Welcome to Books in the
Book, I'm Pastor Mark Howard
00:00:22.95\00:00:25.82
Pastor of Gobels Seventh-Day
Adventist church in Gobels
00:00:25.85\00:00:28.69
Michigan and as well as
the director of Emmanuel
00:00:28.72\00:00:30.76
Institute of Evangelism
in the Michigan Conference
00:00:30.79\00:00:32.79
of Seventh-day Adventist.
00:00:32.83\00:00:34.13
And I'm here with my
co-host Jim Howard and he is
00:00:34.20\00:00:36.53
my brother. - that's
right and I am a Pastor also in
00:00:36.56\00:00:38.87
in the Michigan Conference
of the Detroit Metropolitan
00:00:38.90\00:00:41.20
and South Lyon
Seventh-day Adventist churches.
00:00:41.24\00:00:43.64
And today we are studying
in the book of Galatians.
00:00:43.67\00:00:47.94
Galatians is a powerful
book in the New Testament.
00:00:47.98\00:00:52.41
In Galatians we gave a
little background yesterday on
00:00:52.45\00:00:56.42
the book of Galatians and
we came through a little of
00:00:56.45\00:01:00.46
chapter 2 with the
surrounding controversy of
00:01:00.49\00:01:04.36
circumcision. Today we
are going to delve into it
00:01:04.39\00:01:08.16
a little bit further into
the real message of the book.
00:01:08.20\00:01:12.30
We're are going to start
in Galatians 2 so if you have
00:01:12.33\00:01:15.70
your Bibles at home I
would encourage you to turn in
00:01:15.74\00:01:19.04
your Bibles with us
to Galatians Chapter 2.
00:01:19.07\00:01:21.11
You will find Galatians
in the New Testament and you
00:01:21.14\00:01:23.41
start out with the Gospels
Matthew, Mark, Luke, John,
00:01:23.45\00:01:25.65
Acts, Romans, 1 and
2 Corinthians and then
00:01:25.68\00:01:28.45
the book of Galatians.
00:01:28.48\00:01:29.82
We're going to Galatians
2:11 and we talked about this
00:01:29.85\00:01:36.46
a little bit in
our last episode.
00:01:36.49\00:01:37.96
We had talked about
this controversy and actually
00:01:37.99\00:01:40.96
contention that came up
between the apostle Paul and
00:01:41.00\00:01:43.90
apostle Peter. - Peter was
switching tables as I recall.
00:01:43.97\00:01:46.67
That's right, it says here
in verse 11 "now when Peter
00:01:46.70\00:01:49.47
"had come to Antioch," Paul
said, "I withstood him to his
00:01:49.50\00:01:52.37
"face, because he was to
be blamed; for before certain
00:01:52.41\00:01:55.31
"men came from James, he
would eat with the Gentiles;
00:01:55.34\00:01:58.68
"but when they came, he
withdrew and separated himself,
00:01:58.71\00:02:02.02
"fearing those who were
of the circumcision. And the
00:02:02.05\00:02:04.85
"rest of the Jews also
played the hypocrite with him,
00:02:04.89\00:02:07.69
"so that even Barnabas
was carried away with their
00:02:07.72\00:02:10.49
"hypocrisy. But when
I saw that they were not
00:02:10.53\00:02:13.19
"straightforward about the
truth of the Gospel, I said
00:02:13.23\00:02:16.73
"to Peter before them
all, if you, being a Jew, live
00:02:16.77\00:02:20.17
"in the manner of Gentiles
and not as the Jews why do
00:02:20.20\00:02:23.57
"you compel Gentiles to
live as Jews? We who are
00:02:23.61\00:02:27.11
"Jews by nature, and not
sinners of the Gentiles, knowing
00:02:27.14\00:02:31.01
"that a man is not justified
by the works of the law but
00:02:31.05\00:02:34.95
"by faith in Jesus Christ,
even we have believed in Christ
00:02:34.98\00:02:38.85
"Jesus, that we might be
justified by faith in Christ
00:02:38.89\00:02:42.26
"and not by the works of
the law; for by the works of
00:02:42.29\00:02:45.63
"the law no flesh
shall be justified. "
00:02:45.66\00:02:49.16
So here is this emphatic
cry against justification by
00:02:49.20\00:02:55.30
works of the law, and
emphatic I say he brings it up
00:02:55.34\00:03:01.44
three times in this text.
