While reading in Galatians tonight, a topic that is brought up numerous times in the Bible, jumped out at me once again. Paul wrote this letter to the churches in Galatia to counter the claims of the legalistic Judaizers. The legalistic Judaizers were trying to persuade the Galatians that they needed to be circumcised and keep in the law of Moses in order to be saved. However, Paul had some words against this belief.
First off, Paul told them that the gospel he preached was NOT from man; that it indeed WAS from God. He also told them of his past concerning "the way" and how he persecuted all those who partook in it. But God had set him apart at birth to preach the gospel to the gentiles. By God's grace, Jesus was shown to him and he did not consult any man.
When Peter came to Antioch, Paul opposed him because he was acting like a hypocrite. Before certain men came, he would eat with the Gentiles. But after they arrived, he separated himself from the Gentiles because he was afraid. Just because the Gentiles had not been circumcised and they did not follow the law of Moses, the circumcised party did not want anything to do with them. They were not doing what Jesus would have done and therefor were in the wrong.
When Paul opposed Peter about this, he stated that "man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ." Gal 2:16 The law is only there to show us that we need salvation; and that salvation can only come from Jesus Christ. There are still those who need to be reminded of this. And, also, reminded they cannot do just good works to be justified. Only faith in Jesus Christ will be your justification.
"I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!" Galatians 2:20-21
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