We certainly have a beautiful
savior, don't we? Altogether lovely. Paul had rebuked Peter for compromising
the gospel. And the fact that Peter could
compromise the gospel lets me know that I could compromise
the gospel and that you could compromise the gospel. Scary
thought, isn't it? Look in verse 11. But when Peter
was come to Antioch, I was stood him to the face because he was
to be blamed. There was a public reprimand
at this time. 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. and the other Jews dissembled
likewise with him, insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away
with their dissimulation. 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 compelst thou
the Gentiles to live as do the Jews? Now, we considered that
last week. That's the negative part of Paul's
message. And now we're going to consider
the positive part of Paul's message. This is still him speaking to
Peter. And I am so thankful for this
tragic event, because through this tragic event, and it is
sad when anyone compromises the gospel. May the Lord preserve
me and you from doing that. But through that event, We're
given Galatians 2.16. And that's what I've entitled
this message, Galatians 2.16. When you look on TV at a ball
game, quite often you'll see people with signs saying John
3.16. And that is supposedly the most
well-known verse of scripture in all the Bible. I remember
one time a man told me that's the most important verse in the
Bible, John 3.16. Now, I'm not going to dispute
its importance. It's in the Bible. It's glorious.
I love John 3.16. God so loved the world that he
gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth in him should
not perish but have eternal life. Oh, we love John 3.16, but did
you know if all you hear is John 3.16, you really haven't heard
the gospel. John 3.16 is the reason for the gospel. The gospel
is, as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must
the Son of Man be lifted up, that whosoever believeth in him
should not perish, but have everlasting life. Now that's the gospel,
and here's the reason behind the gospel. God so loved the
world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth
in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. We love
John 3.16, but I was making a reference to Galatians 2.16 some months
ago, and I remember Mitch suggested, we need to start putting up Galatians
2.16 instead of John 3.16, because it is a glorious representation
of the gospel. And I would agree. Now, look
in verse 15 of Galatians chapter 2. Remember, Paul is still speaking
to Peter about this issue of him getting up from the Jewish
table and walking over to the Gentile table. Paul called this
a denial of the truth of the gospel. He called it hypocrisy,
dissimulation. He called it withdrawing or holding
back. He called it leaving something
out. He publicly rebuked Peter over
this. And what Peter was doing, he
was denying that Christ is all in salvation. He was saying somehow
you're a little bit better off over here in the Jewish table.
True, these Gentiles are saved, but you're a little bit better
off under circumcision, under the law and so on. And so look
what he says in verse 15. He's still speaking to Peter.
He says, we who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles,
knowing that man is not justified by the works of the law, but
by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus
Christ. We Jews, we have believed, we
who are not Gentiles, we're not sinners of the Gentiles. And
when he's saying that, you know, he's not saying that the Jews
are better than the Gentiles or less sinful, or he's not saying
that the Gentiles are more sinful. This is more of a cultural thing.
We grew up as Jews under the law, We're saved the same way
Gentiles are. We're saved justified by the
faith of Christ and not by the works of the law. Turn back to
Romans chapter three. I want you to see this to make
sure you know he's not saying that Jews are better than Gentiles. Verse nine, what then, are we
better than they? We Jews, are we better than the Gentiles?
No, in no wise, for we have before proved, both Jews and Gentiles,
that they're all under sin. Look in verses 22 and 23. Even
the righteousness of God, which is by the faith of Jesus Christ
unto all and upon all in the believer, there's no difference
between Jew or Gentile, for all have sinned and come short of
the glory of God. Look in Romans chapter 10, verse
12. For there is no difference between
the Jew and the Greek. There's just no difference. There's
no difference. You know, there's no difference
between men. You take a real moral man and a real immoral
man and you know what you got? No difference. One is as bad
as the other. There's just not distinctions
and differences between men. So obviously Paul is not saying
we're better than them, but what is he saying? Let's go on reading.
