Justified by Faith in Jesus Christ
15 We are Jews by birth and not “Gentile sinners,” 16 and yet because we know that a person is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we ourselves have believed in Christ Jesus. This was so that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no human being will be justified. 17 But if we ourselves are also found to be “sinners” while seeking to be justified by Christ, is Christ then a promoter of sin? Absolutely not! 18 If I rebuild those things that I tore down, I show myself to be a lawbreaker. (Galatians 2:15-18)
Continuing with Paul’s defense of the true gospel against the Judaizers, in verse 15, Paul states that “We are Jews by birth and not ‘Gentile sinners.” According to Max Anders, “Quite often, the Jews could not mention Gentiles without calling them ‘Gentile sinners.’” Yet, Paul states that even though he was a born Jew, he was just as much as a sinner as a Gentile in need of grace. Leading into verse 16, one of the most important verses in Galatians, Paul states how everyone is justified not by works, especially upholding the law, but instead only by Jesus Christ. Paul, a Jew, also needed to believe in Jesus Christ in order to be saved. “This was so that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by the works of the law no human being will be justified,” which goes directly against the teachings being spouted off by the Judaizers.
The argument the Judaizers used then to try to counter this justification by faith is found in verse 17, in which they believed that if people can just be justified by faith in Christ, then they could become saved and then continue to sin, therefore making “Christ a promoter of sin.” Yet, Paul vehemently states that this is not true at all, “Absolutely not!” Anders again puts it beautifully, “Grace leads to freedom from sin’s slavery to obey God, not license to disobey Him.” Paul states this same point in Romans 6:1-2, “What should we say then? Should we continue in sin so that grace may multiply? 2 Absolutely not! How can we who died to sin still live in it?” Since believers are saved from sin, they are called to obedience to the Lord, following His example and putting aside the past sinful behaviors.
Verse 18, Paul states that if one were to return to the law after believing in Christ, in turn, they will find themselves a “lawbreaker.” There is no human being on earth other than Christ that could uphold the law perfectly.
No one is saved through their own works. We cannot be “good enough” on our own, due to our sin. The only way we can be justified, declared righteous before God the Father, is through faith in Jesus Christ, who came to the earth, fully human and fully God, lived a perfect life, died for our sin on the cross and rose again to show He has power over death and can offer the free gift of salvation and eternal life to all who believe in Him. He is the only way, the truth and the life.
Blessings,
Isaac De Guzman
