Galatians: Lesson 5

Overview

Law and Gospel, Rightly Distinguished

Luther warned that the world is "topsy-turvy" when it confuses Moses and Christ—turning Christ into another lawgiver who comes to condemn, and Moses into a savior who delivers through law-keeping. Many believers carry deep wounds from being raised under works-righteousness, where the very name of Jesus produces fear rather than sweetness. Healing from that comes slowly, by daily returning to the gospel: that we are saved by grace through faith, not by our own doing Ephesians 2:8-10. This freedom does not abolish good works—Paul was eager to remember the poor Galatians 2:10—but it puts them in their proper place. Justification comes first; love for neighbor flows out of it.

In Galatians 2:11-14, Paul confronts Peter face-to-face—not behind his back, not through gossip—because Peter's withdrawal from the Gentiles out of fear endangered the principle of Christian liberty. Paul himself became "all things to all people" 1 Corinthians 9:19-23 for the sake of the gospel, but he would not let true doctrine be compromised. Even apostles sin; even pastors and teachers err. No one stands so secure that they cannot fall, which is precisely why we need to remain rooted in a community gathered around Word and Sacrament. When we drift from that gathering, we begin inventing our own truths and our own gods. When awkward, truth-telling conversations are needed in the body of Christ, love compels us to have them—gently, but plainly.

Comparing ourselves to other sinners may make us feel righteous, but it accomplishes nothing before God. "There is no one who is righteous, not even one" Romans 3; we are all in the same boat. As Luther put it, "A Christian is not somebody who has no sin, but somebody against whom God no longer records sin because of his faith in Christ." This levels every pretense and frees us for ministry: we are simply redeemed sinners sharing Jesus with other sinners. And Christ is no servant of sin—it is the devil who came to destroy, and the Son of God who came to destroy his works 1 John 3. The law drives us away from God by exposing our unholiness; the gospel draws us near by uniting us to Christ.

That is the heart of Galatians 2:19-20: "I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me… who loved me and gave himself for me." Do not pass over those words. Faith joins you so intimately to Christ that his righteousness, victory, and life become yours, and your sin and death become his. When you turn your eyes inward, you find plenty of sin; when you look to Christ, you find yourself redeemed. Write the words for me in capital letters on your heart. When you come to the altar and hear, "the body given for you, the blood shed for you," know that the promise is real, the promise is yours, and the promise is eternal.

Transcript

Thank you so much for this day. 5s

We thank you so much for your love, your mercy, and your grace. 8s

Lord, we thank you that we are promised that we stand redeemed by your blood and that 12s

we have forgiveness of our sins through you. 21s

Lord, help us in this time of study to grow closer to you, to grow deeper in faith, 24s

and to understand even a little ounce of a bit better of how much you love us. 30s

We thank you for your word, your word is truth, and you give it to us so that we can know 37s

you and that we can engage with you. 43s

Lord, enlighten us this morning. 45s

Write your word on our lips, in our minds, in our hearts, and let us go forth this week 47s

proclaiming of your goodness everywhere we go. 53s

In Jesus' name we pray. 57s

Amen. 58s

Okay, so quick recap. 59s

We've been talking a lot about the distinction between law and gospel. 62s

I like how Luther says it's in our world, it's topsy-turvy. 68s

It's topsy-turvy where there are people who want to change Moses into Christ and Christ 74s

into Moses, meaning making Christ one who comes with the law, comes to kill with the 80s

law, and Moses who comes to save with the law. 89s

Well that's backwards, that's upside down, that doesn't work. 92s

And I really, really appreciate the sentiment that he brings in his writing on Galatians 97s

in regards to this. 105s

He says, so deeply has the diseased opinion that Christ is a law giver sunk into my bones. 108s

Martin Luther wrestled with guilt of conscience. 117s

Even when he was absolutely secure in the faith, new preached, proclaimed, he still struggled. 123s

