Paul reported to leaders of Jerusalem churchverses 1-5

 Then fourteen years after I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas

            and took Titus with me also

And I went up by revelation

and communicated unto them that gospel which

I preached among the Gentiles

but privately to them which were of reputation

lest by any means I should run – or had run – in vain

BUT neither Titus – who was with me – being a Greek

was compelled to be circumcised and that because of

false brethren unawares brought in

who came in privately to spy out our liberty

which we have in Christ Jesus

that they might bring us into bondage

to whom we gave place by subjection

no – not for an hour

that the truth of the gospel might continue with you

Paul received right hand of fellowshipverses 6-10

 BUT of these who seemed to be somewhat (whatsoever they were

it makes no matter to me – God accepts no man’s person)

For they who seemed to be somewhat in conference added nothing to me

but contrariwise – when they saw that the gospel of

the uncircumcision was committed unto me

as the gospel of the circumcision was unto Peter

(For HE that wrought effectually in Peter to the

apostleship of the circumcision

the same was mighty in me toward the Gentiles)

AND when James – Cephas (Peter) – John – who seem to be pillars

perceived the grace that was given to me

they gave to me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship

That we should go unto the heathen

and they unto the circumcision

Only they would that we should remember the poor

            the same which I also was forward to do

Paul confronts Peterverses 11-13

 But when Peter was come to Antioch – I withstood him to the face

BECAUSE he was to be blamed

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

Paul gives reason for confrontationverses 14-21

 BUT when I saw that they walked not uprightly according

to the truth of the gospel

I said unto Peter before them all

If you being a Jew – live after the manner of Gentiles

and not as do the Jews

Why compel thou the Gentiles

to live as do the Jews?

We who are Jews by nature

and 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      

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

FOR if I build again the things which I destroyed

I make myself a transgressor

For I through the law am dead to the law

that I might live unto God

I am crucified with Christ – nevertheless I live

YET not I – BUT Christ lives 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

I do not frustrate the grace of God

for if righteousness come by the law

                        then Christ is dead in vain  

COMMENTARY:

DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers

: 2        And I went up by revelation, and communicated unto them that gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but privately to them which were of reputation, lest by any means I should run, or had run, in vain. (1380 “reputation” [dokeo] means think, to be accounted, prominent people, be recognized, considered, influence, to be of opinion, or those who are of repute)

DEVOTION:  There have always been people that carry a lot of responsibility in the church. We all have to answer to someone.

In the early church the ones who were considered important were the twelve disciples who became apostles. They were the leaders of the church. They did take some of the decisions to the membership but they also made decisions as to who could be leaders.

Paul respected the opinion of these men. He wanted to continue his ministry to the Gentiles but wanted the approval of those who were in leadership in Jerusalem. He didn’t want to just go out on his own.

So he went to Jerusalem under the influence of a revelation from the LORD that he should act in this way. He told them his message to the Gentiles was the same as their message to the Jews that individuals were saved by faith alone through Jesus Christ’s sacrifice on the cross.

There are always going to be prominent people in every church. It is best if they are leaders who genuinely love the LORD above all else. If their position goes to their head it can cause a real problem in the growth of the group.

Many denominations have fallen by the wayside because the leadership has not kept them doctrinally sound. They have decided to be politically correct rather than Biblically correct and have drifted away from the teachings of Scripture to the point that they are modern Pharisees following the doctrines of men.

CHALLENGE: Watch for doctrinal drift in your denomination. Keep your leaders doctrinally pure or the LORD will come and remove their candlestick. 

DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers 

: 9        And when James, Celphas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given to me, they gave me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; that we should go to the heathen, and they to the circumcision. (2842 “fellowship” [koinonia] means communion, association, participation, the act of sharing in the activities or privileges of an intimate association or group, a close mutual relationship, willing contribution, or share)

DEVOTION:  After someone is examined by the church to see if they are true to the message of the gospel they were given a special sign of approval. It is called the right hand of fellowship which is a special gathering of the saints to honor those who are faithful to the preaching of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ for our sins.

Peter was the disciple or apostle who followed Jesus for the three and a half years and then denied HIM before the soldiers but was forgiven and made the spokesman to all three groups of people found in the land of Israel.

James was the half- brother of Jesus who became the leader of the church at Jerusalem.

