"Justified through faith in Christ Jesus”

“We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners; 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.” (Gal 2:16 ESV)

Paul was very specific about the Gospel of Grace that changed his life. His conversion was indeed miraculous, as he went from being zealous to destroy the Christian Church to being zealous to preach the truth of grace that Jesus Himself had made known to him. Paul was indeed a changed man. He was so convinced that the only way for mankind to be saved was through faith in Jesus, not through any work of our own, that he spent his life teaching this truth. In fact, Paul said if anyone were to preach “contrary” gospel besides the true gospel of grace, that they should be accursed. There was no room to add man’s works to God’s grace.

In Chapter 2, Paul continues to explain his apostleship and seeing Jesus face to face (2:15). Then, for three years, Paul left Damascus and was taught by Jesus Himself the truths that Paul preached. You can read about Paul’s trip to Jerusalem in Acts 9:26-30, where Paul met Peter and James, the half-brother of Jesus.

Paul then picks up his story in 2:1 where he says, "Then after fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus along with me." This trip is when the Jerusalem Council took place (AD 49), immediately after Paul and Barnabas completed their first missionary journey. In verse 4, Paul identifies the “false brethren” who tried to mix Jewish circumcision and the keeping of the Mosaic Law as requirements for salvation for the Gentiles. You can also read about the Council at Jerusalem in Acts 15:1 and their position: "But some men came down from Judea and were teaching the brothers, 'Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.”   

This is the same problem that Paul is addressing in his letter to the Galatians. This problem was addressed, and a letter was sent to the Gentile churches regarding their conclusion (Acts 15:13-30) that the only thing required of Jews and Gentiles for salvation is faith in Jesus alone. Remember “Salvation alone, through Faith alone, in Jesus alone.”. But we find that Satan never rests and is trying his best to stop the gospel of grace that was changing so many people’s lives.

 Paul calls these Judaizers, these false teachers of the gospel, “false brethren”, you see, anyone who changes salvation by grace, no matter by how much, is not saved. Here’s a quick question for you: if you have a clean glass of water and you put one drop of dirty water into it, what are you left with? Dirty, contaminated water! So, it doesn’t matter how small a work someone is trying to add to the pure gospel of grace; they do not mix. As soon as you add an “and or but” to faith alone in Jesus for eternal life, you are preaching a “contrary gospel”, not the gospel of grace, and you have contaminated the precious gospel that saves completely.

Paul summarized this chapter in verse 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."   Truer words have never been spoken. This simple presentation of the gospel is why I love this letter. Paul leaves no room for confusion about how a man is justified before God.

In our society today, the evil one is very crafty; he tries to sneak in “works” that seem innocent enough. I mean, who can argue with the Ten Commandments, right? But as soon as you make them requirements for salvation or for earning God’s saving or sustaining grace, you have contaminated the pure gospel. Just as soon as you convince someone that they need to try harder, that if they would only pray more, give more, attend church more, or keep the Ten Commandments better, they will earn God’s favor, then you have contaminated the pure gospel of Grace. If you have accepted God’s Son as your Savior, then God already loves you, and you are precious in His sight.

We cannot earn or maintain God’s grace; we don’t work to receive or keep our salvation. God’s grace is a gift.  Not something that you have to earn, or something that you can lose. Salvation is all about what Jesus has done, not about what I have done in the past, am doing now, or will do in the future. It’s all about our blessed Savior, our Lord Jesus Christ. So, believers, stop trying to earn His forgiveness or acceptance, and start living in God’s marvelous grace.

"Living in Grace is not about what I can do, but about what Jesus has already done!"