Justified by Faith Alone, Not By Works

Galatians 2 16 says,. 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. That is as clear a statement on justification by faith alone as I think there could ever be. We are justified by faith in Jesus, and not by our works of the law.

And by the way, this is any works of any law. There was a prominent theologian a few years ago who was trying to say that Paul was only arguing about the Jewish laws. Since circumcision is the law in view here in the book of Galatians, therefore we're only talking about those Jewish laws like the dietary laws, or the Sabbath laws, or the feast laws.

No, this is any works of any law. You can't be justified by keeping the Jewish laws. You also cannot be justified trying to keep God's law. You cannot be justified trying to keep the Roman Catholic laws, which by the way, no Roman Catholic has ever done.

You cannot be justified by keeping Mormon laws, or Eastern Orthodox laws, or your own laws. You cannot be justified by keeping American laws, or tax laws, or road laws, or walk-don't-run laws at the swimming pool.

By works of the law, no one will be justified.