John was the youngest disciple or apostle who was called the beloved of Christ. He was the one who leaned on Jesus breast and asked who the one who was going to betray HIM. He also wrote the books of the gospel of John, I John, II John, III John and Revelation.

Why did they give Barnabas and Paul the right hand of fellowship? It was because they saw the hand of God on their ministry. This encouraged them to keep preaching to the Gentiles.

CHALLENGE:  We are to encourage people who are faithful to serving the LORD no matter what their age.

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: 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. (5272 “dissimulation” [hupokrisis] means hypocrisy, condemnation, an answering, the acting of a stage player, insincerity by virtue of pretending to have qualities or beliefs that you do not really have, wickedness, or to give an impression of having certain purposes or motivations, while in reality having quite different ones.)

DEVOTION:  Peter committed a sin when he chose to commit secondary separation. He was eating with a group of Gentile Christians when a group of Jewish Christians came to the same location.

He wanted to please the Jewish Christians by separating from the Gentiles because there was still those who thought that there should be no Gentiles in the church of Jesus Christ.

It was because Peter separated that others followed his example and separated as well. Peter was leading these others into sin because of his example. Paul confronted Peter concerning this matter.

Paul knew that both Jewish and Gentile Christians should fellowship together around the communion service and love feast. No group was better or worse than the other in the eyes of the LORD.

The church universal is made up of people from all nationalities. There should be all nationalities in every church. There should never be a secondary separation over color of skin or nationality if all are believers.

Biblical separation is for those who are living in sin who have joined the church and not repented of their sin. Christians are those who commit sin on a regular basis but confess their sins and try to live correctly for the LORD. People who live in sin are those who continually do a particular sin and don’t confess it and still want to be members of a local body of believers without being corrected. These people are to be confronted and dealt with by the local body of believers but it should never be over color of skin or nationality.

CHALLENGE:  If we do it for that reason we are being hypocrites!!!

DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers

: 21      I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain. (114 “frustrate” [atheteo] means to set aside, to disesteem, neutralize or violate, cast off, bring to nought, reject, or despise)

DEVOTION:  There is only one way to heaven. It is through Jesus Christ alone. The law of Moses teaches all what sin is but it is not through the law that we can be justified before God. The Christians in Jerusalem had individuals in the church teaching false doctrine. They were false teachers in the first church.

They were trying to teach that circumcision was necessary for salvation. They were causing havoc in the church. Peter had the ministry to the Jews while Paul had the ministry to the Gentiles.

However, when Peter was in Antioch he was dining with the Gentiles until the Jews came from Jerusalem. Peter separated himself from the Gentiles for fear of the Jews. He was confronted by Paul because he was causing others to follow him in this practice.

Paul is explaining to the Christians in Galatia that salvation does not come by the works of the law. There is only one way that people are justified today. That way is the work of Christ on the cross. The law of Moses cannot justify anyone. If the law of Moses could justify someone, then Christ’s death on the cross was vain or worthless. He questioned Peter with this truth. The truth of the Gospel was that only through the death, burial and resurrection could salvation come to anyone.

Paul was not going to bring the death of Christ to mean nothing. He was not going to neutralize the shedding of blood by Christ on the cross for the remission of those who follow Christ. God loves us and gives us gifts because of HIS grace. He wanted only to please God and not the people around him.

If we think that we deserve salvation by the works of the Law, HE is wasting HIS grace. We deserve HELL. If we try to fulfill the law, we will fail. The law teaches us that we are sinners and need a Savior. Christ is the only way and HE comes by grace not by works that we do. After salvation we should serve Christ because we want to glorify God with our lives. This service includes doing things that please God. Let’s glorify God today!!!!

CHALLENGE: Base your salvation on the blood of Jesus Christ alone. The works we do are to show the LORD appreciated for providing salvation, not to earn salvation.