And I think that it's that diseased opinion that he's talking about. 135s

He had been raised and had been trained under the faith that brings the law so heavily 142s

and that the law is where we need to remain. 151s

And so he was so stuck in that. 157s

He says that he says, you younger men are a good deal better off than we who are old. 161s

You have never become infected with the nefarious errors on which I suckled all my youth until 167s

at the mention of the name of Christ I shivered with fear. 173s

You I say who are younger may learn to know Christ in all his sweetness. 178s

I think this also is relevant for us in the modern day. 184s

Not all of us were raised in a faith of liberty, a faith of freedom, a faith of grace. 191s

And I know for myself growing up in the Roman Catholic tradition, which is works of righteousness, 201s

which is law heavy. 210s

And then as a young adult, more in the Southern Baptist evangelical world, found myself still 212s

really law heavy and seeking for righteousness. 225s

And there was a process in healing where it was a daily thing. 229s

So I know I've talked with some people who have not grown up in the Lutheran faith that have that, 237s

where you have to kind of work your way through. 245s

And it is a process of healing in the grace of God, of spiritual healing. 248s

So if you have had that experience, those words from Luther may really ring a little more loudly or a little more true for you, 256s

because you know what it is to be raised and ingrained in a faith of law only or works righteousness. 266s

And it's... 275s

There are no words. It's just heavy. 277s

And so Luther constantly, I mean, he just, the word, the name Christ or Jesus, just sent him into such a state of fear. 281s

And that is because of that topsy-turvy theology that was delivered over and over again. 293s

So let's go ahead and open to Galatians. 303s

This is why I think that, you know, where he says, you I say who are younger may learn to know Christ in all his sweetness. 307s

And, you know, I just, I try to, I want to, and I hope that parents and grandparents that I think you probably find this too, 314s

that you just, you want to pass on to the generations that are after you. 325s

Just how much Jesus loves them. It's so important. It's so important. 331s

And we recognize our sin and that's absolutely important, but that the sweetness of Jesus is for all who call on him. 337s

That grace is for all who call on him. 349s

Okay, so I promise we are going to get through chapter two today. 353s

So I know it's, oh my gosh, we could do this for an entire year, I think. 359s

So, all right. So verse 10, chapter two of Galatians, verse 10. 366s

So up until this point, you know, Paul, Paul has built a case for his right standing as an apostle. 373s

He has, he has built the case for the distinction of law and gospel and how he will stand on that. 381s

And so then in verse 10, before we leave this little section, I really like this. 392s

He says that they asked, this is the others, the other, the other leaders, they asked only one thing that we remember the poor, 396s

which was actually what I was eager to do. So justification by grace and the liberty found in justification does not negate or abolish our need to carry care for the poor. 404s

We just need the clarity through that distinction of law and gospel that caring for the poor is not what justifies a person. 419s

So we are called to, to care for the, the widow and the orphan. We are called to care for the poor, but it is not our care of these people that justifies us or makes us right before God. 429s

The righteousness, justification in God first is what then grows and builds so that it spills over caring for others. 445s

Ephesians 2 chapter, chapter 2 verses 8 through 10. We, we hear about how we are saved by grace through faith. It's not, it's not our own doing. 458s

It's a gift of God so no one may boast. And then, and then Paul continues to talk about how, how then we do the works that have been prepared for us beforehand. 469s

It's not that Paul is writing, we go ahead and do these works and by doing so, then we'll go ahead and get our righteousness or our justification. 479s

The justification comes first. That righteousness in Christ comes first and out of that flows those good works that we have been called to do. 489s

Luther says, speaking of money, nobody wants to contribute nowadays to the maintenance of ministry. When it comes to establishing false worship and idolatry, no cost is spared. 501s

True religion is ever in need of money while false religions are backed by wealth. And this is still going in that vein of that caring for the poor. 513s

I thought this was really, really interesting that those false religions and idolatry are what are backed by wealth. And, and so I started thinking that instantly my, my brain kind of went to, you know, the prosperity preachers and, and those who have those get rich quick schemes of faith. 523s

