JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH
This article’s purpose is to express the conviction that faith, properly defined and shown from Scripture, is the only means by which mankind has ever been justified. There are many terms that are essential in understanding the Book of Galatians properly. These are: Law/law (the capital Law refers specifically to the Law of Moses), law of Christ, justification, legalism, gospel, faith, and judaizer.
1. The Law/law is a code of ethics, a rule of conduct, which a person or society is governed. (Some references to law may not specifically refer to the Law of Moses (Galatians 2:16, 19, 21; 3:2, 5, 10a, 11, etc.). However, other references may specifically refer to the Law of Moses (Galatians 3:10b, 12, 13, 19, 21; 5:3)).
2. The law of Christ is not a legal system by which a person can be justified through his own merit; rather, it is the law of faith which Christians live by and which Christians are called to be obedient.
3. Justification is the act by which a person is declared righteous before God.
4. Legalism is a belief that a person is justified by his own ability to keep Law/law perfectly.
5. The gospel is the good news message concerning the redemptive nature of Christ for those who are obedient to the faith in the teachings of Jesus.
6. Faith is the act of trusting the very nature of Jesus to forgive a person who, in faith, is obedient to the commands of Christ.
7. A Judaizer is a Jew who has been converted to Christianity; however, he proclaims that a Christian must follow legalist obedience to the Law of Moses.
Abraham was a person who lived before the Law of Moses was given (Genesis 12-25; Exodus 20; Deuteronomy 5). In spite of this, Paul shows that Abraham’s justification is the same as anyone’s justification before God – by an obedient faith in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:6-9; cf. Romans 4:1-4; 4:12, 27; 16:26; Hebrews 11:8-18; James 2:14ff; 1 John 1:7). Abraham was a patriarch that all Jews looked to with high respect. This respect was given to Abraham because he was the one who was given special promises by God (Genesis 12:1-3; 22:15-18; Galatians 3:16). It was Abraham’s belief in God that was reckoned to him as righteousness (Galatians 3:6; cf. Genesis 15:5; Romans 4:3, 20-22; James 2:23-24). Abraham believed that God was going to give him a child of promise even though he and his wife were people of old age (Genesis 21:1-8). Notice Paul’s argument concerning King David who lived under the Law (Romans 4:1ff).
One of the difficulties that the Jews had with the gospel message was the inclusion of the Gentiles into the family of God (Luke 4:14-30; Acts 22:21-22). In other words, they were upset by the proclamation that Gentiles had the means by which they could be justified before God – faith in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:8; cf. Genesis 12:3; Galatians 2; Acts 15). It was this justification by faith in God that was preached to Abraham, “All the nations will be blessed in you” (Galatians 3:8; Genesis 12:3). The blessing came through Abraham’s descendants (specifically, one descendant) and had its ultimate fulfillment in Jesus Christ (Galatians 3:16). Those who understand that Jesus is Lord and Savior (Acts 2:14ff) and are obedient to His commands will, by faith, be declared righteous. The works God expects performed are not works of merit (Romans 3:21-4:25); rather, they are works of an obedient faith in Christ Jesus (Romans 1:5; 16:26; James 2:14ff). When one belongs to Christ, then he is an heir according to promise (Galatians 3:26-29).
The apostle Paul confronted claims that a person can earn their own salvation (Galatians 2; 2:16; Acts 15:1, 5, 10). People who claim to have the ability to eternally save their souls by their own righteousness are people who contradict the apostle Paul’s teaching on justification by faith through grace in Christ Jesus apart from any legal system (law) (Galatians 2; 5:1-7; Acts 15:1ff). In fact, a person’s salvation or justification rests, not in the works of the Law/law (the legalistic keeping of the Law/law); rather, through faith in Jesus Christ (the law of Christ, James 1:25; Romans 3:27; Galatians 5:18; 6:2). Paul confronts Peter (Galatians 2:11ff) and reminds him of how he had been justified, “even we [Paul and Peter] have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we [Paul and Peter] may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the Law . . .” (Galatians 2:16). Although the context suggests that Paul is talking with Peter it doesn’t change the fact that this is how all people are justified before God – by an obedient faith in Christ Jesus.
If a man has the ability to save himself by his own works of righteousness then Christ died needlessly (Galatians 2:21). In other words, God wasted His time sending His own Son to save the world. This would be a true tragedy. (If someone claims that baptism is “because of” the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38) instead of “for”, from the Greek word EIS, then what they claim, based on their incorrect understanding of the Greek word, is the Jesus’ death was meaningless (Matthew 26:28)). The good news is that Christ did die and His death has a purpose. Those who, by faith, follow Christ are clothed with Christ and are, therefore, considered heirs and sons of God (Galatians 3:26-27).
