yet knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, even we believed on Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ, and not by the works of the law: because by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.
Galatians 2:14 But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Cephas before [them] all, If thou, being a Jew, livest as do the Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, how compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews?
Galatians 2:15 We being Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles,
Galatians 2:16 yet knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, even we believed on Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ, and not by the works of the law: because by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.
Galatians 2:17 But if, while we sought to be justified in Christ, we ourselves also were found sinners, is Christ a minister of sin? God forbid.
Galatians 2:18 For if I build up again those things which I destroyed, I prove myself a transgressor.
The verse centers on "justified", "faith", "knowing", "works", "through", "jesus", "christ", and "even". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "justified" and "faith", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.
The nearby context moves from verse 15's "We being Jews by nature and not..." into verse 17's "But if while we sought to be...", so "justified" and "faith" belong inside that flow. In Galatians context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.
A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "justified" and "faith" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.