We're just not even going to continue in that one. So, but then I was thinking about, about other, other examples in our modern day life and, and what do we idolize and what do we make, we make idols of and I thought, oh my goodness, like sports and entertainment. 547s

Those are very much an idol in, in our world, both of those industries. And I know we can think of many more, but look at the money that gets poured into, into the NFL or into Hollywood. 565s

Are they bad? No, sports are not bad. Entertainment is not bad, but they are not or should not cannot be our idols. And that is, they are, they are giants within, within our society. 582s

So, just thought that was kind of an interesting aside. Okay, so let's look at verses 11 through 14 in chapter two. Paul continues, but when Seaface came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, that's Peter, because he stood self condemned for until certain people came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles. 601s

But after they came, he drew back and kept himself separate for fear of the circumcision faction. And the other Jews joined him in this hypocrisy so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. Remember Barnabas and Paul had been sent forth to go and do mission. They were, they were missionaries together. 622s

But even Barnabas got led astray by, by this circumcision party as, as this law party as Peter or Paul writes. But when I saw that they were not acting consistently with the truth of the gospel, I said to Seaface, before them all, if you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you compel the Gentiles to live like Jews? 644s

Up until this point, Paul has been calling out the false apostles. But he's very clear, he knows that these false apostles, they have been following him and going in after he has already left an area. So they're coming in and trying to undo what he has done or add to what he has done in a very non-ok way and undermine the gospel. 673s

But they're undermining him behind his back. They're speaking about him behind his back. They're not coming into town, into these areas where he has, he has planted these churches and there are converts that are, that are living and believing and, and confessing the faith, they come in afterwards. 700s

They don't talk to him face to face. Here, he is saying, he's saying, I'm not talking to him or about him behind his back. He came in, I came in, I faced him, I spoke to him and I confronted him with this. There was no gospel, gossip, there are no rumors. I talked to him, face to face. 720s

So Paul wasn't shying away, he wasn't trying to undermine anything that Peter was doing, he was saying to his face, you're doing wrong. You're doing wrong. And there wasn't anything, anything undermining or backwards about it. 737s

Paul, Paul, or Peter was not faultless. Now Peter, as you know, is like, he's my guy, I love Peter because, because Peter talks without thinking a lot. And he does without thinking a lot. Love him. 759s

But Peter is not without fault here. But the thing to remember here that's so important is that Peter was not God. He was a man. He was flawed. He was a sinner. 781s

As he followed Christ, we see him sin. He's the one that Christ said, get behind me Satan. This is Peter. Peter is the one that denied Christ. And yet Peter is also the one that made the statement of faith that Christ is the Messiah. 807s

And Peter is also the one that Jesus reinstated to lead the church or to lead in the church after the resurrection. So Peter was not perfect. And he never became perfect. He was still always a man. 827s

Okay, the prophets of old, they aired. They were not guiltless. They were not perfect. All of the apostles had sin. They were all men. They were sinners. 847s

I hate to break it to you, but your pastors, your Sunday school teachers, we're not perfect. We also air. So there is no perfect human being. 865s

And Luther points out that Peter was told, he was told after the resurrection, he was told to go to the world and preach the gospel to every creature. But it wasn't until, as we read in Acts chapter 10, it wasn't until he had the vision from heaven of all the animals being lower down on that sheet that he finally, finally goes to Cornelius. 888s

And the Gentile goes to Cornelius's home and and and preaches. It wasn't until well after the resurrection, after he had already been proclaiming in the synagogues that he actually does go out and start proclaiming to people other than Jews to the Gentiles. 914s

So no man standing, as Luther says, no man standing is so secure that he may not fall. I add that in not as a point of fear, not as a point of terror, but highlighting the importance of remaining active in a 933s

and in a way, theologically sound community of faith. It is so important that we remain in a community of faith where we receive and gather around word and sacrament, because when we start thinking that we're good, we can stand on our own and we don't need to be gathered together around word and sacrament. 959s