00:03:01.48\00:03:03.68
From my own perspective or
reading the book of Galatians,
00:03:03.71\00:03:07.22
this is, if not the
keynote of the book of Galatians
00:03:07.25\00:03:10.35
where he just emphatically
makes the point that I think
00:03:10.39\00:03:13.15
he is trying to communicate
through this whole book is
00:03:13.19\00:03:15.92
that justification
comes through faith and
00:03:15.96\00:03:18.99
not by works of the law.
00:03:19.03\00:03:20.36
That's right, and if you
key in on verse 16, as you said
00:03:20.40\00:03:24.20
it mentions this three times.
00:03:24.23\00:03:25.93
And it says specifically
for by the works of the law no
00:03:25.97\00:03:30.11
flesh shall be justified.
00:03:30.14\00:03:31.57
And what we want to do is
take little time today to talk
00:03:31.64\00:03:34.14
about justification
because it is the central theme,
00:03:34.18\00:03:36.68
if you will, of
the book of Galatians.
00:03:36.71\00:03:38.95
We have talked about how
the Gospel, and the true gospel
00:03:38.98\00:03:41.25
is exactly what
Paul is addressing here,
00:03:41.28\00:03:43.18
but at the heart of the
gospel is justification.
00:03:43.25\00:03:46.19
Now when it says by the
works of the law no flesh shall
00:03:46.22\00:03:49.62
be justified, it is
important to remember that while
00:03:49.66\00:03:52.56
Paul is speaking negatively
here toward something,
00:03:52.59\00:03:55.40
he is not speaking negatively
toward the law but toward
00:03:55.43\00:03:59.17
the works of the law.
00:03:59.20\00:04:00.60
In fact not even just the works
of the law but be justified by
00:04:00.64\00:04:04.27
the works of the law.
00:04:04.31\00:04:05.94
So to say that this is
somehow doing away with the law
00:04:05.97\00:04:08.84
really doesn't make
sense and here's why.
00:04:08.88\00:04:11.55
That word
justified, who needs justified?
00:04:11.58\00:04:14.18
Well someone who is
guilty, and you can't be guilty
00:04:14.22\00:04:18.45
without the law, there has
to be some standard in order
00:04:18.49\00:04:22.72
for there to be any guilt.
00:04:22.76\00:04:24.36
So justification requires
that there has to be a law
00:04:24.39\00:04:28.20
governing the situation.
00:04:28.23\00:04:30.30
That's right, justification
implies law, the word implies
00:04:30.33\00:04:34.34
law, for example if you are
in a discussion with a friend
00:04:34.37\00:04:38.44
about something and you get
into a little heated argument
00:04:38.47\00:04:42.48
and you tell your friend,
or your friend tells you,
00:04:42.51\00:04:47.08
you are just trying
to justify yourself.
00:04:47.12\00:04:49.12
Well what are we saying?
00:04:49.15\00:04:50.59
- you're trying to make
yourself out to be innocent.
00:04:50.62\00:04:52.89
- yet you're trying to
show you are not guilty.
00:04:52.92\00:04:54.32
Nobody tries to justify them-
selves when they don't feel like
00:04:54.39\00:04:59.39
somebody has been attacking,
or they're not accused.
00:04:59.43\00:05:03.67
Self-justification
begins, a person doesn't try to
00:05:03.70\00:05:07.87
justify themselves
until they feel like
00:05:07.90\00:05:09.24
somebody has
accused them and then
00:05:09.27\00:05:10.64
they have to
declare their innocence.
00:05:10.67\00:05:12.07
So we are talking
about justification, and what
00:05:12.11\00:05:14.01
Paul is talking about is
man's response to that feeling
00:05:14.04\00:05:18.11
of condemnation, but
that comes through law.
00:05:18.15\00:05:21.12
Something we need to realize
here and maybe our viewers
00:05:21.18\00:05:25.35
do not realize is that
we don't pick it up in the
00:05:25.39\00:05:29.56
English text of our Bible
but if you go into the Greek
00:05:29.59\00:05:32.06
texts, it is interesting
that Paul does not use the word,
00:05:32.09\00:05:34.73
he doesn't use the definite
article in the Greek he uses
00:05:34.73\00:05:37.30
the word nomos which is
the Greek word for law, but he
00:05:37.33\00:05:40.17
doesn't use a definite
article, in other words the law.
