justification 
and righteousness or a right standing 
with God is actually dishonoring 
Jesus Christ and what He did for you 
on the cross. 

Christ's work was not meaningless 
but we can make it meaningless by trying 
to get what He gives us by grace through 
the law.

Obeying the law of Moses or self imposed 
laws as a means of earning God's love, 
attention, blessings and kindness is 
rebellion against God's system of making 
men right with Himself. This is solely 
based on the work of Christ and not 
man's effort. 

Isaac Love Pappoe