Then pretty soon we start knowing that, wow, we're pretty amazing and we start coming up with our own ideas. 983s

We start coming up with our own truths and the further and further we are in danger of rejecting God. 992s

The further and further we are in danger of rejecting God. 1002s

So we know, we know we stand secure because we stand in faith that is a gift from God and we stand and receive that week after week after week. 1009s

After week after week in the community of believers that we are a part of, we are strengthened and then we go out into the week and wow, we engage with God in His word in our daily Bible reading. 1029s

We engage with other believers outside of Sunday morning and we encourage one another and hold one another responsible and encourage one another and uplift one another in the faith. 1046s

So we never have to fear of fall, we don't have to fear a fall because we are engaged in the word and in God not our own God or our own idea of what we think God is or want Him to be or our own truth of God but we're engaged with God as He gives Himself to us. 1062s

So Peter, Peter when he was with the Gentiles he ate and drank with them even though it was forbidden by Jewish law. Paul did the same thing. 1088s

He did the same thing. In 1 Corinthians, let's go to 1 Corinthians so you're just going to go to the left, a couple of chapters, 1 Corinthians chapter 9, verses 19 through 23. 1097s

Paul is writing, for though I am free with respect to all, I have made myself a slave to all so that I might with win more of them. 1115s

To the Jews I became as a Jew in order to win Jews, to those under the law I became as one under the law, though I myself am not under the law, so that I might win those under the law. 1126s

To those outside the law I became as one outside the law, though I'm not free from God's law but I'm under Christ's law, so that I might win those outside the law. 1138s

To the weak I became weak so that I might win the weak, I have become all things to all people that I might by all means save some. 1148s

I do it all for the sake of the gospel so that I may share in its blessings. 1156s

So Paul really met people where they were. If they were practicing Jews he would sit down with them for a meal that was kosher. 1161s

If he was with Gentiles then serve up the bacon, it's all good. It didn't matter. He was not under the law to be condemned under the law. 1175s

He was under the law in the divinity of the law like we talked about last week, God's law is divine and holy but it didn't hold him condemned because he was free and Christ. 1190s

So he wasn't chastising where it says that he spoke to Peter face to face and said you're not doing this right. 1203s

He wasn't chastising Peter for transgressing the law but he was chastising him for the lack of principle that Peter had. 1214s

Peter had feared the Jews and what they would say and so he became weak and that endangered the Christian principle. 1222s

It endangered the Christian liberty. It wasn't the matter of if he was eating kosher or not. It was that he was refraining from eating with the Gentiles in the vein of this is bad or it puts our salvation in jeopardy. 1232s

And that then is denying the efficacy of faith in Christ. He was denying then what the gospel is that Christ had already lived perfectly under the law. 1252s

And the law was then put in its proper place as we talked about last week. 1268s

When Paul confronted Peter it was in order to preserve true doctrine. It didn't matter if anyone was offended. The truth had to stand. 1274s

Oh my goodness gracious. Have you ever been in that situation where if I just keep my mouth closed I can roll my eyes inwardly. 1285s

I don't have to say anything and I can just let them believe because I don't want to rock the boat in this moment. 1295s

And you don't want that uncomfortable moment and you don't want that awkward moment and it's not fun. 1303s

But you know that God has called you to that moment to speak the truth even if it's awkward or uncomfortable. 1309s

I've talked with people before that have said you know how do I talk to someone about this and I said well I'm not smooth. 1321s

So I think you just go to them and say hey we're going to have an awkward conversation and you just lay it out. 1329s

We are called to stand under the authority of God's word. We are called to stand under the truth of his word and to not worry about offending someone with the truth. 1336s

Now to say that I also think it's important to keep in mind that as Paul met people where they were right he didn't go in to the Jewish household and say y'all are full of this food. 1351s