He says, we who are Jews by nature, not sinners of the Gentiles,
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." Now here is as complete and comprehensive
a statement we have regarding the Gospels you'll find anywhere
in the Bible. That's why I entitled this Galatians
2.16. It's one of the most important verses in the Bible. And we wouldn't
even have this if it wasn't for this conflict between Peter and
Paul. You know, quite often the Lord
allows error to take place to cause the truth to be preached
more clearly. This is an example of what we
see the Lord's wisdom in this. He brings good out of evil. Only he can do this, but he brings
good out of evil. And we see that from this verse
of scripture. Now, first let's have some definition
of terms in this verse of scripture in Galatians 2.16. What does
he mean by the works of the law? Now the word law is mentioned
29 times in this book. And sometimes the word law simply
means the Old Testament scriptures. Most of the time, the word law
is talking about the law given to Moses on Mount Sinai, where
we're given the Ten Commandments, we're given the civil law, and
we're given the ceremonial law. And remember, these can't be
separated. I've heard preachers say, well, we're not under the
ceremonial law, but we're still under the moral law. Oh, you've
got the right to separate them and split them up. You can't
do that. They all go together. And even the Ten Commandments,
we have a ceremonial law and the moral law because we have
the Sabbath. And that lets us know that you can't separate
the law of God. And usually when Paul is talking
about the law in this book, he's talking about the law given to
Moses on Mount Sinai. Sometimes the word law means
the conscience, the work of the law, written in the heart of
all men. That's what Romans 2.16 says.
Everybody's got that. Everybody knows the difference
between right and wrong. Somebody says, well, we need to teach
people the difference between right and wrong. No, they know. Everybody
does. You're born knowing. Everybody
knows it's wrong to lie, and it's wrong to steal, and it's
wrong to kill. It's wrong to covet. Sexual sin is wrong. You're
born knowing that stuff. We need to teach people how to
live. They already know how to live. Anytime you hear that kind
of stuff, that's a smokescreen. Everybody already knows how to
live. So sometimes the law simply speaks
of the work of God's law in the conscience where the scripture
says we either accuse one another or excuse one another. That's
about all that comes out of it with a natural man with the work
of the law. We either have a guilty conscience or we're looking for
an excuse and looking for self-vindication and justification in what we've
done. And sometimes the word law means
an internal principle. We read in the scriptures, in
the New Testament of the law of sin and the law of the spirit
of life in Christ Jesus, the law of faith, the law of Christ,
the law of liberty, the law of love. It's an internal principle
given to the believer in the new birth that when Paul uses
this word, particularly in the book of Galatians, he primarily
means the law of Moses. But you know, this law of Moses
has a wider meaning than we think. Turn to Galatians chapter four. Now the Galatians, as you know,
were wanting to be under law. They had so soon removed from
the gospel of Christ to another gospel, and they wanted to be
under law. And Paul asked this question
in verse 21. Tell me you that desire to be under the law. Do
you not hear the law? For it's written that Abraham
had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a free woman. But
he who is of the bondwoman was born after the flesh. But he
of the free woman was by promise, which things are an allegory,
for these are the two covenants. The one from Mount Sinai, which
genders to bondage, that's where Moses received the law, Mount
Sinai. He says, Hagar is Mount Sinai. Briefly, the story. God promised
Abraham a child. and he promised it's gonna come
through Sarah. Years later, it hadn't taken
place. Sarah says, well, Abraham, obviously God's promise is not
going to take place unless we do our part. You go into Hagar,
and you can have a child through her, and that way we'll enable
God's promise to come to pass. We need to do our part. Abraham
said okay, and they went in and had Ishmael. You know the story.
13 years later, Sarah, the woman who was barren, who had already
gone through menopause, has a child supernaturally. This is God doing
his part. This is God doing his work. Abraham and Sarah, it was impossible
for them. It's what God did. But Paul tells
us that Hagar and Ishmael represent Mount Sinai. Salvation dependent
upon you doing anything or me doing anything is Mount Sinai. is salvation by works. All somebody's got to do is say
God loves everybody, Christ died for everybody, made salvation
available for everybody, and it's up to you to do your part
to make what he did work for you. That is law. That is salvation
by works, pure and simple. That is Mount Sinai. Now, the next term that I want
us to consider that's in Galatians chapter 2 verse 16 is justification. Knowing, verse 16, 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. Now here we have the word justified
three times in this verse. And justification is a perfect
standing before God's holy law. It looks you over and says, I
find no fault. I find no blemish. Perfect. If I'm justified, that means
God looks at me right now while I'm talking to you. And he looks
me through and through. And he says, there's no fault
in it. He's never sinned. He's always
done what was right, and he's never done that which was wrong.
