Justified: Are you a good person?
Our modern culture is obsessed with virtue-signalling, also know as self-righteousness. It’s deemed to be good, but it’s a man-made religion. All man made religions teach the same thing, they teach that we need to obey some supreme being in order to get their favour. Jesus teaches that the only way to be made right with God is by faith alone, in Christ alone, by His grace alone. When we trust in our own abilities to be “good enough” to please God, we sin against Him. In the closing stages of the 2nd chapter of Galatians, Paul reveals the shocking truth about self-righteousness.
Scripture
Galatians 2:15-19 ESV We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners; 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. 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.
Bible Study Questions
How the problem starts
People like Peter and Paul were born into God’s chosen people and given a relationship with Him. But they needed to learn that this relationship came from God’s grace not their effort. They learned this from the Gospel of Jesus, but then some of them wanted to go back to the laws that taught them their need for Jesus rather than making them right with God. How do we do the same, trying to earn our way into God’s forgiveness, rather than humbly accepting it by faith?
Galatians 2:15-19 ESV We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners;
Galatians 2:12-14 ESV 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. 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?”
Justified by faith, justified by faith, justified by faith
The Holy Spirit moves Paul to repeat the simple truth of being made right with God by faith three times. How does each mention differ slightly, and why is it repeated three times in a single verse?
Galatians 2:16 ESV 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.
Romans 9:30-31 ESV What shall we say, then? That Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness have attained it, that is, a righteousness that is by faith; 31 but that Israel who pursued a law that would lead to righteousness did not succeed in reaching that law.
What about Jesus?
Having made the statement of fact that we are justified by faith alone in Christ alone, by grace alone, Paul moves to prove this statement. If Jesus is the one who leads us to be justified by faith in Him alone, and we need nothing else, is Jesus leading us astray? What is Paul’s conclusion to this hypothetical question?
Galatians 2: 17 ESV 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!
What did the prophets say about Jesus?
Jesus does not lead us astray. Jesus teaches that all of Scripture is about Him, so what do the prophets say about what Jesus will do concerning us being justified, or made right with God?
Luke 22:37 ESV For I tell you that this Scripture must be fulfilled in me: ‘And he was numbered with the transgressors.’ For what is written about me has its fulfillment.”
Isaiah 53:11-12 ESV Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities. 12 Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.
What did Jesus teach?
The prophets predicted being made right with God by faith in Jesus Christ. What did Jesus teach?
Luke 18:9-14 ESV He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: 10 “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ 13 But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”
What did Jesus do?
Jesus taught that we can not be made right by the law, but by faith in Him alone. How did He demonstrated this teaching?
Luke 23:39-43 ESV One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” 40 But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? 41 And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” 42 And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” 43 And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
Dying to law, living to God
Rather than believing that we sin by not following the ceremonial law, or that we need to follow it in order to be right with God, Paul makes the startling revelation that by trusting in obedience to the ceremonial law, or any law, we are trying to make ourselves right by our own effort. This self righteousness is sin. What then is the point of the law, and should we still obey the moral law? What should we live for?
Galatians 2:18-19 ESV 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.
Romans 3:20 ESV For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.
1 Peter 4:1-2 ESV Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, 2 so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God.