- …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. Galatians 2:16 – What makes us right with God? Essentially that is the question Paul is answering, even if his audience at the time wasn’t straightforwardly asking that question. Paul recounts a situation where he had to correct the Apostle Peter and the Christians that came from a Jewish background. They had begun to separate themselves from the Gentile Christians, treating them as if they weren’t even believers anymore. Why? Because they hadn’t submitted to the Law of Moses, and according to them one became right with God by Jesus’ sacrifice AND following the Law of Moses. Yet while that line of thinking was condemned by Paul and the Lord Himself, nevertheless it was a pervasive and contagious line of thinking that led many astray. We too must be able to answer the questions of what makes us right with God. Is it Jesus AND ____? Jesus and our good works? Jesus and our confessions to a priest? Jesus and our church giving? Scripture repeatedly combats this “Jesus AND” type of doctrine for it is in total opposition to the true message of the Gospel. It is Jesus ALONE that make us right with the Father. There is no need to submit to the Jewish law or no certain amount of good works that must be done in order to secure our salvation. It is the sacrifice of Jesus alone by God’s grace alone that we are saved. Rejoice in this truth and be sure to be existing in it as you interact with other believers. Let us not excommunicate a brother simply because their life is different than ours. If they have chosen to follow Jesus, they are just as saved as you are and our role is to encourage their walk with Jesus. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 3413
- I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose. Galatians 2:21 – Christ died for no purpose. Wow, to say something like that Paul must have a good reason behind it, and surprise, he does. Paul was sharing that if somehow we could be righteous, to be good enough through our own actions to be with God, then what was the point of Jesus’ death. It would have served no purpose if we could have reached the state of perfection with God through our own deeds. Jesus’ death was not purposeless though. He died because it was impossible for us on our own to “good enough” to be with God. You can never reach God without Jesus. Take a moment today to thank God that He made a way for you to come to Him through Jesus. Without Jesus, we would have no hope, no joy, nothing. Yet now, we have everything in this life because of Jesus. Remember that. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 532
- 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. 13 And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. Galatians 2:12-13 – Paul here is speaking of Peter and a mistake that Peter was making in how he was handling himself around certain people. Peter, being free from the Jewish law because of the salvation of Jesus, would eat with Gentiles, which was a perfectly acceptable practice. Yet, when certain Jews came around, Peter would separate himself from the Gentiles, refusing to eat with them because according the Jewish law that’s not something you are allowed to do. Rather than resting in the freedom that Jesus gives, Peter was placing himself back under the law due to fear of what the Jewish people may think of him. As a result of this he led many other believers in Jesus to do the same, even Barnabas, Paul’s companion, began to follow Peter’s lead in this sin. As we grow and mature in Christ, and especially when we begin to take leadership roles within the body of Christ, we must acknowledge the truth that we will have people watching our lives and following the example of how we live for Jesus. They will base how they talk by how we talk, and they will begin to live like we live. Which isn’t a sinful thing for them to do, as long as the one they are following, aka you and me, are following the example of Jesus. Let’s then make every effort to match the life of Jesus with how we live. Let’s love like He loves, talk like He would have us talk, and live in a way that follows the example He left for us. So when someone younger in the faith begins to follow our lead, the example they are truly following is Jesus’. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 2391
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