Galatians 3:11

Galatians 3:11 But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith. When Martin Luther, a Roman Catholic monk read this last phrase, salvation in Jesus Christ finally made sense to him. For the first time he understood that salvation was not what he did. Neither was salvation how much he did. Salvation was the free gift of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord. And people who were justified by God, were justified by faith. Martin Luther became born again – he was born into God’s forever family. When we see that we are sinners before an almighty God, we know that we are in a hopeless place. but when we see what Jesus did for us on the cross of Calvary, we have hope. Just like Martin Luther, we can be born again – born spiritually into God’s forever family!

Galatians 2:20

Galatians 2:20  I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. This is a wonderful verse that I have memorized. You should too. I have preached several times on the exchanged life that is explained in this verse. Jesus Christ died on the cross. By accepting His free gift of salvation, like our verse says, we are identified with Christ, We died too. But, we are still living. Jesus went back to heaven and left us here for a reason. We are to begin to do the work that Jesus left here when He went back to heaven. We should pick up where Jesus left off. And the Christian life that we now live, we live by faith. It is simple: Jesus died for us and we should live for Him. We trade our sins for His eternal life. Jesus gives us His eternal life in exchange for our dirty, rotten sins. So, who gets the best deal? Us or Jesus? No question, we get the best deal. And why do we? Because Jesus loves us and just simply wants to give us the best deal. What love!

Galatians 2:16

Galatians 2:16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. Justified is a great word. I heard an old preacher explain justified this way: Just as if I’d never sinned. That says it all. Jesus Christ took our sins upon Himself and paid for them on the cross of Calvary. So now we can stand before a holy God without sin. But remember, it isn’t our goodness; it is the goodness of Jesus Christ. We can’t work or do good to get into heaven. We can only trust in what Jesus Christ has already done for us on the cross. What a gift!

Galatians 2:9

Galatians 2:9 And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; that we should go unto the heathen ... The right hand of fellowship is an interesting term. Times were dangerous when Paul and Barnabas lived. Most men carried a short dagger/sword under their tunic. If a robber or thug approached, their right hand went inside of their robe and they held onto the sword’s handle until the threat was over. Back then as today, 80% of people are right handed. So when people met, in order to show their trust and friendliness with the other person, they shook hands with their right hands indicating that no sword was in their right hand. So when Peter, James, and John wanted to show that they were agreeing with Paul and Barnabas, they gave them the right hand of fellowship. They were good to go to the gentiles with the gospel of Jesus Christ. And that is exactly what Paul and Barnabas did.

Galatians 2:4,5

Galatians 2:4,5 And that because of false brethren unawares brought in, who came in privily to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage: To whom we gave place by subjection, no, not for an hour; that the truth of the gospel might continue with you. Paul and Barnabas were Jews and had gone to Antioch to preach the gospel to the Jews, who lived there. But curious gentiles, who were not Jews, heard their preaching and were wonderfully born again. Paul and Barnabas were glad that these gentiles had received Jesus Christ, but some of the Jewish Christian leaders thought that the gentiles should begin to keep the Jewish law. But Paul was against it! If the gentiles had received salvation without observing the traditions of Jewish law, why should they have to begin to observe the Jewish traditions? Paul knew that salvation is by grace alone. Salvation is a gift; it is not something that you must work for. So Paul stood up for his gentile believers. They were saved by faith in Jesus alone. And that is the truth of the gospel. Salvation is not by keeping the Jewish rules, salvation is the free gift of God. Yeah for Paul!

Galatians 2:3

Galatians 2:1,2 Then fourteen years after I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, and took Titus with me also. And I went up by revelation, and communicated unto them that gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but privately to them which were of reputation, lest by any means I should run, or had run, in vain. After Paul was saved, he took time out for God to teach him about the gospel of Jesus Christ. Barnabas had a preaching ministry in the Syrian city of Antioch and talked Paul into going up there with him. While in Antioch, Paul preached to the Jews. But the non-Jews were curious about salvation too. The non-Jews were called gentiles. When Paul preached to the gentiles, they were saved and were baptized. But the Jewish Saved leaders back in Jerusalem just couldn’t believe that gentiles had been saved. They thought that only Jews could be saved. So Paul and Barnabas went back to Jerusalem to discuss the matter with the Jewish church leaders. They brought Titus, a gentile Christian, with them. The Jewish leaders were soon convinced that gentiles could be saved. So Peter preached to mostly Jews and Paul preached mostly to gentiles. But God saved Jews and gentiles the same way. We are all the children of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord.