Sermon notes: Galatians Series, Number 14...

...the second any man is justified outside of grace, by a work—whether that work is circumcision, or a good deed that calls forth from God something called congruent merit, or a work of repentance, or a work of mustering up or guarding faith, or a work of choice that God meets halfway with faith (most of which, it must be acknowledged, comes from Him but some of which must come from us); to the degree that any man is justified outside of or in addition to God’s grace, we are under the Law and must fulfill every one of its infinite number of conditions.

In other words, we are lost eternally, without God and without hope in the world.

Why?

Because God in His infinite mercy has decreed that “by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified.”

So we read in the Heidelberg Catechism:

Question 60: How are you righteous before God?

Answer: Only by true faith in Jesus Christ. In spite of the fact that my conscience accuses me that I have grievously sinned against all the commandments of God, and have not kept any one of them, and that I am still ever prone to all that is evil, nevertheless, God, without any merit of my own, out of pure grace, grants me the benefits of the perfect expiation of Christ, imputing to me his righteousness and holiness as if I had never committed a single sin or had ever been sinful, having fulfilled myself all the obedience which Christ has carried out for me, if only I accept such favor with a trusting heart.

NOTE: This is number 14 in a series on Galatians. If this is your first time reading sermon notes here, please take time to read a helpful explanation at the bottom of this post...

From the Pulpit of Church of the Good Shepherd/Clearnote Church, Bloomington

March 21, 2004; AM

Galatians Series No. 14

By the Works of the Law No Flesh Will Be Justified

Sermon Text: Galatians 2:15, 16

This Lord’s Day, we turn to our fourteenth in a series of sermons on the New Testament book of Galatians.

We have spent several weeks looking at the conflict between the Apostles Paul and Peter—two titans of the early church—over whether Gentiles had to be circumcised to be worthy of the salvation of our Lord Jesus Christ; whether it was right that the Jews in Antioch and all the churches of Galatia withheld themselves from the Gentiles, treating them as if they were not fully a part of the Body of Christ until they were circumsized.

The Apostle Paul, fighting for the full inclusion of the Gentiles without circumcision, has rehearsed the history of this battle, and here in our text this morning he brings the history of this conflict to a close and moves over into the doctrinal conflict proper. Enough background; now it’s time to get into the doctrine itself, the theology of justification.

* Galatians 2:15,16

We are Jews by nature and not sinners from among the Gentiles; 16 nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified.

It’s interesting how difficult it is to see, here, where the history stops and the doctrine starts. Notice how we move into our present section, verse 14 providing the transition into the Apostle Paul’s record of the argument he had with the Apostle Peter:

Galatians 2:14 But when I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas in the presence of all, “If you, being a Jew, live like the Gentiles and not like the Jews, how is it that you compel the Gentiles to live like Jews?”

Here we’re clearly dealing with an historical record of the actual words spoken by Paul to Peter during their past conflict in Antioch. But then, somewhere in the next seven verses—verses 15 to 21—we see that Paul, possibly without being aware of it himself, has moved from past history into present-day argument, speaking directly to the Galatians as he writes:

Galatians 3:1 You foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified?

And what was the central issue under debate?

It was justification by faith.

The Galatian church was not primarily dealing with men and women who denied the faith and turned away from the living God, to idols—apostates renouncing Jesus Christ and His Bride, the Church, after associating themselves for a time with the true faith and making like they were born again by Water and the Spirit.

No, rather the conflict was over the nature of salvation and those on both sides of that conflict had not renounced the Church and their Lord—at least not as they saw it; in fact, to a man they undoubtedly believed that their words and actions in this controversy were the very words and actions which would safeguard Jesus Christ and His Bride, the Church.

And equally, on the other side, the Apostle Paul was convinced of the same—that he was the true champion of Jesus Christ, holding to the true doctrine of salvation through which the souls in the Church would be kept safe for Heaven.

But since this conflict was within the Church, it was all the more dangerous because it could easily appear that nothing of substance was at stake—that all those on both sides of the debate (but particularly that instigator of needless controversies, Paul), were really pulling in the same direction. And to the degree that they disagreed with one another, this was more the result of their spiritual immaturity—always wanting to be right and not allowing the Holy Spirit to be the final arbiter of the boundaries of the Church—than being the result of the Holy Spirit using these men to safeguard the souls Christ bought with His Own blood.

