The Wrong Tool for the Job

If you have your Bibles, please open them to Galatians 2:15.

We are continuing our time going through this letter, and our series Title is called - No Other Gospel

The Galatians had turned away from the Gospel that they recieved from Paul

Grace alone

Faith alone

Christ alone

The false teachers have twisted the gospel and and maligned Paul as an apostle

Paul has had to defend his apostleship and his gospel

If you were here last week, you’ll remember that Paul confronted the Apostle Peter when he himself went astray and was out of step with the gospel.

Today’s text continues Paul’s confrontation with Peter - deals with one of the core doctrines of the Christian faith - justification by faith

Galatians 2:15–21 ESV

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. 17 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! 18 For if I rebuild what I tore down, I prove myself to be a transgressor. 19 For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. 20 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. 21 I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.

Let’s pray

If you want to accomplish a certain task - you’ll need a right tool for the job

Iron vs Hair Straightener

If I want to iron a shirt - I’m not going to want a hair straightener - and girls if you want to straighten your hair, you’re not going to want a clothes iron

Hammer vs Screwdriver

If i want to drive a nail, a screwdriver isn’t going to help me get the job done

Minivan vs Tricycle

And Sarah and I go on our family road trip in a few weeks - Our son’s tricycle isn’t going to help us get us to our destination

Try to mow the lawn with scissors

Try to cut a pizza with a saw

Try to cut down a tree with nail clippers

None of these tools are inherently bad, but in every one of these cases you will fail, because you do not have the right tool for the job

And if we wish to be justified before God - that is, if we wish to stand blameless before God - we need the right tool as well.

This is the question that I want us to answer tonight: what is needed if we wish to be justified - what is needed for us to be saved from the consequences of our sin?

Paul tells us the answer to this question in the verst two verses of tonight’s text:

Galatians 2:15–16 ESV

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.

We ourselves are Jews by birth - Remember, Paul is confronting Peter - Peter and Paul were Jews and not gentile sinners

this simply means that they grew up under the law

They know what it was that was right and wrong - Paul and Peter knew what was good and evil in the sight of God

They were Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners…

Now, this might concern some of us - is Paul claiming to not be a sinner - doesn’t Paul know that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God? (Rom 3:23)

Of course Paul knows that - Paul is the one who wrote the letter to the Romans…

So why did Paul say that he and Peter were not sinners like the Gentiles?

To answer that, we need to understand how Paul is using the word ‘sinner’

In the NT, the Jews had a classification for certain types of people - adulterers, tax collectors, idolaters, pagan Gentiles, and the like were of a category that they called “sinners” We hear this language throughout the gospels.

Luke 7:34 ESV

34 The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’

Luke 7:37 ESV

37 And behold, a woman of the city, who was a sinner, when she learned that he was reclining at table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment,

Go back to our text in Galatians 2. How is Paul using the Word sinner?

He is using it to describe the Gentiles who did not live according to the Law… but Paul is not excluding himself and Peter from having sinned… this becomes clear if we keep reading

Galatians 2:15–16 ESV

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.

Count it - how many times is the word ‘justified’ used in these verses? - 3 times

So how can we be justified - how can a person be declared by God as being not guilty of sin? Is it through law keeping? NO! Because by works of the law no one will be justified… Paul tells us that a person is not justified by works of the law, but through faith in Jesus Christ!

1. We are not justified by works of the law, rather we are justified by faith in Jesus.

Today we have similar misconceptions that the Jews had in Pauls day - they believed they were justified for their works. So as long as they weren’t like the gentile sinners they believed that they would be right before God…

We think something similar - as long as we aren’t like Hitler… or even as long as we aren’t a murdering adulterer… then I’ll be good right? NO!

Those who justify themselves by keeping the Law and comparing their lawfulness to others have it all wrong… because those who compare their works to others to test if they are justified are comparing their righteousness to the wrong standard.

God does not judge on a curve… and to pass the judgment of God you don’t need to get a 60% or above.

Matthew 5:19–20 ESV

19 Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

God judges based on his righteous and holy standard - and his standard is this - all who have sinned deserve to die

Psalm 143:1–2 ESV

1 Hear my prayer, O Lord; give ear to my pleas for mercy! In your faithfulness answer me, in your righteousness! 2 Enter not into judgment with your servant, for no one living is righteous before you.

