Deepen
Paul continues to confront the Galatians and their false gospels by diving into justification. The true gospel says a person is justified through faith in Jesus Christ, NOT by their own works. The Law was given to reveal your need for a Savior, not be the savior.
It is impossible to justify yourself and if you accept this reality and turn to Jesus you are spiritually crucified with Christ and resurrected with Him. Now, in the body you can live by faith in Jesus because He took your place.
- Why is justification by faith essential for salvation?
- What “works” do you typically fall into to try to justify your own self?
Galatians 2:15-21
We ourselves are Jews by birth and notGentile sinners;16yet we know thata person is not justifiedby works of the lawbut 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.
17But if, in our endeavor to be justified in Christ, we too were foundto be sinners, is Christ then a servant of sin? Certainly not!18For if I rebuild what I tore down, I prove myself to be a transgressor.19For through the law Idied to the law, so that I mightlive to God.20I have beencrucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who livesin me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God,who loved me andgave himself for me.21I do not nullify the grace of God, forif righteousnesswere through the law,then Christ died for no purpose.
“If your brother sins against you,go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you havegained your brother.16But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be establishedby the evidence of two or three witnesses.17If he refuses to listen to them,tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church,let him be to you asa Gentile anda tax collector.18Truly, I say to you,whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosedin heaven.19Again I say to you, if two of youagree on earth about anything they ask,it will be done for them by my Father in heaven.20For where two or three aregathered in my name,there am I among them.”
Romans 3:1-31
Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the value of circumcision?2Much in every way. To begin with,the Jews were entrusted withthe oracles of God.3What if some were unfaithful?Does their faithlessness nullify the faithfulness of God?4By no means!Let God be true thoughevery one were a liar, as it is written,
“That you may be justified in your words,
and prevail when youare judged.”
5But if our unrighteousness serves to show the righteousness of God, what shall we say? That God is unrighteous to inflictwrath on us? (I speak in a human way.)6By no means! For then how couldGod judge the world?7But if through my lie God’s truth abounds to his glory,why am I still being condemned as a sinner?8And why notdo evil that good may come?—as some people slanderously charge us with saying. Their condemnation is just.
9What then? Are we Jewsany better off?No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, bothJews andGreeks, areunder sin,10as it is written:
“None is righteous, no, not one;
11no one understands;
no one seeks for God.
12All have turned aside; together they have become worthless;
no one does good,
not even one.”
13“Their throat isan open grave;
they use their tongues to deceive.”
“The venom of asps is under their lips.”
14“Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.”
15“Their feet are swift to shed blood;
16in their paths are ruin and misery,
17andthe way of peace they have not known.”
18“There is no fear of God before their eyes.”
19Now we know that whateverthe law says it speaks to those who are under the law,so that every mouth may be stopped, andthe whole world may be held accountable to God.20Forby works of the law no human beingwill be justified in his sight, sincethrough the law comes knowledge of sin.
21But nowthe righteousness of Godhas been manifested apart from the law, althoughthe Law and the Prophets bear witness to it—22the righteousness of Godthrough faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe.For there is no distinction:23forall have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,24and are justifiedby his grace as a gift,through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,25whom Godput forward asa propitiationby his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because inhis divine forbearance he had passed overformer sins.26It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
27Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith.28For we hold that one is justified by faithapart from works of the law.29Oris God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also,30sinceGod is one—who will justify the circumcised by faith andthe uncircumcised through faith.31Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law.
Prayer
Lord, thank you for taking my place on the cross. Your sacrifice is the only way I can be justified and deemed righteous in God’s eyes. Help me to die to myself every day and live by faith. Amen.