Therefore, the law (any legal system) does not justify anyone. In fact, it can only condemn the law breaker (Galatians 2:16). The sad story is that many of the Jewish leaders turned the Law of Moses into a legal system; hence, the people developed faith in keeping a legal system rather than having faith in God. The Law of Moses was not intended to be a system through which people earned their salvation. This is exactly what the judaizers in Galatia were doing when they demanded that Christians must follow the Law of Moses and be circumcised to be saved (Galatians 2:1-10; Acts 15:1ff). It is not by commandment keeping that a person is saved. It is by faith in God to take care of our sin problem because of the sacrifice of Jesus. A person must come in contact with the blood of Jesus through baptism to receive this forgiveness/grace.
Legalism can be and is a major problem in the church today. There are many who do not understand this concept of Scripture; rather, they understand and put their trust in the tradition that has developed in Christ’s church within the United States. There are many who put their trust on the “perfect” keeping of commandments. This has a tendency to develop doubt in the individual especially when they wonder about their salvation. When a person thinks about all his sins in the past and wonders if he is good enough to earn salvation, then he is influenced by the idea of legalism in his life because he doesn’t truly understand what Christ has done for him through the sacrifice of Jesus. Therefore, since he knows he isn’t good enough, he begins to focus on what he can control - perfect law keeping. The focus is on what has always been done (tradition) even at the expense of grace.
The moral of this teaching is for a person to put their trust, not in commandment keeping; rather, in their faith in God to forgive their sins based on what Jesus Christ has done when one comes in contact with the blood of Christ at baptism (Luke 18:9-17). One extreme is that a person may believe that the commandments of God don’t mean anything and therefore they can’t fall from grace (Romans 6:1ff). All Christians are to follow His commandments as He has laid them out in Scripture. The uncomfortable thing for legalistic Christians is the idea that certain issues in Scripture can be considered non essential for salvation and therefore more grayish than black and white. If someone doesn’t have the same understanding on certain issues than another person then they are wrong. It can build walls in the wrong places and enhance the legalistic mindset with others. The only way a person is justified before God is to have faith in God to justify not in one’s trust in law keeping.
The Lord's humbled . . . John A. Reeves
1. The Law/law is a code of ethics, a rule of conduct, which a person or society is governed. (Some references to law may not specifically refer to the Law of Moses (Galatians 2:16, 19, 21; 3:2, 5, 10a, 11, etc.). However, other references may specifically refer to the Law of Moses (Galatians 3:10b, 12, 13, 19, 21; 5:3)).
2. The law of Christ is not a legal system by which a person can be justified through his own merit; rather, it is the law of faith which Christians live by and which Christians are called to be obedient.
3. Justification is the act by which a person is declared righteous before God.
4. Legalism is a belief that a person is justified by his own ability to keep Law/law perfectly.
5. The gospel is the good news message concerning the redemptive nature of Christ for those who are obedient to the faith in the teachings of Jesus.
6. Faith is the act of trusting the very nature of Jesus to forgive a person who, in faith, is obedient to the commands of Christ.
7. A Judaizer is a Jew who has been converted to Christianity; however, he proclaims that a Christian must follow legalist obedience to the Law of Moses.
Abraham was a person who lived before the Law of Moses was given (Genesis 12-25; Exodus 20; Deuteronomy 5). In spite of this, Paul shows that Abraham’s justification is the same as anyone’s justification before God – by an obedient faith in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:6-9; cf. Romans 4:1-4; 4:12, 27; 16:26; Hebrews 11:8-18; James 2:14ff; 1 John 1:7). Abraham was a patriarch that all Jews looked to with high respect. This respect was given to Abraham because he was the one who was given special promises by God (Genesis 12:1-3; 22:15-18; Galatians 3:16). It was Abraham’s belief in God that was reckoned to him as righteousness (Galatians 3:6; cf. Genesis 15:5; Romans 4:3, 20-22; James 2:23-24). Abraham believed that God was going to give him a child of promise even though he and his wife were people of old age (Genesis 21:1-8). Notice Paul’s argument concerning King David who lived under the Law (Romans 4:1ff).