The Apostle Paul, though, has no delusions concerning what is at stake. And although he most certainly would have been aware of how others viewed him, taking such a radically inflexible stand on this issue, he wasted no time licking his wounds but pressed ahead in making his case.

So let’s look at his case:

Here, starting with verse 15, he begins by casting his lot in with the Judaizers, at least for a time. He says:

We are Jews by nature and not sinners from among the Gentiles;

Notice his use of the word ‘we.’

The Apostle Paul is a “Jew by nature,” and not what he terms a “Gentile sinner.” In other words, he is acknowledging the past superiority of the Jews, and the inferiority of the Gentiles; and he is identifying himself as being among the superiors, and not the inferiors. And if we go to another of his letters, we see him develop a little more fully exactly what it is he means by this statement, that he’s a Jew, and not a Gentile, by nature.

Ephesians 2:11, 12 Therefore remember that formerly you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called “Uncircumcision” by the so-called “Circumcision,” which is performed in the flesh by human hands-- 12 remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.

Quite the opposite from the Gentiles, prior to the Cross of Jesus Christ, it would be correct to think of the Jews as spiritual royalty, Biblical brahmins or blue-bloods.

In Romans 9 we see the Apostle Paul speaking similarly of the wonderful blessings of being born a Jew, a member of God’s covenant community. But here also, he shows this blessing not in order to attribute right standing with God, judicially, to that membership, but to show that—good as it was—that membership was entirely insufficient to do the work of redemption; that only Jesus Christ could do the work by which any man could be justified before God.

Romans 9:3-5 For I could wish that I myself were accursed, separated from Christ for the sake of my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh, 4 who are Israelites, to whom belongs the adoption as sons, and the glory and the covenants and the giving of the Law and the temple service and the promises, 5 whose are the fathers, and from whom is the Christ according to the flesh, who is over all, God blessed forever. Amen.

Romans 9:3-33 For I could wish that I myself were accursed, separated from Christ for the sake of my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh, 4 who are Israelites, to whom belongs the adoption as sons, and the glory and the covenants and the giving of the Law and the temple service and the promises, 5 whose are the fathers, and from whom is the Christ according to the flesh, who is over all, God blessed forever. Amen. 6 But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For they are not all Israel who are descended from Israel; 7 nor are they all children because they are Abraham’s descendants, but: “THROUGH ISAAC YOUR DESCENDANTS WILL BE NAMED.” 8 That is, it is not the children of the flesh who are children of God, but the children of the promise are regarded as descendants. 9 For this is the word of promise: “AT THIS TIME I WILL COME, AND SARAH SHALL HAVE A SON.” 10 And not only this, but there was Rebekah also, when she had conceived twins by one man, our father Isaac; 11 for though the twins were not yet born and had not done anything good or bad, so that God’s purpose according to His choice would stand, not because of works but because of Him who calls, 12 it was said to her, “THE OLDER WILL SERVE THE YOUNGER.” 13 Just as it is written, “JACOB I LOVED, BUT ESAU I HATED.” 14 What shall we say then? There is no injustice with God, is there? May it never be! 15 For He says to Moses, “I WILL HAVE MERCY ON WHOM I HAVE MERCY, AND I WILL HAVE COMPASSION ON WHOM I HAVE COMPASSION.” 16 So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy. 17 For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “FOR THIS VERY PURPOSE I RAISED YOU UP, TO DEMONSTRATE MY POWER IN YOU, AND THAT MY NAME MIGHT BE PROCLAIMED THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE EARTH.” 18 So then He has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires. 19 You will say to me then, “Why does He still find fault? For who resists His will?” 20 On the contrary, who are you, O man, who answers back to God? The thing molded will not say to the molder, “Why did you make me like this,” will it? 21 Or does not the potter have a right over the clay, to make from the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for common use? 22 What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction? 23 And He did so to make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory, 24 even us, whom He also called, not from among Jews only, but also from among Gentiles. 25 As He says also in Hosea, “I WILL CALL THOSE WHO WERE NOT MY PEOPLE, ‘MY PEOPLE,’ AND HER WHO WAS NOT BELOVED, ‘BELOVED.’” 26 “AND IT SHALL BE THAT IN THE PLACE WHERE IT WAS SAID TO THEM, ‘YOU ARE NOT MY PEOPLE,’ THERE THEY SHALL BE CALLED SONS OF THE LIVING GOD.” 27 Isaiah cries out concerning Israel, “THOUGH THE NUMBER OF THE SONS OF ISRAEL BE LIKE THE SAND OF THE SEA, IT IS THE REMNANT THAT WILL BE SAVED; 28 FOR THE LORD WILL EXECUTE HIS WORD ON THE EARTH, THOROUGHLY AND QUICKLY.” 29 And just as Isaiah foretold, “UNLESS THE LORD OF SABAOTH HAD LEFT TO US A POSTERITY, WE WOULD HAVE BECOME LIKE SODOM, AND WOULD HAVE RESEMBLED GOMORRAH.” 30 What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, attained righteousness, even the righteousness which is by faith; 31 but Israel, pursuing a law of righteousness, did not arrive at that law. 32 Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as though it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone, 33 just as it is written, “BEHOLD, I LAY IN ZION A STONE OF STUMBLING AND A ROCK OF OFFENSE, AND HE WHO BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED.”

