‌As we continue our journey through the New Testament letter of Galatians, we come to chapter two. In this chapter, we will see the reality that true freedom comes by faith.

Freedom is a quality that is highly cherished in our nation. We are the land of the free and the home of the brave. In a couple of months, many people will break out the grills, pools, and fireworks and celebrate the freedoms that we enjoy in this country.

I think there is a part of us that longs for freedom because we are born in bondage. We might not recognize it, but we are born in bondage to our sin. There is a part of us that longs for freedom from that because we weren’t created for bondage but for a relationship with our Creator that brings true freedom.

In Galatians 2, Paul will confront two key things that often fool people into thinking they can bring the freedom that we desire.

‌Paul confronts legalism‌

In the first chapter of Galatians, Paul talks about false teachers that were coming into the churches with a form of legalism. They were saying that to have a full relationship with God, a person must trust Jesus as Savior but live according to the Law of Moses to continue to be accepted.

At the end of chapter one, Paul shares about the change Jesus made in his life. As we begin chapter two, Paul continues a little of his story.

¹ Then after fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus along also. ² I went up according to a revelation and presented to them the gospel I preach among the Gentiles, but privately to those recognized as leaders. I wanted to be sure I was not running, and had not been running, in vain.

​Galatians 2:1–2 (CSB)

Paul tells about when he went to Jerusalem to show the first church that Jesus had changed his life and called him to share the same gospel they were sharing. This is important.

While we like to think at times we are independent, we are not. God doesn’t call people to different gospels. There is only one. It may be shared in different methods, the message is the same.

³ But not even Titus, who was with me, was compelled to be circumcised, even though he was a Greek. ⁴ This matter arose because some false brothers had infiltrated our ranks to spy on the freedom we have in Christ Jesus in order to enslave us. ⁵ But we did not give up and submit to these people for even a moment, so that the truth of the gospel would be preserved for you.

Galatians 2:3–5 (CSB)

Titus was a young man who was not Jewish. He was a Gentile. He had come to faith in Jesus by the preaching of Paul, and Paul was discipling him. Paul emphasizes the fact that Titus was not circumcised as these false teachers were saying one had to be, yet he was a Christian. He was growing in his faith and being used by God in great ways. He would go on to pastor a church in Crete.

Just because someone comes along talking a big game with some well-polished words and with confidence does not mean they are correct.

‌Paul talks about in verse 4 how some of these false teachers had crept into churches even in Jerusalem. Notice how Paul says they came in “to spy on the freedom we have in Christ Jesus in order to enslave us.”

Legalism shows itself as right behavior with the wrong beliefs. These false teachers were doing good things but for the wrong reason. This legalism may look good, but it can only promise bondage. Paul did not want anyone to live in bondage but to enjoy the freedom that can only be found in Christ. For this reason, he confronted the legalism that reared its ugly head.

‌Paul confronts hypocrisy

In Galatians 2:11-14, Paul will confront another empty promise of freedom: hypocrisy. If legalism can be identified as right behavior with wrong beliefs, hypocrisy can be identified as right belief with wrong behaviors.

No one likes to be called a hypocrite. The word comes from the Greek theatre. A hypocrite was one person who would play many parts in a play. They would distinguish each role by wearing a different mask. While that might be good for the stage, it is terrible for life.

¹¹ But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face because he stood condemned. ¹² For he regularly ate with the Gentiles before certain men came from James. However, when they came, he withdrew and separated himself, because he feared those from the circumcision party. ¹³ Then the rest of the Jews joined his hypocrisy, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. ¹⁴ But when I saw that they were deviating from the truth of the gospel, I told Cephas in front of everyone, “If you, who are a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you compel Gentiles to live like Jews?”

Galatians 2:11–14 (CSB)

In these verses, we read about a time when Paul had to confront Peter. Peter was seen as one of, if not the main, leaders of the Christian church. He had given the great sermon at Pentecost where 3,000 people were saved at one time.

In Acts 10, we can read about when Peter’s worldview was turned upside down. He was a Jewish man who was raised in a Jewish manner to not associate with Gentiles. God showed him through some circumstances that He was the God over all people groups.

As Peter came to Antioch, he would eat with Gentiles. This was a “no-no” in the Jewish culture. When some of these Jewish false teachers showed up in town, Peter began to disassociate himself from the Gentiles. He was scared of what they might say.

Before we look down on Peter, we must ask ourselves this question: Am I doing this? Am I pulling myself away from certain people God is calling me to reach out to because I’m afraid of what others might say or think? It can happen to any of us.

The dangerous thing about hypocrisy is that not only does it affect us, but it draws others into its tangled web as well. Verse 13 tells us that others began to join Peter in his hypocrisy – even the mighty Barnabas.

Peter knew that God does not show favoritism. He knew that what God has called clean is clean indeed. But his actions were speaking a different message.

Do our actions match the message that we are trying to share? When we say that Jesus died for the sins of the entire human race and offers each of them the opportunity to be saved, does our refusal to share and walk with them tell a different story?

The greatest single cause of atheism in the world today is Christians who acknowledge Jesus with their lips and walk out the door and deny Him by their lifestyle. That is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable.

If we want to see the gospel of Jesus do what it can only do in our world, we have to deal with the hypocrisy at hand — starting in us and then working out.

This is what Paul does with Peter. Paul calls Peter out. He doesn’t do this to hurt him. Paul loves this brother in Christ. Paul knows what God is doing through Peter to reach the Jews. He wants to protect that.

Hypocrisy can seem the easy route at times because we think that it brings ease to our minds. We think, “I’m believing the right things.” What we don’t see is the bondage that hypocrisy brings. It binds our effectiveness for the Kingdom.

‌Paul shows true freedom comes through faith in Christ‌

For the rest of chapter two, Paul shows that true freedom comes through faith in Jesus Christ.

¹⁹ For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live for God. ²⁰ I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. ²¹ I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died for nothing.

​Galatians 2:19–21 (CSB)

Paul shows in these verses that neither legalism nor hypocrisy can bring the freedom our hearts long for. That freedom only comes through faith in the finished work of Christ.

When we come to Jesus and place our faith in Him, we crucify our sinful selves and are given a new life in Christ. We no longer strive to earn God’s favor because He has lavished it on us through what Jesus did. We are now free to walk in this new life by the power of the Holy Spirit. He empowers us to live a life pleasing to God as a thanksgiving offering to the LORD. We are freed from our bondage to live in His freedom!

‌Conclusion

‌You may be here today and find there’s a longing for freedom in your heart. I want you to know that is the Holy Spirit drawing you to freedom. That freedom is not going to come by trying to do the right things out of a wrong belief. It’s not going to come from just having the right beliefs but not having the right actions. True freedom only comes through faith in Jesus Christ and His finished work on the cross.

Have you come to the cross and trusted solely in what Jesus did for you? If not, I would invite you to come to Him today and trust Him as your Lord and Savior. He has promised to give the freedom you need to anyone who would trust in Him.

Maybe you have trusted Jesus, but you find yourself slipping into periods of legalism or hypocrisy. I would invite you to hear the Spirit’s call to return to Jesus and not walk back into the old ways. They didn’t do anything for you before Christ, and they won’t do anything for you now.

Christ came to give us freedom.

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May we all learn to live in this freedom through faith in Christ!