NO RETURN TO THE LAW Galatians 2:

Gal 2: Now when Peter had come to Antioch, I withstood him to his face, because he was to be blamed; 12 for before certain men came from James, he would eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing those who were of the circumcision.

13 And the rest of the Jews also played the hypocrite with him, so that even Barnabas was carried away with their hypocrisy. NKJV Between Galatians 1:11 and 2:10, Paul details the history of his coming to the revelation of grace and how he went about getting the other key leaders to understand it so they could support and not be a hindrance.

All the key leaders (Peter, James, John and Paul) agreed that salvation was through faith alone, and not through the works of the law. So, Paul is surprised when Peter, who knows the truth, acts against that truth when it suits him. How many church leaders actually know the truth of God’s grace but choose otherwise for whatever reasons?!

Gal 2:14 14 But when I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter before them all, "If you, being a Jew, live in the manner of Gentiles and not as the Jews, why do you compel Gentiles to live as Jews? NKJV

Peter knew the truth even before Paul. God spoke to him in a vision and sent him to Cornelius’ house, a gentile; where he ate and lived with them, which was against the law; and he too was resisted. At Antioch, Paul confronted him openly, even though Peter was his ‘senior’ in the church. We don’t see Peter using his position to fight back. He received the rebuke. We need this openness in Church.

Acts 10: Then he said to them, "You know how unlawful it is for a Jewish man to keep company with or go to one of another nation. But God has shown me that I should not call any man common or unclean. 29 Therefore I came without objection as soon as I was sent for. I ask, then, for what reason have you sent for me?" NKJV

Acts 11:2-3 2 And when Peter came up to Jerusalem, those of the circumcision contended with him, 3 saying, "You went in to uncircumcised men and ate with them!" NKJV

Gal 2: We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles, 16 knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified. NKJV

According to Pharisaic Jews, all Gentiles were sinners with no salvation plan. These Jewish believers, even though they had the law, had come to accept that they would never be justified by the “works of the law” but by faith in Christ alone. WOTL = any rule, command or law that someone must do to be accepted by God. That creates level ground for all; RELATIONSHIP WITHOUT RULES!

Rom 9: What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness of faith; 31 but Israel, pursuing the law of righteousness, has not attained to the law of righteousness. 32 Why? Because they did not seek it by faith, but as it were, by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumbling stone. NKJV

Rom 3: Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? No, but by the law of faith. 28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law. NKJV Rom 10:4 4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. NKJV

Gal 2: "But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is Christ therefore a minister of sin? Certainly not! 18 For if I build again those things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor. NKJV

The end of rules is not the beginning of chaos! We should not be worrying about it Grace is NOT a license to sin, but rather a license to FREEDOM; even from sin. Grace freed us FROM sin, not INTO sin. When someone buys you a new car, your immediate reaction is not to go and wreck it! You may have a few incidents as you learn to drive, but overall you desire to protect it.

Rom 6:1-3 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? 3 Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? NKJV

Titus 2: For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, 12 teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, NKJV 1 John 3:3 3 And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure. NKJV

Gal 2:19 19 For I through the law died to the law that I might live to God. NKJV The primary purpose of the law was to kill us! To get us to a point of depending on no goodness of our own, but rather trust Another for our salvation. We who are in Christ died with Him and were raised with Him to a new life.

Rom 6: For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. 11 Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. NKJV

2 Cor 5: For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; 15 and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again. NKJV

Gal 2: I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. 21 I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain." NKJV