Romans 10:1-4 Brethren, my heart’s desire and my prayer to God for them is for their salvation. 2 For I testify about them that they have a zeal for God, but not in accordance with knowledge. 3 For not knowing about God’s righteousness and seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God. 4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.

Moving from Ephesians and Romans, back to our text in Galatians, we see this same theme—of justification not by being Jewish or keeping God’s Law, but through faith in God’s Son and His perfect righteousness—we see this same theme opened up by the Apostle Paul as he addresses the Galatians.

Verses 15,16: We are Jews by nature and not sinners from among the Gentiles; 16 nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified.

Here the Apostle Paul works out this theme through radical opposites:

• Jews vs. Gentiles;

• “not sinners” vs. sinners;

• justification by the works of the Law vs. justification through faith in Christ Jesus:

Here we see the impossibility of a truce, or a ceasefire, between these two sides of the conflict; either the Jews continued to be God’s special people and were correct in calling Gentiles to become Jews through circumcision in order to be saved; or, God was pleased to tear down the dividing wall between the Jews and the Gentiles and, from this point on, to make them one in Christ—to save them all, not by being born into the Jewish nation or by being marked a Jew through circumcision on the eighth day; not through ethnic, legal, works-based righteousness, but through faith in the One Who Alone was able to do the works of the Law in perfection, and who having obeyed that law, gave Himself up as a sin-offering on the Cross that all who look to Him in faith may be saved.

The Apostle Paul puts the hopeless conflict, and therefore, the absolutely necessary choice, directly before the Galatians: Which would it be for them?

Romans 9:8 That is, it is not the children of the flesh who are children of God, but the children of the promise are regarded as descendants.

Would they choose “Jews by nature,” “children of the flesh;” or Jews by promise—those who believe in the Promised One, the Messiah, and by faith become adopted sons and daughters of God, chosen by God before the foundation of the world to be His eternally?

Would they choose circumcision and the other works of the law and of the flesh, or would they choose faith in Jesus Christ alone? Would they choose salvation by blood descent or salvation by blood forgiveness—the blood of Jesus Christ?

This argument of the Apostle Paul, presented in verses 15-16, is summarized by the Bible scholar, Timothy George, in this way:

Forget the Gentile sinners. We know they are outside the covenant and hopeless before God. But even we Jews who could claim all the privileges of the chosen people, even we had to realize that no one could be justified by observing the law. We too, no less than the Gentiles, have been accepted by God through faith in Jesus Christ. (George, pp. 189,190.)

This is why Paul would write, in Philippians 3:2-9:

Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of the false circumcision; 3 for we are the true circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh, 4 although I myself might have confidence even in the flesh. If anyone else has a mind to put confidence in the flesh, I far more: 5 circumcised the eighth day, of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the Law, a Pharisee; 6 as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to the righteousness which is in the Law, found blameless. 7 But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 8 More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, 9 and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith…

And what is at stake in this choice? Please look with me at verse 21:

Galatians 2:21b …if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly.

