Galatians 1:1-9

1:1-9 | 1:10-24 | 2:1-10 | 2:11-16 | 2:17-21 | 3:1-5 | 3:6-9 | 3:10-14 | 3:15-22 | 3:23-29 | 4:1-7 | 4:8-20 | 4:21-31 | 5:1-6 | 5:7-15 | 5:16-18 | 5:19-21 | 5:22-26 | 6:1-5 | 6:6-10 | 6:11-18

1 Paul, an apostle—not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead— 2 and all the brothers who are with me, To the churches of Galatia: 3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, 4 who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, 5 to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen. 6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— 7 not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. 9 As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed. (Galatians 1:1–9, ESV)

Paul: I'm A Divinely Appointed Apostle

The theme word I've chosen for our study of Galatians is the word "fly." Not the noun (get the fly-swatter). Not the adjective (90's rap is the flyest). But the verb (birds are meant to fly).

The reason I have chosen this theme is that the last third of Paul's letter to the Galatians describes a life in flight. It is a life that has taken off and is soaring in God's best, God's grace.

• It is a life that can be described as free from all legalism, free enough to lovingly serve others (Gal. 5:13).
• It is a life that walks in and bears the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:16).
• It is a life that does not grow weary in doing good to everyone (Gal. 6:9).
• It is a loving life, a joyful life, a peaceful life, a patient life, a kind life, a life of goodness, faithfulness, and gentleness, a life of self-control (Gal. 5:22-23).
• It is a life that has killed off the passions of the flesh and instead is lead by the Spirit of God (Gal. 5:24-25).
• It restores people who are struggling and humbly understands it is not above them (Gal. 6:1).
• It bears the burdens of others well (Gal. 6:2).

It is a life that is free. It is a life in flight. If we cling to the true gospel, if we accept it for what it is, we can fly. But Paul wrote Galatians because the Galatian believers—and all future believers—were in danger. If we adulterate the gospel, if we add to it in any way, we will not fly. Like a bird chained in a birdcage, we will (at best) hinder ourselves from flying into God's ideal for our lives or (at worst) hinder ourselves and others from true salvation.

This was the danger the Galatians were in. Paul had passed through their region with Barnabas on his first missionary journey (see Acts 13-14). City after city in Galatia—places like Derbe, Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch—were rocked by the gospel Paul preached. Churches were started. And these new non-Jewish believers rejoiced that God loved them and sent his Son to rescue them. But after Paul's departure, men came in to add to the gospel message in various ways, troubling the infant churches in that area with false doctrine (Gal. 1:6).

So Paul started his letter with a strong tone. He needed them to know—right away—that he was a divinely appointed apostle, qualified to instruct them in matters of the faith. His doctrine, in other words, is authoritative. He alludes to this in his introduction:

1 Paul, an apostle—not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead— 2 and all the brothers who are with me, To the churches of Galatia: (Galatians 1:1–2, ESV)

In the Bible, apostles come in two types. Because the word "apostle" indicates being sent, one type are merely missionaries who are sent out to preach the gospel somewhere. People like Barnabas are sometimes described this way in Scripture. In this sense, some people seem to have apostolic gifts today.

But Paul was not that kind of apostle. Instead, he fulfilled a special and authoritative office for the church. The original twelve were made apostles by Jesus, walking with him even before his death. He called them to be his disciples so that he might make them into apostles. And, here, at the beginning of this letter, Paul makes it clear he is not the kind of apostle people send out as a missionary, but the kind that Jesus himself commissioned. He even alludes to the resurrection as a way to indicate it was the risen Christ who chose him for this special role.

Paul had to talk about his authoritative role as an apostle because the false teachers had told the Galatians that Paul didn't have the authority to teach them what he had. So Paul will spend considerable time in the first two chapters of his letter defending his apostolic credentials.

