Chapter 10
JUSTIFICATION THROUGH FAITH
Part I - The Instruction
(Galatians 3:1-5)
Before we begin our study let us pray,
Dear Heavenly Father, Almighty God,
Father God, we come before You in the Name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Father, please open our ears to hear Your instruction. Please open our eyes so we can truly see what You are telling us and Father, please open our hearts to receive the glorious gift You have given us through Your only begotten Son, Jesus Christ.
Amen
BACKGROUND
In previous chapters we saw how the Holy Spirit defended and confirmed Paul's apostleship. He did this to refute the attacks from those who would try to undermine Paul's authority as an Apostle of Jesus Christ.
In the following chapters we will see how the Holy Spirit countered the second attack against the teachings of the Apostle Paul. Specifically, the Judaizers claimed that the Gospel preached and taught by Paul was incomplete. More specifically, the Judaizers believed and taught that a person is saved or justified in the eyes of God by good works, that is they had to observe the Law that was handed down to them through Moses.
To refute the teachings of the Judaizers, the next section of the letter to the churches in Galatia focuses on the Christian faith. In this section, the Apostle Paul presents one of the central teachings of Christianity. This teaching is called: "Justification, and has been partitioned into the following topics:
1. Justification through Faith (Galatians 3:1-9).
2. No Justification from the Law (Galatians 3:10-14).
3. Promise is not Nullified by the Law (Galatians 3:15-18).
4. The Purpose of the Law (Galatians 3:19-22).
5. The Benefit of Faith (Galatians 3:26-4:7).
Before we begin to study the topic of Justification through faith, it is noted that it would be too long for one chapter. Therefore it has been partitioned into the following two chapters: (1) Chapter 10 – the instruction (this chapter) and (2) Chapter 11 – two examples.
INTRODUCTION
We begin our study of justification through faith by reading the Biblical definition of the term justification. According to the Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible the terms "justification" or "to justify" are defined as:
"A declarative act of God of Grace by which He declares sinners free from the guilt and consequences of their sin through faith in the atonement of Christ."
With this definition in mind, let us now read the Scriptures we will explore in this study.
Galatians 3:1-5
"[1] You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. [2] I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard? [3] Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort? [4] Have you suffered so much for nothing--if it really was for nothing? [5] Does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you because you observe the law, or because you believe what you heard?"
To more fully understand what we have just read, we will explore each verse in more depth. We begin with,
GALATIANS 3:1
"[1] You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified."
Since these folks were not in Jerusalem at the time of Jesus’ crucifixion, one might ask; “What does it mean that before their very eyes Jesus Christ was portrayed as crucified?” The answer is that through the preaching of Paul, Jesus Christ was portrayed as crucified. To see this let us consider what the Bible teaches us about the preaching of God's Word,
Romans 10: 14-17
"[14] How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? [15] And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!" [16] But not all the Israelites accepted the good news. For Isaiah says, "Lord, who has believed our message?" [17] Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ."
In other words God has ordained that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is to be presented through the preaching and teaching of His Word. As it is written in verse 17, faith in Jesus Christ comes from hearing the Word and the Message is heard through the Word of Jesus Christ.
Before we move on let us explore a little bit more of what it means to preach or portray Christ crucified. This is best accomplished by reviewing the Biblical teaching of the substitute sacrifice. To do this we begin in the Old Testament to review,
THE SIN OFFERING
When God called Moses to the top of Mount Sinai to give him the law, He actually gave him two laws. The first law was the Moral Law, which are the Ten Commandments. The second law was the Ceremonial Law that contains the laws or regulations concerning the temple services. Embedded in the Ceremonial Law was a series of animal sacrifices, such as the whole burnt offering, the peace or fellowship offering, etc. For this study the sacrifice of interest is the sin offering. This offering/sacrifice was required to make amends between an Israelite who sinned and God. The regulations for the offering/sacrifice are recorded in,
Leviticus 4:27-31
""'[27] If a member of the community sins unintentionally and does what is forbidden in any of the Lord's commands, he is guilty. [28] When he is made aware of the sin he committed, he must bring as his offering for the sin he committed a female goat without defect. [29] He is to lay his hand on the head of the sin offering and slaughter it at the place of the burnt offering. [30] Then the priest is to take some of the blood with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering and pour out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar. [31] He shall remove all the fat, just as the fat is removed from the fellowship offering, and the priest shall burn it on the altar as an aroma pleasing to the LORD. In this way the priest will make atonement for him, and he will be forgiven."
Let us notice the following verses,
27-28 … These actions were to be taken whenever a person discovered they sinned. Stop and consider for a moment about how often that could be, the cost and difficulty involved. Specifically, the individual had to travel to the Temple in Jerusalem and sacrifice/offer to God an unblemished female goat.
29(a) … He was to lay his hand on the animal. This was done to symbolically transfer his sin and guilt to the animal.
29(b) … The person who sinned was to slaughter the animal. Thus, he knew exactly why the animal was to die … namely for the sin that he committed.
30 … As mediator between God and man, the priest, on behalf of the sinner, took some of the blood and presented it to God.
