A Summary of The True Gospel 

 

  ^{© Stuart Olyott}

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Everything to this point in Paul's letter  is written to prove that Paul's message is indeed the true gospel.  He now declares to us what this glorious true gospel is!

1. The Message of Justification

This word is the very centre of the gospel - the heart of Paul's message.  We are familiar with the legal word of condemn, meaning to declare someone guilty.  Today, we would use the word innocent to be the very opposite of this and this is the message of justification - to be declared not guilty.  Two things must be clear to us from scripture and our understanding of our own live - God is righteous, he is pure, just and true whilst we are none of these things.  We are therefore enemies of God for such opposites cannot leave in peace.  There is however an undeserved act of kindness by God whereby He makes sinners right with himself, He pardons them, accepts them and welcomes them into His presence.  How can this be?  This is the question that the gospel of justification answers.

2. How man is not justified

Man is not justified through the Law of God.  The Jewish false teachers troubling the Galatians' church were teaching that fulfillment of the Law of God would bring justification and acceptance with God.  This message is that a man can earn his way into favour with God - it is a message that flatters the ego of every man - that it is his own efforts that make him right - there is no reliance on another.  Paul is clear - none can keep the whole Law of God but Christ.  This false message is a lie and leads to destruction.

3. How man is justified

True justification comes by faith in the work of the Lord Jesus Christ.  Despite fully keeping the law, on the cross he died to bear the punishment for our sin.  If I trust in Him, I do not need to live a perfect live for another has done so in my place.  If I believe, I do not need to live a damnable death for another did so in my place.  There is a second part of God's work, not only did Jesus bear our guilt, but His righteousness is added to our account.  This is God's way to justify man, to declare him righteous.

4. The difficulty this truth creates

Surely if man need do nothing but trust in the work of Christ alone for his justification then he can live as he wants?  If the work of Christ thus allows sin in this manner then is not Christ himself encouraging and promoting sin?  In response, we must not say that the Christian needs to live a better life to maintain his justification as this reinforces the view that good works are a necessary part of salvation and detracts from the simplicity of faith in Christ's work alone.  The truth is that we who believe are united with Christ, as He died we died and as He rose to life so did we.  Through the new covenant found in Christ's sacrifice we have 2 blessings, a new record in heaven and a new nature on earth.  If we are united with Christ and have a new nature on earth how can we wish to continue in our sin?  How can I carry on doing the very things that meant my Lord had to die in humiliation on a cross?

5. The difficulty this truth avoids

If I can keep the law myself, I can attain acceptance with God by my own merits, then I can receive the glory for my efforts.  However, we now understand that this position is futile as none can attain such a position.  Therefore the message of justification allow for 2 essential and glorious truths - the grace of God and the cross of Christ.  Only through the true message and understanding of justification need we consider such things - and these give great glory to God.  There is no place for our own self, God is central and all in all - to Him be all the Glory, honour and praise!

So, five questions that you must answer;

A. Do you see that your greatest need is justification, pardon and acceptance by God?

B. Do you see that the path to justification does not lie within yourself?

C. Do you accept that the only way to justification is through the blood of Jesus Christ?

D. Do you understand that a Christian cannot continue to live a life of sin, not because this contributes to his salvation but because we are united with Christ?

E. Do you see that the glory of the gospel lies in the grace of God displayed through the cross of Christ?