Galatians 3: 15-20 (God holds true to his promises, He killed His Son)

Summary:  This section is preceded by a summary that highlights the true essence of the Gospel, in that we cannot, by any means, merit our own salvation.  Any attempt at meriting out own salvation is in summary surrendering ourselves to the curse brought on by sin, namely death and fury.  The law has brought us into slavery because of our absolute inability to keep its commands.  Now Christ, as an act of propitiation, became a curse such that we may be set free from this death we deserve through faith alone.  Now Paul is giving grounds as to why his Gospel of justification by faith in Christ is supported by the Old Testament writings.  He starts by reminding the Galatians of freedom that was promised to Abraham that would be eventually brought into manifestation in Christ.  He claims that had justification come from the law, because that in itself would have made God a liar, which cannot be true.  Then he moves into saying that the law has been given as a sort of place-holder in anticipation to the promised redeemer.

                Note: see Genesis 12, 15, 17 and 22 to view the promises made to Abraham.

                Note: this text sheds light on Paul’s genius in using the law to prove the Gospel.

Timeless Principle:  This text is broken up into two distinct parts.  The first is a beginning of a logical descent into a proof of the Gospel.  It cannot go without saying that this argument is hard to follow and confusing and I cannot pretend to know any more about it than anyone at all.  Keeping this warning in my mind, I’ll continue to explore the meaning of the text.  Before Moses received the law from God on the top of Mount Sinai, a promise had been made one that promised a land to be given into the hands of Abraham’s offspring.  The promise however did not end there but extended further into such things as spiritual blessings including the promise of a coming savior.  Now this promise is notable, because it cannot under any circumstance be annulled.  Numbers 23:19 states that God, by his own perfect nature cannot lie, and will not change his mind.  This follows from the mere fact that changing of one’s mind implies that there had to of been something better than the original thought, in a sense, a even better thought otherwise that person would have never changed his mind in the first place.  God will not change his mind and cannot change his mind by his own nature.  He is perfectly right in all things to suddenly stumble upon a “better” alternative to a previous thought would limit his omniscience thereby making him less than who he is which is utterly impossible.  This is the doctrine of God’s immutability (fancy word for “unchanging”).  Paul is saying here that just because the law came, it does not mean that his promise was annulled.  So then what is the purpose of the law? This is what Paul is quick to explain in the second section of this text.  The purpose of the law was to serve as a sort of temporary promise of redemption until the promised one would come to pave the way to the Father, the person of Jesus Christ.  It may be healthy to think of the laws purpose as a means by which God shows us our true condition, a way to paint us a picture of our moral condition, such that we may truly see our need for a mediator to reconcile us to our maker.  Hypothetically speaking, had God never put forth the law to show us our deprivation, then we might just brush off the invigorating, overwhelming, humbling effects of God’s grace towards the sinner, perhaps we might have even brushed off the death of the savior as a small thing instead of the biggest event in all of history past or future.  This thought of God’s perfect plan of salvation is beautiful.  He unfolded it according to his definite plan such that we would fall completely in love with him.  My prayer is that I would fall more and more in love with the Father and the truth of the news he has freely given us, the best bad news ever conceived.

My Prayer: Father, God remind me of your perfect plan.  Show me the beauty of it and how small and futile I am in comparison to you.  I am weak and frail and yet you set forth a plan to rescue even the weak and frail, paying a heavy price.  Thank you for the cross.  In Christ name, amen.

Galatians 2: 15- 18 (Justification in Christ alone)

Summary:  Previous to this text Paul documents an exchange of words with Peter, but here Paul is continuing his address to Peter in order to state the thesis of the one true Gospel along with some support of it in that we pursue holiness because of Christ’s work not for personal merit, as if we by any work could merit salvation.

Note:  It is widely debated as to whether or not Paul is addressing the Galatians or continuing his account with Peter.  It seems more reasonable that this is an extension of his account because it continues to flow with the previous text without a new addressing of his audience.  Also beginning in chapter 3, Paul does address the Galatians which is probably when his attention shifts back to his audience.

