Galatians 2:15-17 Justification by Faith (Part 5): The Ceremonial Law (November 30, 2025 AM, Dr. Michael Grasso)

"The law was never meant to be a ladder to heaven—it was always meant to drive us to Christ.

In this sermon, we look at one of the most important theological controversies in the first-century church: the question of the ceremonial law and its relationship to justification by faith. The Judaizers claimed that Gentiles must keep the law of Moses—especially circumcision—to be saved. But Paul rebuked this view sharply, showing that to rebuild what Christ has torn down is to make oneself a transgressor.

We’ll explore how Paul’s words in Galatians 2:17–21 reveal the true purpose of the law: to expose sin and lead us to the only source of righteousness—Jesus Christ. We’ll also address modern distortions, such as the New Perspective on Paul (NPP), which narrows “works of the law” to ceremonial works and thus weakens the gospel of grace. But Paul’s teaching is clear: no works—ceremonial or otherwise—can justify sinners before a holy God.

This message shows why every attempt to add human effort to the work of Christ—whether through ceremonies, moralism, or modern reinterpretations—undermines the very gospel it seeks to defend. The law kills, but Christ gives life. The law shows our sin, but Christ is our righteousness.

📖 “Through the law I died to the law, that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ.” (Galatians 2:19–20)

#Galatians #JustificationByFaith #LawAndGospel #NewPerspectiveOnPaul #PaulineTheology #ReformedTheology #SolaFide #ChristAlone #BiblicalPreaching #ExpositoryPreaching #gospelofgrace"