Galatians 2:15 We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles,
16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.
17 But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid.
18 For if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor.
19 For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God.
20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
21 I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.
There is a great need for hope in the world. Our politicians go around talking of how they are the hope of man. Each party claims to have the answers, but the fact is that they are all as the apostle Paul speaks, they are just punching into the air blindly. They have no answers. They have overlooked that which is needful and chosen that which is temporal.
In verse 15 of our text God directed Paul to point out the human perspective that Peter had. It was wrong and needed to be abandoned. The Jews had the opinion that they were better than the Gentiles. The Pharisees had instilled this false view into the people.
We still have false ideas of worth today. Charles Darwin advanced the idea that white people are superior to dark skinned people. Hitler picked up on that falsehood and he tried to eradicate the non-whites and the Jews. Charles Darwin is dead and the Jewish nation is still around.
Paul gave the human perspective that the Jews had of the Gentiles. He described them as sinners.
Paul was directed to go on and show that no man is justified by the works of the law. No man is capable of keeping the law perfectly. Justification is only possible by the faith of Jesus Christ. It is necessary that we believe in Jesus Christ.
There are many people who have an imaginary Jesus that they follow. We were at a funeral yesterday where this false Jesus was promoted. It was a tragic event to have to behold. There were over four hundred people in attendance at that service, and not one word of truth was given in that entire meeting. It was a shame to have to witness that. The man that took it upon himself to lead that sham has blood on his hands.
Paul pointed out that we that believe in Jesus Christ are justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law. No flesh is justified by the works of the law. Those who have the faith of Jesus, will identify with the Word of God. That is the standard of righteousness. The Lord Jesus Christ never sinned. Those who are saved are required to never sin as well. God knows we cannot do that and thus we, those who are truly saved, must confess our sin to God in order to be forgiven and restored to right fellowship. A true child of God cannot live in sin. He has the faith of Jesus Christ.
In verse 17 we see the dilemma facing us as people. Again the context is for those who are seeking to be justified by Christ, not by self-effort. Those who are seeking to be justified will sin. Does that make Jesus Christ the minister of sin? The obvious answer is “God forbid”. God/Jesus Christ will never lead His child into sin. He came to break the bondage of sin. He came to make it possible for the lost sinner to be saved and given that new nature that we need.
In verse 18 we see that we, those who are justified by the faith of Jesus Christ, can choose to build again, the things which are destroyed in salvation.
II Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
The true child of God has been made new in Christ. The true child of God begins his walk with God with a clean slate. The old man is still there, but at that moment of salvation, the saved person is made new. Now it is needful to choose who will govern the heart and soul and mind. If I choose to pursue the old man, I make myself a transgressor. I do not make Jesus Christ a transgressor. I reject that which I have been made and try to be something that I truly cannot be.
In verse 19 Paul points out that through the law I am dead to the law. That death happened at salvation. The saved person is given life and now he can live unto God.
Verse 20 helps us to see this further. At the moment of salvation, a crucifixion takes place. It is not the Catholic abomination of the mass, but it is the identification of the repentant sinner with the sinless Christ.
There is a great failure of true Bible teaching today. Christianity is not like Hinduism where you just add another god to your repertoire. True Christianity is a casting off of all false gods and receiving the one true God through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. He enables the true child of God to do that.
As Paul stated in verse 20, when a person turns to God for salvation, he dies to self. Examine yourself, is that true? If not, you are not saved. If you brought your ungodly lifestyle with you and claim to be saved, you are deceiving yourself. In Biblical salvation, a death has taken place.
Yet, as Paul states, I am still alive. The death is a death to the old sin nature. Physically I am still alive, even though I am crucified with Christ. However, now I have spiritual life. Now it must be Christ living in me. That is the fact and it must be proved to be so.
Now, being saved, it is not the old man that dictates the course of life. Now it is Christ, the Son of God that shines through my life. That is why the true child of God cannot curse and swear. Peter knew that when he was accused of being with Jesus at His trial. In his final attempt to distance himself from Jesus, he began to curse. He knew that Jesus never cursed and He knew that a true disciple of Jesus could not curse. Peter, at that time, did not want to be identified as a disciple of Jesus Christ. He was able to convince those accusing him, that he was not a disciple of Jesus Christ. Peter was lying. He was a disciple of Christ and he brought shame upon himself in what he did there.
The true child of God lives by the faith of the Son of God, who loved him and gave Himself for the true child of God. Jesus Christ suffered and died on that cross, He shed His blood there, so that those who will repent toward God and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, will have this new life. That life will be visible for all to see.
I was asked a while back why I was different from another person that the questioner knew. There is only one answer. I am different because I am saved and that person is not. The other person claims to be saved, but the questioner could see there was a vast difference between the two of us.
The world is watching.
In verse 21 we are reminded that true saints do not frustrate the grace of God. That is how we are saved. We do not use that grace as a license to sin. We do not stop sinning through trying to keep the law. Righteousness does not come by the law. We will see that further in chapter 3. If law keeping could save, there would be no need for Christ to have come and died for me.
Having said that, Paul is not saying that our lifestyle does not matter. What matters is that salvation comes first and when Biblical salvation comes, then the fruit will be there. The changed life will be there and the desire will be to become more Christlike.
That is what God says. That is not something that I made up. That is the fact of true Biblical salvation. What is being promoted in false religions all over the world is that salvation does not necessarily change the life. According to the corrupt religions of the world a born again Christian can commit suicide or use illicit drugs or swear or dance, etc. The only thing that matters is that the person claims to believe in Jesus. They might even read a Bible sometimes. They might even pray, but it is all a dead religion.
Be sure you are not caught up in the lie that is so common today. Take a King James Bible and read it. You can start in John’s Gospel account of Jesus Christ, but God started with Genesis 1:1. We must keep in mind:
Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
We must also keep in mind:
Romans 10:13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?
15 And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!
16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report?
17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Pastor Bartel