Paul: I Come With A Divinely Appointed Gospel

So Paul needed them to know he was a divinely appointed apostle, but he also needed them to know he came with a divinely appointed message. Because the false teachers were diluting and perverting the very message of the gospel, Paul alludes to the very message of the gospel right away in his introduction:

3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, 4 who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, 5 to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen. (Galatians 1:3–5, ESV)

He told them that grace and peace from God are possible because Jesus gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age (3-4). Paul used the same word to describe Christ's deliverance of us that the Bible used to describe God's rescue of the Israelites in Egypt, God's rescue of Peter in prison, or the rescue of Paul from an angry mob (Acts 7:34, 12:11, 23:27). In other words, Christianity is a rescue mission.[^1]

Jesus did not come primarily to exemplify love or provoke thought—he came to save! And the reason he came to save is that mankind was irreparably doomed without him. The cross is God's rescue mission to save people who are otherwise lost without him. This is why Paul said, in his quick introduction, that God should receive glory forever and ever (4-5).

The gospel is God's doing, his idea, his action, and his work. From beginning to end, God should get the glory (the credit), but the false teachers in Galatia were saying the cross was good but needed additional activity to be legitimate. So Paul wanted to set the record straight—man gets no glory. It all belongs to God!

And because this gospel message is God's precious creation, we have no business adding to it in any way. We must accept it as is. Paul will highlight this in the following—still introductory—verses. His strong wording will show us that adding to the gospel is dangerous for three reasons.

Adding Is Abandoning (6)

First, adding to the gospel is dangerous because adding is abandoning. Paul was astonished that these Galatians embraced gospel additions that meant they were deserting Jesus! To add to the gospel is to abandon Jesus. Paul wrote:

6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— (Galatians 1:6, ESV)

This statement from Paul is full of force. In many of his letters—even his letter to the rebellious Corinthian church—Paul used his opening paragraphs to thank and pray for the church he wrote to. Not so here. This shows us the seriousness of the Galatian crime. To say right standing with God comes by Jesus plus anything is to distance yourself from Jesus. The word Paul used—deserting—is the word they would have used to describe military desertion, a transfer of allegiance, treason!

This means adding to the gospel isn't only an abandonment of a theological, doctrinal belief but a person. It's personal!

Again, Christ plus anything else as a requirement for full acceptance by God is an abomination because you are abandoning Jesus! It is to take his rescue mission and refuse to acknowledge its efficacy. It is saying to Jesus, Thank you for doing your part. Now I will add mine. And, together, we will have achieved my right standing before God—salvation.

But the person brought back from the dead by a team of emergency medical personal does not proceed to act as if they have attained life for themselves. I credit the embarrassing medical gown I'm wearing. I credit my willingness to eat ice chips and hospital jello. I credit these slippers. No! We would never!

So we have no business saying that we are approved by God through Christ's work plus anything! I vote right. I am a good person. I have biblical concepts down. I am environmentally conscious. I give to the poor. I serve a lot at church. I am not judgmental. I pray. These aren't the things that win us righteousness before God—the righteousness of the Son is given to us through his cross. To add to his gospel is to abandon him!

We love to be our own saviors. We love to think we can save ourselves if our surrender to Jesus is complete enough. We love to think we can save ourselves if we hold the right views. We love to think we can save ourselves through good works. Or we love to think we can save ourselves through religious regulations and ceremonies.[^2] But none of that works—and it all detracts from the radical saving power of Jesus.

If someone is drowning at a public pool, the lifeguard does not walk over and toss them a handbook on swimming. He does not start reading the How-To-Swim Wiki page. No, the drowning person does not need a swim lesson but a savior!

We might like our little gold star charts that tell us we are behaving well, earning something in God's sight. We might like the feeling of approval that comes with the bells and smells of religious activities. We might like the feeling that we are performing well enough to earn God's favor. But though legalism might be humanity's tendency, we cannot add to the good news of the gospel because it distances us from the very God who wants to save us!

Recently, Matt Ryan, a longtime pro football quarterback, hit an amazing career milestone when he threw for 60,000 all-time yards. It is quite an achievement, one that says he's been good for a really long time. But, for all his accomplishments in football, there is one game he would probably like to have back. The Atlanta Falcons, his team at the time, led the 2017 Super Bowl 28-3 at halftime. Everyone thought the game was over. But then the New England Patriots improbably came all the way back, stunned Ryan and his team, and became world champions. Well, apparently, every football in the NFL has a serial number on it. The one he used to throw for his sixty-thousandth yard was number 2-8-3. 28-3. And, of course, someone had to point it out to him.[^3]

And even when we are at our absolute best, there is plenty to remind us that we are still sinners in need of a savior, which is one reason why adding to the gospel is so foolish—to add to the gospel is to distance ourselves from the One who came to save us. To add is to abandon him!

