Who's The Most Powerful: Galatians 2:17-18

Unlike the world, God lifts us out of our sin to help us build a new life.  We don’t earn His love, we receive what is freely given.  We don’t earn our forgiveness, we receive what is freely given. 

Paul gives a pair of somewhat confusing verses here.  It’s relatively easy to miss his point by getting lost in his words.  Before going deep, though, hear Paul’s context.  Paul asserts we should endeavor to find justification in Christ.  We may not bring anything to our salvation but our own sinfulness and we may not do anything to earn our salvation, but we can certainly seek our salvation rom God.  We cannot save ourselves; we can turn to God and happily receive the gift of salvation He offers.  We do have a role to play.

Next, Paul addresses the people who believe we need to do something besides receive God’s grace.  If Jesus’ death isn’t enough, why did He die at all?  If the blood of Jesus does not cover all transgression, does not that imply that our sinfulness is greater than Jesus?

Here’s what is going on.  In Paul’s day, there were Jews who were saying that the followers of Jesus had to be circumcised to be saved.  If that’s true, then Jesus can’t save us because circumcision is more powerful than Jesus.  Other people said that followers of Jesus must obey Kosher Laws to be saved.  Again, if that’s true Jesus can’t really save us because Kosher Laws are more powerful than Jesus.  If Jesus is less powerful than circumcision or Kosher Laws, then must He not serve them?

To put this in a modern context, there are people out there who believe that if you go to a particular denomination you aren’t truly saved.  If people assert that, aren’t they claiming that someone’s denomination is more powerful than Jesus?  Other people claim that only one kind of baptism is valid and if you don’t do it right, you aren’t saved.  Aren’t those people claiming that baptism is more powerful than Jesus?  Other people make claims that only one translation of the Bible is good, or communion must be done a certain way, or you must sing a certain type of songs, or you must pray a certain prayer to be saved.  Isn’t this claim implying these things are more powerful than Jesus?

Jesus is not a servant to these things.  Thus, these things cannot get in the way of salvation.  Only Jesus’ death on the cross matters.  Jesus is the only way to salvation, and anyone who believes that will receive God’s gift of salvation.  Our sinfulness is cast aside regardless of what it looks like.  Our walk with God is celebrated regardless of what it looks like.  There are already enough people in the world who would seek to tear us down based on what they see us do.  Unlike the world, God lifts us out of our sin to help us build a new life.