No no no he was conscious about being kind and gentle with them but he wasn't he wasn't going to be a good person. 1367s

He was going against the Christian Liberty Principle. He was still free in Christ and he was out of brotherly love caring for those around him so that he would have that opportunity by the grace of God to share the gospel. 1381s

So I'm not encouraging you to go around and you see someone that's doing something wrong and to just interrupt a total stranger and go hey can I tell you how you're a sinner? 1403s

It's the truth. Not not at all but if you're in conversation with someone if you are if you are with a brother or sister or if you have an unbeliever in your in your sphere you grow to that relationship of trust. 1412s

You can have that conversation that conversation of truth that may not feel super comfortable but that has to happen. 1430s

The truth always has to stand. So now let's move on into verse 15 where Paul writes we ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners. 1443s

We are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners. If we compare ourselves as Jews to the Gentiles he's saying we look good. 1456s

We have the law we have good works and I think that there is a very real modern day equivalent to this. If we religious folk compare ourselves to the non-religious to the sinners of the world we look pretty good. 1466s

We look pretty good but but comparing ourselves to our worldly counterparts it may make us think we look good but looking good comparatively does not make us look good or righteous before God. 1484s

If we compare ourselves to a sinner of the world we are still comparing ourselves sinners with sinners. 1504s

If we compare ourselves with someone even within the faith community we are still comparing ourselves as sinners to sinners. 1514s

We are not called to look better than the sinners standing next to me. We are called to cling to Christ. 1527s

Let's look again at verse 15 and we're going to go on. We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners yet we know that a person is justified not by the works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ. 1539s

We have come to believe in Jesus Christ so that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by doing the works of the law because no one will be justified by the works of the law. 1553s

We are all in the same boat. 1571s

Romans chapter 3 there is no one who is righteous not even one all have sinned in fall short of the glory of God. 1574s

We're all in the same boat and there is no reason for us to boast. 1584s

Now this actually should be a very compelling aspect of ministry because it takes away all of that pretense of self-righteousness and then we get to talk to others very plainly as redeemed sinners. 1590s

We get to talk to people and share Jesus one sinner to another. 1612s

I think it's really a beautiful highlighting point for us in ministry as missionaries remember we're all missionaries because we're sinners who love Jesus sharing Jesus love with other sinners. 1623s

We're not fooled by the fact that we're sinners and we're not fooled by the fact that but by the grace there go I that we walk cheerily in the grace and mercy of Christ and Christ alone. 1648s

Luther says to give a short definition of a Christian a Christian is not somebody who has no sin but somebody against whom God no longer records sin because of his faith in Christ. 1665s

I'm going to repeat that a Christian is not somebody who has no sin but somebody against whom God no longer records sin because of his faith in Christ. 1680s

Your sin is not recorded against you because Christ, because Christ. 1701s

But if in our effort to be justified in Christ we ourselves have been found to be sinners is Christ then a servant of sin certainly not. 1718s

Christ is not a servant of sin and I would argue that to say that he is a servant of sin would be blasphemy. 1730s

I think that that's an accurate argument. We read in first John chapter 3 that the devil has been sinning from the beginning. 1740s

The son of God was revealed for this purpose to destroy the works of the devil. 1749s

We know that it is the devil who comes to kill a steel and destroy it is not Christ. Christ is not the agent of sin. 1754s

He is not the one that condones sin or helps us to sin at all. 1765s

Christ is the dispenser of righteousness and the giver of life. 1771s

Again we come right back to that law versus gospel or law-gospel distinction. 1778s

The law drives us away from God. It's showing us our sin. It's showing us our failure of holiness and righteousness. 1785s

And so the more that we understand or are under the law or place ourselves under the eternal condemnation of the law the further and further away we are pushed from God because God cannot be near unholy. 1794s

He cannot be near sin. In the gospel the good news, we find that Jesus reconciles us to God. 1815s

