Justified.
Adj.
Having, done for, or marked by a good or legitimate reason: the doctors were justified in treating her.
Theology Declared or made righteous in the sight of God
Printing Having been adjusted so that the print fills a space evenly or forms a straight line at one or both margins : [in combination] :the text is left-justified
Verb
Show or prove to be right or reasonable: the person appointed has fully justified our confidence.
Theology declare or make righteous in the sight of God: one of the elect, justified by faith.
Printing adjust (a line of type or piece of text) so that the print fills a space evenly or forms a straight edge at one or both margins: in most European languages you justify text by adding space between letters and words.
Justified by Faith. What does that mean for us, exactly?
What are we Justified for?
How did it come about?
What does that justification mean now?
Why is this so important?
Continuing in Galatians, I believe that when Paul addresses Peter to remind him of the nature of the gospel- we are able to see each answer in its wondrous and beautiful truth:
We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners, yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.
But if, in our endeavor to be justified in Christ, we too were found to be sinners, is Christ then a servant of sin? Certainly not! For if I rebuild what I tore down, I prove myself to be a transgressor. For through the laws I died to the law, so that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.
Galatians 2:15-21
What are we justified for?
Relationship with God through Jesus Christ. (Galatians 2:16)
How did it come about?
The crucifixion, resurrection and ascension of Jesus. JESUS justified us with God. (Galatians 2:20)
What does that justification mean now?
In the context of Paul's account, it meant that the law was not the source of relationship or the avenue for the Jews to pursue. The Messiah- Jesus- fulfilled the debt with God to end separation with His people and enter back into the original design of intimate relationship. Jesus BORE ALL sin for creation to become right with God again. Furthermore, all the laws the Jewish people had been following up to the point of Jesus death, resurrection and ascension- were no longer needed, yet still important (we see later in this book as well in other places of Scripture that behavior and conduct that was expected by the law would now become the fruit of relationship with God- a marker of salvation rather than a means of salvation) (Galatians 2:17-21)
For us- it is a GREAT and eternal reminder that nothing we do (or fail to do) puts us in a right place with God. We CAN'T justify ourselves....this is good news!
Why is this SO important?
Among many reasons- I would suggest that while studying this piece of Scripture- It is important to be reminded of the source of our righteousness SO THAT we are not persuaded to believe that our actions, religious traditions, moral behavior, etc have anything to do AT ALL with our subsequent justification with God and salvation in Jesus. Even on our best day- we fall short! (Romans 3:23) Listen to me again- our church attendance, good deeds, offerings, school board positions, grace extended at work, patience with our kids- NONE of that justifies you with God....Jesus is the only way to God and Paul was reminding Peter (as he is reminding the church in Galatia) circumcision, religious legacy, bloodlines, etc are not the source of the Gospel- JESUS is.
I haven't written anything on this passage yet because I just haven't been able to move past it nor feel the weight of what God was saying to me- yet. It's a good reminder for myself and anyone reading this, studying scripture isn't just a routine to do as a Christian insofar as needing to go through a book of the Bible on a schedule and make sure to answer and learn and check that off the list and move on....Sometimes, hanging out and chewing on pieces of scripture for days, weeks, months- even years is a part of God's process. We have eternity NOW to get to know Him (John 17:3)...that doesn't start after death, we are new creations in Christ NOW (Galatians 2:20). An eternal God has allllll the time in existence to teach and reveal- sometimes it's up to us to surrender routine and agenda to His methods and ways.
In light of my own process and desire to lean in to Galatians, it has been a struggle to not post daily- because that would be responsible and expected, right? In another season of my life I had pursued something similar to this blog and had a friend warn me that "I better follow through because she was entrusting people to me as she suggested them to read the content I was providing". In that season, my health took a hit and I was unable to provide content regularly- because of this person's comment, I was battling feelings of failure and inadequacy. I honestly questined if I would ever write again because "I wasn't trustworthy to complete things I had started". Well, thank goodness that God starts and finishes His ideas (Phil 1:6) and He made me to be a writer and revealer.
So, what is God revealing to me in this passage with the context above?
We were not created for function, but for relationship.
I wasn't created to go to church, lead a moral life, get married, have a ministry, have kids, sing and write, etc....
I was created for relationship with God. That relationship suffered separation and required restitution. The restitution could never be completed by any amount of human desire or action or performance or law, but required a sacrifice of life fully surrendered and bound in relationship to God. Jesus did that- for real. He did it and that was the end of it. The work is finished, the law is finished. All the things that I desire to do as a new being in Christ, I now do from relationship with God rather than for it. IE) I go to church because it pleases God that I would make a point to get together with my community not because it gains favor with Him or makes Him love me more. Think of it this way- I don't do laundry and dishes for my husband to love me, I do it because I LOVE HIM. God's not transactional! He doesn't require ANYTHING of us, He just invites us into relationship through Jesus. Love doesn't force, love invites.
Paul closes his address to Peter with "I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then CHRIST DIED FOR NO PURPOSE." (Emphasis mine Galatians 2:21)
It is easier than we like to admit that our routines and behaviors and practices can start to feel like and become our measuring rods of righteousness. That there are other people that are worse off than we are based on any of the metrics discussed in this post....it is easy to believe that changing our or anyone's routines, behaviors and practices would get us closer to God- it is a persuasion and tactic of the enemy that has been around for ages. Let us not forget ourselves that it is by Jesus' blood alone that we are justified and righteous and worthy to step into the presence of God once again. It is by THIS truth any Christian can profess "It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me!" (Galatians 2:20)
I hope that there are those of you reading that have started to think and chew on what this actually means....I hope this stirs you to take inventory of where you have put your faith and effort into how you relate to God (how you do things or what He did for you)....I hope this instills wonder and curiosity and vision for what life with Jesus really looks like- what grace truly is.
I hope you hear the Gospel today in a way you never have.
Lyns
"Now to Him who is able to exceedingly, abundantly more than we can possibly ask or imagine according to the power at work within us- to HIM BE GLORY!!" Ephesians 2:20
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