Introduction

Some of us walked in today with a smile on our face and a knot in our stomach. We love Jesus. We long to please Him. Yet we bump into old habits, heavy expectations, and the quiet pressure to perform. We want to get it right. We want to be faithful. And in the middle of it all, we wonder: Does God really accept me today? Does His grace still have me?

Take heart. You’re in good company. Peter, the bold apostle, knew those questions too. Paul, the tireless missionary, faced them head-on. And their story in Galatians 2 reads like a family dinner where two brothers speak up for the health of the household. There’s honest tension. There’s humbling correction. And there is a breathtaking reminder: the grace that saved you is the grace that keeps you.

Tim Keller once wrote, “The gospel is this: We are more sinful and flawed in ourselves than we ever dared believe, yet at the very same time we are more loved and accepted in Jesus Christ than we ever dared hope.” —Tim Keller

That’s the heartbeat of our passage. We will see courage for the sake of truth, the beauty of justification by faith, and the hope of a crucified-and-risen life inside ordinary people like us. Do you need courage to stand for what is true? Do you need relief from the treadmill of trying to earn God’s approval? Do you need fresh strength to live today by faith in the Son of God? The Lord has a word for you.

Let’s hear the Scripture and let it wash over weary hearts and worried minds. Let the Lord steady us, shape us, and strengthen us.

Galatians 2:11-21 (KJV) 11 But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed. 12 For before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles: but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision. 13 And the other Jews dissembled likewise with him; insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation. 14 But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter before them all, If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews? 15 We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles, 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. 17 But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid. 18 For if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor. 19 For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God. 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. 21 I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.

Opening Prayer: Father, we come with open hands and needy hearts. Thank You for Your unfailing grace and the gift of Your Son. By Your Spirit, give us courage where we are timid, clarity where we are confused, and comfort where we are hurting. Let the truth of the gospel steady our steps. Teach us to rest in Christ’s finished work and to live by faith in the Son of God who loved us and gave Himself for us. Guard our lips from fear, our hearts from pride, and our minds from distraction. Exalt Jesus in our midst, and shape our lives to match Your Word. In His strong and saving name we pray. Amen.

Courage to Confront for the Truth of the Gospel

Paul saw something in Antioch that did not fit the good news. It was quiet at first. It sat at the dinner table. It began with who sat where and who would eat with whom. It then spread. It pressed on fragile souls and sent a message that God never sent. So Paul stood up. He spoke to a friend. He spoke for the church. He spoke for the truth that makes us free.

This kind of moment asks for courage. It asks for love that tells the truth. It asks for clarity about what Christ has done. Fear can nudge us to step back from people. Habit can pull us to old lines that kept people apart. A holy boldness steps in and says, This is off. This hurts people. This clouds the cross.

What happened was simple. Peter had been sharing meals with Gentile believers. He knew they were clean in Christ. He had learned that lesson long ago. Then a group arrived who cared a lot about old boundary marks. Peter pulled back. He moved his seat. He felt the heat of their gaze and he folded. Others followed him. Even Barnabas felt the tug. In that moment a table choice turned into a gospel issue. Folks would begin to think, Maybe trust in Jesus is not enough. Maybe I need more to belong. Paul could not let that stand.

Public harm calls for a public word. The church needed help. The weaker ones needed help. Peter himself needed help. So Paul spoke up in front of them. He did not lash out. He did not shame. He named the problem. He pointed to the straight path of the gospel. He asked a clear question. If you, a Jew, have been living free from those old marks because of Christ, why would your actions push Gentiles to take them on? Your life says one thing in private and another in public. Your example is pushing a rule that God did not give. That is how Paul served the room. He pressed everyone back to the same center.

The issue under the issue was our standing with God. Paul says that a person is declared right with God through faith in Jesus Christ. Works from the law cannot secure that standing for anyone. That is why tables matter. The meal is a sign. Who you eat with shows who you think belongs. When Peter pulled back from Gentile brothers and sisters, he sent a signal that faith in Jesus does not yet bring you all the way in. That is a harmful signal. It makes people think they must add their own marks to finish what Christ began. Paul says that re‑building those old walls makes us transgressors again. The cross tore the walls down. Faith unites us to Christ. In Him we died to the law’s old system as a way to be right with God. In Him we live unto God with a new power. Christ lives in us. He loved us. He gave Himself for us. Setting up old marks as gates into the family would set aside grace. If a right standing could come through those marks, the death of Christ would be empty. That cannot be.

This kind of correction has a goal. The aim is not to win an argument. The aim is to align lives with the truth of the gospel. Paul watched their steps and saw they were out of line. The gospel sets a straight path. It tells us who God is. It tells us who we are in Christ. It tells us who sits at the table. So correction means helping people step back onto that path. It means guarding the welcome that Jesus purchased. It means protecting the weak from pressure. It means calling leaders to live the truth in public. Peter was a pillar. Barnabas was trusted. Their actions carried weight. Courage served them. Courage guarded the flock. Courage kept the church safe for grace.

This scene also shows where courage comes from. It does not come from a loud voice. It comes from a clear heart. Paul knew the message. He knew that Christ lived in him. He knew the love of the Son of God. That love makes you steady. It frees you from the fear of people. It softens your tone. It gives you tears for friends who slip. It gives you strength to speak when silence would be easier. So when pressure rises around the table, you can say, In Jesus we sit together. When someone hints that a human mark must be added, you can say, Christ’s work is enough. When a leader wavers, you can go to them and open the Book and show the path.

Notice how actions preach. Peter’s plate preached a sermon. His empty chair preached a sermon. So will ours. When we separate from brothers and sisters whom Christ has welcomed, we preach a false word. When we attach our culture, our diet, our style, or our badge to the welcome of God, we preach a false word. When we draw near in love to every believer, we preach the true word. The table is a test. Baptism is a test. Membership is a test. Hospitality is a test. Church policies are a test. They all either say, Jesus is enough, or they say, Add this too. Courage listens to the gospel and then shapes these practices to match it.

There is a way to carry this out in real life. Start with prayer. Ask the Spirit to search your heart for fear, pride, or anger. Open the Scripture and get the truth clear. Ask, What does this action say about the gospel? Then go to the person. Be plain. Be kind. Stick to the issue. Name the harm. Tie it to the cross and the welcome of God. Suggest a better path. If the problem is public, bring the right people into the room. Keep aiming for healing, not winning. Be patient and hopeful. Stay near after the talk. Remember that Christ is at work in both of you. His grace teaches. His grace keeps. His grace gives the power to act, to repent, to forgive, and to walk together again.

Justified by Faith Not by the Works of the Law

Hear Paul in verses 15–16 ... View this full PRO sermon free with PRO