            Timeless Principle:  Now, in his address to Peter,  Paul gives a glimpse of the truth of the Gospel, that a man “is not justified by works of the law but through [and only through] faith in Jesus Christ.”  This is huge.  Is this simply a unique theme in this letter or does it stretch beyond that?  It seems that every time we talk about religion or anything concerning the Gospel, we revert to, in some shape or form, trying, as a sinful man, to become good.  There is a problem with this thought of trying to be good.  It simply does not work and if you argue becoming good (on your own) so that you may be accepted by God, then almost every fragment of scripture argues against you.  It seems very clear the even the best works of a man are as bloody menstrual rags in comparison to the Holiness of God [Isaiah 64: 6].  So then it seem clear that as verse 16 alludes that no one is justified by works of the law because under sin there is a curse, so in trying to do good we simply surrender to the curse because no matter our effort we can’t shake it and on this curse the wrath of God is waiting to fall violently.  That is why faith in Christ is so important it is why Paul has surrendered to it because it alone can be counted worthy of avoiding the impending judgment. 

            Now perhaps what exactly does this word justified really mean, why is the promise of justification in Christ such good news that it alone is the good news?  The answer is found in the meaning of the word.  But first to understand the meaning we must look once again at our condition.  As mentioned earlier we are beyond repair, broken due to sin and because of this dilemma, God, by his nature has to destroy sin and in doing so destroy us, no matter what good we do we cannot make up for even one fault.  So then God is waiting to punish sin violently, literally bending his bow and sharpening his weapons of wrath, making his arrows as fiery shafts, and, here it is, is declared perfectly righteous (morally justified) for doing so [see Psalm 7: 11-13].  That is our condition that an infinite God is waiting to punish this disease that we have fallen in.  Now let us explore justification with our desolation in mind.  The word literally means to be rendered innocent, blameless.  Through faith in Christ, and faith in him alone, can this moral restitution occur.  This is the love of Christ that he may become a curse for us bearing the impending judgment for a fallen people. 

            In verse 17 Paul shifts gears.  Before discussing this text it is important to keep in mind that no matter what we do we fully deserve a heavy outpouring of wrath and it in Christ and in Christ alone that we may escape this fate.  In his shift he gives the true reason for good works.  In our justification we are sealed instantly with the Holy Spirit which works violently within us to make us Holy.  The outworking of this seal is a grueling murder of the flesh.  The violence of the heart change is set out for the world to see through good works.  Paul argues here that if a man has been justified, then he must pursue, not good works, but to be more like Christ.  Here is the catch, Christ had some serious good works, so if we follow Christ we do good works, NOT to make us worthy of his gift, but rather as a beloved son who simply wants to please his Father.  If holiness, commonly seen in works, is not being pursued by a believer, then it seems that true faith and justification in Christ never occurred because the work of the Holy Spirit is not occurring.  Perhaps this is what Paul means when he says test yourselves to see if you are in the faith.  We must be careful when considering this idea for the Gospel is justification by faith in Christ, being set free from sin’s curse and adopted as sons, NOT works.  Trying to clean up your life does not work and causes us to remain under sin’s curse.  The Holy Spirit does that as soon as the opportunity is given in justification.

            Hymn:  (sweet hymn by Isaac Watts)

            The triumph of faith in Christ:

           

            Who shall condemn the Lord’s elect?

            ‘tis God who justifies their souls,

            And mercy like a mighty stream

            O’er all their sins divinely rolls

            Who shall adjudge the saints to Hell?

            ‘Tis Christ that suffered in their stead,

            And the salvation to fulfill,

            Behold him rising from the dead,

            He lives, he lives, and sits above,

                        Forever interceding there;

                        Who shall divide us from his love?

                        Or what shall tempt us from despair?

                       

                        Shall persecution of distress,

                        Famine, or sword, or nakedness

                        He hath lov’d us bears us thro,

                        And makes us more that conquerors too.

           

                        Faith hath an overcoming power,

                        It triumphs in the dying hour;

                        Christ is our life, our joy, our hope;

                        Nor can we sink with such a prop.