He has kept my law perfectly. And I think it's interesting
to note that in the original, this word justified is always,
all three times here, in the passive tense. And that tells
you there's nothing you do to become justified. It's a work
of God. It's His declaring you. to be
justified. That's one thing for me to say
I'm justified. It's another thing for God to
say I'm justified. Now this is God saying you're
justified and this is his work from the beginning to the end. justified, the scripture says,
by the faith of Christ. Now this is a very significant,
this is why, this is one of the reasons why I love the King James
Version. Do you know in every other version
that I know of, now there might be ones that I don't know about,
but in every word, version I've ever read, it says you're knowing
that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by
faith in Jesus Christ. Even we have believed in Jesus
Christ that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by
the works of the law. Now, that takes away the meaning of
it. That's what they call a tautological statement. That's like saying
all brown cows are brown. Well, of course all brown cows
are brown cows. Anybody knows that. It's seen
in the language. That's just a repetition of something. We're
justified by faith in Christ that we might be justified by
faith in Christ because we're justified by faith in Christ.
That destroys the very meaning of it. No, we're justified by
the faith, the faithfulness, the obedience, the doing, and
the dying of the Lord Jesus Christ. We're justified by the faith
of Christ and not by the works of the law. What that means is
He did everything. But are we not to believe? Of
course we're to believe. We're to believe this. That we're
justified by the faith of Christ. You believe that? that you're
justified by the faithfulness, the doing and dying of the Lord
Jesus Christ. It's a complete reliance on what
He did. Not what you do, but what He
did. And you look to Him alone. You don't look anywhere else. We're justified by the faith
of Christ. And this trust is total. It's a complete reliance upon
Christ only. Not Christ and. but a complete
reliance on the doing and the dying, the righteousness and
the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ as everything in my salvation. Now, those are the terms I want
us to consider. Now, let's consider what the
verse says. And oh, may the Lord enable us to feed on the preciousness
of what this passage of scripture says. Now, the first word I would
notice is knowing. Knowing. Knowing. I love that word. The confidence
of that word. Knowing. And this word is a participle. That means it acts as both an
adjective and a noun. It describes what a believer
is. He's knowing. It tells us what a believer does.
He knows. Knowing. knowing that a man is
not justified by the works of the law. Now, there is no faith
apart from knowledge. I cannot believe what I do not
know. I cannot believe what I've never
heard. There is no such thing as faith
apart from knowledge. Now, while we believe the mysteries
of the scripture, we sure don't believe in mysticism. You know
what mysticism is? It's that belief that you can
just have understanding without the use of the ears, without
hearing, without using your head, without assimilating what you're
hearing. All of a sudden, it's just there. And it's some kind
of mysterious communion with God that you have apart from
hearing the gospel, apart from faith, apart from repentance.
No, we're not mystics in any way. We do believe in the mysteries
of Scripture. Oh, I love the mysteries of Scripture. The Gospel's
mysterious. And it keeps getting more mysterious,
doesn't it? I mean, the glories of God being man and what he
accomplished. And these things are more believed
than understood. I mean, we believe the mysteries
of the Scripture. We don't much understand. I don't
understand how God's one God in three persons, but I believe.
I believe. Knowing. I repeat, there is no
faith apart from knowledge. The Lord said, You shall know
the truth, and the truth shall make you free. Ananias said to
Paul, The God of our fathers hath chosen thee, that thou shouldst
know his will. Did you hear that? That you should
know his will. Now that doesn't mean you know
what his will is for you for tomorrow, because you don't.
You'll find out tomorrow what his will is for you tomorrow.
Somebody says, I want to know what God's will for my life is. Whatever it is you're going through
right now, that's what God's will for your life is. I can tell
you that right now. That's what's going on. But when
he's talking about a knowledge of his will, he's talking about
a knowledge of his will of redemption. This is the will of him that
sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing. but raise it up again at the
last day. Paul said in Romans 7, 14, we
know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin. He said, and we know that all
things work together for good to them to love God, to them
who are called according to his person, his purpose. First John
2, 20 says you have an unction from the Holy One and know all
things. Our Lord said in John 17, three,
this is eternal life, that they might know thee. the only true
God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. Now, we begin with
this word, knowing. Now, I've got a very important
question, and this is a question that every one of us have asked.
Is the knowledge I have, and I know some stuff, I do, is the
knowledge I have merely assent to some facts, like believing
certain propositions or believing some history. And I think, yeah,
I believe that happened. I believe Abraham Lincoln really
lived. I believe he was the president of the United States. I believe
there was such a thing as the Civil War. I believe those things.
Is my knowledge nothing more than that? Or is it saving knowledge? Is it because God has revealed
this to me? like he did to Peter. Blessed
art thou Peter, flesh and blood didn't reveal this to thee, but
my Father which is in heaven. Now do I have that kind of knowledge?
