When the Apostle Peter withdrew from the Gentiles at mealtime (Gal 2:11-21), Paul didn’t tell him off for being racist. He did a curious thing of simply pointing out to Peter that his actions weren’t in line with his beliefs. You see as a Christian, Peter believed people are justified (‘just-as-if-I’d … never sinned’) by faith. Justified is a legal term that means to change a person’s view. So while Christians are not actually sinless, God views us as such. Yet in separating himself from the Gentiles, Peter was declaring that God didn’t actually view Gentile Christians as perfect, for they still lacked something; in this case religious rituals.
The default position of all humans is to try and justify ourselves. The reason people post glamourous photos or stories on social media, or spend long hours at work, or spend too much on make-up, is we’re trying to change people’s views of us. We’re trying to justify ourselves. The same thing is happening when we sin. The reason Christians will go against their consciences (e.g. porn, gossip, sex before marriage) is because we think we need those things to beautify ourselves. We need to feel powerful or loved in these ways, or we don’t like ourselves. These are all ways in which we’re not acting in line with the gospel.
When we understand that our faith in Jesus means we’re beautiful in God’s eyes, it lowers our need for other things (e.g. sex, money, power) to beautify us. So how do we avoid making Peter’s mistake? It is by reminding ourselves daily of the gospel. This is why our first task every day as Christians is to get our soul happy in the Lord. The way we do this is by meditating daily on what it cost God to save us. When we tell those who are trying to justify themselves that Jesus died for them, it doesn’t change them. Why? Because they don’t see the cost. Yet as Christians, we know the cross cost God everything. Amazing love, how can it be, that you my king would die for me.
