"Freedom through faith"

Introduction

Introduce Yourself

Explain the context

The Galatians were adding to the Gospel

They were saying that Paul had made up the Gospel that he was preaching - that it wasn’t sanctioned by the Apostles

The New King James Version Chapter 2

11 Now when Peter had come to Antioch, I withstood him to his face, because he was to be blamed; 12 for before certain men came from James, he would eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing those who were of the circumcision.

Peter was an important leader visiting from Jerusalem

Antioch was where Paul was serving as a leader

There were lost of Jewish Christians there, Christians were first called Christians there, Paul and Barnabas were sent from there

Paul says that while Peter was visiting, he literally had to get in his face , because Peter was guilty of something

People had come from James, Jesus’ half brother

These were Jewish Christians who were used to trying to live out the Law of Moses

Originally, Peter had an open-table policy where Gentiles would come and eat with him

Acts 10:28 Then he said to them, “You know how unlawful it is for a Jewish man to keep company with or go to one of another nation. But God has shown me that I should not call any man common or unclean

Acts 10:34 Then Peter opened his mouth and said: “In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality. 35 But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him1

When the Jerusalem Christians came, Peter withdrew/separated himself from the gentile Christians

He literally avoided them and designated himself as different

Reason: Peter was afraid of the Jewish Christians - what they would think, etc.

Have solid friends around you that will call you on your nonsense.

What Jesus has shown you is more important than what others think about you.

The New King James Version Chapter 2

13 And the rest of the Jews also played the hypocrite with him, so that even Barnabas was carried away with their hypocrisy.

How embarrassing!

Being fake is contagious. Being genuine is contagious.

The New King James Version (Chapter 2)

14 But when I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter before them all, “If you, being a Jew, live in the manner of Gentiles and not as the Jews, why do you compel Gentiles to live as Jews? 15 We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles, 16 knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.

Paul accuses Peter of two things

Hypocrisy - being fake

Walking crooked or wobbly

Peter was giving a horrible example for the entire church and living a life that was inconsistent

Living your life based on the truth is better than living your life based on who you’re with at the time.

In verse, 15, Paul basically says if you really wanted to live like a Jew, you would know better than to live an inconsistent life

Faith in Christ comes first before any code, culture, or dynamic.

We may believe the right thing:

We can be circumcised, go to church, only eat kosher food, dress modestly, post Christian memes, listen to elevation worship, go on missions trips, give offerings, go to youth camps and still die in our sin and go to hell.

The only thing that can really clean us is having Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior - a real relationship with Him based on faith and repentance

But are we living it out?

Our number one concern about people should be about whether they know Jesus Christ as their savior

Illustration: Singing worship songs in the jungle, Not knowing Christianese, Too poor or too wealthy