Adding Is Destructive (7)

Second, adding to the gospel is dangerous because adding is destructive. Paul said:

7 not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. (Galatians 1:7, ESV)

The truth of the matter is that turning to a different gospel isn't possible because there is not another (7). And Paul knew the teachers who troubled the Galatians were distorting the gospel of Christ (7). In other words, they weren't merely augmenting or adjusting the gospel; they were destroying it by reversing it. The good news of righteousness by faith was being replaced by righteousness by works—and that never works!

And all this distortion was troubling to these new Galatian believers. The word Paul used to describe the troubling nature of the false gospel is the word they would use to describe sea sickness. Having grown up here on the Monterey Peninsula, I've had many opportunities to go out on the bay. For me, a feeling of sea sickness is inevitable. Internally, you know something is wrong. Things are upset within.

That's what these false teachers, with their false gospel, were doing to these Galatians. And even though legalism is so often attractive to us, it is a troubling message that turns our grace-based relationship with God into a troubling pact of works-righteousness. And once the joy is killed, so is our fruitfulness. Soon, we cannot fly.

At this point, it would be good to pause to see if we can discern, from the letter, what this false teaching was all about. Paul did not write this letter directly to the opponents but to Christians in Galatia, so he does not pick apart the false teaching line-by-line like he might if he was debating them directly. But, throughout the letter, there are some clues about what these false teachers said.

The first is right here in verse 7: they had distorted the gospel somehow. They also seem to have challenged Paul's authority and apostleship, which must be why he had to spend the first couple of chapters defending it (Gal. 1:10-24). They seem to have added onto the cross by requiring these Galatian believers—nearly all of whom were not Jewish—to obey certain aspects of the Old Testament law, things like circumcision and religious feast days (Gal 4:10, 5:2-3). They did all this to avoid being persecuted for the cross, which must mean they were more widely accepted in their Jewish community because they told everyone Jesus alone could not save, but that religious ceremonies must also be observed (Gal. 6:12-13).

And all these additions to the gospel, Paul warned, were destroying the gospel. He said there is no other gospel (7). To alter the gospel is to destroy it. To add to the gospel is like rolling down a window on the International Space Station and saying, "But it's just one window! The rest are still up!" No, once you've added to the gospel, you have killed it, and it is no longer good news.

The second you add to it good deeds, personal convictions, political parties, religious ceremonies, the praise of man, socially accepted views, self-mastery, old covenant rituals, baptismal rights of any kind, denominationalism, or systems of theology, you have adulterated and destroyed it. Some of these items will be an outflow of the Lordship of Christ or the leading of the Spirit, but none of them should be added as a means of justification.

Theologically, many of us would be on safe ground here, but we must also make sure we never treat items like these as functional means of justification. In other words, if someone (or even you) does not measure up to various deeds, views, ceremonies, or theology, do we banish or ostracize? Do we think, "Perhaps technically they are saved and belong to God, but I can't have anything to do with them"?

To some, it sounds dangerous to throw ourselves so completely on the work of Christ and to highlight our own work so little. I get it, but adding even slightly to the gospel creates a deadly atmosphere that slowly suffocates the true gospel. The great sixteenth-century reformer, Martin Luther, loved the book of Galatians (even calling it his wife) for this very reason. As he looked at the works-righteousness and religious trappings of the Roman Catholicism that dominated the world in his day, he saw how an adjusted gospel is a destroyed gospel. He said:

“There is no middle ground between Christian RIGHTEOUSNESS and WORKS-RIGHTEOUSNESS. There is no other alternative to Christian righteousness but works righteousness; if you do not build your confidence on the work of Christ, you must build your confidence on your own work.”[^4]

Adding is destructive!