One of the difficulties that the Jews had with the gospel message was the inclusion of the Gentiles into the family of God (Luke 4:14-30; Acts 22:21-22). In other words, they were upset by the proclamation that Gentiles had the means by which they could be justified before God – faith in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:8; cf. Genesis 12:3; Galatians 2; Acts 15). It was this justification by faith in God that was preached to Abraham, “All the nations will be blessed in you” (Galatians 3:8; Genesis 12:3). The blessing came through Abraham’s descendants (specifically, one descendant) and had its ultimate fulfillment in Jesus Christ (Galatians 3:16). Those who understand that Jesus is Lord and Savior (Acts 2:14ff) and are obedient to His commands will, by faith, be declared righteous. The works God expects performed are not works of merit (Romans 3:21-4:25); rather, they are works of an obedient faith in Christ Jesus (Romans 1:5; 16:26; James 2:14ff). When one belongs to Christ, then he is an heir according to promise (Galatians 3:26-29).
The apostle Paul confronted claims that a person can earn their own salvation (Galatians 2; 2:16; Acts 15:1, 5, 10). People who claim to have the ability to eternally save their souls by their own righteousness are people who contradict the apostle Paul’s teaching on justification by faith through grace in Christ Jesus apart from any legal system (law) (Galatians 2; 5:1-7; Acts 15:1ff). In fact, a person’s salvation or justification rests, not in the works of the Law/law (the legalistic keeping of the Law/law); rather, through faith in Jesus Christ (the law of Christ, James 1:25; Romans 3:27; Galatians 5:18; 6:2). Paul confronts Peter (Galatians 2:11ff) and reminds him of how he had been justified, “even we [Paul and Peter] have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we [Paul and Peter] may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the Law . . .” (Galatians 2:16). Although the context suggests that Paul is talking with Peter it doesn’t change the fact that this is how all people are justified before God – by an obedient faith in Christ Jesus.
If a man has the ability to save himself by his own works of righteousness then Christ died needlessly (Galatians 2:21). In other words, God wasted His time sending His own Son to save the world. This would be a true tragedy. (If someone claims that baptism is “because of” the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38) instead of “for”, from the Greek word EIS, then what they claim, based on their incorrect understanding of the Greek word, is the Jesus’ death was meaningless (Matthew 26:28)). The good news is that Christ did die and His death has a purpose. Those who, by faith, follow Christ are clothed with Christ and are, therefore, considered heirs and sons of God (Galatians 3:26-27).
Therefore, the law (any legal system) does not justify anyone. In fact, it can only condemn the law breaker (Galatians 2:16). The sad story is that many of the Jewish leaders turned the Law of Moses into a legal system; hence, the people developed faith in keeping a legal system rather than having faith in God. The Law of Moses was not intended to be a system through which people earned their salvation. This is exactly what the judaizers in Galatia were doing when they demanded that Christians must follow the Law of Moses and be circumcised to be saved (Galatians 2:1-10; Acts 15:1ff). It is not by commandment keeping that a person is saved. It is by faith in God to take care of our sin problem because of the sacrifice of Jesus. A person must come in contact with the blood of Jesus through baptism to receive this forgiveness/grace.
Legalism can be and is a major problem in the church today. There are many who do not understand this concept of Scripture; rather, they understand and put their trust in the tradition that has developed in Christ’s church within the United States. There are many who put their trust on the “perfect” keeping of commandments. This has a tendency to develop doubt in the individual especially when they wonder about their salvation. When a person thinks about all his sins in the past and wonders if he is good enough to earn salvation, then he is influenced by the idea of legalism in his life because he doesn’t truly understand what Christ has done for him through the sacrifice of Jesus. Therefore, since he knows he isn’t good enough, he begins to focus on what he can control - perfect law keeping. The focus is on what has always been done (tradition) even at the expense of grace.
The moral of this teaching is for a person to put their trust, not in commandment keeping; rather, in their faith in God to forgive their sins based on what Jesus Christ has done when one comes in contact with the blood of Christ at baptism (Luke 18:9-17). One extreme is that a person may believe that the commandments of God don’t mean anything and therefore they can’t fall from grace (Romans 6:1ff). All Christians are to follow His commandments as He has laid them out in Scripture. The uncomfortable thing for legalistic Christians is the idea that certain issues in Scripture can be considered non essential for salvation and therefore more grayish than black and white. If someone doesn’t have the same understanding on certain issues than another person then they are wrong. It can build walls in the wrong places and enhance the legalistic mindset with others. The only way a person is justified before God is to have faith in God to justify not in one’s trust in law keeping.
The Lord's humbled . . . John A. Reeves