Justified by the Faith of Jesus Christ !

Gal 2:16

16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.

This post will do at least two things, it will take away from the proud religionist his occasion for boasting, and it shall establishe the hated Gospel Truth of limited atonement !

Paul here cutting at the foundation of work Salvation/Justification by saying that a man is not Justified [before God] by the works of the law, meaning any and all conditions that man does, the word law here is without the definite article in the original, so all types of works/ laws are included. The word works, the greek word ergon:

work, task, employment; a deed, action; that which is wrought or made, a work.

a work or worker who accomplishes something. 2041 /érgon ("work") is a deed (action) that carries out (completes) an inner desire (intension, purpose).

That covers the will of man ! It covers any doing, or any behavior ! The word Law nomos:

usage, custom, law; in NT: of law in general, plur: of divine laws; of a force or influence impelling to action; of the Mosaic law; meton: of the books which contain the law, the Pentateuch, the Old Testament scriptures in general.

That covers any and all commands ! of any law whatsoever

a law or rule producing a state approved of God, i. e. by the observance of which we are approved of God,

How many in false relgion think like this ? If a man observes water baptism, they become approved before God, or if one obeys the rule or command to repent, they become approved of God based upon that rule of action ! It goes the same for the command or rule to believe the Gospel, or to Have Faith,

All these things are attempting to be Justified [before God] by works of law, commands and on and on !

Paul says, but no, a man is not Justified by his doings, but by the Faith/Faithfulness of Jesus Christ. It means that a person/persons, in lieu of anything they did, that they have been Justified, Made Righteous, for they are the same thing, or Made Right before God and with God, by the Faithfulness of Jesus Christ, a Faithfulness of His that culminates in His death upon the Cross Phil 2:8

8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient/Faithful unto death, even the death of the cross.

So Jesus could say Rev 2:10

Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.

And Christ's Obedience and or Faithfulness unto death, results in all for He died, are made Right, Righteous, Just, Justified before God. The same Truth is found in Rom 5:19b

19 For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience/Faithfulness of one shall many be made righteous.

Thats exactly what Gal 2:16 says here

16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith/obedience of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.

Its a done deal, thats why Jesus could say in His expiring moments, this Jn 19:30

30 When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.

All for whom He died, which are all those given to Him by the Father in Election of Grace, which had fell in Adam, they have been made Right with God, with an everlasting Righteousness !

 

Justified by the Faith of Jesus Christ !2

Now the fruit of having been Justified by the obedience or Faithfulness of Christ, the fruit shall be Justified by Faith in Christ. See all who have been before God's Law and Justice Justified by the Faithfulness of Jesus Christ [To Covenant engagements], they shall be given by the Spirit, the fruit of Faith, to see it and rest in it, embrace it, and receive peace by it; Its like this, Those whom Christ died for and redeemed by His Blood, they are given the Spirit Gal 3:13-14

13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:

14 That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

You see that ? Redemption brings the reception of the Spirit, thats automatic !

Again Gal 4:4-6

4 But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,

5 To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.

6 And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.

Again, redemption, the reception of the Spirit in our hearts ! This was a Covenant Promise Ezk 36:27

And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.

Thats the Spirit of Adoption, which shows us to be Sons Rom 8:15

For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

Again its a Covenant Blessing Ezk 37:14

And shall put my spirit in you, and ye shall live, and I shall place you in your own land: then shall ye know that I the Lord have spoken it, and performed it, saith the Lord.

Note: We cannot begin to Live for God or unto God, until He puts His Spirit in us with Spiritual Life !

And of course the Spirit of Adoption put into us produces Faith Gal 5:22, and by this Faith we receive into our minds and hearts the Truth of all that has been accomplished for us by the Faithfulness of Christ, hence the Faithfulness of Christ is the meritorious ground or basis for our Justification before God, and Faith in Christ is the fruit of it, thats why its no room for boasting. We can only believe on/in Christ, after its been revealed in and to us by the Spirit, what He has already done for us !

 

Justified by the Faith of Jesus Christ !3

Gal 2:16

16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith/faithfulness of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.

yet we know that a person is not justified by doing what the Law requires, but rather by the faithfulness of Jesus the Messiah. We, too, have believed in the Messiah Jesus so that we might be justified by the faithfulness of the Messiah and not by doing what the Law requires, for no human being will be justified by doing what the Law requires. ISV

Now what Faith or Faithfulness of Christ constitutes the basis for the Justification before God for those He died for ? Its Christ's obedience/ faithfulness to a Covenant of Redemption, a Covenant wherein He was required to shed His Blood, or lay down His Life, a Commandment Jn 10:18

Hence its the Blood of the Everlasting Covenant Heb 13:20

20 Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant,

Note: He did this as the Shepherd of the Sheep or the Elect !

Which blood is also the blood of the New Covenant/Testament Matt 26:28, same word, and for this cause it was written in the Prophets, the Christ, the Elect Servant of God, for a Elect People of God obviously would be a Covenant of the People, because all He would do and accomplish in His Incarnation, would be in Faithfulness to Covenant engagements, for a People He was made a Surety for Heb 7:22

22 By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament[The Everlasting Covenant].

And He would see the fruit of that Covenant Faithfulness Isa 42:6b-7

6 I the Lord have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles;Proving that The Gentiles partake in the Everlasting Covenant !

7 To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house.

John Gill writes on said phrase " and give thee for a covenant of the people"

Its because of this Covenant Faithfulness of Christ, He honored God's Law for us by His Life and Death Isa 42:21

21 The Lord is well pleased for his righteousness' sake; he will magnify the law, and make it honourable.

Those He died for are Justified before God by the Faithfulness of Jesus Christ !