What we need is not law keeping in order to be made righteous… The law is good - in fact we can go even further… the Law of the Lord is perfect - but just because it’s perfect doesn’t mean it will save those who are not perfect. The law is the wrong tool for making a person righteous.

The law is as effective for making one righteous, as a piece of paper is effective for removing a nail from wood.

Again not that the paper has a flaw… it’s just not meant for removing nails!

Oh that we would not try to be justified by keeping the Law… what we need is for God to be give us mercy, and mercy only comes through the cross of Jesus Christ.

He died, taking upon himself the sins of all who place their faith in him. Do you wish to be justified? Then don’t look the the law keeping, but instead look to Jesus Christ who died so that you might live!

Now, just a brief word on the relationship between a saving justifying faith, and our works.

We are saved by grace… and we are saved for good works

Eph 2:8-10.

James 2:14-26.

Let’s get back into tonight’s text…

Some might not be convinced that the Law is unable to justify… to this day, there are so may people who are looking to the law hoping to be justified by keeping it. but Paul does something amazing in these verses. He tells us that the Law itself testifies to the fact that it is insufficient to save.

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.

How do Paul and Peter Know that one is not justified by faith… look at v 19

Galatians 2:19 ESV

19 For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God.

Paul is saying this - the Law showed Paul that the Law could not save…

Paul put it this way in writing to the Romans

Romans 3:20 ESV

20 For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.

Again… the law is good and useful… but it isn’t used to justify a sinner… it’s used so that we can know what sin is, and upon learning that we are sinners - we ought to plead to the Lord for forgiveness and mercy!

Luther compared the Law to that of a mirror - it shows us who we truly are

I have velcro teeth...

Here’s the point for your notes:

2. The law shows us that we cannot be justified through the law.

When Adam and Ever were first given the Law of the Lord - not to eat the tree - what did they do?

Let’ me show you what I mean by this - When the Law of the Lord was formerly given to Israel at Mt Sini - and there when God commanded them to not worship other idols - what did they do?

And when Israel was to go into the land that God was going to give them - what did they do?

And when Moses was told to not strike the rock, what did he do?

And when Moses gave them the Law again in Deuteronomy… listen to what he said

Deuteronomy 31:27 ESV

27 For I know how rebellious and stubborn you are. Behold, even today while I am yet alive with you, you have been rebellious against the Lord. How much more after my death!

Here’s the deal - some of you are snuggling with sin wondering why you cant find freedom from it… and all you are trying to do to overcome sin is you are heaping up heavy burdens and laws to keep - the Pharisees did the same thing and Jesus called them hypocrites and white washed tombs for it.

The Law is good - but it is not able to save you, and it is not able to free you from your sins - the Law has been given to us to show us that we need to be redeemed by God

David realized this himself in Psalm 19

Psalm 19:8–9 ESV

8 the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes; 9 the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the Lord are true, and righteous altogether.

Psalm 19:11 ESV

11 Moreover, by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.

Psalm 19:12–13 ESV

12 Who can discern his errors? Declare me innocent from hidden faults. 13 Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me! Then I shall be blameless, and innocent of great transgression.

We need to be declared innocent of our great transgressions - that is… we need to be justified, and justification comes only by faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ.

Returning against to Galatians, Paul said,

Galatians 2:17 ESV

17 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!

Paul here is likely responding to the Jewish accusations against Paul and Peter for eating with the Gentiles - they are accusing them, and Jesus of being servants of sin when they ate foods that were unclean. But Paul here tells them that eating these foods no longer a sin, because Christ has now made them clean, and righteousness has never come through the law.

Galatians 2:18–21 ESV

18 For if I rebuild what I tore down, I prove myself to be a transgressor. 19 For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. 20 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. 21 I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.

Paul can’t go back to the law for justification like he once did… he tore that down when he began to follow Jesus

And now he identifies with Christ in his death and his resurrection

This is what we need - not more laws to keep - but a new life that is found through Christ

If we wish to be saved, we don’t need new laws, but instead we need new lives in Christ.

If we go back to the law - then the gospel is meaningless, and Christ died for no purpose

And even worse - if we go back to the law, we prove to be still dead in our sins.