Adding Is A High-Stakes Mistake

Third, adding to the gospel is dangerous because adding is a high-stakes mistake. This is why Paul could not spend even a moment commending the Galatian church—too much was at stake! So Paul stated the severity of the problem by writing:

8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. 9 As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed. (Galatians 1:8-9, ESV)

Paul mentions two hypothetical situations. In the first, he or someone from his ministry team preached a gospel that contradicted the one they had already delivered to the Galatians. If that were to happen, Paul said, they should be accursed (8, 9). This means that even though Paul is about to defend his apostolic authority, and even though we must submit ourselves to his authority today, his apostolic authority could not alter the gospel. He derived his authority from Christ, who justified him through the gospel, so he had no power to change that gospel.

This first hypothetical is important because it helps us understand that no human is authoritative over the gospel found in the Bible. The Bible judges us; we do not judge it. Our own personal feelings and convictions must come under the authority of the word, and no human is qualified to change or adjust its gospel message.

In the second hypothetical, if an angel from heaven preached a gospel that contradicted Paul's, the angel should be accursed (8, 9). Imagine it! If an angel were to show up during one of their church services, they were not to receive its message if it contradicted the gospel Paul preached! Amazing.

This second hypothetical is important because many have hijacked the gospel by saying they are doing so by divine revelation. "It's not me," they say, "I received this in a vision or dream or from an encounter with an angel." But Paul is saying such messages—if they contradict the gospel of Christ in the slightest—are bogus. And the speaker should be divinely banned, completely cut off by God, accursed (8-9).

For some, Paul's language and tone are too strong and unloving. But we should note a few things about his statement. First, he applied it across the board—it is an equal opportunity curse that he applied to even himself should he preach another gospel. Second, this is not a reactional curse—by repeating it twice, Paul wants us to know this is a considered and biblical conclusion he's come to. The gospel must not be tampered with, and a curse should come on those who do. Finally, he is speaking with such strong language because of what is at stake. Since the gospel touches on the destiny of the souls of humanity, it is a message of the greatest importance. So love drove Paul to state in strong terms that anyone who messes with the gospel of Christ should be accursed.

If a cruise liner was sinking and you noticed passengers crowding into a damaged lifeboat, it would be loving of you to point it out. And Paul could not stand by and watch false teachers promote a message that was destined to harm its adherents. He had to point out their faulty life boat! The stakes were too high.

Conclusion

When I was an early-teen, my friends and I often played a simple game we called Quarters—I think we heard about it from Michael Jordan. Each of us would carry around a roll of quarters, and during school breaks, we would find a wall where two guys would take turns flipping quarters against it. Whoever's quarter landed closest to the wall—and the group was there to help judge—took home the other guy's quarter.

Every once in a while, a teacher or yard supervisor would catch us and tell us to stop because it was an introduction to gambling. We'd get in a tiny amount of trouble; they were never very concerned.

But imagine if we were tossing quarters as a way to compete for our future earnings. You win this toss, and I give you everything I earn for the next sixty years! Any teacher who overheard us would probably laugh. But imagine our game was somehow legally binding; they would've sternly rebuked us because the stakes were too high.

Adding to the gospel should never be done—the stakes are too high. We should not add the idea that our salvation is contingent on the quality of our surrender to Jesus. We should not add the idea that our salvation comes when we hold the right cultural expression of the gospel. We should not add the idea that we can save ourselves by being good people who do good things. We should not add the idea that we can save ourselves through regulation or religious ceremonies.

We cannot, and the stakes are high if we do—we don't fly, and people don't get saved! Instead, we must accept the gospel as is: the divinely inspired and initiated death, burial, and resurrection of Christ on our behalf—God's rescue mission to save despairing sinners.

[^1]: Stott, John R. W. The Message of Galatians: Only One Way. The Bible Speaks Today. Leicester, England; Downer’s Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1986. [^2]: Keller, Timothy. Galatians for You. God’s Word for You. Purcellville, VA: The Good Book Company, 2013. [^3]: Holder, Stephen. 2022. “Indianapolis Colts QB Matt Ryan’s HOF Ball Contains Unintentional 28-3 Reminder.” ESPN. September 16, 2022. https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/34605703/indianapolis-colts-qb-matt-ryan-hof-ball-contains-unintentional-28-3-callback. [^4]: Luther, Martin. 1998. Galatians. Leicester, England: Crossway Books.