                        Not all that men on earth can do.

                        Nor powers on high, nor powers below,

                        Shall cause his mercy to remove,

                        Or wean our hearts from Christ our love.

           

My Prayer:  Father, I am miserable, tormented even in my search after good works.  I fight trying to earn your approval and man’s.  Oh God, remind me that I cant earn it even if I wanted too, because you have so freely given it declaring me righteous.  And now strengthen me.  Father cause the Spirit you have given me to violently kill my flesh.  I have counted the cost and they don’t compare to infinite worth of pursuing you.  Thank you for providing a way to be right with you when I could have never done so on my own. In Christ’s name, Amen.

Galatians 2: 11-14 (Paul’s fire for truth causes him to oppose Peter)

Summary:  Before this, Paul records his being commissioned by Peter to go to the gentiles, which was what he was eager to do.  Also, he uses the apostles to credit his Gospel in saying that they had agreed and that even Timothy who had been with them was not made to be circumcised because it was unnecessary by Christ’s blood.  Now Paul is giving another account in order to prove his Gospel’s authenticity.  This time he records a time in which Peter did not walk in step with the truth of the Gospel, in that Christ came to unite all people to the Father, gentiles included (Eph. 1: 10, 3:6).  Peter’s fault led even the most steadfast to falter in their belief system so it is important to note that Paul is in Peter’s face in this account, despite Peter’s apostolic authority.

Note: Despite which stance you have as to what time frame is being referred to here (either Acts 11 or Acts 15).

            Timeless principle:  Here Paul is continuing his defense of the one true Gospel.  He first started off just preceding this text in saying that his Gospel had been checked by the apostles so that he may now that he had not been laboring in vain.  And now he records another event regarding Peter, one of the ones “who seemed influential,” but this time with a very different reason.  Here Paul again testifying that he did not need the apostle’s approval for if he had needed it then the outcome of this recorded event would have been different.  So then what is the event?  Peter in Acts 10 makes a dramatic declaration, that God shows “no partiality,” that God has given all, both Jews and gentiles the right to be counted clean, perfect, and righteous sons of the highest God.  But in this chapter, which would have occurred after his proclamation in Acts 10, Peter pulls away from the gentiles as not to hurt his reputation in front of some of the Jews who had come along with James.  He denied the truth of the Gospel by his works.  Well then why does Paul include this in his defense?  The answer may be found in what his reaction towards Peter’s actions.  So then what were his actions? He rebuked him to his face.  Now tying this to his defense of the Gospel.  Paul is using this account to beg the question if I were after anyone’s approval then I would not have got in the face of the person whom I need acceptance from?  Paul is saying that he got his Gospel from Christ himself not from some man, not even the “influential” Cephas.  This claim is given wait to by a text earlier on this book which proclaims that even if angels from heaven were to try to speak another Gospel then let them be accursed for there is only and can only be one true Gospel.

            So then, this leads us to a central application.  Which is begged in the question, Who do I need to have like me?  Who do I need to say they love me?  Is it my parents, my friends, some girl I like, or even from spiritual leadership in my life.  The truth is none of these things really matter, none bear any significance.  Paul, if he would have needed anyone’s approval it would have been Peter, the big dog of the church, but he opposed him to his face at the slightest hint of an action out of alignment with the truth of the gospel.  Likewise, I need no one’s approval especially if that approval leads to away from truth. 

            My Prayer:  Father, you are the one true God, immutable, all-powerful, perfectly just while overwhelmingly loving.  Your have not lied you can not learn for you know all and what you have promised remains truth forever.  The very essence of truth only is truth because you have defined it around yourself who is the ultimate and overwhelming truth.  Father I thank you for your willingness to snatch me out of darkness when I did not want to be snatched, for entrusting me with the most glorious news ever revealed to man kind, such that through me, a deprived sinner, some may come to find this light as well.  Continue to work within me no matter the cost. And may I never fight for man’s approval especially if it causes me to turn from your Gospel. Your are my everything.  I pray all these thins in Christ’s name Amen.