Where God has revealed something to me. You know I believe, Dawkins
Grace, I believe men are totally depraved. I believe the Bible
teaches that. I believe God elected a people. I believe Christ died
for the elect, accomplished their salvation. I believe God's grace
is irresistible, invincible. I believe God's people persevere
all the way to the end. I believe those things, I really
do. Well, that's good, you ought to believe them. The Bible teaches
this. You haven't heard the gospel
if you haven't believed that or heard that and believed it.
But do you know, I don't have any question that the devil believes
those things as well. Don't have any question. He studied
the scriptures a whole lot longer than me or you have. And he knows
what the Bible teaches. Here's the way you can know whether
or not your knowledge is saving knowledge. Listen up. Don't miss this. What does your knowledge make
you do? Does it make you, like Abel,
offer unto God that more excellent sacrifice? You would not come
into God's presence apart from Christ. Does it make you, like
Noah, Get into the ark before any rains falling, because you
really believe that the only place of safety is in the ark,
in the Lord Jesus Christ. Does it make you, like Abraham,
offer up your only son, really believing God would raise him
from the dead? Somebody says, I couldn't do
what Abraham did if he told me to kill my son. You know, Abraham
really believed that God would raise him from the dead. That's
why he was willing to kill him. He believed God would raise him
from the dead because God promised the Messiah, the seed is going
to come through him. What about Moses? You know what
his faith made him do? Get in the house with the blood
over the door. He knew that was the only place
of safety and he was scared to be found anywhere else. What
about Rahab the harlot? Rahab the harlot. She said, we've
heard what you've done when you came through and dried up the
Red Sea and had the children of Israel. And we were scared
to death. We were scared to death about what was going to happen
to us. You know what it made Rahab the harlot do? Cry for mercy. Cry for mercy. Does your knowledge make you
cry for mercy? Lord, I deserve to be damned. Would you have mercy on me? Does
your knowledge cause you to do what the publican in the temple
did? When he said, God be propitious,
you're a holy God. I'm a sinful man, the most sinful
man to ever live. God be propitious, remove my
guilt. God be merciful to me, the sinner. Now, when you have saving knowledge,
that's what it does. It makes you seek mercy for Christ's
sake. Now, if it doesn't do that, whatever
kind of knowledge you have, it's useless knowledge. I don't care
if you know everything, you don't really know anything. If God
has ever really taught you anything, it's gonna make you cry for mercy. It's gonna cause you to bow at
the feet of Christ. That is what saving knowledge
does. Now, if my knowledge doesn't
do that for me, It's pointless and useless knowledge. You see, my knowledge has shown
me that I really am a sinner. I really am a sinner. You know
what that means? I really am a lawbreaker. I'm somebody who's put other
gods before God. I've created idols. I failed
to reverence His holy name. I failed to rest. I've dishonored
my parents. I've dishonored authority. I've
been a murderer. I've been an adulterer. I've
been a thief. I've been a liar. And I've been
covetous. Would that describe you? A lawbreaker. You know what lawbreakers do?
They sue for mercy. Every single one of them. You knowing, now here's what
you know when you really know something. Verse 16, knowing
here's something we're sure of. You're sure of this about yourself? As sure as you're a foot and
a half high. You're sure of this. You don't have any doubt about
this. Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the
law. You really believe you're a sinner?
And you know that you can't be saved by the works of the law. If salvation is dependent upon
you doing anything, it's over for you. You know that. Knowing
that a man is not justified by the works of the law. Do you
know that? I don't mean just, you believe that concerning yourself.
You believe that if salvation is dependent upon you doing anything,
You don't have a chance. Ain't no way you'll be saved.
Do you really believe that? knowing that a man is not justified
by the works of the law. He really believes, you really
believe your righteousness is as filthy rags. You say with
top lady, not the labor of my hands could fulfill thy laws
demands. Could my tears forever flow?
Could my zeal no respite? No, these foreseen could not
atone. Thou must save and thou alone. You found me a bona fide sinner,
and I'll show you one that knows he cannot be saved by the works
of the law. And you prove that by not attempting
it. Hebrews chapter four, verse nine
says, the one who is believed has entered into, the one that
has entered into his rest hath ceased from his own works. You
ceased. That's a dead end. You've ceased
from your own works as God did from his. Now, knowing that a
man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith
of Jesus Christ. This is how man is justified.
By the faith. And you know this. I don't have
to convince you of it. You know it's so. You're justified
by the faith of Christ. Not by faith in Christ, but by
the faith of Christ. Now I've had people say, well,
I can read either way. Well, maybe so, but this is the
way I ought to read. This is the way I ought to read.