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DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:

BODY

Chastity (Purity in living)

Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)

Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)

Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)

Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)

SOUL

Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)

Frugality (wise use of resources)

Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)

Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)

Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)

SPIRIT

Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)

Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)

Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)

Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)

Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)

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DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:

Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)

Revelationverse 1

Gospelverses 2, 5, 7, 14

Truth of the Gospelverse 14

Lawverses 16, 19, 21

God the Father (First person of the Godhead)

Godverses 6, 17, 19, 21

Grace of Godverse 21

God the Son (Second person of the Godhead –God/man, Messiah)

Christ verses 4, 16, 17, 20, 21

Jesusverses 4, 16

Christ Jesus verse 4

Faith of Jesus Christverse 16

Justified by the faith of Christverse 16

Justified by Christverse 17

Crucified verse 20

Son of Godverse 20

Loves believersverse 20

Gave HIMSELF for believersverse 20

God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)

Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)

Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)

Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)

Gentiles (Heathen = uncircumcised)verses 2, 7-9, 12, 14, 15

Titus a Greekverses 1, 3

Uncircumcisionverse 7

Antiochverse 11

Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)

False brethrenverse 4

Spy outverse 4

Bondageverse 4

Subjectionverse 5

Blamedverse 11

Improper separationverse 12

Fearverse 12

Dissembledverse 13

Dissimulationverse 13

Walked not uprightlyverse 14

Sinnersverses 15, 17

Not justified by worksverse 16

Transgressorverse 18

Death of Christ vainverse 21

Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)

Revelationverse 2

Gospelverses 2, 5, 7, 14

Reputationverse 2

Libertyverse 4

Truthverses 5, 14

Graceverses 9, 21

Right hand of fellowshipverse 9

Remember the poorverse 10

Confront one anotherverse 11

Justifiedverses 16, 17

Faithverses 16, 20

Believed verse 16

Alive unto Godverse 19

Crucified with Christverse 20

Lovedverse 20

Righteousnessverse 21

Israel (Old Testament people of God)

Jerusalemverse 1

Circumcisedverse 3

Circumcisionverses 7, 8, 12

Jewsverses 13, 14

Works of the Lawverse 16

Church (New Testament people of God)

Barnabasverses 1, 9, 13

Titusverses 1, 3

Gospel I preachverse 2

Reputationverse 2

Truth of the gospelverse 5

Gospel of the uncircumcisionverse 7

Gospel of the circumcisionverse 7

Peterverses 7-9, 11, 14

Apostleship of the circumcisionverse 8

Pillars of the church:

James, Cephas (Peter), Johnverse 9

Right hand of fellowship to:

Barnabas and Paulverse 9

Jamesverses 9, 12

Last Things (Future Events)

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DONATIONS:

Remember that all donations to Small Church Ministries are greatly appreciated. The treasurer will send a receipt, at the end of the year unless otherwise requested. Please be sure to make check out to “Small Church Ministries.” The address for the treasurer is P.O. Box 604, East Amherst, New York 14051. A second way to give to the ministry is through PayPal on the website: www.smallchurchministries.org.  Also, if you can support this ministry through your local church please use that method.  Thank you.

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QUOTES regarding passage

16 This is one of the most important verses in the Epistle. As already noted, it contains the first mention of the words “justify” or “justification.” “Law” is mentioned for the first time. This is also the first place in the letter in which “faith” is brought forward as the indispensible channel of salvation.

“Justify” (dikaioō; noun, dikaiōsunē; adjective, dikaios) is a forensic term borrowed from the law courts. It means “to declare righteous or innocent.” The opposite of “to justify” is “to condemn” or “to pronounce guilty.” Such a term involves an objective standard, and since righteousness is understood to be the unique characteristic of God, that standard must be the divine standard. In themselves, all persons fall short of this standard—“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom 3:23). But in Christ, God declares all righteous who believe, imputing divine righteousness to them. In this sense, justification does not express an ethical change or influence (though ethical changes follow); rather, it expresses the judicial action of God apart from human merit according to which the guilty are pardoned, acquitted, and then reinstated as God’s children and as fellow heirs with Jesus Christ.

This experience does not happen automatically to all men. It is true that God justifies, but he does so only as he unites a man or woman to Christ, a union that takes place only through the channel of human faith. Faith is the means, not the source, of justification. Faith is trust. It begins with knowledge, so it is not blind. It builds on facts, so it is not speculation. It stakes its life on the outcome, so it is not impractical. Faith is trusting Christ and proving his promises. The expression in the middle of v. 16, literally “we have believed into Christ,” implies an act of personal commitment, not just assenting to the facts concerning Christ, but actually running to him for refuge and seeking mercy.

