Galatians 2:11-3:14 

Paul wrote this letter to the churches in the region of Galatia at a time when there was a major controversy about whether Gentiles who converted to Christianity needed to be circumcised. Paul said they did not need to be circumcised; faith in Christ is enough. Last week we saw that Peter and Paul were both preaching the same gospel of faith in Christ-- Peter to the Jews and Paul to the Gentiles.

2:11-13 Paul confronted Peter in Antioch when Peter began to distance himself from the Gentile believers. Though he once used to eat with them (Jews did not typically dine with Gentiles) Peter stopped doing so when "certain men came from James." Paul says Peter was afraid of these men who were from the circumcision group. Not only Peter, but also the other Jewish-Christian converts and even Barnabas "joined him in his hypocrisy."

v. 14-16 Paul knew this was "not in line with the truth of the gospel." Paul accused Peter of hypocrisy and publicly challenged his behavior. He told Peter that the Jews know that no one is justified by observing the law of Moses but rather by faith in Christ. That's why these Jewish men put their faith in Christ in the first place. They knew the law could not save them.

v. 17-18 Trusting in Christ does not mean they will never sin again. But because they are "in Christ" and no longer under the law it means that the law will not condemn them for their sins.

v. 19-20 "I died to the law so that I might live for God." Paul claims he has been crucified with Christ. The life he now lives in the body he lives by faith, not by the works of the law. Christ "gave Himself" for Paul because He loves him.

v. 21 Paul is unwilling to "set aside" God's grace in order to cling to a law that will ultimately condemn him. There is no room for compromise in this matter. 

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Romans 8:1-17    

Paul has already established that believers are not under law but under grace. They have died to the law and now live for God in Christ: a new life. Some of the readers may have thought Paul was saying that law and sin are the same thing. However, as we covered last time, sin used the law to condemn people. The law is holy, sin is evil. God used the law to show people how evil sin really is.

An unbeliever is a slave of sin while a believer is a slave of God. Different masters mean very different lives. Paul describes quite graphically the wretchedness of a man who is a slave of sin. Rescue is possible only through faith in Christ.

8:1 Now comes some very good news! There is no condemnation for people who are in Christ. How is this possible? Because those who are in Christ are set free from sin and death.

v. 2-3 The law was powerless to set people free from sin because "it was weakened by the sinful nature." But God did what the law could not do. He sent His Son to be an offering that would set people free from sin. God condemned sin. He condemned it through Christ.

v. 4 So, then what happens to the law? Do people still need to keep it? Paul says that for those who have faith in Christ the requirements of the law are fully met in them. You see, the law can't condemn Christ because it can't find fault with Him. He is perfectly law-abiding. Jesus never broke the law therefore the law must declare Him righteous. This is important for those who put their faith in Him because God is willing to count people righteous if they trust in Christ.  

Those who have faith in Christ cannot and will not be condemned by the law because His righteousness is counted as their righteousness.