31(a) … The fat of the animal, which was considered the best part of the animal, was also offered to God.
31(b) … Once the sacrifice was completed, atonement was made, that is amends were made between the sinner and God.
No some may ask, "What has all this to do with Jesus Christ being portrayed as crucified?" The answer lies in the realization that the sin offering, as with all the other elements of the Ceremonial Law, were also shadows or illustrations to teach us of what was to come. Specifically, in addition for the specific purposes of the Old Testament days, the ceremonial laws were also instituted to point to the time when Jesus Christ would enter into this world and bring to mankind the New Covenant. The sin offering pointed to the time when Jesus Christ would come to make atonement for our sins. It was instituted to teach and help us to understand that now, in the New Testament days,
JESUS CHRIST IS OUR SIN OFFERING
To see this let us read from,
1 Peter 2:24-25
"[24] He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. [25] For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls."
Thus, when we see Jesus Christ hanging upon the cross with our sins laid upon Him, we come to the realization that it is because of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ's body and blood we are saved from the guilt and penalty for our sins. To expand upon this a little bit more, let us read from,
Hebrews 10:5-10
"[5] Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said: "Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me; [6] with burnt offerings and sin offerings you were not pleased. [7] Then I said, 'Here I am--it is written about me in the scroll-- I have come to do your will, O God.'" [8] First he said, "Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them" (although the law required them to be made). [9] Then he said, "Here I am, I have come to do your will." He sets aside the first to establish the second. [10] And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all."
Let us notice the following verses,
5-6 … In these verses we are reading what our Lord Jesus Christ once said to God the Father. Specifically, He is recalling the fact that, in the Old Testament days, all the animal sacrifices were not pleasing to God the Father. Why? Because: (1) The blood of animals cannot take away sins (Hebrews 10:4 and 10:11) and (2) Animal sacrifices cannot change the heart of the sinner (Hebrews 10:1-2).
7 … Jesus came to do the God the Father's will, which was to offer His own body and blood as the perfect sacrifice for the forgiveness of our sins.
9 … In other words, Jesus Christ has brought to mankind a New Covenant, which is clearly revealed to us in:
Hebrews 10:16-17
""[16] This is the covenant I will make with them after that time, says the Lord. I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds." [17] Then he adds: "Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.""
This is the new birth Jesus spoke about to Nicodemus (John 3:1-8). This is what happens when the Holy Spirit enters and dwells within the believer.
Let us now return to Hebrews 10 and review the following verse,
10 … Through faith in Jesus Christ and the sacrifice He made on our behalf we have been made holy. Thus, we have been forgiven for all our sins. In other words, because of the atonement made by Jesus Christ, God the Father has declared the born again believer "justified" in His eyes. This is what Paul meant when he stated; “Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified.”
With the establishment of the above truths, the Apostle Paul proceeded to ask each and every born again believer four questions.
The first question is recorded in,
Galatians 3:2
"[2] I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard?"
As we reflect upon the above question we come to realize we received the Holy Spirit, which is the new birth, by believing what we heard, repenting of our sins and receiving Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. In fact, this is exactly what the Apostle Peter said, on the day of Pentecost, as to what needed to be done by those who heard his message.
Before we read what Peter said, it would be very helpful for us to review what it means to repent. According to Webster’s “New World Dictionary” the definition of the word repent is:
“to feel so contrite over one’s sins as to change or decide to change one’s ways.”
With this definition in mind, let us now read the following excerpt from Peter’s discourse at Pentecost. To do we go to,
Acts 2:37-41
"[37] When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?" [38] Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. [39] The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off--for all whom the Lord our God will call." [40] With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, "Save yourselves from this corrupt generation." [41] Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day."
Let us notice the following verses,
37 … After the people heard the Gospel; they asked; “What shall we do to be saved from our sins?”
38 … Peter told them to repent and be baptized. Notice Peter did not tell them to go and live a changed life. Then after a period of time, come back to be baptized into Jesus Christ
39 … The promise of salvation and the Holy Spirit's new birth is available for: (1) those who Peter was talking to, (2) The children of those who Peter was talking to, (3) those who were not there, and (4) for anyone to whom God would call, in other words to any person who would repent and call upon the Lord Jesus Christ to save them from their sins.
Paul’s second question is recorded in,
GALATIANS 3:3
"[3] Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?"
In the above verse, Paul is asking us to reflect on our life and determine whether or not we are living by faith as described in,
Galatians 2:20
"[20] I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."
Or,
Are we attempting to fulfill the Law in our own strength and willpower? To find out we have to examine the fruits of our life. To help us perform this examination let us first review some of,
THE FRUITS OF OUR (SINFUL) NATURE
Examples of these fruits are provided throughout the Bible. For this study we will limit our reading to just two places in the Scriptures. The first area is in,
Galatians 5:19-21
"[19] The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; [20] idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions [21] and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God."
Let us notice the following verse,
21 … If these fruits continue in our life we will not enter into the Kingdom of God. This is the serious consequence of trying to live in our own strength or will power.
