Faith Working Through Love: Justified

Sunday we considered the danger of hypocrisy. Hypocrisy is the play acting we do to establish our own righteousness. We haven't kept the rules, so we play the role of "rule keeper" as a display of righteousness. This display distorts the gospel and corrupts the community of faith. Peter could have split the Galatian churches, but Paul confronted him, and the gospel held the day, keeping the church united.

Paul moves immediately from his interaction with Peter to the central issue of how we can be right with God through faith in Jesus Christ. His argument is simple, even though he (and many in his audience) were born in covenant with God as Jews, no one is acquitted because of their obedience to God. He says, "By works of the law no one will be justified.” Both Jews and Gentiles needed to hear this. The pious, religious community needed to hear that their obedience didn’t satisfy God; and the pagan, immoral community needed to know that their sins were truly forgiven in Christ.

The only way to be right with God is by faith in Jesus. He says, "We also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified." Jew and Gentile alike needed this message. You and I need this message. Jesus satisfies the Father’s requirements for us. Whether you grew up in church and live a moral, pious life or you just came to faith, Jesus is the path to God’s acquittal.

So, come Sunday, and consider what it means to be justified by faith.

~Pastor Tim