So Jesus draws us closer and closer to God in the atonement making us at one with God. 1828s

So each has its place, as we've talked about over and over again, Jesus' place is never, never as a servant of sin. 1839s

He is always the one to draw you in, to call you to Christ, to call you to Himself, to call you to that redemption, to give you that security of redemption in Him. 1852s

Going on in verse 18, but if I build up again the very things that I once tore down then I demonstrate that I am a transgressor for through the law I died to the law so that I might live to God. 1868s

I have been crucified with Christ and it is no longer I who live but it is Christ who lives in me and the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me. 1881s

I do not nullify the grace of God for if justification comes through the law then Christ died for nothing. 1895s

The false apostles spread the idea that unless you live into the law you are dead to God and Paul says we can't live to God unless we are dead to the law. 1905s

We can't live to God unless we are dead to the law if we are dead to the law the law no longer has power over us. 1919s

I have been crucified with Christ not crucified in the flesh but by faith in Christ sin death and the devil are crucified in Christ. 1928s

And that redemption is then given or imparted to us. 1942s

If we lose sight of Christ, Luther says if we lose sight of Christ and Christ crucified we are want to think about ourselves and if we think of ourselves as we truly have been and are then we slip into despair. 1949s

And hopelessness always Luther says keep your eyes on Christ. 1969s

Keep your eyes on Christ. He is your righteousness. He is your life. You live in Christ. He lives in you. Christ is Lord over the law sin death and all evil. 1980s

And so when we look at ourselves, I love the term, naval gazing, when we look at ourselves, when we turn our eyes towards ourselves we find plenty of sin. 1994s

But when we look at Christ we have no sin because we stand redeemed in Christ. 2005s

Luther says faith connects you so intimately with Christ that he and you become as it were one person. 2014s

As such you may boldly say I am now one with Christ therefore Christ's righteousness victory and life are mine. 2024s

And Christ in turn can say I am that big sinner. His sin and his death are mine because he is joined to me. 2033s

And I to him. It's that happy exchange that blessed exchange for our good to his glory. 2044s

That verse that Paul writes that it is no longer I who live but it is Christ who lives in me. 2059s

That is not a Passover not like Passover Jewish feast. That's not like a verse to be passed over. 2075s

It is no longer as a baptized redeemed child of God. It is no longer you who lives but it is Christ who lives in you. 2083s

Take that. It is yours. Take it. Hold it. Kling to it. Carry it with you. Always because it is yours. 2097s

When we separate Christ from ourselves we live under the law and we are subject to the demands and the consequences of the law but if Christ lives in me the old Adam the old Eve is the one subject to the law. 2114s

The new creation Christ lives in me the new creation lives in the freedom of the gospel in the freedom of Christ who lives in us. 2130s

A Christian this side of heaven outwardly looks like any other believer. We use our senses we use our physical persons to function and get along in this life but there is a difference because we can say I may live in the flesh but I do not live after the flesh. 2143s

I live now by faith in the Son of God. Christ reigns in our heart by the Holy Spirit who works and does all things in and through us. 2163s

Look at verse 20 the second part again in there. The life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. This is where we need to write something down. 2176s

For me. For me. Let that sink in. Christ sacrifice is for me. 2211s

Christ sacrifice is for you. When we come to the altar to receive the body and blood of Christ and we say this is the body given for you this is the blood shed for you that promise is real and that promise is for you. 2230s

Because Christ sacrifice is for you for me. He did this because there was no other price in heaven or on earth that would cover the cost. He did it out of his love for you. 2255s

Luther says read the words me and for me and print it in capital letters in your heart and do not ever doubt that you belong to the number of those who are meant by this me. 2274s

Write it down underline it highlighted and grain it the promise is for you. If we cannot deny that we are sinners we also cannot deny that Christ died for our sin. 2292s

The promise is real. The promise is yours and the promise is eternal. Write it. Repeat it. 2308s

Please claim to it and know that it is yours. 2323s