Definition of Justification (2:16) – Because of sin, man has been separated from God. Justification means to b= e made right with God. The Jews at t= he time Galatians was written attempted justification through the keeping and practice of the three pillars of Judaism – Circumcision, Holy Diet, &= amp; keeping the Sabbath. However, Paul tells us in Galatians 2:16, that Justification is simply a matter of faith in Christ.

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Wrong Assumption = – There are many wrong assumptions among both Christians and Non-Christians a= bout how a man is justified before God. Christians may know justification is by faith in Christ, but still attempt through their holy works to be justified before God. Non-Christians may try to skirt the simplicity of faith in Christ, through a righteous lifestyle. Both assume t= hat God will in someway change His mind about man being justified by faith in Christ only.

No Flesh ‘<= i>Will Be’ Justified (2:16) – The Bible tells the future= for anybody with the wrong assumption about how a man is justified. It says in Galatians 2:16, no fles= h will be justified. Will be* … refers to the future when we stand before God trying to pawn off our man made ways of justification before the very person of God.<= /o:p>*

Fai= th in Christ (2:16) – Our being made right with God, our justification is only through faith in Jesus Christ.

See= king to be Justified in Christ (2:17) – If we hypothetically put ourselves in the sho= es of a Jewish-Believer at the time Galatians was written, what would we see?<= span style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> Somebody seeking to be justified in Christ! He anticipates that justification through faith will be his future. His hope and trust is that God wil= l not judge him based on the food he eats, or whether or not he keeps the Sabbath. His hope is faith! His beginning was faith! His future will be faith! When he stands before = the Lord … faith!

Bei= ng Found a Sinner (2:17) - If we continue the hypothetical scenario of this Jewish-Believer, what does it mean, that while he is seeking to be justified in Christ, he is found a sinner? Does this mea= n he just got weak one night and committed sin?= That is not what Paul means. Galatians 2:15 defines, in context of Galatians chapter two, what a sinner is – a sinner from among the gentiles, a lawless doomed gentil= e, a guy who does not keep the law, or a hell-bound fool. So this Jewish-Believer, having a wonderful time in the church life, seeking to be justified, enjoying the freedom in Christ, gets confused about faith. He thinks, “Faith may not be enough, look how long it has been since I have kept the Sabbath, I am no different from the Gentiles.” He begins to think of himself as a pers= on who is wrong with God, because he is not following the law. Now he is found a sinner.

Christ a Minister= of Sin (2:17) &#= 8211; This is serious to suggest that faith in Christ has made me a sinner, and t= herefore not right with God. It is to = say, Christ did not minister faith to me, He ministered sin to me. Christ is the= one responsible for leading me to live in sin – This is a serious charge before God and Christ! And Pa= ul answers this question emphatically, “Is Christ then a minister of sin?” – with Absolutely Not!

Bui= lding Again the Things Which I Have Destroyed (2:18) – Faith is like a wre= cking ball that destroys all the experiences in our life, (whether - sinful, religious, or legalistic) that we were in before our justification with God. Faith does not destroy t= he law. But faith comes into our= lives and destroys all the old things in our life. In Galatians, faith came in and wr= ecked their law-keeping lifestyle. = Even though today we may not be law-keepers, when faith in Christ comes in, it starts to level everything that is in our life. The more we follow Christ, the more faith comes in and destroys all the things of our old man. If our vision becomes unclea= r that faith in Christ is the only way we are justified before God, we will go back and build again all the things faith has destroyed.<= /p>

I Prove Myself to= be a Transgressor (2:18) – When we attempt to build again the things wh= ich faith destroyed, we prove that it was not the Apostle Paul, Christ, or faith who was off, but it was me who was off. I am the transgressor for not trust= ing in justification by faith alone. We must be very c= lear that man is just= ified through faith in Jesus Christ alone and nothing else, or we will build again the things faith destroyed and prove ourselves to be a transgressor.=

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