The Book of Galatians
Read Galatians 2:11-21
"I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me." (Galatians 2:20)
The former persecutor of the church, Paul, came to the realization that salvation is not achieved by adhering to the law but through faith in Christ. This revelation brought him true liberation as he embraced the love of God that set him free.
Paul expressed his frustration with the idea of being justified by works, emphasizing that "no flesh will be justified in God’s sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin" (Romans 3:20). Redemption is received solely through God's grace (Romans 3:24-25).
Jewish Christians struggled with a dilemma: they hesitated to associate with Gentiles unless the Gentiles first converted to Judaism, which required studying the law and undergoing circumcision. However, Christians understand that the law does not redeem us—our redemption is found in Christ alone.
Action Steps:
Rest in Christ’s Righteousness – Recognize that our righteousness comes from Christ alone, not from our associations, status, or works.
Use Privilege to Serve – If we have been blessed with wealth, education, or social standing, we should use these privileges to walk alongside the poor and the weak, not to impose standards or discriminate.
Live by Faith – Let our lives reflect the gospel of grace, knowing that we live by faith in the Son of God who loves us and gave Himself for us.
Extend Grace to Others – Just as we were once lost and now are found, we must share the message of redemption with humility and love.
By anchoring our lives in Christ, we embrace true freedom and live out the gospel in a way that brings glory to God and unity to His people.
11 But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. 12 For before certain men came from James, he was eating with the Gentiles; but when they came he drew back and separated himself, fearing the circumcision party.[a] 13 And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. 14 But when I saw that their conduct was not in step with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas before them all, “If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews?”
15 We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners; 16 yet we know that a person is not justified[b] 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.
17 But if, in our endeavor to be justified in Christ, we too were found to be sinners, is Christ then a servant of sin? Certainly not! 18 For if I rebuild what I tore down, I prove myself to be a transgressor. 19 For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. 20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 21 I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness[c] were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.