Galatians 1-3
Justification
By Faith
0 MIN READ
Psalm 143:1-12 Thirsting For God and Trusting Him
I Spread Out My Hands to You
1Hear 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.
3 For the enemy has pursued my soul;
he has crushed my life to the ground;
he has made me sit in darkness like those long dead. 4 Therefore my spirit faints within me;
my heart within me is appalled.
5 I remember the days of old;
I meditate on all that you have done;
I ponder the work of your hands. 6 I stretch out my hands to you;
my soul thirsts for you like a parched land. Selah
7 Answer me quickly, O LORD!
My spirit fails!
Hide not your face from me,
lest I be like those who go down to the pit. 8 Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love,
for in you I trust.
Make me know the way I should go,
for to you I lift up my soul.
9 Deliver me from my enemies, O LORD!
I have fled to you for refuge. 10 Teach me to do your will,
for you are my God!
Let your good Spirit lead me
on level ground!
11 For your name's sake, O LORD, preserve my life!
In your righteousness bring my soul out of trouble! 12 And in your steadfast love you will cut off my enemies,
and you will destroy all the adversaries of my soul,
for I am your servant.
Application
If we're seeking and following God throughout every day, it will be difficult to be far from Him when trouble comes (as it inevitably will).
Prayer
God, please guide my steps in doing Your will, so I can have complete confidence in Your protection and presence. Thanks. Amen.
TMS Romans 3:23 All Have Sinned
Observations
3:23 This is the major passage in the Scriptures on justification by faith, declaring our need for it (forgiveness). All people have “missed the mark” (that's what sin means) of the righteousness God requires. Some might be better or worse than others, but all miss out on the glory God wants to give them. He's the one who sets the rules/standards, and we are all too short to go on the ride. Fortunately God also provides a solution to the problem. See the comments on Romans 3 for an exposition of the verse in context. “Crowbar” questions: “What makes you think you've hit the standard God requires? How do you know what the standard is? Where does Jesus fit into the picture? Why did He have to die?”
Application
Confession is to “say the same thing” that God does; acknowledgment of sin opens the door for the solution, and the ride to glory.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, I confess that I have sinned against You in not seeking nor doing Your will, and thus am not worthy to receive Your glory; thanks for sending the Lord Jesus to die for my sin, so that I can become worthy. Amen.
Galatians 1-3 Justification By Faith
Paul writes to the believers in the churches he planted on his journey to Galatia to call them back to the gospel he had preached to them, which they had believed, and which resulted in them being indwelt by the Spirit of God. Jewish believers who cared more for tradition than truth had perverted the good news of justification by faith, by seeking to impose the Jewish ceremonial and religious law, especially circumcision, on Gentile believers as the means of gaining the promises contained in the good news. Paul combats this error by showing that the message they believed was from God, and the others were teaching the mere words of men. Some of the difficulties in understanding Paul's argument lie in not knowing what he means by law and justification. The law in this epistle is not the moral law (which as recipients of the Holy Spirit is written in our hearts), but rather those aspects that separated the Jews from the Gentiles as the peculiar people of God. The justification in chapter 2 is most likely not forgiveness (since they already had that) but a declaration of the righteousness they needed for blessing (inheritance and reward) in the future Age of the Messiah (kingdom). This is just like the OT requirement to do what is right in God's sight (righteousness) to receive the promised blessings. The just, (as in justified/forgiven), shall live (as in receive the blessings of the Messianic kingdom) by faith (as in continuing to believe that God will do what He said He'll do -Heb 11:6). The righteousness God requires extends beyond forgiveness, as the rest of the epistle demonstrates. One can't read their preconceptions into chapter two and then ignore all the evidence in the rest of the epistle, and be right.
Galatians 1 No Other Gospel
Paul’s Greeting to the Galatians
1 Paul, an apostle—not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead— 2 and all the brothers who are with me,To the churches of Galatia: 3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, 4 who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, 5 to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.