It is also implied in this commitment that a person will turn his back on the only other apparent possibility—the attempt to be justified by works done in obedience to formal statutes from whatever source. It is important to note that the article is not present in the phrases “observing law” or “works of law.” This means that Paul’s emphasis is not on the Jewish law, the law of Moses, at all, though it includes it, but rather on any system of attempting to please God by good deeds. “Works of law” are “deeds of men.” The introduction of the article into the KJV, RSV, and NIV texts is a defect in these versions.

The threefold repetition of the doctrine of justification by faith in this one verse is important, because it shows the importance the apostle gives to the doctrine. Besides, the three phrases increase in emphasis. The first is general. Paul says, “A man is not justified by observing … law, but by faith in Jesus Christ.” A man is any man, anyone. The second phrase is particular and personal. “We, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law.” This phrase involves Paul himself, as well as all who stand with him in the faith. The final statement is universal: “By observing the law no one will be justified.” The words are literally “all flesh,” i.e., mankind without exception. This universal application of the teaching is heightened by the fact that Paul apparently quotes from Psalm 143:2 (as he also does in Rom 3:20), thereby, adding the stamp of a more general, biblical principle to his statements. (Boice, J. M. (1976). Galatians. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Romans through Galatians (Vol. 10, pp. 448–449). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House)

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16. Justified (δικαιοῦται). See on Rom. 3:20, 26. The meaning to declare or pronounce righteous cannot be consistently carried through Paul’s writings in the interest of a theological fiction of imputed righteousness. See, for example, Rom. 4:25; 1 Cor. 6:11; and all passages where the word is used to describe justification by works of the law, as here, ch. 3:11; 5:4. If one is justified by the works of the law, his righteousness is a real righteousness, founded upon his conformity to the law. Why is the righteousness of faith any less a real righteousness?

By the works of the law (ἐξ ἔργων νόμου). Lit. out of the works, etc. Comp. Rom. 3:20. Works are characteristic of a legal dispensation. Paul often puts “works” alone as representing legal righteousness. See Rom. 4:2, 6; 9:11, 32; 11:6; Eph. 2:9.

But by faith (ἐὰν μὴ). As the Greek stands, it would read, “Is not justified by the works of the law save through faith.” So, unfortunately, Rev. This would mean, as the Romish interpreters, not through works of the law except they be done through faith in Christ, and would ascribe justification to works which grow out of faith. Paul means that justification is by faith alone. The use of ἐὰν μὴ is to be thus explained: A man is not justified by the works of the law: (he is not justified) except by faith in Jesus Christ. Ἐὰν μὴ retains its exceptive force, but the exception refers only to the verb. Comp. εἰ μὴ in Matt. 12:4; L. 4:26, 27; Gal. 1:19; Apoc. 21:27.

By the faith of Jesus Christ (διὰ πίστεως Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ). Properly, Christ Jesus. Faith in Jesus Christ, according to a common usage. See J. 5:42; 1 J. 2:5, 15; Acts 9:31; Mk. 11:22; Rom. 3:22; Gal. 3:22. Paul uses different prepositions in describing the relations of faith and works to righteousness; probably not always with a distinct intention of giving different shades of thought. Here, through (διὰ) faith and out of (ἐξ) works. Here and Rom. 3:30, out of (ἐκ) faith. Philip. 3:9, righteousness through (διὰ) faith, and from (ἐκ) God, resting upon (ἐπὶ) faith. Διὰ marks faith as the medium of justification; ἐκ as the source; ἐπὶ as the foundation. Ἐξ is habitually used with works.

Flesh (σάρξ). See on Rom. 7:5. For no flesh see on Rom. 3:20. (Vincent, M. R. (1887). Word studies in the New Testament (Vol. 4, pp. 104–105). New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons)

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Verse sixteen: The word law here is used in its qualitative ant legalistic sense. It denotes divine law looked upon as a purely legalistic system. It consists of statutes. If a person obeys the law, he secures thereby the divine approval. If he disobeys it, he is subject to divine condemnation. The divine approval is a matter of debt which God owes and pays to the person who obeys. This is a salvation which the person merits, and which is given on the basis of works, not grace. We must be careful to note that the Bible nowhere teaches this concept of divine law so far as a lost sinner is concerned, and with reference to his salvation from sin. This concept had its origin in the thought and practice of man all down the ages since its inception in the heart of Cain. Paul had held this view as a self-righteous Pharisee. The commandment which he thought was ordained to give life, he found to be a ministration of death (Rom. 7:10). He admits, that with all the racial superiority and privileges inferred in what he says in verse 15, that even Jews found out that they could not be declared righteous by virtue of their obedience to the legal enactments of the Mosaic law.

