Galatians 2:15-16 - Back to the Basics
- Joshua Carpenter
- Jul 15
- 3 min read
Let go of your “I do it…” theology and get back to the basics.
Galatians 2:15-16 (NIV)
15 “We who are Jews by birth and not sinful Gentiles 16 know that a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified.
Canons of Dordt
Article 5: The Inadequacy of the Law
What is true of the light of nature is true also of the Ten Commandments
given by God through Moses
specifically to the Jews.
For humans cannot obtain saving grace through the Decalogue, because,
although it does expose the magnitude of their sin
and increasingly convict them of their guilt,
yet it does not offer a remedy or enable them to escape from human misery,
and, indeed, weakened as it is by the flesh, leaves the offender under the curse.
Summary
Towards the end of February, 2024, my wife and I welcomed our son into the world, and in the past almost year and half, he has grown so much! He’s beginning to pick up so many different words, among his favorite are animal sounds. As any parent knows, the day will soon be here when he says, “I do it!” as only a toddler can. Whether it’s putting on their shoes (most likely on the wrong feet), or trying to feed themselves, this child is going to do it themselves!
As we take a look at Paul’s letter to the churches in Galatia, we find they had been led astray by some who said that they needed to undergo circumcision in order for God to welcome them. But that wasn’t the case! This kind of thinking is like that of a toddler saying, “I do it…”, thinking that there was something they needed to do to add to their salvation for God to receive them.
But that kind of thinking is spiritually lethal! It ties salvation to law keeping. So Paul warns these believers, calling them, and us, back to the basics of salvation in his reminder that we are justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified.
The Canons echo this when it says For man cannot obtain saving grace through the Decalogue (i.e. Ten Commandments)... Paul calls these believers back to the basics of the Gospel - that we are saved by grace through faith alone in Christ Jesus.
Dig Deeper
Standing some two thousand years down the road, we probably find this thought of the need to be circumcised in order to be saved preposterous, perhaps even silly. But the thing is, this “I do it…” theology is still alive and well today. As is often the case, wrong theology stays the same, it just wears different clothes, or presents itself in different ways.
There can be times where we slip into this “I do it…” theology in our own lives and walk with the Lord, wondering if we’re doing enough good for God to accept us, to love us, to welcome us into Heaven. But it is bad theology that needs to be discarded!
These are times where we, too, need to get back to the basics of the Gospel. We are not justified (made right with God) based on anything we do, only by the precious blood of the Lamb that we trust in wholeheartedly. Of course, as new creations in Christ, we’ll walk in faith and obedience to God’s will through the enabling work of the Holy Spirit, bearing good fruit, but we are not justified by the good that we do.
So, when the enemy tempts you to wonder if you’ve done enough for God to accept you, to love you, turn your eyes to the Lord, to the Gospel, asking for His help to overcome the lies and doubts of the enemy. If you have slipped into this mindset, ask God for His grace and forgiveness, asking Him to help you get back to the basics.
ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who sent His Son that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the Law;
ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Thank God for the basic training that comes from His Word, and pray that He will keep you close to it;
ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:
Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Luke 13
Comments