But as Paul writes in verse 16:

Galatians 2:16 …nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified.

First the negatives: “a man is not justified by the works of the Law (repeated twice),” and “by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified.”

Second, the positive: a man is justified “through faith in Christ Jesus (also repeated twice).”

Turning first to the negatives: What exactly are these “works of the Law” that the Apostle Paul says will justify no flesh?

Some in the past (including Jerome) have argued Paul is only denying the ceremonial law a place in man’s justification—not the judicial and Moral Law—particularly the Ten Commandments.

Although the coming of Jesus Christ changed the ceremonial law such that we are no longer under the dietary restrictions of clean and unclean food and animals, we are still under other aspects of the Law—particularly the Ten Commandments—and through keeping those laws we find a path to Heaven as God sees our efforts and meets them halfway, as it were, adding to our baby steps what may be called “congruent grace,” a grace that God sends forth to work alongside and within us so that we might grow in love for God, and holiness, eventually ourselves becoming holy through both our own efforts and God’s grace, and be found acceptable by God, well infused with love for God and for our neighbor to the end that we are worthy of His Kingdom.

But in condemning and repudiating the works of the law (by which no man will be justified, let us remind ourselves), the Apostle Paul is including all law. As we will not be saved by the Old Testament ceremonial laws of clean and unclean, of dietary restrictions and such things, so also we will not be saved by honoring our father and mother, by not committing adultery, by not envying, by keeping the Sabbath day holy, or by avoiding the making of graven images of God.

In other words, when the Apostle Paul here says, in the context of the debate over circumcision that raged in the Galatian church, that (verse 16) “…a man is not justified by the works of the Law;” (and that) “by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified;” he is not simply speaking of circumcision being powerless to save, but of all the works of the law for which circumcision was a placeholder—the totality of the Old Testament law given by God for the instruction and identification of His People in their time of probation and tutelage—nothing of this Law could nor would save anyone.

This is the meaning of his statement, “by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified.”

Yet it is precisely here that many seek to insert qualifications to the end that they may save for the Law some salvific efficacy. Why?

Because it is scandalous to deny the Law—particularly that part of the Law called the Moral Law, the Ten Commandments, that is grounded in, and given birth from, the perfections of our Holy God—it is scandalous to deny that Law any place at all in the salvation of man. How can this be? Why would God reveal this law and call all men and women to know and obey it if, finally, it is not able to save anyone?

So now you can understand how it is that attempts have been made down through history to salvage this boat that, as the Jews saw it, had carried them so well through the centuries.

Yes, they were willing to place their faith in Jesus Christ, but they would hedge their bets by continuing to be Jews, also, and by requiring those Gentiles (who no one could deny were being included now in God’s covenant community), by requiring those Gentiles who also were believing in Jesus to join them in those parts of the Old Testament Law that were, beyond question, central to the apparatus of Jewish law-keeping. And certainly circumcision was at the heart of the Old Testament law.

But the Apostle Paul states here, quite categorically, that “by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified.”

So the battle begins, and rages to this very day.

“Paul was only talking about the ceremonial law not justifying us—not the judicial and moral law—so yes, we must throw out circumcision (there’s no reading of Galatians that could salvage it), but the rest of the Law is necessary for salvation and no one will enter Heaven until such time as they have attained the degree of conformity to that Law required of God for entry into His presence.

And yes, God will assist those who work towards this goal of charity and holiness, adding his grace to their merit; but work is the path to Heaven and there’s no denying it.

Today, brothers and sisters, this batttle is as real as it was in the time of our Lord Jesus and the Apostle Paul. Today, there are many churches being led and taught by many priests and pastors who are calling their people to the love of God and their neighbor with the threat of eternal death and the promise of eternal life attached to that call. Many churches, many sermons, that directly contradict the Apostle Paul here saying, “by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified,” instead saying that some works of the Law will justify in some way some flesh. And so what is a categorical statement denying any justification to any flesh by any works of the Law is qualified again and again, such that it is eviscerated of its blessed content—the blessed gift of the perfect work and the freely given imputation of that work and righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ, not to everyone who works, but to everyone who believes, who places his or her faith in Him.