But is not adversative but exceptive. Faith here refers to the acceptance of that which accredits itself as true, and a corresponding trust in the person concerning whom the facts are presented. The expression, of Jesus Christ, is an objective genitive, corresponding to another construction in Greek which is translated in Jesus Christ. By is from dia (δια) which means through, and it indicates the channel through which one secures salvation.

The word justified is from dikaioo (δικαιοο). The cognate noun is dikaiosune (δικαιοσυνε) which means righteousness. Thus the act of God it justifying a believing sinner consists of taking away his guilt and its penalty, since Christ bore both on the cross, and the imputation of a righteousness, even Christ Jesus Himself, in whom the believer stands not only guiltless and uncondemned for time and eternity, but also positively righteous in the sight of the eternal laws of God. (Wuest, K. S. (1997). Wuest’s word studies from the Greek New Testament: for the English reader (Ga 2:16). Grand Rapids: Eerdmans)

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2:16. In this verse, one of the most important in the epistle, the word justified occurs for the first time. It is a legal term, borrowed from the law courts and means “to declare righteous.” Its opposite is “to condemn.” But since people are condemned sinners and God is holy, how can people be justified? In answer, the apostle made a general declaration that negatively man is not justified by observing the Law, but positively, justification is by faith in Jesus Christ. This is a strong affirmation of Paul, Peter, and the rest—introduced by We … know. It is followed by a statement in which Paul explained that he had put this doctrine to the test and validated it in his own experience (v. 16b). Finally, in verse 16c the apostle reaffirmed that justification is by faith and not by works (cf. Gen. 15:6). (Campbell, D. K. (1985). Galatians. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 2, p. 595). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books)

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Justification by faith (vv. 15–16). This is the first appearance of the important word justification in this letter, and probably in Paul’s writings (if, as we believe, Galatians was the first letter he wrote). “Justification by faith” was the watchword of the Reformation, and it is important that we understand this doctrine.

“How should [a] man be just with God?” (Job 9:2) was a vital question, because the answer determined eternal consequences. “The just shall live by his faith” (Hab. 2:4) is God’s answer; and it was this truth that liberated Martin Luther from religious bondage and fear. So important is this concept that three New Testament books explain it to us: Romans (see 1:17), Galatians (see 3:11), and Hebrews (see 10:38). Romans explains the meaning of “the just”; Galatians explains “shall live”; and Hebrews explains “by faith.”

But what is justification? Justification is the act of God whereby He declares the believing sinner righteous in Jesus Christ. Every word of this definition is important. Justification is an act and not a process. No Christian is “more justified” than another Christian. “Having therefore been once-and-for-all justified by faith, we have peace with God” (Rom. 5:1, literal translation). Since we are justified by faith, it is an instant and immediate transaction between the believing sinner and God. If we were justified by works, then it would have to be a gradual process.

Furthermore, justification is an act of God; it is not the result of man’s character or works. “It is God that justifieth” (Rom. 8:33). It is not by doing the “works of the Law” that the sinner gets a right standing before God, but by putting his faith in Jesus Christ. As Paul will explain later in this letter, the Law was given to reveal sin and not to redeem from sin (see Rom. 3:20). God in His grace has put our sins on Christ—and Christ’s righteousness has been put to our account (see 2 Cor. 5:21).

In justification, God declares the believing sinner righteous; He does not make him righteous. (Of course, real justification leads to a changed life, which is what James 2 is all about.) Before the sinner trusts Christ, he stands GUILTY before God; but the moment he trusts Christ, he is declared NOT GUILTY and he can never be called GUILTY again!

Justification is not simply “forgiveness,” because a person could be forgiven and then go out and sin and become guilty. Once you have been “justified by faith” you can never be held guilty before God.

Justification is also different from “pardon,” because a pardoned criminal still has a record. When the sinner is justified by faith, his past sins are remembered against him no more, and God no longer puts his sins on record (see Ps. 32:1–2; Rom. 4:1–8).

Finally, God justifies sinners, not “good people.” Paul declares that God justifies “the ungodly” (Rom. 4:5). The reason most sinners are not justified is because they will not admit they are sinners! And sinners are the only kind of people Jesus Christ can save (Matt. 9:9–13; Luke 18:9–14).