00:05:40.20\00:05:43.27
And without the definite
article instead of the law
00:05:43.30\00:05:46.34
it would just be law.
00:05:46.41\00:05:47.78
If we were to read this
as Paul wrote it without this
00:05:47.81\00:05:50.81
definite article and the way
it is reading here in my Bible
00:05:50.85\00:05:53.82
as Paul wrote it he
would say something like this.
00:05:53.85\00:05:56.62
Verse 16 knowing that a
man is not justified by works
00:05:56.65\00:06:00.22
of law but by faith in
Jesus Christ, even we have
00:06:00.26\00:06:03.69
believed in Christ Jesus
that we might be justified by
00:06:03.73\00:06:05.69
faith in Christ and
not by works of law.
00:06:05.73\00:06:07.66
So he is not even
trying to narrow down to one
00:06:07.73\00:06:10.70
particular law as much
as he is just talking about
00:06:10.73\00:06:13.67
the role of law and
bringing that condemnation and
00:06:13.70\00:06:16.60
a man trying to
justify himself from law.
00:06:16.64\00:06:19.47
That's right, but the
law is there because it is
00:06:19.51\00:06:22.68
declaring the guilt that
requires him to be justified.
00:06:22.74\00:06:25.55
So justification as
we have laid out here,
00:06:25.58\00:06:29.18
is only needed if
someone is guilty.
00:06:29.22\00:06:30.72
This really brings a, if
I could say a heartwarming
00:06:30.75\00:06:35.49
reality to the
issue of justification.
00:06:35.52\00:06:37.53
Let's look at a passage
that shows us a little bit
00:06:37.59\00:06:40.50
about how and who God justifies.
00:06:40.53\00:06:42.23
It is in Romans chapter
4 and I think it would be
00:06:42.26\00:06:45.33
valuable for us to look there.
00:06:45.37\00:06:47.00
Romans 4:5 and it says,
"but to him who does not work
00:06:47.04\00:06:55.94
"but believes on him
who justifies the ungodly,
00:06:55.98\00:06:59.78
"his faith is
accounted for righteousness. "
00:06:59.81\00:07:03.62
And that makes our point
again, I mean who else would be
00:07:03.65\00:07:05.95
justified other than the
ones who needs to be justified.
00:07:05.99\00:07:08.22
God justifies not
those that have no problems,
00:07:08.26\00:07:13.03
not those who are perfect
and skate right along in life
00:07:13.06\00:07:16.36
with no mistakes.
00:07:16.40\00:07:17.73
God justifies the
ungodly the only ones
00:07:17.77\00:07:19.93
who need justified.
00:07:19.97\00:07:21.40
So we have different examples
in the Bible, and I think
00:07:21.44\00:07:24.41
it would be valuable for us
to look at different examples
00:07:24.44\00:07:27.38
in the Bible of
justification and of people
00:07:27.41\00:07:29.94
who found themselves in
the need of justification and
00:07:29.98\00:07:32.41
how they reacted to that.
00:07:32.48\00:07:33.95
And I would like to add to
that a point that we will be
00:07:33.98\00:07:36.48
making as we are all
ungodly according to Scripture.
00:07:36.52\00:07:38.79
So there is not a class
of people that don't need
00:07:38.82\00:07:41.06
justification, but there
may be some who don't feel
00:07:41.12\00:07:43.32
they need
justification. - that's right.
00:07:43.36\00:07:44.89
We may all be ungodly
but not everybody senses
00:07:44.93\00:07:47.20
that they are ungodly.
00:07:47.23\00:07:48.86
Well let's look at
one example in Luke 10:25.
00:07:48.90\00:07:52.67
This particular passage
draws out a man, a young lawyer
00:07:52.70\00:08:01.28
who specifically deals
with this issue of guilt
00:08:01.31\00:08:06.08
in a not so good way and
it is found in Luke 10:25.