No Other Gospel
6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— 7 not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. 9 As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.Paul Preaches the Gospel
10 For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ. 11 For I would have you know, brothers, that the gospel that was preached by me is not man's gospel. 12 For I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ. 13 For you have heard of my former life in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God violently and tried to destroy it. 14 And I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people, so extremely zealous was I for the traditions of my fathers. 15 But when he who had set me apart before I was born, and who called me by his grace, 16 was pleased to reveal his Son to me, in order that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with anyone; 17 nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me, but I went away into Arabia, and returned again to Damascus. 18 Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to visit Cephas and remained with him fifteen days. 19 But I saw none of the other apostles except James the Lord's brother. 20 (In what I am writing to you, before God, I do not lie!) 21 Then I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia. 22 And I was still unknown in person to the churches of Judea that are in Christ. 23 They only were hearing it said, “He who used to persecute us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.” 24 And they glorified God because of me.Application
Our beliefs need to be based squarely and solidly upon the revealed word of God, not what men say about it, otherwise we'll be following fables and traditions that are powerless to deliver us out of this present evil age into the glories of the Ages to come.
Prayer
God, I praise You for being both the Creator and Communicator of life; thanks that You have power to not only create, but communicate in such a way that I can understand what you desire of me, and what I can expect of You; please guide me in understanding and applying Your revelation to my life. Amen.
Galatians 2 Justification Isn't Always Forgiveness
The Council at Jerusalem
1 Then after fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus along with me. 2 I went up because of a revelation and set before them (though privately before those who seemed influential) the gospel that I proclaim among the Gentiles, in order to make sure I was not running or had not run in vain. 3 But even Titus, who was with me, was not forced to be circumcised, though he was a Greek. 4 Yet because of false brothers secretly brought in—who slipped in to spy out our freedom that we have in Christ Jesus, so that they might bring us into slavery— 5 to them we did not yield in submission even for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might be preserved for you. 6 And from those who seemed to be influential (what they were makes no difference to me; God shows no partiality)—those, I say, who seemed influential added nothing to me. 7 On the contrary, when they saw that I had been entrusted with the gospel to the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been entrusted with the gospel to the circumcised 8 (for he who worked through Peter for his apostolic ministry to the circumcised worked also through me for mine to the Gentiles), 9 and when James and Cephas and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given to me, they gave the right hand of fellowship to Barnabas and me, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised. 10 Only, they asked us to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do.Paul Confronts Cephas
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. 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.Application
Since Paul will continue the law argumentation in the next chapter, let's pick our application from earlier in the chapter. How about hypocrisy? Caring more about what people think than about what God thinks causes us to be censured by God; so make your motto: “what you see is what I am.”
Prayer
Heavenly Father, may I live in freedom, as someone who is dead to the unrighteous expectations and demands of others, seeking to be pleasing in Your sight above all. Amen.
Galatians 3 Perfected by the Spirit
Faith and Belief
1 O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified. 2 Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? 3 Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? 4 Did you suffer so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain? 5 Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith— 6 just as Abraham “believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”? 7 Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham. 8 And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “In you shall all the nations be blessed.” 9 So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.Christ Has Redeemed Us
10 For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.” 11 Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for “The righteous shall live by faith.” 12 But the law is not of faith, rather “The one who does them shall live by them.” 13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”— 14 so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith.The Purpose of the Law
15 To give a human example, brothers: even with a man-made covenant, no one annuls it or adds to it once it has been ratified. 16 Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, “And to offsprings,” referring to many, but referring to one, “And to your offspring,” who is Christ. 17 This is what I mean: the law, which came 430 years afterward, does not annul a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to make the promise void. 18 For if the inheritance comes by the law, it no longer comes by promise; but God gave it to Abraham by a promise. 19 Why then the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the offspring should come to whom the promise had been made, and it was put in place through angels by an intermediary. 20 Now an intermediary implies more than one, but God is one. 21 Is the law then contrary to the promises of God? Certainly not! For if a law had been given that could give life, then righteousness would indeed be by the law. 22 But the Scripture imprisoned everything under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. 23 Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. 24 So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. 25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian,Sons through Faith in Christ
26 for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. 27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise.Application
How are you being perfected by the Spirit (Romans 8:14)? For what are you believing God?
Prayer
Heavenly Father, thanks for all that You've promised me in Christ; guide me in drawing on Your Spirit to reap all the blessings You have in store for me. Thanks. Amen.
Digging Deeper
God in a nutshell: God has purposed to extend righteousness to people who believe what He's revealed. He promised to bless the entire world through Abraham, and now conveys that blessing through Christ to those who exercise faith.
Build-a-Jesus: Jesus died for us so that we could be forgiven and share in the blessings of His Messianic kingdom.
Us in a nutshell: We who believe are no longer who we were, but are new creatures in Christ, living by faith in Him, indwelt by His Spirit, and headed for glory as heirs of His kingdom.
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