When Peter separated himself from the Gentiles, he was denying the truth of justification by faith, because he was saying, “We Jews are different from—and better than—the Gentiles.” Yet both Jews and Gentiles are sinners (Rom. 3:22–23) and can be saved only by faith in Christ. (Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, pp. 694–695). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books)

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2:16 works … faith. Three times in this verse Paul declares that salvation is only through faith in Christ and not by law. The first is general, “a man is not justified”; the second is personal, “we may be justified”; and the third is universal, “no flesh will be justified.” justified. This basic forensic Gr. word describes a judge declaring an accused person not guilty and therefore innocent before the law. Throughout Scripture it refers to God’s declaring a sinner not guilty and fully righteous before Him by imputing to him the divine righteousness of Christ and imputing the man’s sin to his sinless Savior for punishment, (see notes on Ro 3:24; Php 3:8, 9). works of the Law. Keeping the law is a totally unacceptable means of salvation because the root of sinfulness is in the fallenness of man’s heart, not his actions. The law served as a mirror to reveal sin, not a cure for it (see notes on 3:22–24; Ro 7:7–13; 1Ti 1:8–11). (MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2006). The MacArthur study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Ga 2:16). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers)

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Ver. 16. Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, &c.] That is, Peter, Paul, Barnabas, and other believing Jews knew this, and that from the law itself, which requires perfect and sinless obedience, and accuses, holds guilty, and adjudges to condemnation and death for the least failure, both as to matter or manner of duty; and from the prophets, which declare that by the deeds of the law no flesh can be justified in the sight of God, and who bear witness to the doctrines of remission of sin, and justification by the righteousness of Christ; and from the Gospel, in which this truth is most clearly revealed; and from the illumination of the blessed spirit, who led them into all truth; and from the revelation of Jesus Christ they were favoured with; and from their own experience, being fully convinced of the exceeding sinfulness of sin, the insufficiency of their own righteousness, and of the necessity, suitableness, and fulness of the righteousness of Christ. By the works of the law are meant, not only obedience to the ceremonial law, though this is included, but also to the moral law; for it can hardly be thought, that the men the apostle opposes could ever dream of justification by their compliance with the rituals of the ceremonial law, if they believed there could be no justification by their obedience to the moral law; for if there is no justification by the latter, there can be none by the former: the words are therefore to be taken in the largest sense, as rejecting all works of the law, of whatsoever kind, from justification in the sight of God; and such works are designed, as are performed by sinful men in and of themselves, otherwise men are justified by the works of the law as performed by Christ in their room and stead, but not by any as performed by themselves, for at best they are very imperfect, and so can’t justify; they are opposed to the grace of God, to which the justification of a sinner is always ascribed, and therefore can’t be by works; such a scheme would disannul the death of Christ, and promote boasting in men, and indeed is impracticable and impossible: but by the faith of Jesus Christ; not by that faith, which Christ, as man, had in God, who promised him help, succour, and assistance, and for which he, as man, trusted in him, and exercised faith upon him; but that faith of which he is the object, author, and finisher; and not by that as a cause, for faith has no causal influence on the justification of a sinner; it is not the efficient cause, for it is God that justifies; nor the moving cause, or which induces God to justify any, for that is his own free grace and good will; nor the meritorious or procuring cause, for that is the obedience and bloodshed of Christ; nor is faith the matter of justification; it is not a justifying righteousness; it is a part of sanctification; it is imperfect; as an act it is a man’s own, and will not continue for ever in its present form, nature, and use; and is always distinguished from the righteousness of God, by which we are justified, which is perfect, is another’s, and will last for ever. Men are not justified by faith, either as an habit, or an act; not by it as an habit or principle, this would be to confound justification and sanctification; nor as an act, for as such it is a man’s own, and then justification would be by a man’s works, contrary to the Scripture: but faith is to be taken either objectively, as it relates to Christ, the object of it, and his justifying righteousness; or as it is a means of receiving and apprehending Christ’s righteousness; the discovery of it is made to faith; that grace discerns the excellency and suitableness of it, approves of it, rejects a man’s own, lays hold on this, and rejoices in it: even we have believed in Jesus Christ; we who are Jews by nature, being fully apprized that there is no justification by the works of the law, but by the righteousness of Christ, received by faith, have quitted all confidence in our own works, and are come to Christ, and believe in him, not only as the Messiah, but as the Lord our righteousness: that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law; not that faith, as before observed, has any causal influence on justification. These Jews did not believe in Christ, in order by their believing to procure their justification before God, and acceptance with him, but that they might receive, by faith, this blessing from the Lord in their own conscience, and enjoy the comfort of it, and all that spiritual peace which results from it, and which they could not find in the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified; reference seems to be had to Psal. 143:2 and contains a reason why these believing Jews relinquished Moses in his law, in whom they formerly trusted, and looked to, and depended on Christ for their justification, because that by obedience to the law of works no sinful mortal man can be justified in the sight of God. (Gill, J. (1809). An Exposition of the New Testament (Vol. 3, pp. 7–8). London: Mathews and Leigh)