00:08:06.11\00:08:10.55
It says, "and behold, a
certain lawyer stood up and
00:08:10.59\00:08:15.19
"tested Him," he's testing
Jesus, "saying, Teacher what
00:08:15.26\00:08:19.49
"shall I do to inherit
eternal life? He said to him,
00:08:19.53\00:08:23.10
"What is written in the
law? What is your reading of it?
00:08:23.13\00:08:26.67
"So he answered and said,
you shall love the Lord your
00:08:26.74\00:08:29.87
"God with all your heart,
with all your soul, with all
00:08:29.90\00:08:33.01
"your strength,
and with all your mind,
00:08:33.04\00:08:34.98
"and your neighbor as yourself.
00:08:35.01\00:08:37.35
"And He said to him,
you have answered rightly;
00:08:37.38\00:08:40.15
"do this and you will live. "
00:08:40.18\00:08:41.68
Now at this point this
lawyer is probably thinking
00:08:41.72\00:08:44.22
I have done pretty well
and He asked me what my reading
00:08:44.25\00:08:46.59
of the law was and I told
Him the most important part.
00:08:46.62\00:08:48.96
Now he is thinking,
wait a minute, I'm not sure
00:08:48.99\00:08:51.73
I'm living up to
that exactly right.
00:08:51.76\00:08:53.76
So he has to do his best
to change the law, or the
00:08:53.80\00:09:00.27
it is a interpretation of
the law so that his life will
00:09:00.30\00:09:02.97
meet it so he will not
be found guilty by the law,
00:09:03.00\00:09:06.11
but found innocent and it
draws that out specifically
00:09:06.17\00:09:10.35
in verse 29 where it says,
"but he, wanting to" and that
00:09:10.38\00:09:14.28
is where it says justify
himself, "justify himself, said
00:09:14.32\00:09:18.19
"to Jesus, And
who is my neighbor?"
00:09:18.22\00:09:20.39
So he was wanting to justify
himself so he asked Jesus,
00:09:20.42\00:09:23.29
who is my neighbor? I mean
that is not everybody is it?
00:09:23.32\00:09:26.19
That's only
certain people right?
00:09:26.23\00:09:28.40
He was wanting to make
sure that his life was innocent
00:09:28.43\00:09:32.07
and in order to do that he
was trying to justify himself.
00:09:32.10\00:09:35.70
Right, and that reminds me
of another example of a young
00:09:35.74\00:09:40.38
man as well in Luke 18:18
where it says, "now certain
00:09:40.41\00:09:43.95
"ruler asked him, saying,
Good Teacher, what shall I do
00:09:43.98\00:09:47.05
"to inherit eternal life?"
Very much the same question.
00:09:47.08\00:09:50.12
"Oh Jesus said to him,
why do you call Me good?
00:09:50.15\00:09:53.25
"No one is good but One,
that is God. You know the
00:09:53.29\00:09:55.82
"Commandments: Do not
commit adultery, Do not murder,
00:09:55.89\00:09:58.36
"Do not steal, Do not
bear false witness, Honor your
00:09:58.39\00:10:01.10
"father and your mother.
And he said all these things
00:10:01.13\00:10:03.83
"I have kept from my youth. "
00:10:03.87\00:10:05.30
Now there is an interesting
difference between these two
00:10:05.33\00:10:09.10
young men is that the
first one seem to recognize that
00:10:09.14\00:10:12.84
he wasn't doing what he
was supposed to be doing.
00:10:12.87\00:10:15.34
- that is why he
tried to justify himself.
00:10:15.38\00:10:16.91
- exactly so the condemnation
came and he tried to
00:10:16.95\00:10:20.35
declare his own
innocence and say that it wasn't
00:10:20.38\00:10:23.79
important for him
to keep those things.
00:10:23.82\00:10:25.72
Somehow or
another to excuse himself.
00:10:25.75\00:10:27.59
Now this man, he in his
heart really believes he is
00:10:27.62\00:10:31.89
doing everything that
God has required of him.
00:10:31.93\00:10:34.83
So Jesus comes a little
closer to the issue and says,
00:10:34.83\00:10:37.77
"you still lack one thing.
Go sell all that you have and
00:10:37.80\00:10:40.17
"give to the poor,
and you will have treasure
00:10:40.20\00:10:42.54
"in heaven; and
come, follow Me. "
00:10:42.57\00:10:43.94
Of course the Bible
says he goes away sorrowful.
