Galatians

Galatians 2

Freedom from the Law

Confrontation of Peter

Not justified by works, but by faith

Galatians 2:20 CSB

I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Do we live a life striving to follow the Law?

What’s the punishment for not fulfilling the Law?

Death— Do we really want to live a life trying to follow the law?

Christ lived the life already for us, and took the punishment for not.

Galatians 2:21 CSB

I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died for nothing.

How we live our lives reflects what we believe about Jesus!

Galatians 3:1–4 CSB

1 You foolish Galatians! Who has cast a spell on you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified? 2 I only want to learn this from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law or by believing what you heard? 3 Are you so foolish? After beginning by the Spirit, are you now finishing by the flesh? 4 Did you experience so much for nothing—if in fact it was for nothing?

If we receive salvation, through faith, then how come we continue to try and earn it?

“The only thing we contribute to our salvation is the sin that makes it necessary” - William Temple

Galatians 3:5–9 CSB

5 So then, does God give you the Spirit and work miracles among you by your doing the works of the law? Or is it by believing what you heard—6 just like Abraham who believed God, and it was credited to him for righteousness? 7 You know, then, that those who have faith, these are Abraham’s sons. 8 Now the Scripture saw in advance that God would justify the Gentiles by faith and proclaimed the gospel ahead of time to Abraham, saying, All the nations will be blessed through you. 9 Consequently, those who have faith are blessed with Abraham, who had faith.

Biblical faith is resting, or trusting, in Christ alone for salvation (John 3:16-21). More than being simply a mental agreement of historical facts, genuine faith begins with a recognition and confession of the truth of the gospel (1 John 4:13-16), followed by a receiving of Christ as Lord and Savior of one’s life (John 1:10-13). Biblical faith is not blind faith, for it rests on the historical life, death, and resurrection of Christ.

Hebrews 11:1–2 CSB

1 Now faith is the reality of what is hoped for, the proof of what is not seen. 2 For by this our ancestors were approved.

Hebrews 11 tells that faith is not blind, but based on evidence of God working in the past

How has God been faithful to you in the past?

1 Samuel 7:12 CSB

Afterward, Samuel took a stone and set it upright between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, explaining, “The Lord has helped us to this point.”

The Author of Hebrews uses this “Hall of Faith” to show us the Lord’s faithfulness throughout the Old Testament. We are provided with evidence of God’s faithfulness.

Galatians 3:10–14 CSB

For all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse, because it is written, Everyone who does not do everything written in the book of the law is cursed. Now it is clear that no one is justified before God by the law, because the righteous will live by faith. But the law is not based on faith; instead, the one who does these things will live by them. Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, because it is written, Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree. The purpose was that the blessing of Abraham would come to the Gentiles by Christ Jesus, so that we could receive the promised Spirit through faith.

The Law brings condemnation on us.

But Christ took that condemnation on himself

He did this so everyone could come into the fold of God

Galatians