testimony, yet there is also a truth here for human relationships. The tendency in our homes today is to grow apart. Everyone goes his own way. The relationship is like a tri angle in which the man and the woman are the two bottom angles and God is at the apex of the top. As the two move toward the top being closer to God, they are also growing closer to one another. If you want unity in your home, church, and business then you need to follow the apostle’s example as he seeks to bring the Galatian Chris tians together. He uses this common authority, courteous communication, courageous conviction, careful recog nition and charitable activity. Let us seek the Spirit’s strength to do the same. Justification by Faith In illustrating the unity Paul had with the other apostles, he wrote to the church at Galatia concerning an incident which took place at Antioch. It seems that Peter had eaten with the Gentiles, although such was for bidden by Judaism. Peter had been given a revelation from God that nothing was to be called unclean. He knew that these old legalistic bondages were broken. Hearing of his activities certain men came from the church at Jerusalem to survey the situation. Peter seemed to have second thoughts about what he had done and so left the table of the Gentiles to eat again only with the Jews. This brought the people face- to-face with whether these former barriers between Jews and Gentiles had been forever broken down be cause of the finished work of Christ. Paul tells how he had to confront his fellow apostles with this matter, telling Peter that he was wrong (Gal. 2:11-16). Justification is the act by which God declared the sinner right eous. Since man sinned in Adam, and individually man sins, God the Judge must condemn the sinner. He can only declare righteous the one
who had righteousness. In His love, the Lord wanted to save you and me. This is why He sent His own Son to the cross. Jesus died in our place to make us righteous in the sight of God. God’s judgment fell upon Christ (I Cor. 1:30). Position- ally, we are perfect in Christ. Through salvation, as God looks at me He looks at Christ’s shed blood on the cross. He sees only His Son. He can only pronounce one verdict on me and that is “justified.” You see, Christ “was made sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the right eousness of God in Him.” Now we can say with the poet, “Near, so very near to God. Nearer I cannot be. For ih the person of His Son, I am as near as He. For dear, so very dear to God, dearer I cannot be, For in the person of His Son, I am as dear as He.” In the third and fourth chapters of Galatians Paul amplifies and ex pounds the doctrine of justification by faith. In the ancient story of King Arthur he had a place called Came- lot which was known all over the world for its righteousness, justice, and fairness. Everything was as per fect as possible here. The king falls in love with Lady Guinevere and they are married. Things are very peaceful until Sir Lancelot comes along and also falls in love with the woman. She returns his affections. Everybody seems to know it, except the king. Things begin to deteriorate as is always the result of sin. The people begin to fight with each oth er, and a question of justice in Cam- elot comes into view. Adultery in this area was to be punished by burning at the stake. When the king learns of his problem he has to make a decision. Lancelot leaves to build an army against Arthur. As Guine vere is about to be executed, love must triumph. The king cannot go against justice and righteousness, and Page 11
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