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Galatians 2:15-21 ESV
15 We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners; 16 yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified. 17 But if, in our endeavor to be justified in Christ, we too were found to be sinners, is Christ then a servant of sin? Certainly not! 18 For if I rebuild what I tore down, I prove myself to be a transgressor. 19 For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. 20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 21 I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.

I.DEFINING JUSTIFICATION
A.It is a gracious act of God.
B.Where sinners are declared righteous.
C.Through faith in Jesus.

II.JUSTIFICATION MISUNDERSTOOD (15-18)
A.Justification by works is trying to earn the eternal and earthly favor of God with what you do and don’t do.
B.It is not just counting on your own righteousness but everyone else’s lack of it when compared to you.
C.It forgets that we are not compared to one another in judgment but to God. (Isaiah 64:6, Romans 3:18)
D.Justification by works can also believe that justification is part grace and part validation.

III.JUSTIFIED & SANCTIFIED THROUGH FAITH (19-20)
A.We are justified by faith.
B.We come alive in God by faith (justification) & then live the rest of our lives by faith (sanctification).
C.We live by faith because the roots of our sin run deep and take a lifetime to destroy.
D.We live by faith because it takes faith to live in between.

NEXT STEPS:
1.Don’t cancel out grace and make the death of Jesus meaningless.