And as we are always in danger of adding works early in the process; for instance circumcision, baptism, love of God or neighbor, etc.; so those of us living in the post-Galatians world are in danger of learning the explicit lessons that are inescapable from Galatians itself, while still not being willing to give up on ourselves entirely.

So there are many Protestants who deny the congruent merit and the infused righteousness of the Roman Catholic Church, but turn themselves to that faith in Jesus Christ which the Apostle Paul so clearly states is the instrument through which we have imputed to us the righteousness of Jesus Christ, and they turn that faith into a work.

You must have faith; God has done everything He can, and now you must do the one thing He can’t do for you—you must believe in His Son!

Do you believe? Will you believe, today? Will you place your faith in the Son of God, the Messiah, Who suffered and died for you?

In many Protestant churches great emphasis is placed on God doing all the work of redemption except that one work which God cannot do—the act of the will by which an individual may avail himself of the work of Christ by believing in the forgiveness of sins through the Cross of Jesus Christ.

And as this act of the will is the entry point to the church, so it is the safety and protection of those belonging to the church—as we willed to place our faith in Jesus Christ at the beginning of our spiritual journeys, so we must be vigilant to continue to place our faith in Him, day by day, so that we might not fall away into unbelief.

No, by the works of the flesh is no man justified, but since we are saved by grace through faith, we must do that one thing necessary—place our faith in Jesus Christ, and work hard to keep our faith there the rest of our lives. There must be no doubting; a double minded man is unstable in all his ways.

No, we must believe—wholeheartedly.

So you see how easily faith itself may become a work, the one thing Jesus has not done, and cannot do, for us—the one thing we must do for ourselves.

Yet what does Scripture say about this faith through which we are saved?

It says this:

Ephesians 2:1-22 And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, 2 in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. 3 Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them. 11 Therefore remember that formerly you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called “Uncircumcision” by the so-called “Circumcision,” which is performed in the flesh by human hands-- 12 remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14 For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, 15 by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace, 16 and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity. 17 AND HE CAME AND PREACHED PEACE TO YOU WHO WERE FAR AWAY, AND PEACE TO THOSE WHO WERE NEAR; 18 for through Him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father. 19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household, 20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone, 21 in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, 22 in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit.”

This is not to say that there is no value to the law God blessed the Children of Israel with; only that by this Law (all of it, ceremonial and judicial and Moral) no man will be justified. In other words, to the degree that any part of the Law of God is set up as a means to stand before God justified outside of grace, the Law is condemned.

Why?

Because the second any man is justified outside of grace, by a work—whether that work is circumcision, or a good deed that calls forth from God something called congruent merit, or a work of repetance, or a work of mustering up or guarding faith, or a work of choice that God meets halfway with faith (most of which, it must be acknowledged, comes from Him but some of which must come from us); to the degree that any man is justified outside of or in addition to God’s grace, we are under the Law and must fulfill every one of its infinite number of conditions—in other words, we are lost eternally, without God and without hope in the world.

Why?

Because God in His infinite mercy has decreed that “by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified.”

So we read in the Heidelberg Catechism:

Question 60: How are you righteous before God?

Answer: Only by true faith in Jesus Christ. In spite of the fact that my conscience accuses me that I have grievously sinned against all the commandments of God, and have not kept any one of them, and that I am still ever prone to all that is evil, nevertheless, God, without any merit of my own, out of pure grace, grants me the benefits of the perfect expiation of Christ, imputing to me his righteousness and holiness as if I had never committed a single sin or had ever been sinful, having fulfilled myself all the obedience which Christ has carried out for me, if only I accept such favor with a trusting heart.

* * *

WORD TO THE READER: Sermons are pastoral, and therefore of only limited value to those who are not present when a pastor feeds the flock God called him to serve. Yet, knowing even notes may be of some value to others, I'm posting past sermon notes here on Baylyblog. Because the notes weren't written for publication, no editor has cleaned them up for reproduction on the web. So, for instance, although the notes I take into the pulpit have formatting that highlights quotes, I haven't taken the time to reproduce that formatting here. Please keep in mind these are only notes and not a transcription of the sermon that was preached.

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