Not By Works – Galatians 2:15-21 – Pastor Patrick Ramsey

Michael A

2 years ago

Sermon text: ESV

Galatians 2:15 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.

Sermon points, more than just highlights, as this sermon includes much basic information that could enable one to get the bigger picture of God’s plan of redemption [bracketed statements are mine]:

In the beginning, God created a good world, and charged us to multiply… we were to glorify Him and enjoy Him forever
That changed when sin / rebellion entered into God’s creation
Now, we suppress knowledge of God, hate Him, worship the creature instead…
We do evil, suffer evil, and are estranged from Him, serving Satan instead
Being estranged, and out of communion with Him, under His wrath and curse, we are made liable to all the miseries in this life: to death itself and to the pains of hell forever
That is, we live in this present evil age, as Paul calls it
That doesn’t mean that no one ever does any good things, they do; and we enjoy many blessings of God
However, the recent earthquakes and war in Ukraine remind us that our experience of blessings from God does not mean that all is well here
When this present evil age comes to an end, we will all have to face the judgments of God
Therefore, our greatest questions must be, “How can I be rescued from this present evil age;” “How can I not be condemned for my sins on judgment day?”
John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
How might I receive eternal life?
ONLY BECAUSE OF THE GOODNESS OF GOD IS THERE A WAY TO BE RESCUED, TO HAVE ETERNAL LIFE
WHAT IS THAT WAY?
Paul gives two answers to that question in our text, the wrong and right ways
The only right way is by faith in Christ Jesus (not our focus today, the heart of this epistle, chapters 3, 4 and 5 in part, explain this way, that we are justified by faith not works of law)
The wrong answer, is by the works of the law
Justify: mentioned numerous times in this text, means to be declared righteous, as in a courtroom by a judge.
Justification and righteousness mean the same things, the latter is the noun form
When a judge condemns, he deems a person guilty, convicts
When a judge acquits, he deems a person righteous / right
On judgment day, in God’s courtroom each person will be convicted or justified and will receive the appropriate eternal consequences
BUT WE DO NOT HAVE TO WAIT TO BE JUSTIFIED UNTIL JUDGMENT DAY TO RECEIVE GOD’S VERDICT: Paul stated in Romans 5 that those who now believe in God’s Son will be justified in heaven now
Such will be saved from the wrath of God
HOW CAN WE BE JUSTIFIED? How will we be able to stand on the day of judgment?
NOT by works of the law
The Judaizers said that it was by works of the law; and Peter said the same via his hypocritical actions (see last sermon, on Gal 2:11-14)
What does works of the law mean?
The works prescribed by Mosaic law: circumcision, Passover, sacrificial offerings, Sabbath and dietary laws….
Verse 14 above, to become a Jew and to live like a Jew; you cannot keep the works of the law unless you become a Jew
That is, the Judaizers said to the Galatians: if you want to be justified, to stand on the day of judgment, to be saved from the wrath of God that is coming on this world, THEN you need to become a Jew and live like one
It is understandable that they would believe and say the above
The Old Testament [OT] clearly stated that all had fallen away from God; even Abram was a Pagan and was called by God from his fallen state [into covenant, see Gen. 12-15]; and God later called the nation of Israel, brought them into covenant with Him and gave them the covenant sign of circumcision, the Mosaic law…
Thereafter, Israel was set apart from every other nation because the law taught them how they were to relate, as sinners, to Him
Through the law and the Levitical priesthood, they could be cleansed of sin and enter into His presence
Through the law, they had a priest, sacrifices, atonement
Through the law, they learned how they were to relate to God and to others
…how they might serve and follow God
OUT OF ALL THE NATIONS OF THE EARTH, GOD ONLY KNEW ISRAEL IN THIS WAY
For example: Ephesians 2:11 Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called “the uncircumcision” by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands— 12 remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.
Romans 9:4 They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises. 5 To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen.
That is why the Judaizers might say, if you want hope, justification, then you need to be circumcised and live like a Jew, keeping the works of the law
As that is the way to deal with sin so you can come into fellowship with God
You need the sacrifices, the temple, the Aaronic high priest and all these things to be approved by God and to dwell with Him
You need these things that you might stand on the day of judgment
THAT IS, YOU NEED THE WORKS OF THE LAW TO BE JUSTIFIED
But Paul emphatically states herein, that is NOT true, in verses 15, and 16
Even though he and Peter had been Jews and lived the above, they knew that they were not justified via their former lives:
Paul’s encounter with the risen Christ and Peter’s visions and interactions with Cornelius in Acts 10 and 11 informed them of that
And Paul, in Verse 21, reasoned by thinking on Christ’s incarnation and death: if the law could give righteousness / justification, then Christ died for no purpose
That would mean that he had just been another victim of the evil in this world…
NO! That couldn’t be!
Anyone who argues they are saved by keeping the law, mocks Jesus’ death; simultaneously, they nullify God’s gracious gift of His Son and the atoning work He wrought
Paul also learned from the law itself, in verse 19 For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God.
When he discovered the proper meaning, use and function of the law, he realized that the law itself was not designed to give life; that it was temporary and pointed to Christ (per Galatians 3 through 5)
Galatians 3:23 Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed.
[If you read Gal 3-5 and Romans 3 and 4, you will better understand the above, and the temporary nature of the law]
In 70 AD, the temple and Jerusalem were destroyed by the Romans, thereafter, the Jews had no system via which they might be justified
Paul understood from Psalms 143 and 130, the following:
Psalm 143:2 Enter not into judgment with your servant, for no one living is righteous before you… [the psalm is a plea for God’s mercy]
Psalm 130:3 If you, O LORD, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? (Who could be justified?)
The psalmist understood that salvation is not based on what he did, but on what God did for him
The psalmist did not say to himself, go back to the temple and make a sacrifice for my sins… but the following
Psa 130:6 my soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning. 7 O Israel, hope in the LORD! For with the LORD there is steadfast love, and with him is plentiful redemption. 8 And he will redeem Israel from all his iniquities.
God would redeem Israel by Christ, not the works of the law [the Messiah for whom they waited and hoped]
So, Peter and Paul came to know the above, that Jews are not saved by the works of the law; if Jews cannot be saved by the God-given law, then how can Gentiles be save by it or any other man-made system?
Paul gives an objection to the above in verse 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?
Jews might argue the following points:
Since you are breaking the law, how does that not make Christ a servant of sin?
God gave the Law to Israel to be kept
As Christians, you are not requiring people to circumcise, celebrate Passover… you are Jews and are breaking the law via such things
= you are turning Jesus into someone who commands people to sin
Paul: God forbid? By no means!
The Judaizers were sinning by requiring Gentiles to be circumcised: 18 For if I rebuild what I tore down, I prove myself to be a transgressor.
Paul learned from the law itself that it does not justify; and that the law had come to an end with the coming of Christ: 19 For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God.
[See verses 20 and 21 above]
Since the God-given law does not justify anyone, (only faith in Christ), it follows that any man-made system will fail to justify on the day of judgment
Sayings like, “To err is human,” or “no one is perfect,” indicate that we know that we have a sin and guilt problem
All the ways and religions invented by man, indicate that he is trying to rid himself of the guilt of sin
Then there are actions such as giving alms to the poor… via which men try to balance the scales of God
No system or action can justify anyone, except faith in Christ
We are helpless. Only God can save us.
The good news is that God has offered salvation to the world in and through the Lord Jesus Christ