Paul’s Defense Of Justification Series

Paul’s Defense of Justification

Galatians 3: 1-5

As I think back over my Christian walk, and the twenty years I have served in pastoral ministry, many have come and gone within the church. While some moved on to faithfully serve in other churches, others abandoned the church altogether. Several of those who have abandoned the church appeared to be genuine in their faith, but over time that apparently was proven untrue.

I have also encountered those who appear to be genuinely saved, but they got caught up in the dictates of men. They were saved by grace through faith in Christ alone, and yet, they now believe certain rituals or nuances of the faith are necessary to be in a right relationship with the Lord. Quite often, these are involved in questionable doctrine or legalistic practices. Such is the case with the text before us. Some within the Galatian church were no longer depending solely on justification by faith to secure their standing with Christ.

As we discuss the questions Paul raised in the text, let’s consider: Paul’s Defense of Justification.

I. The Admonition regarding Christ (1) – Paul knew those who rejected justification by faith in Christ alone held a view of Christ and His finished work that was not consistent with the gospel, nor of Christ and His work of redemption. Consider:

A. The Rebuke (1a) – O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you? As is his nature, Paul immediately gets to the point and does not hold back in his rebuke. Their distorted view of the work of Christ was foolish, failing to uphold the truths of the gospel. Such a departure from the truth was dangerous spiritually and needed to be confronted. Paul declared they had been bewitched, literally led astray according to their tendency of “the use of feeling over fact, emotion over clear understanding of truth.” (i) (We too must be willing to confront false doctrine and those who are led astray by its teachings. Left alone, such false doctrine has potential to spread and damage the entire body.)

B. The Reminder (1b) – before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you? Those who were born again in Christ, being transformed by genuine faith in the truth of the gospel, should know better than to deny the work of Christ being sufficient to secure salvation. These believers were not denying the sacrifice Christ made as our substitutionary atonement on the cross, but they had embraced a doctrine that claimed His sacrifice alone was not sufficient for salvation. These had been led to believe works of the flesh were also necessary to secure one’s salvation. Such doctrine denies the heart of the gospel and the atonement of Christ. Acts 13:38-39 – Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: 39 And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses. If Christ’s atoning work on the cross and glorious resurrection from the dead are not sufficient to save, no amount of effort on the part of man can secure salvation.

II. The Question regarding the Spirit (2-4) – Paul then challenged the Galatians regarding the reception of the Spirit and His work among the church. Paul spoke of:

A. Their Reception (2) – This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? How had they received the Spirit? Did He come to abide within them based on their keeping the commandments of the law or was He received as they were saved by faith? Clearly, Paul was confident the Spirit was received immediately following salvation by faith. The Lord did not reserve the presence of the Spirit for those who accomplished certain tasks or met specific expectations. If the Spirit was received by faith, at the moment of conversion, such false doctrine of works being necessary to secure salvation would fall apart. The gift of the Holy Spirit is the believer’s most unmistakable evidence of God’s favor, his greatest proof of salvation and the guarantee of eternal glory. “The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God” (Rom. 8:16). (ii)

B. Their Sanctification (3) – Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh? Paul then challenged their sanctification through the Holy Spirit, their growth in the Lord and continued conformity to Him. If they had in fact received the Spirit at salvation, apart from works of the flesh, and the Spirit had begun to mature them in the faith, were they now being matured due to personal works of the flesh, apart from the Spirit?