Justified in Christ Alone

Thankful

A few years back a pastor friend invited me to a FB page for pastors...

Sort of a conversational page with encouragement for one another.

To be honest I don’t frequent it, but do see posts that are made from time to time.

Recently I saw a pastor post that he was having surgery...

And, he was going to miss two Sundays in a row.

He was nervous about it.

He had never missed two Sundays in a row.

And, I tell you...

I felt sorry for the guy.

And, I think too many pastors feel that way.

I know I’ve felt that way before.

I know I’ve been on the short end of taking time off before.

But it’s wrong.

Pastors need to be careful for many reasons, but the core reasons are:

Their family needs uninterrupted time with them.

Their spouse needs them to take time off.

Their children need them to take time off.

And, really, the church needs them to take time off.

Pastors need to take extended time off.

And get away for their physical health, spiritual health, and family health.

Being a pastor is a calling that never clocks out.

It never allows for a free weekend to just unwind with the family...

Unless you purposefully take time off and get away.

So, I say that all...to say “Thank you” to this church for understanding that need.

And desiring your pastors to take that time off.

It pays great dividends in the long run and it is greatly appreciated.

And, I’m grateful that we have men that can and do, step in the pulpit and preach the word.

Read

Galatians 2:11–16 (ESV)

11 But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. 12 For before certain men came from James, he was eating with the Gentiles; but when they came he drew back and separated himself, fearing the circumcision party. 13 And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. 14 But when I saw that their conduct was not in step with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas before them all, “If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews?”

15 We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners; 16 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.

Opening Prayer

I want to get us caught up with where we are at...

And, since we’ve had a few weeks off I want to take some of the truths we’ve talked about...

And merge them with what we’re going to be talking about in the next week or two.

So, Paul states here in...

Galatians 2:15 (ESV)

15 We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners;

Paul is making a statement that implies an advantage.

What’s the Advantage for a Jew?

In Romans after Paul states that physical circumcision is not what makes a person a Jew...

Paul says it like this in...

Romans 2:29 (ESV)

29 But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter. His praise is not from man but from God.

Paul continues...

Romans 3:1–2 (ESV)

1 Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the value of circumcision? 2 Much in every way. To begin with, the Jews were entrusted with the oracles of God.

So, the advantage to a Jew was knowledge...

They had the words of God.

They had the commands of God.

They had the religious instruction of God.

They had the ceremonial laws of God.

The ceremonial laws were intended by God for the purpose of reminding the Jews that they needed redemption.

They needed to be made clean in order to be justified before God’s sight...

And, in order to be allowed in His presence.

All of the culture that God gave the nation of Israel...

Everything God gave them in order to set them apart from other nations...

It was all intended to point them to God’s promises that would be fulfilled by/through the Messiah...

And, what He would do for them, on their behalf...

And, that could be laid hold of by faith in God.

So, if rightly understood the oracles of God teach what Paul states here in...

Galatians 2:16 (ESV)

16 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.

Why Not Works?

Genesis 2:15–17 ESV

15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”

This is such a beautiful and gracious context for living.

An open, friendly relationship with the God of the universe.

All that humanity would need and more, infinitely more than needs are met here in creation.

All the beauty of creation:

Sunrises & Sunsets

Cloud formations & Sky colors

Leaf colors, Flower colors & fragrances

Mountain sky lines

Still lakes & flowing rivers

Reflections off the waters

Creatures in the sky, the sea and on ground

Ingredients for food…wonderfully designed

So, much more than needs met.

Innumerable beauties & delights that we get to enjoy in creation.

And, to top it off God gave us a way to show our gratitude.

To show our love of Him and our thankfulness for the bounty of creation...

And the wonderful relationship that He gave us with Him.

One simple command to show God our joy in Him...

And His gifts.

Just don’t eat the fruit of the one tree.

If you eat the fruit of that tree you will die.

So, why not works?

Because our sin declares that we are guilty of sin.

We have all disobeyed. We’ve sinned against God.