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FROM MY READING: 

(Remember the only author that I totally agree with is the HOLY SPIRIT in the inerrant WORD OF GOD called THE BIBLE! All other I try to gleam what I can to help me grow in the LORD!!)

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“When believers have a godly ministry that exalts the Lord and obeys the Word, they are only too glad to bring their tithes and offerings to support it. A worldly ministry that seeks only to fulfill its own ambitions does not deserve the support of God’s people.” from (Be Determined: Nehemiah by Warren Wiersbe)

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Kay has on Facebook: When you carry a Bible, the devil gets a headache. When you open it, he collapses. When he sees you reading it, he faints. When he sees you living it, he flees. And just when you’re about to Share this, he will try to discourage you. IJUST DEFEATED him.

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Why Young People Leave the Church … And Why They Stay

You know what I’m happy to leave behind in the 2010s? All those headlines about how Millennials are killing everything. “Millennials are killing mayonnaise,”  “Millennials are killing golf,” and “Millennials are killing real estate because they spend all their money on avocado toast.” Yes, those are real headlines.

Sadly, there’s at least one Millennial-related headline we can’t leave in the last decade: Millennials are killing churches.

According to Pew Research, four in ten Americans between the ages of 23 and 38 now say they are religiously unaffiliated. This is the biggest drop in religiosity between generations ever recorded.

While part of the hemorrhaging is explained by the forty-year decline in mainline Protestant bodies, evangelicals are not off the hook. We cannot say that conservative theology, in and of itself, is enough to shrink-proof your church. The Southern Baptist Convention, for example, America’s largest evangelical denomination, just hit a 30-year membership low.

Young people have left evangelical churches and are still leaving, and new data can fix some of our wrong thinking about it.

For instance, I’ve heard for years that young people who leave church in their college years will come back, as if nothing can or should be done about it. Let’s set aside for a moment what should be obvious, that we should never be okay with anyone ever rejecting Christ or His church.

According to a study by the American Enterprise Institute, Millennials who drop out of church often end up staying away permanently. Maybe in the past, young adults who wandered away tended to become religious again when they got married and had kids. But things have changed, and there seems to be three main differences.

First, many young adults today who leave the church never had strong religious ties to begin with. Whether their parents didn’t attend services regularly or they were passed back and forth between homes with different beliefs, many young adults weren’t raised with God or His people at the center of their lives.

Second, those who drop out and have gotten married tend to have a spouse who is also not religious. For obvious reasons, this makes them less likely to go through the effort of making it to Sunday services or raising their families in the faith.

Finally, Millennial church dropouts are unlikely to view religion as a necessary part of teaching their own children morality. This is quite a change from past generations, which often returned to church after a youthful rumspringa because they had kids and wanted them to grow up to be good people.

Another claim I often hear these days is that growing number of dropouts are actually a good thing because it is separating true believers from cultural Christians. I get the spirit behind this claim, but it’s misguided in at least two ways.

First, God often uses the culture we are born in to introduce us to Christ. Think about it: Are you more likely to hear about your need for Jesus in a culture with a church on every corner, or in a culture in which churches have been turned into bars? And second, the Gospel still has an effect on those who come to church for the wrong reasons, like social acceptability.

So what lesson can we take from this new data? First the bad news: We really are losing a generation of young churchgoers, and they’re probably not coming back—at least not if we stay the current course.

The good news: We now know with even greater clarity the difference parents make, and we can apply that with members of Generation Z. Parents who prioritize church as a central part of their family life, who teach their children to take Christianity seriously, and who encourage them to marry fellow believers, have the best chance of seeing not only their children but also their grandchildren in the pews beside them.

