GALATIANS 5: 1, 13-18. NKJV SUNDAY, JUNE 31, 2019

Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.  (13) For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.  (14) For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this:  “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”  (15) But if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another!  (16) I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.  (17) For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against  the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.  (18) But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.  

The letter to the Galatians was written by the apostle Paul. Our verses today tell us that Paul was disappointed  that many new converts in Galatia were persuaded by the false teachers (Judaizers/legalizers) to combine the message of free grace and salvation in  Christ within the context of the Mosaic Law.  No one was ever saved by keeping the Law; only faith in Christ makes us right with God and believers are sealed with the Spirit.  The gospel tells us that the faithful do good works not to be saved but because they are saved.

The Law (which no one can keep perfectly) was given as a standard to reveal human sinfulness – the Law is a teacher but Christ Jesus is our savior. The Law exposed all people as guilty of sin.  Under the Law man was not known by God but in Christ the faithful are now made right with God and they are free from former bondage to ceremony and ritual and selfishness.  Freedom and spiritual life in Christ is freedom to walk in the Spirit and to choose what is right. Salvation is never Jesus AND; salvation is always and only of the Lord

Paul did not reject the Law which does not justify – only faith in Christ does that – but obedience to the Law is fruit of salvation.  Justification by works is diametrically opposed to justification by faith and NO ONE was ever saved by keeping the Law

 

Comments are closed.