Galatians 2:17-21

Galatians 2:17–21 KJV (WS)

17 But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid. 18 For if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor. 19 For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God. 20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. 21 I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.

Introduction

A lot of times Galatians is used to equate the law with modern standards.

They are similar, in that neither the law nor our standards have the power to make us justified before God.

They are different though, in that the Law is holy and perfect while man’s standards are not.

It’s not really the law of Moses, it’s the law of God, He came up with it.

But, it had a specific purpose that Paul is going to unpack for the Galatians and us.

All of us struggle with a misunderstanding of human performance.

Verse 17 is the quotation of a question that the Galatians would have asked.

This is a common mindset that persists to this day.

Is God the minister/promoter of sin when Christians commit iniquity?

Do Christians sin?

Should Christians sin?

Are our future sins forgiven when we get saved?

So, is God enabling us to sin without consequence?

Is God essentially making it easier for us to sin?

Now as then, this way of thinking betrays the carnality of the one asking this question.

Paul responds to this idea with an emphatic, “GOD FORBID!”

In verse 18, Paul explains the reality of returning to the law after salvation.

Far from being a minister of sin, God is the annihilator of our sin.

All of our sins, past, present, and future are washed by the blood of Jesus.

In our last message, we saw that we are justified, declared to be clean through Jesus’ death.

Why would anyone then desire to go back to the old life they had been saved from?

That’s exactly what the Judaizers were trying to do.

They were trying to earn God’s pleasure through adherence to the law.

We know that Paul was well-versed in the cost associated with this lifestyle.

When he got saved he turned his back on all of this.

If he were to try and go back to it, it would only make him a transgressor.

That’s a weird thing to say, “I make my self a transgressor.”

What does it mean?

Well, what it means depends on the information we have in this letter.

What is the purpose of the law?

Can the law justify anyone?

No, only Jesus can do that.

So the, what is the purpose of the law?

The law is intended to teach us about our sin.

We already said that Christians still sins.

The only outcome for a Christian that tries to follow the law is that they will be reminded of what they already know, they are a sinner.

That is not what the believer is supposed to base his identity on, however.

Verses 19-20 share Paul’s understanding of his identity in Christ.

He is dead to the law through the law.

The law had been his master.

It was a cruel master that could never be satisfied.

The law could never save, it could only slay.

This is not a bug, it’s a feature.

Remember, the law, as recorded in the Bible was designed by God.

It is perfect for what God needs it to do.

Drive men to death.

Paul says that the law had to kill him so that he could live to God.

This death and rebirth took place on the road to Damascus.

The law had accomplished its mission.

Paul was no longer under the curse and power of sin.

He was alive unto God.

This means that he was free to live from a position of acceptance not in search of it.

How had Paul died on the road to Damascus?

We should be able to understand that the law drives all men to death.

This is usually realized when the body dies.

It is possible to become dead to the law by identifying with the death of another.

Whether natural or representative, when a person dies, the law loses always loses its power.

Paul was able to find freedom from the law by accepting the death of Christ as his own.

The great thing about moving forward your death is that you are still alive.

But this post-death life is different than your pre-death life.

Your pre-death/pre-salvation life was marching unceasingly towards death.

As one justified by Christ, you are now in possession of eternal life.

You are no longer marching towards death, but life.

The Christian life is also different in this way.

The keeping of the law was used by man to try and convince God to have fellowship with humanity.

The Christian, though, who has died to the law, has no reason to try and convince God to fellowship with him.

Christ is already with us.

You see, like I said earlier, believers are not searching for acceptance, we already have it.

Christ dwells with us.

Yes, we still live in this flesh, and that brings challenges of weakness and appetite.

But we know where we are headed, life.

We are not on this journey alone.

Christ is with us.

Who would be better to have with you?

He loved us.

He gave himself for us.

Do we think that Christ’s love and concern for us was a one-time expression?

NO!

By having him with us, we are repeat recipients of His care.

This acceptance and fellowship motivates us to “live unto God.”

The believer does not use the law to gain acceptance.

We have acceptance, therefore we live for God.

Verse 21 the weight of standing up for grace.

How important is it for us to understand the benefits of grace?

According to verse 21, the gospel depends on it.

Not that we can change the message of the gospel.

We can misrepresent it.

We frustrate the grace of God when we try to add to or take away from Jesus did.

The only one who ever satisfied the law was Jesus.

The only that earned God’s favor and acceptance was Jesus.

If it was possible for us to do this, then there would have been no reason for Jesus to die.

It wasn’t possible.

To try to add rules for acceptance and favor is to misrepresent the gospel message.

It invalidates the death of Christ.

If we can be good enough, or if we can add to what Jesus did, then He died in vain.

God’s acceptance, favor, and pleasure with us is based in the work of Christ and Christ alone.

Now, how does this affect our behavior in our new life?

Has God made it possible for us to sin without consequences?

No.

Sin still carries temporal consequences for the believer.

V 20 we are still in the flesh.

Sex, drugs, and alcohol still carry consequences.

Bitterness, hate, and lust, still carry consequences.

I would like to avoid these consequences.

My battle with sin after salvation is no longer about wanting to be good enough to earn God’s pleasure.

Now, it’s about living unto God.

I could never be good enough to earn God’s favor.

In 1992, though, I confessed my sins, and placed my faith in Jesus for forgiveness.

Because He had fulfilled the law and died in my place as a perfect legal substitution, he was able to save me.

I opted in to his death.

For the last 30 years I have been dead to the law.

I am alive today in Christ.

He is with me.

His love and grace are evident in my life.

This acceptance pushes me to do certain things not so that I will be accepted but because I am accepted.

I want to be holy.

Why?

Because He who called me is Holy.

I want to be like Jesus.

Why?

Because that is the will of my heavenly Father.

I want to keep my temple clean.

Why?

Because this is where the Holy Spirit and my Savior live with me.

I don’t do any of these things because I am trying to earn God’s favor.

I already have it.

I have it because of Jesus.

Praise Jesus’ name!

Praise God!

Who are you trusting for acceptance this morning?

Your own performance.

Your own adherence to the law or the standards of men?

Do you think you can be moral enough for God to be pleased with you?

Or, are you trusting in Jesus and what he did for you?