Galatians is another letter from Paul to one of his pioneer churches. Whereas Rome was in Italy, Corinth in Greece, Galatia was part of the area we now call Turkey. We know from chapter 4v13 that Paul, on one of his missionary journeys, was originally delayed in Galatia because of a physical sickness. Despite this hindrance, Paul still preached the Gospel and, during this time, their church was founded.
THE GOSPEL OF GRACE
The church there seemed to be turning away from Paul’s gospel message, based on the “grace of Christ” (1v6), towards certain teachers who were confusing them. They had begun to doubt Paul who wanted them to know that his ministry was not of human origin (v11) but had been received by a revelation of Jesus Christ, himself. The account of Paul’s road to Damascus experience, starting in verse 12, adds some very interesting information. One day he was, violently, trying to destroy the church of God when God revealed his Son to him (v16). Immediately, Paul started preaching the Gospel, not even checking it out with other Christians who, for many years, could only watch from a distance, glorifying God (v24). Fourteen years later, his work was so remarkable that the leaders James, Peter and John recognised that Paul had been entrusted with the leadership of taking the gospel to the Gentiles (2v7). It is all to do with the grace that had been given to him (v9) for our ministries are always a grace gift from God.
JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH
Peter, we know, had been convinced by a vision from God that the Gentiles would also be a part of the kingdom but we learn in chapter 2 that, when in Antioch, he compromised his beliefs when under pressure from a traditional Jewish circumcision faction (v12). Even Barnabas, his fellow church planter, had also been led astray by these people. This was a group that held that the old Jewish law of Moses should be practiced in the churches, alongside the gospel. We can see why Paul was so influential in the growth of the Church; he had such a clear understanding of Gospel truth. Here again we see him bringing the message, found so powerfully in Romans, that we are justified by belief and faith in Jesus Christ alone (v16); not at all by trying to keep the old testament rules and regulations, here called “works of the law”.
THE LIFE OF CHRIST IN US
It is very helpful to see here how we should live our lives: we have to give up trying to keep the law, trying to be good in our own strength. Paul calls it dying to the law (v19). In fact, spiritually, we have been crucified with Christ. Our old life is dead so the new life of Christ can then live in us (v20) and the only thing we need is faith in the Son of God (v20). If the law was able to do something for us then there would have been no reason for Christ to die (v21).
DON’T START IN THE SPIRIT BUT END IN THE FLESH
The Galatians had started in the Spirit, when they had believed, but were now ending with the flesh (3v3). Abraham had been promised that all the Gentiles would be blessed with him (v9), see Genesis 12v3, and he was reckoned righteous because he believed (v6). God had planned that the Gentiles would, also, be justified by faith (v8). In Habbakuk 2v4 (referred to in v11) it says the righteous will live by faith. In the law it says that everyone who “does the works of the law will live by them” (v12). The problem is that everyone is cursed, for not being able to do them (v10), and the only solution was for Jesus to die and take the curse himself (v13); only then could we have the promise of the Spirit through faith (v14). Everything was imprisoned under the power and guilt of sin until the time came for the opportunity of believing faith in Jesus (v22).
SPIRIT OF SONSHIP WITHIN US
In Christ, we are “children of God” (v26), we were baptised into Christ, have clothed ourselves with Christ (v27) and are all one in Christ Jesus (v28). The Jews would have been shocked to hear that everyone is Abraham’s offspring if they “belong to Christ” (v29). Jesus has set us free from the law to become “adopted” children (4v5) and, in our hearts, we sense the Spirit of his Son crying out “Abba Father (v6)”. Just like children are usually heirs of their human father, we are heirs of the inheritance of our heavenly Father (v7).
FOR FREEDOM CHRIST HAS SET US FREE
Using another biblical story, Abraham’s slave woman, Hagar, and her fleshly descendants were different to Sarah with her only son Isaac, who was the son according to promise. The Jerusalem, at the time, corresponded with Hagar, for she was in slavery with her children (v25), but, like Sarah, the Jerusalem above is free (v26). In Genesis, the child, born of the flesh, persecuted the one born of the Spirit (4v29) and Paul noted it was the same in their time. The slave and the child had to be driven away; we should have nothing to do with the law because “for freedom Christ has set us free” (5v1). We must stand firm against the slavery yoke.
Paul warns them that if they touched the law, then it would be of no benefit to them, because they then became obliged to keep the whole lot (v3). In fact, by doing so, they had made a decision to cut themselves away from Christ and his grace (v4). In Christ Jesus the only thing that matters is “faith working through love” (v6).
People could avoid persecution by turning to the law as this takes away the “offence of the cross” (v11).
So there is tremendous freedom in the Spirit because we no longer have the law burden that weighs us down, the burden of having to perform. There is nobody who can tell us what to do. In that case, why do any good at all? You might ask. Paul says that we should not use the freedom we have for self-indulgence, just to feel better ourselves, but we should give ourselves to others, (v13) “be slaves to one another,” and love our neighbour as ourselves (v14).
TAKE THE RIGHT CHOICE-LIVE BY THE SPIRIT
We have a choice to make: live by the Spirit (v16) or gratify the desires of the flesh. These are completely opposed to each other and we either do the one or the other. We can see which one by the fruits of our life. In verses 19 to 21 we see the works of the flesh and in verses 22 and 23, the fruit of the Spirit. We belong to Christ if we have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires (v24) and then live by the Spirit. We should also go on being guided by the same Spirit.
EXAMINE THE FRUIT OF YOUR LIFE
We know which way we are being guided by looking at our fruit. If someone, obviously, has taken the wrong path (“detected in a transgression” 6v1) the wrong fruit is there and we should restore in a “spirit of gentleness”, taking care that we are not tempted. In the words of Galatians, we bear one another’s burdens (v2) and it is not for us to condemn others but encourage them to die to the old life and live by the Spirit. It is not for us to be critical of others but we should be humble, examine ourselves, test our own work (v4) and carry our own load (v5) rather than that of others.
YOU REAP WHAT YOU SOW
Our desire should be that we sow the right way for we reap what we sow (v7). The choice before us is (v8) “sow to your own flesh” or “sow to the Spirit.” We should not weary in doing good and work for the good of all, especially the family of faith (v10).
There could be people in your church who push you to living by the law (v12). For Paul, the cross of Christ was the focus by which the world had been crucified to him and him to the world (v14). That death precedes the new creation (v15) which is everything.