Thank you for joining us this week. Last week we looked into conflict/resolution, using the example Paul showed us with his conflict against Peter the head of the Church. This week we will get into the actual reasoning behind this argument. This explanation of the Paul/Peter conflict will give a stronger base for understanding the rest of the message Paul has for the Church of Galatia. I want to remind everyone of the overarching theme of this study in Galatians: Truth. Truth is unchanging, absolute, and consistent. God is Truth, and as a result, His Word known as the Bible is a written depiction of that Truth. Truth is not adaptable to our needs, but instead, we must be moldable to God and the Truth.
Galatians 2: 15-21 “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."
Paul is now coming into the logic and reasoning behind his argument with Peter. Paul is arguing that it is not by the works of the law that we are saved but through salvation. Verse 15-16, shows that he is now talking to a Jewish Christian community, and not to the gentiles he is witnessing in Galatia. The Jews lived under the law and as a result, practiced ritual sacrifices as a temporary cleansing of their sins, and with the covenant of circumcision, that stood as a promise to live by God's law avoiding sin. The Gentiles did not live under the law or hold any covenant with God. Paul explains that it is not works that hold the keys to salvation. The law could not be kept by men and so a perfect sacrifice was needed to save us. That sacrifice came in the form of Jesus Christ. Since we could not keep the law we were all found guilty by the standards of the law and deserved death as our just penalty, Romans 6:23. Jesus came and justified us. The word justified means that God counted us righteous. Righteousness is to be free of sin and moral depravity.
The Jews were living utilizing the law as their path to seek salvation, but they could not even live up to the letter of the law. They were found just as guilty of sin as the gentiles who did not live in accordance with the law in any way, Romans 3:23. Jesus, came to be a perfect sacrifice for all of us, no matter if we were born Jewish or Gentile, because in Gods eyes we were all sinners, 1 Corinthians 15:3. Jesus became our new covenant, and with our faith in him, we receive his forgiveness, our sins are forgiven and we are counted as righteous, Titus 3:5.
Verses 17-21, continue with the same argument, further explaining that if we as Christians allow ourselves to be condemned by the law, then we are not allowing the salvation of Christ to be our salvation. Now we have no power over our salvation that was given to us freely by Jesus, but we must recognize that it is not by our works under the law that saved us. Only Jesus was able to save us and he has! Paul is making the argument that as Christians we do not have to be a slave to the law any longer, Galatians 4:7. Since we are no longer bound to the law we do not need to place the restrictions of the law upon the salvation of the Gentiles. In the same token, the law is not something that we throw away but still uphold. We still keep God's Law but are free from the religious practices of the law, and the penalty of failing the law. No longer is sacrifice, mediation, or death milestones hanging on our necks, for Christ has set us free. Jesus became the perfect sacrifice that fulfilled the law, as we could not fulfill it ourselves, Hebrews 10:14. Jesus became the perfect atoning sacrifice. He became the mediator between us and God, and his sacrifice forgives us for our failures to meet the Law's demands.
Now the law was a guide to the Jews to live a righteous life. Though as morally depraved creatures we could not live the law perfectly. It became necessary for one who fulfilled the law by living a sinless life, to become the perfect sacrifice. Jesus took on our sins and became to full fill the law, Matthew 5:18. The law still exists, and we are called to still obey its precepts, and live holy lives. The 10 Commandments can be summed up and kept by following just two of them, Love your Lord Your God, and Love your neighbor, as told by Jesus in Matthew 22: 37-38. For if we love our God we will keep His laws. If we love our neighbors we will not sin against them. The Law is a guide that helps us to live moral and righteous lives for our God. Paul later in Galatians 5:16-26, explains that we are led by the Spirit of God to live righteously and as such we live in accordance with the Law but are not bound by the Law.
This means we will still fail at living righteous, we will still sin, and we still hurt our neighbor, but instead of receiving the death we deserve, Christ saved us and has given us life. God in his word tells us to live separated from the world. This means that we live righteously, no longer living to do evil, or following the sins of the world, James 4:1-12. To live as the world does, living as sinners, breaking God's law, does not follow the first commandment “to Love your God with all your Heart”. As a Christian you want to strive to live righteously, leaving your sins of the past behind you. If you do not desire this then I would recommend checking your heart, and seeing if you truly have let Jesus forgive you and save you. James is very clear we can either choose to live as God's child or as a stooge of the world. We cannot live both, and to live as part of the world is to stand as an enemy of God.
Christ died, so that we may be free from eternal death. Our faith in him allows us to choose between getting to know the God of all creation or living one life on this earth indulging in the passions of the world. To live for Christ is to gain, and we gain all of eternity Philippians 1:21. To live for this world and rebuke Christ, is to live once and join in the punishment of the Law, and that is to die eternally. This is not meant to persuade anyone to change their lives and follow Christ, but if you are someone who has chosen to follow Christ it should be an encouragement. Your sins do not have to define you, your life can be full of misfortune, but living for Christ leads to an eternity of perfection. An eternity awaits those who follow Christ, an escape paid for by Jesus, so that we may go home and get to know and love the God who created us. We get to see and know all of creation, live, and explore the cosmos that we now can only glimpse at from highly crafted telescopes. I encourage you as Christians to live for God, follow his Laws, and live righteously. But, know that you are not bound by His Laws, and when you fail, that it is ok. Seek God's forgiveness, put it in the past, and continue living your life for Christ.
Thank you for joining us this week. I pray that we all can find forgiveness, and not let our failings hold us back from living our lives for Christ. Seek encouragement and strength from your brothers and sisters in Christ. We are a family and will be there for each other. If you ever need some support or to talk with someone please feel free to contact Triple Hares. We are here for you, we do not care what your political beliefs are, what religion you hold to, or if you are vaccinated or not. We won’t try to change who you are, but as part of the military family, we want to be there for you and provide you with the support you need. Below are this week's reflection questions.
Have you sinned in the past, and can’t seem to get past it?
Have you asked God for the forgiveness of your sins?
Have you forgiven yourself?
What in your life can you or should you give up to follow Christ better?
Do you have a Christian family either biological or spiritual you can lean on?
Are you a part of a Church?
God Bless
Kyle Statham
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