Galatians 1:10-24

1:1-9 | 1:10-24 | 2:1-10 | 2:11-16 | 2:17-21 | 3:1-5 | 3:6-9 | 3:10-14 | 3:15-22 | 3:23-29 | 4:1-7 | 4:8-20 | 4:21-31 | 5:1-6 | 5:7-15 | 5:16-18 | 5:19-21 | 5:22-26 | 6:1-5 | 6:6-10 | 6:11-18

10 For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ. 11 For I would have you know, brothers, that the gospel that was preached by me is not man’s gospel. 12 For I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ. 13 For you have heard of my former life in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God violently and tried to destroy it. 14 And I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people, so extremely zealous was I for the traditions of my fathers. 15 But when he who had set me apart before I was born, and who called me by his grace, 16 was pleased to reveal his Son to me, in order that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with anyone; 17 nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me, but I went away into Arabia, and returned again to Damascus. 18 Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to visit Cephas and remained with him fifteen days. 19 But I saw none of the other apostles except James the Lord’s brother. 20 (In what I am writing to you, before God, I do not lie!) 21 Then I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia. 22 And I was still unknown in person to the churches of Judea that are in Christ. 23 They only were hearing it said, “He who used to persecute us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.” 24 And they glorified God because of me. (Galatians 1:10–24, ESV)

Overview

Three times in the book of Acts, the story of Paul's conversion is told. He was a persecutor of the church and was on his way from Jerusalem in Israel to Damascus in Syria to imprison and kill Christians when Jesus appeared to him in a bright light, knocked him down, and confronted him with the truth. And Paul believed! Now, here at the beginning of Galatians, Paul tells his story again.

Since his story is often told in Scripture, it is an account that, for you, might have lost its luster. And beyond being, quite possibly, overly familiar to us, it is a story filled here with unfamiliar places and people, along with a timeline that is difficult for even experienced Bible readers to navigate. So, as Paul shares his testimony, your mind might begin to drift.

But this passage is of great importance because it throws us into a consideration of Paul and the gospel as he preached it. And it is crucial for us to consider Paul and the gospel as he preached it because of its impact on our faith and world today.

It is not hyperbolic to say Pauline theology and doctrine affect every aspect of the Christian faith. The presence of his writings, teachings, and exhortations permeate every sermon I preach, every song we sing, the structure and organization of our local church, and what we believe about all matters pertaining to salvation. His words greatly impact how we think and feel about God.

And, beyond his influence on the church, because the church has gone out into all the world, Paul's words have also affected much in modern society. His teachings on subjects like human depravity (that we are broken in sin), human sexuality, gender roles, the role of government, marriage and family, behavioral ethics (what is right and wrong), racism and classism, what leads to a successful life, and countless other subjects have altered our modern world. We talk of influencers today, but none of our modern influencers will ever have the influence Paul had—and still has—on this world.

And sometimes, Paul's influence is questioned. It is not at all uncommon for a modern person, believer or not, to read something in Paul's New Testament letters (he wrote thirteen of them) that confuses, angers, or flusters them. And some begin to wonder, "Why do I need to listen to Paul? He was not one of Jesus' original disciples. So why does he get to be such a significant voice in Christianity? When I read the gospels and consider the life and words of Jesus, I don't see Paul's theology at all. Perhaps I'll embrace a Jesus-only Christianity. Paul is too complex, too confrontational, too argumentative, and too narrow, but Jesus is simple, loving, kind, and accepting. He is the one I will heed. As for Paul, I think I need to dispense of him."

This is similar to the challenge Paul was under from the Galatian churches. False teachers had troubled them, likely telling them Paul was not authoritative and had invented his teachings and doctrines in his own mind. When he told the Galatian believers they didn't need to keep the Old Testament Law, the false teachers said he was out of step with the accepted practices of the church and had devised these doctrines on his own.

So, in this passage, Paul retold his story to the Galatians. Paul's purpose in recounting his story was not to draw attention to himself. As an apostle, he was compelled to defend the gospel he preached. And at this point, his gospel was under attack because people were trying to discredit him. So Paul shared his testimony as a way to help them understand that his gospel is the gospel—the legitimate gospel.