That’s why I’m really excited to invite you to this year’s Wilberforce Weekend on May 14-17 in Washington D.C. On that Friday morning, we kick off our special pre-conference focusing on how we can prepare the next generation of believers to face the challenges of our culture. Joining me will be Sean McDowell, Brett Kunkle, J. Warner Wallace, and Natasha Crain. Come to WilberforceWeekend.org to learn more and to register.  (BreakPoint)

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Deuteronomy 28

The people receive the blessings of Mount Gerazim.

INSIGHT

A sword and a plowshare are laid on the valley floor between Ebal and Gerazim. Blessings are piled upon pile-until you wonder if the blessings can be contained. The Lord outdoes Himself, searching His omniscience to find ways of blessing Israel. Obviously, He takes great pleasure in doing good to them.

But in the shadow of the plowshare lies a sword. The 14 verses of blessings are followed by 54 verses of the most heart-rending curses imaginable.

How evil, how unspeakably terrible is sin. Thank God that He has delivered us from it. Thank God that, through Christ, we may taste of His blessings forever. (Quiet Walk)

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Lessons from Amos: Walking with God
“Can two walk together, except they be agreed?” (Amos 3:3)
Amos was a prophet during the reign of Jeroboam II (son of Joash), who ruled the northern 10 tribes of Israel from 825 to 784 BC (2 Kings 14:23). Some 100 years earlier, Jeroboam I (son of Nebat) had led a rebellion against the son of Solomon and started the northern nation of Israel (1 Kings 12). In order to keep his people from returning to Jerusalem, Jeroboam I “made Israel to sin” (1 Kings 12:30; 16:26; etc.) by developing a “new” religion centered on an image of a golden calf, with idol temples in Bethel and Dan (1 Kings 12:28-29).

Those northern tribes never returned to the worship of Jehovah but “sinned against the LORD,” and Israel “feared other gods” (2 Kings 17:7). The list of their sins is long and grievous in God’s sight.

They “did secretly those things that were not right against the LORD” (2 Kings 17:9).

Israel set up “images and groves in every high hill” (2 Kings 17:10).

They “wrought wicked things to provoke the LORD to anger” (2 Kings 17:11).

They “worshipped all the host of heaven” (2 Kings 17:16).

They “used divination and enchantments, and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger” (2 Kings 17:17).

They “feared the LORD, and served their own gods” (2 Kings 17:33).

Amos was commissioned in those dark years to openly confront the nation to “walk” in “agreement” with the God they professed to worship. Hypocrisy is at the core of the judgment and warnings that God recorded for us in the little book of Amos. We must learn the lessons or suffer the same judgment.

             (HMM III, The Institute for Creation Research)

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ETERNAL LIFE
…that he should give eternal life….  John 17:2
Let us try to understand exactly what is true of this life. Let me give you some of the New Testament definitions of it. We are told that as a result of having this life we become sons of God or children of God: “For ye are all the children of God,” says the apostle Paul in Galatians 3:26. Another phrase, used by John in his first epistle, is that we are “born of God” (1 John 5:1); and in John 3:8 we read that we are “born of the Spirit.”
The apostle Peter describes it by saying that we become “partakers of the divine nature” (2 Peter 1:4)—an astounding statement. In another place he tells us that we are “begotten . . . again”(1 Peter 1:3)—we are regenerated.
Now all those terms, and others too, are used in the New Testament in order to give us some conception and understanding of the quality and nature of eternal life. And it was in order to give us this marvelous life that the Lord Jesus Christ came into the world. That is why He went to the cross, that is why He was buried and rose again—so that you and I might become sons of God, children of God, born of God, partakers of the divine nature, that we might be regenerated and made anew and receive a new life. But I must hasten to add, it is very important that we should not misconstrue any of these great, exalted terms.
Not one of them means that you and I become divine. We do not cease to be human. We are not turned into gods. We must never put such a meaning to those great terms. It does not mean that the divine essence, as it were, is infused into us. We are still human, though we are partakers of the divine nature.
A Thought to Ponder: Christ went to the cross that we might become children of God and receive a new life.

            (From Saved in Eternity, pp. 150-151, by Dr. Martyn Lloyd=-Jones)

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Rich Toward God

Godliness with contentment is great gain.

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