“For if I build again those things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor”
For if I build again those things which I destroyed,
Paul “destroyed” legalism when he put his trust in the cross as the way of salvation. Hypothetically, if Paul tore down the house of legalism as the way of salvation and sanctification, then rebuilding it would be inconsistent with grace. Self-righteousness would replace Christ-provided righteousness.
The word “destroyed” means completely razed to the ground. Paul completely destroyed the law as a system of salvation and sanctification. Paul was in the business of destroying false doctrine. He will show in chapters 3 and 4 that the law never did save or sanctify. Biblical consistency is a core value of Christianity.
I make myself a transgressor
A “transgressor” is someone who crosses over a line or standard. Paul would violate the standard of grace if he reverted to law. Paul in that case constitutes or establishes himself a “transgressor.” Righteousness based on merit will show how extensively we violate the law.
Principle:
Law and grace are mutually exclusive. They cannot be co-extended for one contradicts the other.
Application:
When we believe in the death of Jesus Christ to forgive our sins, we in effect destroy the law as a system of salvation. If we revert to the law, we rebuild as a system of salvation. If we choose both the law and grace as systems of salvation, we restrict both of them.
A foundational truth of Christianity is that we are sinful in comparison to a holy God. We have a heart of mutiny against God. The only cure for that rebellion is the cross. We cannot engender righteousness from within because we are corrupt within. This only points to our desperate need for Christ and His work on the cross.
It is not the doctor’s fault when we have heart disease. Our clogged arteries are killing us. Doctors merely report test results. They simply tell us the truth. Christianity tells us the truth about how God views us as totally depraved [not totally depraved to man but to a holy God].
It does me no good to keep patching my house if the structure is fundamentally flawed. I have a primary problem in my spiritual house that no patchwork will fix. It has to do with the foundation of my being. God condemned our moral house. That is why we must tear down any attempt at self-righteousness as a way of gaining God’s approval. We must acknowledge that the only approval we can have before Him is our acceptance in Christ. It is a shameful thing to face the fact that we have nothing to offer God. In humility, we must throw ourselves on the work of Christ for salvation and sanctification.
This revelation of Gal 2:18 was and is extremely important to helping Christians understand our stance between the LAW and GRACE. WOW!
I am a Church School teacher and now I understand the entire scripture because of this description in vs. 18. I knew it was important. Thank you so much for allowing the Holy Spirit to use you.
Thank you Cynthia. Your comments are a blessing.
what i gotten out of this scripture is, that if i revert back to the things that have i have been deliverd from such as depression, of anxiety, anger, those things that i have cried out to god for, if i choose(key word) to go back to those things i not only become a sinner, but i bring back those same spirits, and the bible says in matthew that they come back seven times more stronger than once before. I did not destroy those things on my own, the bible says that god has given me weapons to fight those things and keep them off me.
Servonite, this passage does not speak directly to the issue you raise. The issue here is dealing with legalism verses grace. The idea is that Jesus meets any demand that God has placed on us and that perfectionism on our part can never measure up to what God expects.
The principle to which you refer is true. I would suggest that you go to my studies on 1 Peter 5:7 and Philippians 4:6-7 on the issue of anxiety.
This means it is wrong to condemn homosexuals as “sinners” on the basis of Leviticus 18 or 20. If they are Christians, their faith requires obedience to Christ alone and not to the Jewish law.
John, I am not sure how you draw this conclusion — please expand.
Comment to Grant: Well explained. Thanks. I do not often need to go to commentaries to explain what is written in the bible when teaching a bible study. However, I could not put together what Paul was trying to get across in this verse. I went to a dozen or so commentaries and most were helpful. Yours was very clear and concise. Thanks.
Comment to John: You are partly right as far as Christians condemning homosexuals, although, this verse has absolutely nothing to do with this comment. It is not our job to condemn Homosexuals as sinners. They are already condemned as sinners. So are the rest of us. We all stand condemned and in need of a Savior, who came as the Christ. Homosexuals, like the rest of us, need to repent of their sin and rely totally on Jesus sacrifice for their salvation. Unfortunately, many homosexuals feel that their lifestyle is not sin and do not turn to Jesus for forgiveness. If they do, they may still find it a difficult process for sanctification in turning from the sinful behavior. Sexual sin is a very tough sin and we are told to flee from sinful lusts.
Larry, it is encouraging to me that you are studying Galatians. It seems that so few take adequate note of this book of the Bible.
Thanks for your comment on how to deal with homosexuals.
I have always thought this to also be used to mean if we go back and pick up things we have laid down for christ we make our self a transgresser .if we believe the thing to be wrong or sin.
Vicky, the most important things to consider in this verse are: 1) the argument of the book of Galatians and 2) the argument of the immediate context of this verse.
When a dog vomit and went back to eat what him had vomited.
That made the dog what?
My conclusion to this scripture is when ones confess him or her sin and later went back to do that certain things he promise not to do.He is still digging his life in sin.Thanks