01/11/2024: Galatians 3:6-7 – True righteousness comes from believing God.

 Thought for today – True righteousness comes from believing God.

In verse 6, Paul quotes Genesis 15:6.  He used this verse consistently in his letters to prove that God’s plan of salvation has always been justification by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9).  Abraham, the “Father of the Faithful,” was declared righteous by believing God proving that faith in Him has always been God’s only plan for redemption and salvation.

This is the gospel – if you believe that Jesus lived a sinless life, died for your sins, was buried, and was raised from the dead; and on that basis declare that Jesus Christ is your Lord and Savior, somehow God counts that to you for His righteousness and gives you eternal life.  That is what it means to believe God like Abraham did.

That’s what the book says!

01/03/2024: Galatians 2:15-16 – We are not justified before God by our heritage or good works.

Galatians 2:15-16 (NASB)

¹⁵ “We are Jews by nature and not sinners from the Gentiles; ¹⁶ nevertheless, knowing that a person is not justified by works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the Law; since by works of the Law no flesh will be justified.

Thought for today – Neither our heritage nor the best we do will justify us before God.

Unlike the Gentiles who did not have the Law as a guide, Paul, as a Jew, had lived all his life under the Law, but he was not justified by is birth or his keeping the Law.  Justification before God is only through faith in Jesus Christ.   Even the very best works of the Law will not bring justification, so both Jews and Gentiles stand before the Lord equally dependent on faith in Jesus Christ.

That’s what the Book says!
 

12/31/2023: Galatians 2:16 – One is made just before God only by faith in Jesus Christ.

 

Galatians 2:16 (NKJV)

¹⁶ knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.

Thought for today – One is made just before God only by faith in Jesus Christ.

Paul’s statement in this verse is central to the entire epistle and is the essence of the gospel.  Not one of us, even the best of us, is good enough to be justified by what he has done.  Our salvation is completely by faith in Jesus Christ.

That’s what the Book says!