Galatians 2 15-21 Justification

The Message of Galatians Justification by Faith Alone (2:15–21)

Of this doctrine Martin Luther writes: ‘This is the truth of the gospel. It is also the principal article of all Christian doctrine, wherein the knowledge of all godliness consisteth. Most necessary it is, therefore, that we should know this article well, teach it unto others, and beat it into their heads continually.’

The Message of Galatians Justification by Faith Alone (2:15–21)

If the doctrine of justification is central to the Christian religion, it is vital that we understand it.

Galatians 2:15–21 ESV

We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners; yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified. But if, in our endeavor to be justified in Christ, we too were found to be sinners, is Christ then a servant of sin? Certainly not! For if I rebuild what I tore down, I prove myself to be a transgressor. For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.

Justification is a legal term that is the opposite of condemned. To condemn is to declare on guilty.

To justify is to declare some on not guilty, or innocent.

If we could go backwards and understand two basic truths that we know, or should know. God is righteous, we are not.

When we understand those two truths and apply it to ourselves we immediately run into a problem. God is righteous and we are not means that we are at odds with God. We are at war with God.

The Jews in the ancient times really thought they were justified because of the works they did. They made those sacrifices, those bloody messy sacrifices. They had the men circumcised, they only ate certain foods and because of those things they thought they were justified. (Pronounced innocent)

It was really hard work to be in the family of God. Sheer determination. That work was difficult, costly, all encompassing which really shows how big of a deal it was that Jesus paid for it.

After Jesus came and died and rose again, he paid for our sin and those things the Jews did were no longer needed. Man’s sin was taken care of.

That is why we don’t need to sacrifice animals anymore, that is why we don’t follow the Torah, because Jesus finished the law.

We still struggle with this today. People want to do things to outweigh their bad things hoping that it will be enough. It’s attractive because you get to feel good about yourself, and we like control. And we get to win our salvation.

But it is a huge lie.

The Message of Galatians a. Justification by Works of the Law

We may keep some of the law’s requirements outwardly, but no man except Jesus Christ has ever kept them all. Indeed, if we look into our hearts, read our thoughts and examine our motives, we find that we have broken all God’s laws. For Jesus said that murderous thoughts make us murderers, and adulterous thoughts make us adulterers. No wonder the Scripture tells us: ‘by works of the law shall no one be justified’ (verse 16, alluding to Ps. 143:2). The astonishing thing is that anybody has ever imagined he could get to God and to heaven that way

But we still struggle… even though we know.

Our old life is finished. Do we really feel this way? We don’t.

When we try harder we are effectively saying, “Christ’s death and resurrection were not enough. When we depend on our own efforts and our own living then we are living like salvation from works.

If we could do it on our own then why did Jesus die?