We’re guilty before the Law.

And to be justified means to be blameless according to the Law.

And Law says that guilt comes from disobeying in an area of the law.

Innocence doesn’t come from being blameless in most areas.

Innocence comes from being blameless in all areas.

Once you break the law in one area, you are no longer innocent according to the Law.

Because the obstacle/consequence that must be overcome is eternal death.

That was the covenant that God made with man in the beginning.

Obey and live…Disobey and die.

Unless one has the ability to overcome that obstacle by infinite payment...

Payment that is greater than the blood of man.

Payment that is more valuable than the consequence.

If not, the consequence is forever.

Disobedience to God & His Law equals death.

The Offer to Be Justified is Astounding

What is even more gracious, merciful, and beautiful...

Is that God goes beyond the provision of creation for mankind...

And provides mankind with salvation.

God could have left mankind on their own.

He could have chosen to not intervene.

If He had chosen that path, we would all be undone.

We would all be destined, by our own doing through our sinful choices...

To die and spend eternity in hell.

However, God is merciful and gracious by providing an escape from our own sinfulness...

And the consequences therein.

That solution...

That provision is our only hope...

And, that provision has a name…Jesus.

Faith in Jesus is the only provision that God has given mankind to change their eternal destination.

God gave, graciously, mercifully, under no obligation...

Gave His Son to make the only way for us to escape our plight of eternal death.

And, the Son of God willingly, joyfully, graciously, mercifully volunteered for the mission.

What Did Jesus Do?

He took on flesh.

Meaning he took on man’s nature so that He could represent man before God.

He obeyed perfectly.

That perfect obedience made Him the spotless lamb...

Who was able to walk to the Cross and be accursed of God...

Not for Himself, but for those He represents.

Who does He represent?

Those who put their faith in Him for salvation.

He did more and it was necessary.

He paid, on the cross, for the sins of every single person who put their faith in the promised Messiah, Jesus.

The OT saints looked forward to the promised One and put their faith in the promises of God that the Messiah would accomplish.

Those who lived when Christ walked the earth put their faith in Jesus who was the Messiah.

And, those who came after Jesus…Us...

We put our faith in the Messiah that came…Jesus.

All the promises of God from Genesis to Revelation are “Yes and amen” in Him.

And, we know what Christ did was accepted by the Father through the resurrection.

All that we need to be justified before God...

To be presentable to God...

To be reconciled to God...

To be fit to spend eternity with God...

We find in Jesus.

We need nothing else other than Jesus.

That is the gospel.

That is our hope.

The gospel declares...

I would even say it DEMANDS that...

You Must Come to the End of Yourself and Your Hope in Self

We’re going to zero in on this more next Sunday, Lord willing.

But, it is critical that we understand this gospel truth...

You cannot justify yourself.

You cannot clear yourself of sin, nor the guilt of it.

But, there is good news.

The gospel says, “Listen to the Good News.”

You can stop faking it.

You can stop pretending that you are righteous.

You can stop pretending like the temporal things of the world are truly satisfying you.

You can stop pretending that you have it all together.

You can stop hiding and suppressing the guilt of your sins.

You can take all of that baggage...

All of those feelings and emotions.

And lay them on Jesus.

You can take all that is lacking in your life...

And have it filled with Jesus.

You can be freed from the hard, rule oriented ceremonial laws that we heap on ourself...

Deluded that it is somehow making us more presentable to God.

You can step out from underneath that hard, joyless life....

And take upon the yoke that is easy.

The yoke that Christ offers.

A yoke that says, “All that you need is done for you by Jesus.”

You can slip on that yoke and be fully presentable to God.

You can take that yoke by faith.

Faith in the person and finished work of JC.

And when you do you will be fully justified.

Declared blameless by the Law of God.

Declared righteous by the Justice of God.

Equipped to live eternity in the presence of God.

Next Week

Next week, I want us to look at the obstacles of justification.

What we need to be careful of.

Closing Prayer