Balancing Justification

Introduction

March 22, 1978, Karl Wallenda, founder of the “Flying Wallendas” a circus family who was best known for their crazy high-wire/tight-rope stunts, made his way up to the top of one of the hotel towers at the Condado Plaza Hotel in San Juan, Porto Rico. A tight-rope was stretched about 120 feet (the distance between the two towers) 121 feet in the air. Everything started out well, placing one foot in front of the other, balancing with a long beam held in his hands to counterbalance himself as he walked across this thin wire. This was not his first time performing a stunt like this, he made his entire living off of it. Therefore, the need for safety equipment only in his mind made the stunt less interesting. At about the midway point though, the wind was picking up, and some even claim the wire was not set properly, Karl Wallenda fell off the wire, and 121 feet. Needless to say, it was not his first stunt, but it certainly was his last. What caused this fall? Balance.

We have been looking at the doctrine of justification since we got into Galatians chapter 2, and we have been here for quite some time, and up to this point, the major focus has been on the grace and mercy that God extends through the work of Christ. Therefore, we cannot be justified by our works. Our works are not impressive to God. We cannot gain merit with God of heaven through the law nor through works, and the purpose of every sermon up to this point since getting this passage, Galatians 2:15-21, has been to deconstruct our thought on the law and works, and fixate ourselves on Christ and his work to redeem and justify us through his works. This morning though, we find ourselves stepping onto a tight rope, and if we are not careful, and view the doctrine of justification as a doctrine of balance, that clarifies the law for us, but does not make us against the law, then we may lose our balance, and ultimately believe in something that could ultimately be our downfall and death, and we miss justification in Christ. Therefore, we will take the next couple weeks to deal with the 17-21. This week we will focus on verses 17-19 to focus on the purpose of justification and the law and then next week, we will look at verses 20-21 to focus on the purpose of justification and grace. So if you will, stand with me as we read Galatians 2:17-21.

Body

To get to the balance we must understand the balance between…

(1) The Law and Christ

a. Freedom ≠ License

Jude 4 - “For some people, who were designated for this judgment long ago, have come in by stealth; they are ungodly, turning the grace of our God into sensuality and denying Jesus Christ, our only Master and Lord.”

1 Peter 2:16 -“Submit as free people, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but as God’s slaves.”

b. Christ ≠ Promoter of Sin

Matthew 5:17 -“Don’t think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to abolish but to fulfill.”

Matthew 5:48 -“Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

To get to the balance we must understand the balance between…

(2) The Law and Man

a. Lawbreaker: The Law reveals sin

Romans 7:7- “What should we say then? Is the law sin? Absolutely not! But, I would not have known sin if it were not for the law. For example, I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, Do not covet.”

b. Lawbreaker: The Laws purpose was Christ

Galatians 3:19- “Why, then, was the law given? It was added for the sake of transgressions until the Seed to whom the promise was made would come. The law was put into effect through angels by means of a mediator.”

To go back to the law after justification would be sinful, because it goes against one of the major purposes of the law. The law could never make us righteous, therefore to return to it would be to fall back into its condemnation. We will unpack this a lot more later on in Galatians but the law’s purpose is to get us to grace.

(3) The Balance: Death to Law; Living for God

a. Christ’s death is our death to the law

Romans 7:4a -“Therefore, my brothers and sisters, you also were put to death in relation to the law through the body of Christ so that you may belong to another.”

1 Peter 2:24 -“He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree; so that, having died to sins, we might live for righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.”

b. Christ’s death is our life to live for God

Romans 7:4 -“Therefore, my brothers and sisters, you also were put to death in relation to the law through the body of Christ so that you may belong to another. You belong to him who was raised from the dead in order that we may bear fruit for God.”

Romans 12:1 “Therefore, brothers and sisters, in view of the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your true worship.”

In other words, we a freed through death to glorify God in life.

Conclusion

Some of you need to be put death, because you are still under the law, and you will be judged according to the law, but God has offered justification in the person and work of Christ.

Some of you need to be reminded that your freedom in Christ is not your freedom to sin, but to glorify God.