Galatians 2:15-21
We have a few terms (phrases) I would like to discuss in this blog. The first one is the word ‘justified’. In a court situation, I could not be guilty and justified at the same time, Romans 3:20 says that. There we find that we can be justified by God’s grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.
What was happening in the Galatian church was that people (Christian or not, I cannot tell) were coming in telling them that they were to go back to keeping certain parts of the law of Moses to be saved. There is another phrase “dead to the law.” If we stopped there we could call ourselves lawless. That would allow me to do anything I wanted to do. Romans 6:1 says, “Shall I continue in sin that grace might abound? God forbid.” That brings me to the next phrase, “Live unto God.” Saved by grace is not meant to put me in a vacuum but to live unto God. However it is not to get back to keeping the law. Christ said “learn from me” in Matthew 11:30. In I John 2:3 we find “hereby we know that we know Him if we keep His (Christ’s) commandments.”
Lastly we find the phrase “I am crucified with Christ.” Paul says (in my words) I live, but Christ lives in me. Now I live by faith in Christ. If that doesn’t curb my sin, I wouldn’t know whether I am saved or not.
What was happening in the Galatian church was that people (Christian or not, I cannot tell) were coming in telling them that they were to go back to keeping certain parts of the law of Moses to be saved. There is another phrase “dead to the law.” If we stopped there we could call ourselves lawless. That would allow me to do anything I wanted to do. Romans 6:1 says, “Shall I continue in sin that grace might abound? God forbid.” That brings me to the next phrase, “Live unto God.” Saved by grace is not meant to put me in a vacuum but to live unto God. However it is not to get back to keeping the law. Christ said “learn from me” in Matthew 11:30. In I John 2:3 we find “hereby we know that we know Him if we keep His (Christ’s) commandments.”
Lastly we find the phrase “I am crucified with Christ.” Paul says (in my words) I live, but Christ lives in me. Now I live by faith in Christ. If that doesn’t curb my sin, I wouldn’t know whether I am saved or not.
