Galatians 2:15-21
Christ in Me
This sermon examines spiritual motivation through Paul's argument that justification comes through faith in Jesus, not law-keeping. Believers are called to find their purpose and energy in Christ's finished work rather than self-effort.
Introduction
Do you have a hard time being motivated at times? Do you have a hard time waking up in the morning feeling like you are ready to take on the world and the challenges of the day? Sometimes when we are not feeling well, taking on the challenges of the day simply means trying to feel better. The question really has to do with energy and purpose. There are all kinds of ways to motivate ourselves—like imagining a swimming pool with snakes to get us moving.
Where does your spiritual motivation come from? There are really only two ways to be motivated spiritually: by how well you do and the applause of people, or by grace. This is not new. Almost from the time Jesus ascended back to heaven, his followers have struggled to understand how to live in this world so that a difference can be made. As believers we are interested in making a difference in this world. How can we and where is the motivation going to come from?
In our text, Paul has to deal with a similar set of questions. The churches in Galatia were struggling. They had received the gospel through the teaching of Paul. It was a gospel of grace, mercy, and freedom. But there had been those who came from Jerusalem who also claimed to be followers of Jesus who claimed that Paul’s message wasn’t complete. These Jerusalem teachers taught that it was necessary for the believers to also practice Jewish customs in order to be pleasing to God. Paul writes to the churches in Galatia to combat this false teaching and to reemphasize the true gospel.
It is in the context of this argument that we come to our text today. Peter had been pressured to act as if this additional gospel was true. Paul writes about his confrontation with Peter beginning in 2:11. The bottom line was that Peter was acting as if the Gentiles should follow Jewish customs. This invalidated the gospel of freedom and Paul confronted Peter about such practices. So beginning in 2:15, Paul reveals the true gospel in all its profundity. In our study time today, we will look more closely at this text and determine where our spiritual motivation comes from. Let’s be encouraged.
The Text
In 2:15-21, Paul sets up a contrast. Either one is justified by the law or one is justified by faith. Justification is a legal term. To be justified is to be pronounced “not guilty” by God. Paul says that one is either justified based on how well one keeps the law or one is justified by faith in the work of Jesus. Imagine a courtroom scene. You are on trial. You offer a defense based either upon your own ability to keep the law or you offer a defense based upon the work of Jesus.
Some with good intentions try to offer a defense based upon how well they keep the law. They want to demonstrate that they are good people. The problem, of course, is that even good people violate the terms of the law at some point. No one can keep the law perfectly. In verse 15, Paul states the obvious. Even Jews who love the law know that justification cannot take place through keeping the law.
The law beats us up. To declare justification based upon the law is to be judged by the law. Do you always drive the speed limit? Do you always treat your family with love and regard? Are you a perfect spouse? Are you a perfect employee? Do you ever use company time to answer personal emails or to surf the Internet? Have you ever hated someone? Lusted after someone? On and on we could go. If we want to prove our goodness through the law, the law will beat us into a spiritual depression. And yet, this is what the false teachers from Jerusalem were proposing. Instead of grace, mercy, and freedom, they proposed more law keeping as a means to demonstrate real spiritual maturity.
Paul writes that justification by faith through the work of Jesus is the only means of real salvation. And to celebrate this point, Paul returns to the crucifixion. Jesus’ death killed dependence upon the law. Jesus obeyed the law flawlessly. His death was the final sacrifice. To be justified by faith is to present a defense based upon what Jesus has done. It is to say “I have nothing to offer. I place all my trust in what Jesus has done and trust that his death is sufficient for me.” As Paul writes in verse 21, to be declared righteous, that is, to be declared right with God cannot be gained through the law but only through Jesus.
Thus, God declares us “not guilty” when our defense is presented through the work of Jesus rather than through our own efforts. Whenever Paul makes this argument, there are those who argue that such a point means that Paul is now making it possible for people to sin. In verse 17, Paul deals with that point. Faith in Jesus doesn’t promote sinning. What Jesus promotes is a different kind of living. This brings us to verse 20.
Application
To present our defense based upon the work of Jesus—his perfect life and his final sacrifice—means that we died with him. His death was our death. To remain alive is to hold on to the law. Jesus’ death means that we had to die as well. But, of course, we are still living. But that which sustains us and motivates us has changed. No longer are we sustained and motivated by the law but by Christ. It is no longer about how well I perform the law, but how I allow Christ to rule my life.
The life I now live is a life based upon and fully realized in Jesus. It is no longer about me but about Jesus. It is no longer about how well I do, but about Jesus being seen in me. This is where our motivation comes from. You do not work for a company; you are living for Jesus. You treat your family like Jesus would treat them. You treat your friends and acquaintances the way Jesus would have. We see people the way Jesus sees them.
I am dead. You are dead. Our purpose is found in Jesus. Our reason for living is found in our faith. Our motivation comes from the one who has given us real life. Our energy comes not from our ability to live by the law but from letting Jesus set our direction. A.W. Tozer says that people who are crucified with Christ have three distinct marks: they are facing only one direction—those crucified with Christ are focused on one thing only, living by faith; they can never turn back—those crucified with Christ do not return to their former way of life because you died; and they no longer have plans of their own—now Jesus sets our agenda. His plans are my plans. My life finds its meaning, purpose, direction, motivation, and energy because of Jesus.
Our vision statement says, “we believe that the passion for this vision comes from our unbridled determination to make a real difference in this world and the strength for this vision comes from God’s power.” The passion comes from wanting to be like Jesus and our strength comes from the cross. We left our former lives at the cross and we have been given new lives—a life of hope and meaning; a life of faith in what Jesus has done; a life no longer satisfied by selfish actions; a life that reveals Jesus. Do you have this kind of life?
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