Justified by Faith

As we've been exploring the book of Galatians, we've seen how Paul emphasizes the core message of the gospel: that salvation comes through faith in Jesus Christ, not by following religious rules or traditions. Paul starts by defending this truth, making it clear that our relationship with God is built on grace, not on anything we can do to earn it. He also shares his personal story, showing how his life was transformed by this message, which he received directly from Christ.

Today's focus, Galatians 2:11-24, is on a significant moment when Paul confronted Peter for pulling back from eating with Gentile believers because of pressure from others who insisted on following Jewish customs. Paul called out this behavior because it suggested that faith in Jesus wasn’t enough, that the old laws still mattered for being accepted by God. Paul’s strong response was a reminder that we are made right with God through faith alone, not by following rules. This confrontation was important because it reinforced the central truth of the gospel—our right standing with God comes from what Jesus did for us, not from our ability to follow the law.

The freedom Paul talks about is life-changing. It’s about living by faith, allowing Jesus to guide us, and resisting the temptation to fall back into legalism—the idea that we need to earn God’s favor by following certain rules. It’s about finding the freedom to love others as Christ loves us without the barriers of judgment or exclusion and the freedom to live boldly into the grace of God, knowing that our salvation is secured not because of what we do but because of what Christ has done.