Sermons on Justification by Faith
Galatians 6:11–18
Galatians 6:11–18 — Boasting in the Cross As Paul closes Galatians, he returns one final time to the central issue of the epistle: justification by faith alone. In this concluding section, Paul contrasts two fundamentally different approaches to Christianity—the theology of glory and the theology of the cross. Those troubling the Galatians desired outward success, human approval, and freedom from persecution. But Paul boasts in nothing except the cross of Christ. The cross destroys all confidence in human righteousness and…
Galatians 5:7–12
It is not enough to begin well. By God’s grace, we must finish well. In this sermon on Galatians 5:7–12, Paul’s burden becomes deeply personal and urgent: “You were running well. Who hindered you?” The Galatians had begun in the truth of the gospel, but false teachers were pulling them away from justification by faith. This passage is a sobering warning about: Paul reminds us that a little leaven leavens the whole lump. False doctrine never remains small. It spreads,…
Galatians 5:2–6
Is justification by faith really that serious? According to Paul—it’s everything. In Galatians 5, Paul makes a startling claim: if you accept circumcision as necessary for justification, Christ will be of no benefit to you at all. Why such strong language? Because this is not about one isolated decision—it’s about first principles. This sermon unpacks how seemingly small actions can signal a complete shift in foundational commitments. To rely on works—even partially—is to abandon the gospel of grace. Justification is…
Galatians 4:21–5:1
Are you truly free—or still living as a slave? In Galatians 4:21–5:1, Paul confronts one of the most important issues in the Christian life: justification by faith alone. Using the account of Hagar and Sarah, he draws a sharp line between two ways of relating to God—one that leads to slavery, and one that leads to true freedom. 👉 The central truth: The church holding to justification by faith is truly free—therefore, do not return to slavery.
Psalm 32
Psalm 32 proclaims one of the greatest blessings the gospel offers: the forgiveness of sins. In this psalm, David does not speak abstractly about forgiveness, but as one who has felt the crushing weight of guilt before God—and who has experienced the profound relief that comes when sin is confessed and forgiven. This sermon explores why forgiveness is so precious by first considering the unbearable weight of unconfessed sin. David describes the toll that guilt took on his whole being:…
Galatians 3:13–14
In Galatians 3:13–14, the Apostle Paul brings his argument for justification by faith to its Christ-centered climax. After showing that the Spirit, the Scriptures, and even the law itself testify that sinners cannot be justified by works, Paul now explains how salvation is actually accomplished: through the cursed death of Christ on the cross. This passage shows that justification by faith is not an abstract theological principle but is grounded entirely in the saving work of Jesus Christ. Paul insists…
Galatians 3:10–12
In Galatians 3:10–12, the Apostle Paul brings his argument for justification by faith to a decisive conclusion. After appealing to the testimony of the Triune God (Christ crucified, the Father giving the Spirit, the Spirit working powerfully) and to the promises made to Abraham, Paul now shows why the law can never justify—because it can only pronounce a curse on sinners. Paul’s reasoning is careful and often misunderstood. On the one hand, he decisively rejects legalism: any attempt to be…
Galatians 3:6–9
What does Abraham have to do with justification by faith—and with the salvation of the nations? In Galatians 3:6–9, Paul turns from the Galatians’ experience of the Spirit to an even more foundational authority: the testimony of Scripture itself. After showing that the Triune God bore witness to justification by faith (Christ crucified, the Father giving the Spirit, the Spirit working powerfully), Paul demonstrates that this gospel is not new. It is the consistent message of God from the beginning—already…
Galatians 3:1–6
How do we know that justification is truly by faith alone? Paul’s answer in Galatians 3 is striking: the Holy Spirit Himself bears witness to it. In this sermon, we examine Paul’s argument in Galatians 3:1–6 and see how the doctrine of justification by faith is confirmed by the testimony of the Triune God. Paul does not appeal first to church authority or human reasoning, but to what God Himself has done—through Christ crucified, the giving of the Spirit, suffering…
Galatians 2:20–21
At the heart of Paul’s gospel is one great truth: our justification by faith rests on our union with Christ. In Galatians 2:20–21, Paul reveals the foundation beneath his uncompromising defense of justification by faith alone. Why does he refuse to yield an inch to any teaching that adds works to faith? Because such teaching undermines the very heart of salvation—our union with Christ.
Galatians 2:15–19
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…
Galatians 2:15–16 (Part 4)
Has the doctrine of justification by faith alone really been the faith of the church in every age—or was it invented at the Reformation? In Galatians 2:15–16, Paul declares that “a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ.” Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox critics often claim that the Reformation view of justification is a late, novel interpretation. But the testimony of Scripture and church history shows otherwise.
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