Ironworks

“We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles, Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid. “   Galatians 2:15-17             Justification by faith and not by works of human laws is the principal theme of both the epistles to the Romans and the churches of Galatia. I recently began a textual sermon series over Galatians, and we have been exploring how quickly a congregation can find itself in danger. One of the chief threats came from the Judaizing teachers who had made their way down to Galatia at that point and were trying to bind the works of the old Mosaic Law on the converts in Galatia.  

         For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all . James 2:10 A recent headline said that the baseball team awaiting the results of an investigation is possibly not as guilty as the other team that was already found guilty. Not as guilty ; what does that even mean?   Not as guilty still implies that there is guilt. For if there was no guilt, then that would be innocence. That would mean complete exoneration. This would certainly be my preference for anyone accused falsely and never to be deemed "not as guilty." When James wrote to the early church, some were trying to bind parts of the Old Covenant on Christians. Several Judaizers in the early church wanted to bind parts of the Law of Moses on new converts of the Gentile persuasion. Paul wrote,  “ Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. Behold, I Paul say unto you, tha