READ: Gal. 2:15–21: … I have been crucified with Christ …
Paul now speaks about the Jewish background of himself, Peter, and the others: even though we are familiar with the law, we know that no mortal (no flesh) will be acquitted (justified) on the basis of strict observance of that law. It is solely through faith in Christ that we are justified and delivered from our guilt of sin. This is what we believe.
But if you now return to keeping the law’s commandments, then those who do not keep these laws are sinners. Yes, in fact, Christ Himself would then be the cause of our being sinners! You could even call Christ a “servant of sin” (v. 17)!
Paul firmly rejects this thought. He adds: if you first regard the law’s commandments as done away with in Christ and now begin to uphold them again, that implies it was wrong to reject those commandments. You yourself would then be a transgressor of these rules. The ceremonies which you once tore down you are now rebuilding. So then it was wrong to tear them down in the first place.
Paul goes deeper into the true gospel: “I died to the law through the law” (v. 19): The law taught me that because of my sins I cannot be saved through the accusations of the law. Now that I believe in Christ’s atoning work, it becomes clear that the law is not a way of salvation to become righteous before God and to live for Him.
Paul makes the change even clearer: “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.”
That means: by faith, I am one with Christ. I share in His death and resurrection. My sins are atoned for by His death on the cross, and now I live in new life through Him, with Him, and for Him as the risen Lord. What a gospel and what a transformation! All because Christ also loved me and gave Himself up to death for me.
If I return to justification through the law, I nullify God’s grace (for works are not from grace). Yes, then Christ died for nothing!
Why do we also need this teaching?
Sing: Hymn 22 (1984) / 26 (2014)