Galatians 2:15-16 “We who are Jews by birth and not ‘Gentile sinners’ know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ.”

Peter had come to visit Paul and Barnabas in the city of Antioch. This was the first city where the Gospel was reaching not only Jews, but also Gentiles, and in large numbers. When Peter first arrived, everything was fine. He associated with the Gentile members freely. He even ate their food, some of which had been considered unclean in the law of Moses.

That was no small matter for a Jew. Not only had they learned to regard such food as sinful, they often saw such foods as simply distasteful. You might compare their reaction to the revulsion most of us would have to eating live caterpillars. Nonetheless, Peter practiced his Gospel freedom in Christ. The ceremonial law no longer applied since Jesus fulfilled it. Peter was well aware, and he ate with his Gentile friends.

Then other Jews visited from Jerusalem. All Peter’s Gospel freedom flew out the window. He was afraid of what they might think of him, so he stopped eating with the Gentiles. He shunned their food, even shunned their company.

Peter’s actions were wrong for a couple of reasons. First, what he did was motivated by fear, not love. When fear is our motivation, we are falling back on work-righteous ideas. God’s punishment or man’s disapproval drive our actions. When fear of consequences governs what we do, we are being legalistic and self-righteous.

Second, Peter was putting the gospel message in jeopardy. His behavior was affecting everyone around him. He was leading both Jews and Gentiles to believe that faith in Jesus was not enough. This threatened the eternal salvation of souls.

Sometimes we act out of fear, too. We want others to consider us good, but we are not acting out of love. We may not have hang-ups with Old Testament ceremonial law anymore, but something similar is going on when we apply the word “must” to some long-held “tradition.” This can be true whether we are insisting the tradition continue or end. Either way, we are adding to the gospel.

Even godly morals can become a device for denying the sufficiency of God’s grace. Fear or hope of reward deny that Jesus’ death on the cross was enough. We may not say that we are trying to pay for our own sins out loud, but any action that comes from fear instead of love comes from the same legalistic root.

God’s law is not the answer for our sins. It exposes them. Paul tells us that through the law we become conscious of sin. But it can’t provide a solution, and it is powerless to give us the faith which can. “The law brings wrath,” Paul says in Romans. It even makes sin spring to life. It cannot give us spiritual life.

Instead, we are justified by faith in Jesus Christ. He lived the life the law demanded as our substitute. He died the death the law demands for our sins. For that reason, God declares that we are not guilty. He forgives us.

When we hear this, the point is not: “God says I am not guilty, but I really am.” This is the same God who said, “Let there be light” and light appeared. When he says something, it is real and true. If he says I am not guilty, then I am not.

This answer for sin is ours by faith. It is not a one-time experience from the past. It forms an ongoing relationship of trust and confidence established by God himself. By this same faith he applies forgiveness to us every day. If Jesus’ life and death are ours, we are not guilty. Ever.