Welcome back to Galatians! We come to an interesting place in the Book of Galatians. Paul is going to give us a summary of “Justification by Faith”. Let’s read Galatians 2:15-17:
We are Jews by nature and not sinners from among the Gentiles; nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified.
Paul stated that he was by nature (by birth) a Jew not a Gentile. By being a Jew by birth, he was a chosen descendant of Abraham and had full access to the Law. However, Paul knew, by revelation from Jesus Christ, that a man is not justified by the works of the Law, but through faith in Christ. Now, the word “justified” means to be declared righteous. Simply put, it means to be right with God. God, the righteous judge, declared you and me, the sinner, righteous (right with Him) when we believed in Jesus. And once God declares you right with Him, you are forever right with Him! Three times in verse 16 Paul talked about being justified through faith (or belief) in Christ Jesus. Even though Paul was a Jew, he acknowledged “even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ.” Conversely, three times in the above verses, he explained what doesn’t work: “by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified.” Obedience to the Law does not declare you righteous by God, only faith in Jesus Christ does! Did you hear that? Paul is repeating his argument for emphasis. Remember, this passage is right after the passage where Paul rebuked Peter. If you are reading this devotion, I pray that you understand that the only way you are justified (declared righteous) by God is if you have faith in Jesus Christ. Period! Let’s continue in Galatians 2:17-21:
But if, while seeking to be justified in Christ, we ourselves have also been found sinners, is Christ then a minister of sin? May it never be! For if I rebuild what I have once destroyed, I prove myself to be a transgressor. For through the Law I died to the Law, so that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly.
Now, Paul goes from justification (being declared righteous) to sanctification (living from your new position in Christ). Remember, the Galatians believed in Christ, but through the teaching of false teachers, they were reverting back to the Law. In the verses above, Paul communicated that he died to the Law, so that he can live to God. Paul even said “if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly.” Wow! In other words, the Law has no power in the believer’s life. We have died to the Law. So, where does our power come from? One of the most famous verses in the Bible is in our passage in verse 20: “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.”
Not only have we died to the Law as believers, but we also have been freed from the power of sin (cf. Romans 6:6-7). This doesn’t mean that you will never sin again, but it does mean that sin has lost its full power over you. Now, Christ lives in you! Christ is your power! Let me try to illustrate this for you. Let’s say your wife (or husband) gives you a brand new Lamborghini. Yeah right! However, instead of you using that powerful engine, you cut a hole in the bottom of the car, and you push it around like one of those cars on the Flintstone’s. This is what the Galatians were doing. They had Christ’s life inside of them, but they thought their power came from following the Law. This is why Paul will call them foolish next chapter! As we progress through Galatians, we will see more of what Paul means by “the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God.” See you next week!