Experience Freedom in Christ

I have been doing an online commentary on the book of Galatians. Doing this has blessed me tremendously. I believe it will also bless you.

In this post, I want to share some glorious truths about justification by faith from the Galatians 2 session.

Justification by Faith

Galatians 2:16 states, “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.”

For the first time, we are introduced to Paul’s gospel of justification by faith apart from the works of the Law.

Justification means to be just as if you had never sinned. It is far more than forgiveness for the wrong we have done. It is a declaration that we are righteous in the matter for which we were accused. This means, though we are sinners who have transgressed God’s holy Law, when we put our faith in Jesus Christ apart from any works we do, we are declared righteous in God’s sight. We are accepted in God’s eyes. Because Christ obeyed the Law perfectly, His perfect obedience is imputed to us so that we are reckoned to have obeyed the Law perfectly as well.

The works of the Law are all that is required to obey the 613 commandments contained in the Mosaic Law. This would include all the commandments of the moral, civil, ceremonial, and dietary laws. Obeying all 613 commandments does not make us acceptable to God. It does not make us righteous before Him. Only faith in Jesus Christ and His finished work on the cross makes us acceptable to Him.

Six Characteristics of Justification by Faith

1. Justification is not based upon obedience to God’s commands. No amount of commandment-keeping can ever make us acceptable to God.
2. Justification ends boasting. Obedience through willpower glorifies us while obedience through faith in the finished work of the cross glorifies God. Justification by faith apart from works is vitally important because it severs pride at the root and brings glory to God.
3. Justification is by grace alone through faith alone. We do not achieve justification by what we do. We receive justification by what Christ did. The Law condemns the best of us while grace saves the worst of us. Justification is therefore by grace alone through faith alone. Grace is the free and undeserved gift of God that justifies us and the unmerited and unearned power of God that sanctifies us as the Spirit prepares to glorify us. Faith is the conduit that allows the endless supply of supernatural grace to flow into our lives.
4. Justification breaks the power of sin. The deepest root of slavery to sin is the feeling we can never be forgiven or made righteous. Stronger than the allurement of future sin is the bondage from past sins. When we feel unforgiveable, unrighteous, and unworthy because of what we did in the past, we are held captive by sin’s greatest weapons of guilt, shame, and condemnation. In this condition, despair, hopelessness, and despondency rule our lives. Guilt drives us. Condemnation weighs on us. Shame defines who we are. God cancels sin by justifying the ungodly, thus destroying sin’s powerful arsenal of guilt, shame, and condemnation. Then God breaks the power of this canceled sin. That is, the guilt is removed before the lure is broken.
5. Justification precedes sanctification. Because justification breaks the power of sin, justification also precedes sanctification. Before we have any hope of deliverance from sin and the transformation of our minds, will, and emotions, we must first escape God’s condemnation, receive the gift of righteousness, and experience justification. The key to overcoming lust, anger, pride, envy, addictions, or any other besetting sin is to know deep in our hearts that we have received the gift of imputed righteousness and that the Judge of the universe has declared us legally righteous before the Supreme Court of heaven. Justification does not make sanctification optional; it makes it possible. Sanctification, the lifelong process of being transformed into the likeness of Christ in our souls, is an indispensable part of salvation. The only sins that we can overcome in our pursuit of sanctification are the forgiven sins resulting from our justification.
6. Justification precedes obedience. Obedience before faith is what Paul termed the works of the Law. This type of obedience results in being severed from Christ, nullifying grace, and placing ourselves under a curse. For this reason, it is vitally important that our obedience proceed from our faith rather than precede our faith. The obedience that proceeded from faith was the goal of Paul’s ministry and he called it “the obedience of faith” (Rom. 1:5).

Take note of the difference between obedience that precedes faith and obedience that proceeds from faith.

After reading these glorious truths of justification, it’s no wonder why justification by faith alone apart from the works of the Law was the catalyst for the Reformation. After Martin Luther discovered this life-changing revelation, he launched a movement that changed world history forever.

You too can experience freedom in Christ and liberation from all forms of legalism when you receive a revelation of justification by faith.

Christ has set you free from the works of the Law. He has removed the heavy yoke of the Law that weighed you down with guilt, shame, and condemnation. Let this truth penetrate into your heart so that you can experience freedom in Christ.