PCRT Session 2

Session 2

Justification through Faith Alone

Philip Ryken

Galatians 2: 15-16

(Wasn’t expecting the illustration from TLC’s What Not To Wear!)

How is that a person gets right with God? Not by works of the Law but rather by faith in Jesus Christ.

There is not an inherent problem with the Law, it comes from the just and holy God. The problem with the Law is that we cannot keep it.

If it is impossible for Jews to be justified by the Law, it is especially so for Gentiles.

Faith and works operate on completely different principles
- if you live by faith you trust in God to justify you
- if you live by works you trust at least in part in yourself to justify yourself.

Gal 3: 11 “The just shall live by faith”, the mantra for Luther, the basis for much of his understanding of justification.

Zech 3: 1-5 The High Priest, holiest man in Israel, standing before God in filthy rags.
The High Priest, as representative of the people before God, is supposed to wear very specific clothes, holy in wardrobe. Thus the contrast between the filthy rags and holy garments of the High Priest. The filth of the High Priest represented the sin of the people on the one representing all of the people. What does our sin, my sin, look like next to the perfect holiness of God.

A priest who looked like this should be struck down in the presence of God, and both he and the people are guilty. (This representative, this High Priest is guilty and filthy but our High Priest, our representative is clothed in shining white clothing and perfect righteousness)

(The common theme, all sins will be paid for either by an eternity in hell or on the cross of Christ)

We are told to come and be cleaned up, not clean up and then come.