“Brothers, listen! We are here to proclaim that through this man Jesus there is forgiveness for your sins. Everyone who believes in him is made right in God’s sight—something the law of Moses could never do” (Acts 13:38-39 NLT).
Paul and Barnabas preached justification by faith in Christ alone while visiting the synagogue in Pisidian Antioch, which was a prominent Roman city located in what is now Southwest Turkey. This was Paul’s first missionary journey. He and Barnabas made it clear that what the law of Moses could never do, namely, make us right with God through trying to keep the law, Christ had done (See Rom. 8:3).
The only way to be justified, to be made right with God and to have our sins forgiven, is through believing in Jesus Christ. For it is by believing in Christ that His righteousness is imputed to us.
I suppose they could’ve preached about the importance of placing our faith in Christ without mentioning the law of Moses. This would’ve made their preaching perhaps more palatable to the Jews. However, they wanted to make it clear that it was not faith in Christ plus the works of the law, but faith in Christ alone that makes us right with God. The law cannot save.
How can we be made right with God? By faith in Christ. As the apostle Paul wrote to the believers in Rome: “Therefore, since we have been declared righteous by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom. 5:1).
PRAYER: Dear Lord, thank You for sending Jesus to die in our place that we might believe in Him to receive His righteousness in place of our sin. Help us to share this Good News with our generation today, being careful not to add law-keeping to its message. For it is believing in Christ alone that saves. Empower us to proclaim this Good News as Your Son has commissioned us to do. In Jesus’ name, amen.