Galatians 2
Walking in freedom—not by the old path of striving, but on the new road of union with Christ.
Paul begins this chapter by recounting his second trip to Jerusalem, likely 14 years after his conversion. The occasion was not about gaining approval but ensuring unity in the gospel message he had been preaching. The Jerusalem apostles—James, Peter, and John—recognized Paul’s ministry to the Gentiles as divinely ordained and gave him their blessing. Importantly, they did not compel Titus, a Gentile, to be circumcised, confirming that justification comes through faith in Christ alone, not by law-keeping.
Paul then addresses a confrontation with Peter in Antioch. Although Peter had been freely associating with Gentile believers, he began to withdraw when certain men from Jerusalem arrived. This behavior led others astray, even Barnabas. Paul rebuked Peter publicly, not out of pride, but to defend the truth of the gospel: that our right standing before God is not based on cultural or ceremonial law, but on our union with Christ through faith.
Paul drives the point home—no one is justified by the works of the law. If righteousness came through the law, Christ died for nothing. Instead, believers are declared righteous through faith in Christ and experience real transformation because they have died to the law and now live by the indwelling Christ. Paul is not just offering theology; he’s unveiling the spiritual reality of the exchanged life. “I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.” The Christian life is not a law-driven improvement project but a grace-driven union with Christ.
Personalized Journal Entry in the Holy Spirit’s Voice Through Scripture
You have died to the law through the body of Christ so that you may belong to another—to Him who was raised from the dead, that you may bear fruit for God. You are no longer bound to perform in order to be accepted, for your acceptance is secure in the Beloved. I have united you to Christ. His life is now your life. You no longer live, but He lives in you. The life you now live in the body, you live by trusting the Son of God, who loved you and gave Himself for you.
Do not rebuild what I have torn down, for if righteousness came through law-keeping, Christ died for no purpose. I have set you free from the burden of measuring up. You are justified by faith, not by works of the law. My grace has declared you not guilty—and more than that, My grace has made you alive in Christ. You walk in newness of life, not striving, but yielding to the indwelling One who fulfills the law in and through you.
Do not nullify My grace by returning to the law. It will only stir up the flesh, divide fellowship, and blur the clarity of the gospel. Instead, rest in the truth that your identity is in Christ. There is no Jew or Gentile, no insider or outsider, only those in whom Christ dwells by faith. When you fix your eyes on this union, you will walk in the Spirit, love freely, and proclaim with joy that justification and transformation are Mine to give—and I have given them fully in My Son.
Scripture References: Romans 7:4; Galatians 2:20–21; Ephesians 1:6; Galatians 2:16; Romans 6:4; Galatians 3:1–3, 5:4; Galatians 3:28; Philippians 1:6
Prayer
Father, I praise You for making the gospel clear and my standing secure. You have given me Christ—not only as my righteousness, but as my very life. I rest in the finished work of the cross and the present reality of His indwelling presence. Thank You that I don’t have to pretend, strive, or return to any form of self-effort. I yield to You now, confident that You are living through me, and I delight in the freedom that is mine in Christ Jesus. Let the world see not my striving, but His life—gentle, bold, and free—radiating through me. Amen.
Devotional insights credit: Grace and Truth Study Bible
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