00:10:43.97\00:10:46.37
- That's right, that's right
the interesting thing about
00:10:46.41\00:10:48.74
both the stories though,
is that if you really look at
00:10:48.78\00:10:51.88
them, both are asking
what do I need to be justified?
00:10:51.91\00:10:54.95
To inherit eternal life?
00:10:54.98\00:10:57.25
I mean justification is
about salvation, it's about
00:10:57.29\00:10:59.69
eternity and so they
are both asking what do
00:10:59.72\00:11:03.22
I need to do to be justified
and in both cases Jesus
00:11:03.26\00:11:06.56
unashamedly says, What
do you read in the law?
00:11:06.59\00:11:10.23
He points them to the law
and whether or not they are
00:11:10.27\00:11:13.54
obeying the law to find
out what they are to do.
00:11:13.57\00:11:18.54
Jesus was using the law
to point out their guilt so
00:11:18.57\00:11:23.48
they would recognize their
need of genuine justification.
00:11:23.51\00:11:28.02
That they would be
able to find the Him.
00:11:28.05\00:11:29.75
This issue of pointing people
to the law will always lead
00:11:29.78\00:11:35.42
them to, if they are looking at
it in the right light, to sense
00:11:35.46\00:11:38.99
the need of justification
because of what the Bible
00:11:39.03\00:11:42.73
teaches what every
person truly has inside of them.
00:11:42.80\00:11:46.50
This touches on what
you were saying earlier
00:11:46.53\00:11:48.17
that everyone is ungodly.
00:11:48.20\00:11:49.70
I want to look at a verse
that really draws that out.
00:11:49.74\00:11:54.24
It is in Romans 8:7, it
is one of the clearest places
00:11:54.28\00:11:58.78
where it describes
the condition of man.
00:11:58.81\00:12:00.95
It says, "because the
carnal mind" and it is the mind
00:12:00.98\00:12:06.96
we are born with,
"is enmity against God;"
00:12:06.99\00:12:09.92
that is hostile
towards God, opposed to God,
00:12:09.96\00:12:13.19
"for it is not
subject to the "law of God,
00:12:13.23\00:12:16.40
"nor indeed can be. "
00:12:16.43\00:12:19.20
So this nature we are
born with is opposed to God and
00:12:19.23\00:12:24.04
the reason it is opposed
to God, the reason Paul says
00:12:24.07\00:12:27.31
it is opposed to God is
because it is not subject
00:12:27.34\00:12:30.55
to the law by nature.
00:12:30.58\00:12:33.55
Not only are we not submissive
to God's will as expressed
00:12:33.58\00:12:37.82
in His law, but in
this nature we can't be.
00:12:37.85\00:12:41.39
We can't be. - that's
right, so it is interesting to
00:12:41.42\00:12:47.30
me about this is that everybody
would agree, I would say
00:12:47.36\00:12:51.13
every Christian would agree
that we have a problem there.
00:12:51.17\00:12:54.94
We are sinful, we are
carnal and carnal is not good.
00:12:54.97\00:12:58.67
The Bible tells us here
that the reason carnal is not
00:12:58.71\00:13:03.01
good is because it will not
subject itself to God's law.
00:13:03.04\00:13:08.38
- right! -than to try to
promote a Christianity that
00:13:08.42\00:13:14.39
does away with God's law is
to eternalize and perpetuate
00:13:14.42\00:13:20.36
- the carnal heart
that is exactly right.
00:13:20.40\00:13:22.93
Wow, so this we are
seeing a little bit of a role of
00:13:22.96\00:13:27.10
God's law in the process of
justification, but it is not
00:13:27.14\00:13:30.41
the means of justification
and we are going to be seeing
00:13:30.44\00:13:33.68
that a little
bit more about that.
00:13:33.74\00:13:35.98
But before we delve into
that and dive into that we are
00:13:36.01\00:13:38.58
going to take a break and
when we come back from our
00:13:38.61\00:13:41.12
break we are going to go
and talk a little bit more about
00:13:41.15\00:13:43.82
justification and our
real need for justification.
00:13:43.85\00:13:47.19
So stay with us.
00:13:47.22\00:13:49.29