GALATIANS: THE MAGNA CARTA OF THE GOSPEL
Magna Carta1 – British Library Cotton MS Augustus II.106
Galatians can be described as the Magna Carta of spiritual freedom in the New Covenant. This epistle written by the Apostle Paul is all about discovering how to be at peace with God, and it comes solely by grace through faith.
Nobody can do enough good works to earn salvation; 1500 years of Moses Law proved that. And no one can earn the forgiveness by God. Instead, Jesus in a monumental act of grace died in our place while we were sinners (Romans 5:8). Yes, the death of Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of God, clearly demonstrated what our redemption cost God. And forgiveness cannot be bought with money, as Simon the sorcerer learned (Acts 8:20).
Who would be so foolish as to say to God, “I’ll give you a billion dollars for a mansion in your heaven?” The blessings of the gospel simply cannot be bought. The Holy Spirit inspired Isaiah to announce God’s invitation with this free offer: “Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost (Isaiah 55:1).
Who can stand at the foot of Jesus’ cross, watch the agony of His death, and smugly say to Him, “Jesus, you owed me your death?” Even a lifetime of good works under the Law is not enough to pay Jesus, the sinless Son of God, for the mega-cruel death He died – for you and me. Yes, Calvary can only be understood as a gift of God to all who believe Jesus is the Son of God and repent with Godly sorrow.
“We who are Jews by birth and not ‘Gentile sinners’ know that a man is not justified by observing the law,” Paul wrote, “but by faith in Jesus Christ. So, we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified
(Galatians 2:15-16). Martin Luther viewed this simple statement as the heart of the gospel. It was foundational in his developing the doctrine of justification by grace through faith that launched the sixteenth century Protestant Reformation.
Expressed another way, “If a law had been given that could impart life, then righteousness would certainly have come by the law” (Galatians 3:21). The Law of Moses had 613 commandments, and no one could keep all of them.
The Message, a paraphrase Bible, nails the point:
“We Jews know we have no advantage of birth over ‘non-Jewish sinners.’ We know very well that we are not set right with God by rule-keeping, but only through personal faith in Jesus Christ. How do we know? We tried it — and we had the best system of rules the world has ever seen [613 commandments!] Convinced no human being can please God by self-improvement, we believed in Jesus as the Messiah so that we might be set right before God by trusting in the Messiah, not by trying to be good” (Galatians 2:15-16, MSG).
Justification is a legal term and the indictment asserts all people are guilty as charged of rebellion against God. We have no plea to make; indeed, we can never do even enough works of righteousness to mount a defense. The Law itself makes clear we are guilty as charged.
Our Messiah all of the time freely accepts our heartfelt repentance and erases from the Book of Life all the charges against us in the records of heaven. Jesus lets us walk out of court forgiven and free – justified – just as if it never happened. Our spiritual record is wiped clean of all present and past sin, leaving no evidence we were ever in court. Justified.
Who can stand at the foot of Jesus’ cross, watch the agony of His death, and smugly say to Him, “Jesus, I am righteous enough for you to owe me eternal life.” Even a lifetime of good works under the Law is not enough to pay Jesus, the sinless Son of God, for the mega-cruel death He died – for you and me and in our place. Yes, Calvary can only be understood as God’s gift to all who believe and repent with Godly sorrow.
We have a choice to make. We can turn to Jesus Christ in heartfelt repentance, humbly asking His forgiveness for our sins. Or we can take our penalty, die in our sins, and face the judgment of eternal punishment in hell, with the record of our sins kept forever on the court ledger.
It is at precisely this point the gospel of Jesus Christ is such good news. The way of the Cross is the only road to everlasting life. We trust in the sacrificial death of Jesus to forgive and forget our sins and give each of us a new beginning. This blessing happens when we come to God with a repentant heart.
Our Messiah can be counted on to forgive each of us and give us a new heart filled with God’s love (1 John 1:9-10). And blessed truth this. Jesus releases us to walk out of court as free people – justified –
Hallelujah!
This is the justifying grace of God revealed in Jesus Christ.
Isaac Watts wrote:
Vain are the hopes the sons of men
upon their own works have built.
Their hearts by nature are unclean,
their actions full of guilt.No hope can on the law be built
of justifying grace.
The law, that shows the sinner’s guilt,
condemns him to his fate.Jesus! how glorious is your grace!
when in your name we trust,
Our faith receives a righteousness
that makes the sinner just.By: Isaac Watts (1674 – 17:48).
1Magna Carta (“Great Charter”) is a document guaranteeing English political liberties and drafted at Runnymede, a meadow by the River Thames, and signed by King John on June 15, 1215, under pressure from his rebellious barons. It set England on a course of sharing power between kings and noblemen. Over the centuries after Runnymede, a parliamentary system of government slowly emerged in England with Parliament as the controlling power and the royalty serving as an important symbol in British life and governance.