I'm justified by the doing and the dying of the Lord Jesus Christ. Like I said, it doesn't even
make sense to say we're justified by faith in Christ. Even we have
believed in Christ that we might be justified by faith in Christ.
That's illogical. It doesn't even make sense. We're
justified by the faith of Christ. His faithfulness, His obedience,
His doing, His dying. Now here's a scripture that wraps
all that up. 2 Timothy 1.9 says, He saved
us. and called us, not according
to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which
was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began. He saved me before the world
began, before I had any good works to recommend me or any
bad works to disqualify me. He saved us, which came first,
the saving or the calling? He saved us, and he called us. What security there is there?
I'm justified by the faith of Christ. Being united to him,
what he did, I did. I love it when he said to John
the Baptist, he said, suffer it to be so now, for thus it
becometh us, to fulfill all righteousness. He wasn't just talking about
John the Baptist and himself. He's talking about poor old Todd Norbert.
Thus it becometh me and Todd Nyberg, me and Matt Benson. He had you on his heart. Thus
it becometh us, every believer, to fulfill all righteousness. Now, he fulfilled all righteousness,
yet he was nailed to a cross. Why? Well, there's only one reason
for death, sin. While he fulfilled all righteousness,
he also died in that death, who his own self bear our sins. I don't know of anything that
makes me feel worse or better than this. The sins I've committed,
he bore. He bore the shame, he bore the
guilt, he bore. When I think of my sin that makes
me so ashamed, I think of him being much more acutely ashamed
before God, and he was, in bearing my sin. That makes me feel bad,
that he actually bore the vileness of my sin. But you know what? Makes me feel good, too. Because
if he bore, I don't. Sin can't be, Two places at once. If he bore them, I don't bore
them. If he has them, I don't have them. If he put them away,
they're gone. Now, we're justified by the faith
of Christ, his obedience, his life, his death, his resurrection. You know, when he died, the scripture
says, thou shalt not suffer thy holy one to see corruption. What
happens when you or I die? We begin to corrupt. We begin
to decay. We begin to break down. We're
going back to dust. We're going back to the dirt
we are. You see, the death of a man can't
satisfy God. That's why hell is forever. And
all we do is decay. But when Jesus Christ died, he
never went through the process of decay. Why? Because the moment he died, all
of the elect were justified completely. A justification that cannot be
added to or subtracted from. We're justified by the faith
of Christ. Where does faith come in? We
believe that. Even we have believed in Christ
that we might be justified by the faith of Christ. Do you have to believe? Of course
you do. And this is what we believe.
Even we Jews have believed in Christ. We believe all of God's
salvation is in Him. And we're relying completely,
right here, all our eggs are in this basket. All of them. This is complete reliance. We're
justified by the faith of Christ. Don't you love that? I love being
justified by the faith of Christ. You know, this is where I find some peace. And this is where I find some
joy. We read in Romans 15, 13 of the joy and the peace of believing. Believing what? that were justified
by the faith of Christ. And then he ends this statement
with another, for by the works of the law shall no flesh be
justified. We already said that once, but
he says it again. How come? Because we got to keep having
it drilled into our head. That's why. This is something
that we forget on a every minute, every hour, every day basis.
And we need to have it drilled into our head over and over and
over again. By the works of the law, there
shall no flesh be justified in his sight. For by the law, remember,
is the knowledge of sin. Now, through this event of Peter,
and it's like I said, it's a It's a sad event. Peter compromised
the gospel. And he was publicly reprimanded
for it by Paul. And he withdrew himself. That means
he kept back part. It's also translated shunned.
He didn't bring the whole counsel of God when he did this. The
whole counsel of God is that we're justified by the faith
of Christ and not by the works of the law. He, not by saying
anything, but by his actions That's what he said, but look
at this glorious verse we get as a result of this. Knowing,
knowing that man is not justified by the works of the law, but
by the faith of Jesus Christ. Even we have believed in Christ
that we might be justified by the faith of Christ. I hope all
of us will commit this verse to memory. It is a very, I hesitate
to, I don't know why I always say this is such an important
verse, because they're all important, obviously, if they're in the
Word of God. I wish I'd stopped that, I can't help it. I'll try
to watch out for that, but what a verse. What a Savior. Let's pray. Lord, how we praise you and thank
you that we're not justified by the works of the law. For
Lord, that would shut us out. But we're justified by the faith
of thy blessed son, the Lord Jesus Christ. And Lord, we believe
him. that we might be justified by
the faith of him. Lord, I ask in Christ's name
that you would brand this by your spirit into our hearts. We thank you for this precious
word from your word. In Christ's name we pray. Amen.