Introduction: This week we begin our discussion of the heart of the
gospel – how a Christian is saved from his or her sins. It is very
important to get this right. Do you recall that in Galatians 1:8 Paul
says that those who teach a false gospel should be “eternally
condemned.” I’ll try to get this right! More important than what I
write, consider carefully what Paul writes so that you will correctly
understand God’s will. Let’s plunge into this critically important
study!
- Jews vs. Gentiles
- Read Galatians 2:15-16. Recall that when we ended our
discussion of the last lesson, Paul argued that Peter was
acting like a hypocrite in separating himself from the
Gentiles. I pointed out that Paul should (and would) make
an argument based on the Bible. Is the argument you were
promised? One based on the Bible? (Not exactly. Instead,
Paul tells the Jews to think about their understanding of
the differences between Jews and Gentiles.) - What is that difference? (Read Romans 2:17-18. The
Jews had a special relationship with God. He gave
them many rules to make their lives better than the
Gentiles who lived around them. They were a “light”
among the Gentile darkness.) - Despite this knowledge that Jews are favored by the
law and have a special relationship with God, what do
the Jewish converts to Christianity also know? (That
they are not justified by the law. Instead, they are
justified by faith in Jesus.) - Are we supposed to believe this just because
the early Jewish converts believed it? - Read Romans 2:21-24. We just read the first part of Paul’s
argument here – that the Jews are favored by having the
law and a special relationship with God. What is the
result of having this special relationship? Did they keep
the law that was such a blessing to them? (No. Instead of
being a light, they dishonored and blasphemed God by their
sinful ways.) - So what is it that the Jewish converts knew that
should cause us to accept that the law does not save
us? (They knew they could not keep the law.) - Let’s not just leave this to the thoughts of people
we do not know. Do you know that you regularly
violate the law? (If you are honest, you will say
(like the early Jewish converts) “yes, I violate the
law on a regular basis.”) - Let’s revisit Galatians 2:16. If you sin, can you be
“justified by observing the law?” (Obviously, not.
Paul does not start with a theological argument, he
starts with the experience of every son and daughter
of Adam and Eve. “[B]y observing the law no one will
be justified.”) - Justification by Faith
- Galatians 2:15-16 uses the term “justified” several times.
What do you think it means? (From the perspective of
American law, it means that you violated the law but you
are not considered to be guilty. For example, a person
breaks into your home at night and you fear that person
will harm you. If you shoot and kill that person when he
approaches you, that is what the law calls “justifiable
homicide.” Intentionally killing someone is generally a
terrible crime. But, in this situation the killing is
“justified.”) - Have you heard the saying “Saved from your sins and
not in your sins?” If we are justified even when we
sin, is this saying true? - Read Galatians 2:17. Think about the American legal
situation that I just described. Does this law promote
murder? Does it undercut the law against murder? (It
leaves the authority of the law in place. It simply says
that under certain circumstances, the rule of law is
promoted by allowing a person to defend himself.) - Read Galatians 2:18. What was “destroyed?” (If we apply
this to Peter’s situation, when he reverted to his old
ways by separating himself from the Gentiles, he revived
the law (legalism) and, as a result, condemned himself.
Although some think the law has been destroyed, I think it
is more accurate to conclude that the penalty for the law
has been “destroyed” when we are saved by faith.) - Read Galatians 2:19. This says that I died “to the law.”
It does not say that the law was “destroyed.” How does a
Christian “die to the law?” (Read Romans 6:3-7. When we
are baptized, we die with Jesus, and we are raised with
Jesus. We know that Jesus died because of our sin.
Therefore, we (through Jesus) have paid the penalty for
our sins. We have already paid the price that the law
requires for sin. The law is not “destroyed,” but it no
longer threatens us because we have paid the full penalty
for sin through Jesus.) - Read Romans 7:1-4. Paul says we are like a wife whose
husband dies, and thus she is freed from the law on
adultery. Let’s continue with this specific example. Are
Christians free from the law of adultery? (Read Romans
6:1-2 and Romans 6:5-7. This tells us that we are not to
go on sinning. It tells us that our “old self” died. The
best way to understand this is to say that we died to the
penalty for adultery – as well as the penalty for
committing any other sin. But, we did not die to the
understanding that the law exists to make our lives
better. We did not die to the understanding that living a
life in accord with God’s will brings glory to Him.) - Read Galatians 2:19-20. Would someone who commits adultery
be “liv[ing] for God?” (Obviously not.) - How does Christ live in us? (This refers to the Holy
Spirit living in us.) - Let’s use an example. Assume that I said you died to
all of the traffic laws. Would that make you a better
driver? (If you were dead, you would not know about
the traffic laws. Thus, assuming that you could drive
while dead, you would be a much worse driver.) - Now assume that the designer of all of the
traffic laws “lived in you.” What kind of
driver would you be? (If I were infused with
the person who designed all of the traffic
laws, I would be in perfect harmony with them.
I would not obey them because I might be
ticketed by the police. I would obey them
because I knew they created a safe driving
world. I think that is Paul’s point.) - Read Galatians 2:21. How would a person “set aside” grace?
(By thinking that he had to keep the law to be saved. The
law will never save us. Thus keeping the law because we
think it has an impact on our salvation is a mistake. Not
only are we unable to keep the law perfectly because of
our sinful nature, but trying to keep the law to be saved
insults Jesus because it means He died for nothing.) - The Law
- We have been talking about the law. When I was young, I
was taught by some that is Paul referring to the
“ceremonial law,” meaning the laws written by Moses having
to do with the sanctuary service. When I read older Bible
commentaries, it seems that some of those commentators
believe that Paul means the ceremonial law. Thus, I think
this was (and may be now) the understanding among some
Christians. Recall that the specific point in controversy
is circumcision. Is that part of the ceremonial law? (No.
Long before the sanctuary, God gave this rule to Abraham.
Genesis 17:9-11.) - If Paul is not talking about the ceremonial law only, does
he include the Ten Commandments? (Read Romans 7:7-8. Paul
refers to a “commandment,” and we recognize it as the
Tenth Commandment. Exodus 20:17. When Paul writes about
adultery and coveting in his discussion of the “law,” we
learn that he believes we died to the Ten Commandments.) - Read Romans 7:4-5. We might think that limiting Paul’s
definition of the “law” to the ceremonial law helps us
with right behavior. What does Paul say about the impact
of the law on right behavior? (The law arouses our sinful
passions. You understand this. Tell someone that they
cannot do something, and they want to do it. Thus,
defining the law very broadly (and then saying that we
died to all of it) helps us live better lives. Through
Jesus, we paid the penalty for the violation of every kind
of spiritual law.) - Read Romans 7:6. How do we now serve God? (By living a
life led by the Holy Spirit!) - Friend, have you caught the good news here? When you were
baptized, you participated in Jesus’ perfect life and His
death for your sins. The penalty for your sins has been
paid. Will you now live a life led by the Holy Spirit? Why
not ask, right now, for forgiveness of sin and to be
filled with the Holy Spirit? Why not choose to live a life
led by the Spirit? - Next week: Old Testament Faith.
