BACKGROUND:
God’s acquittal is not based on our good deeds. It is based on our faith. Why are we made right with God through faith?
Faith eliminates the pride of human effort, because faith is not a deed that we do.
Faith exalts what God has done, not what people do.
Faith admits that we can’t keep the law or measure up to God’s standards—we need help.
Faith is based on our relationship with God, not our performance for God.
Most religions prescribe specific duties that must be performed to make a person acceptable to God. Christianity is unique in teaching that the good works we do will not make us right with God. No amount of human achievement or progress in personal development will close the gap between God’s moral perfection and our imperfect daily performance. So there can be no basis for pride. Good deeds are important, but they will not earn us eternal life. We are saved only by trusting in what God has done for us through Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:8-10).
Again, the Jews cannot claim sole propriety of God or deny that Gentiles can also receive God’s saving grace. The Old Testament consistently recorded God’s inclusion of the Gentiles in his plans. God had promised Abraham, “All the families of the earth will be blessed through you” (Genesis 12:3). Paul simply states the logical necessity. Because there is only one true God, then he is God of all his creation and calls both Jews and Gentiles to faith in him. The question of being right with God will not be settled according to those who have and have not been circumcised, but rather by their faith, whatever their physical lineage.
Paul envisions the Jewish critic raising a valid question: If we emphasize faith, does this mean that we can forget about the law? Paul answers, Of course not! In fact, only when we have faith do we truly fulfill the law. The law is not something that only the Jews can “do” for God; the law is for both Jews and Gentiles and can only be “done” through faith in Christ. Faith returns the law to its proper place and role in God’s plan for people. Faith does not wipe out the Old Testament; rather, it makes God’s dealings with the Jewish people understandable.
SO WHAT? (what will I do with what I have read today?)
He says in light of all these heavy truths there are three consequences of salvation:
1) There is no reason for pride. God's going to do this for you, not because you deserve it. It's a free gift. It's not because you want it -- it's simply a free gift! You can't brag about it. You can't brag about how you worked your way to heaven. If people could work their way to heaven, can you imagine what heaven would be like? Everybody would have their little reason for making it to heaven. Everybody would be bragging about how they got there. Ezekiel 28:17 says it was pride that kicked Satan out of heaven.
Suppose you go surfing. You get out in the heavy waves and you loose your board and you're drowning. The lifeguard comes out and saves you and brings you back in. Would you brag about how much you had trusted that life guard? Of course not! You didn't have any choice. You had to trust him. So you can't brag about your salvation because you don't have any other alternative! You just have to trust!
2) There is no reason for prejudice. v. 27 "There's no boasting. It's excluded. On what principle? Observing the law? No? But that of faith. For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law." v. 29 "Is God the God of the Jews only? Is He not also the God of the Gentiles too? Yes, of the Gentiles too. Since there is only one God who would justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through the same faith." God loves us all. Both the Jews and the Gentiles. We're all saved the same way, by faith. There is no nation, no race, no denomination that's going to get you into heaven. None will get you into heaven. And you shouldn't look down or envy anybody else. When someone has the attitude, "We've got it and you don't!" -- they don't! Because God says there is no prejudice.
3) There is no presumption. "Do we then nullify the law by this faith? Not at all. Rather we uphold it." There were some people saying, "If I'm saved by grace, who cares what I do! I'll live it up! If the law isn't going to get me to heaven, I'll just not live with it. Forget the Ten Commandments." Paul says, the law is still valid. Valid for two reasons: 1) It reveals your consciousness of sin -- when there is a standard you know when you've fallen short (v. 20); 2) Galatians 3:23-24 the other purpose of the law is to point us toward Christ.
Heavenly Father, I thank You so much for those words "but now". In spite of all the facts of our sin that we've looked at in the first three chapters, that isn't the end of the story. Jesus Christ, thank You for justifying us, for declaring us guiltless, innocent, just as if we've never sinned. Thank You. Lord, thank You for redeeming us.
Thank You for that illustration, that You set us free from slavery to our own desires and slavery to the devil and You ransomed us and You paid the price with Your own death. Jesus Christ, thank You for atoning for our sins. Thank You that God is satisfied with what You did and that a Holy God could forgive us because of what You've done. Really, Lord, You did it Yourself because You are God. Thank You that we are forgiven and when we put our trust and faith in You we stand before Jesus Christ spotless and without sin and in Your eyes You see us as perfect. Lord, help us to live that way. Help us not to go around under a cloud of condemnation because we have been forgiven. Thank You. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.
I love you guys. Stay faithful. Stay the course.
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