We also find some examples of the fruits of our sinful nature in,
James 3:14-16
"[14] But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. [15] Such "wisdom" does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil. [16] For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice."
Let us now contrast the above fruits with the fruits that are produced by faith in Jesus Christ. These fruits are called the,
FRUITS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
As with the fruits of the sinful nature, examples of these fruits can be found in the letter to the Galatians and the letter of James. Let us begin with,
Galatians 5:22-24
"[22] But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, [23] gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. [24] Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires."
And again,
James 3:17-18
"[17] But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. [18] Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness."
Thus, by keeping watch over our behavior and attitudes we can get a pretty good idea of whether or not we are living our life by faith in Jesus Christ. If we find the fruits of the sinful nature emerging in our life then we know we are not living by faith in Jesus to live His life in and through us.
If this is the case we need to repent and ask for forgiveness. As we do this, let us remember God’s promise as it is written in,
1 John 1:9
[9] If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
If, on the other hand, we find the fruits of the Holy Spirit emerging from within us, then we are in fellowship with Him and the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sins. To see this let us read from,
1 John 1:7
[7] But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin."
With all this in mind let us return and reflect once again upon the following two questions Paul posed to the churches in Galatia and now us in,
Galatians 3:2-3
"[2] I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard? [3] Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?"
The third question Paul asked is recorded in,
GALATIANS 3:4
"[4] Have you suffered so much for nothing--if it really was for nothing?"
In reflecting upon the above question, what comes to mind is how after a period of time the nation of Israel grumbled and complained about the difficulties they experienced during their exodus from Egypt. As an example let us read about,
THE INCIDENT AT KIBROTH HATTAAVAH
To do this we go to,
Numbers 11:4-10
"[4] The rabble with them began to crave other food, and again the Israelites started wailing and said, "If only we had meat to eat! [5] We remember the fish we ate in Egypt at no cost--also the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic. [6] But now we have lost our appetite; we never see anything but this manna!" [7] The manna was like coriander seed and looked like resin. [8] The people went around gathering it, and then ground it in a handmill or crushed it in a mortar. They cooked it in a pot or made it into cakes. And it tasted like something made with olive oil. [9] When the dew settled on the camp at night, the manna also came down. [10] Moses heard the people of every family wailing, each at the entrance to his tent. The LORD became exceedingly angry, and Moses was troubled."
Many times, when we read this incident or incidents similar to this one, we might be amazed on how they, the Israelites, could turn their back upon their God and wish to return to the slavery He delivered them from? In like manner the Holy Spirit, through the Apostle Paul, is asking us a similar question.
As we go through times of difficulty, trials and perhaps persecution for our faith, let us never forget the promise of eternal life we have as born again believers in Jesus Christ. To refresh our memories of this goal and encourage us to remain steadfast in our faith in Jesus Christ, let us read from,
1 Peter 1: 3-9
"[3] Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, [4] and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade--kept in heaven for you, [5] who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. [6] In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. [7] These have come so that your faith--of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire--may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. [8] Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, [9] for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls."
The fourth and last question Paul asked is recorded in,
GALATIANS 3:5
"[5] Does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you because you observe the law, or because you believe what you heard?"
Good question! How do miracles happen? Is it because we are complying with the Law or is it through faith in Jesus Christ?
After he healed a lame man, the Apostle Peter gives us the answer to this question. To read what he said we go to the incident with Peter and the lame man as it is recorded in,
Acts 3:1-16
"[1] One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer--at three in the afternoon. [2] Now a man crippled from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts. [3] When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money. [4] Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, "Look at us!" [5] So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them. [6] Then Peter said, "Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk." [7] Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man's feet and ankles became strong. [8] He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God. [9] When all the people saw him walking and praising God, [10] they recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him. [11] While the beggar held on to Peter and John, all the people were astonished and came running to them in the place called Solomon's Colonnade. [12] When Peter saw this, he said to them: "Men of Israel, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? [13] The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus. You handed him over to be killed, and you disowned him before Pilate, though he had decided to let him go. [14] You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you. [15] You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this. [16] By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus' name and the faith that comes through him that has given this complete healing to him, as you can all see."
Let us notice the following verses,
6 … In the Name of Jesus Christ the Apostle Peter commanded the lame man to walk.
7-8 … As Peter lifted the lame man to his feet, the man received the strength to walk and leap about praising God.
10-11 … The people who saw the lame man walking, leaping and praising God were all amazed at what had happened.
12-16… Peter made and now makes it very clear that it was not because he was so godly nor had any extraordinary powers that caused the lame man to be healed. No! The lame man was healed through faith in Jesus Christ.
CONCLUSION
So what is the point? What is the message of this study? Actually, there are two points to be made. First, the born again believers are justified, that is freed from the guilt and consequences of our sins, through faith in Jesus Christ and the atonement He made for their sins.
Romans 3:28
"For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law."
Secondly, since it is only through faith we are justified, we should then model our Christian life after the Apostle Paul. Specifically, we must continue to live our life with the following attitude and belief,
Galatians 2:20-21
"[20] I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. [21] I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!""
Shall We Pray?