This leads us to the two questions we will ask of this passage today. First, why is Paul's gospel legitimate? And second, what did Paul's gospel produce in him?

Why Is Paul's Gospel Legitimate?

Because He Received It From Jesus

Why is Paul's gospel legitimate? The passage gives us two main answers. The first reason Paul's gospel is legitimate is that Paul received the message from Jesus. He alludes to this in multiple ways.

First, at the top, he said he did not preach man's gospel (11). This means he did not receive the gospel he preached from any man and was not even taught the gospel he preached but received it directly through a revelation of Jesus Christ (12).

Don't miss the gravity of this claim. Paul is saying that not only did Jesus stop him dead in his tracks one day, shine as a bright light upon him, and personally lead him to believe, but also that Jesus directly revealed himself to Paul in the years after his conversion (Acts 9:1-22). No one preached to Paul except for Jesus. And no one taught Paul except for Jesus. The other apostles, through three-plus years of time with Jesus, received directly from the Lord. So did Paul—he spent time with the resurrected and ascended Christ.

A second clue that Paul received his message directly from Jesus is that he didn't preach a message any human would, or even could, design. At the beginning of this passage, he asked, "Am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ" (10). With these rhetorical questions, Paul is highlighting how his gospel message was not a message that mankind would approve of or find pleasing (10). It was (and is) and confrontational message that first condemns all under sin and demands the blood of Jesus is the only thing that can cleanse us.

Humans make messages that cater to extremes or try to find a middle ground, but the gospel does neither. Instead, it embraces the extremes. For instance, it says humanity is irreparably separated from God (extreme). But it also says humanity is incredibly loved by God (extreme). It says we are sinners, but it also says we can be cleansed from our sin. It says we are lost but that we can be found. It both tears us down to the studs, telling us we are reprobate and dead in sin, but also says we are the crown jewel of God's creation. It is not a message people would construct. It was not a message that sought the approval of man, and this is another piece of evidence that Paul had received it, not from humanity, but from heaven.

A third clue that Paul received the message directly from Jesus is the fact that he was not at all prone to receive the message. His former life in Judaism was one filled with persecution of the church and extreme zeal for the traditions of his fathers (13-14). He advanced in Judaism more rapidly than many of his own age (14). Who had any chance of evangelizing Paul? Even when the Lord told a Christian named Ananias to go minister to Paul after his conversion, Ananias feared for his life (Acts 9:13-14). But beyond being unapproachable, Paul was clearly, staunchly, decidedly, and concretely against the message of Jesus. He was not prone—in any way—to receive it until Christ broke through and revealed himself directly to the man.

And one final clue that Paul received the gospel directly from Jesus is found in what he said happened to him after his conversion. He did not immediately consult with anyone (16). Rather than head straight to Jerusalem for a period of instruction at the feet of the apostles, or at least some Bible classes at the church in Damascus, Paul went into the far reaches of Arabia for some time alone with the Lord (17).[^1] It wasn't until three years later, after some ministry in Damascus, that Paul went to Jerusalem to visit the church leaders (17-18).

But those three years were apparently a time of great revelation from Christ to Paul. I envision those years as a replacement for the three years the other disciples got to walk and talk with Jesus. And, all throughout that time away, the Scriptures Paul had learned as a Pharisee were seen in the light of Christ. For three years, Paul's mind and soul were on overdrive, Jesus was speaking, and New Testament doctrine was forming. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John would eventually write the accounts of Jesus' life, teaching, death, and resurrection. But out there in Arabia, Paul seems to have received the implications of Jesus' life, teaching, death, and resurrection. Paul's teachings would explain the significance of what Jesus did on the cross to all future generations.

Because Jesus' People Received Him

But these evidences that Paul received the gospel directly from Jesus aren't the only reasons we can say Paul's gospel is legitimate. A complimentary and vital reason, according to this passage, is that not only did Paul receive the message directly from Jesus, but Jesus' people received Paul. Paul's gospel is legit because he got it from Christ, but also because Christ's people acknowledged Paul.

In this passage, Paul said that once he finally did go up to Jerusalem, he went so he could visit—the word indicates relationship-building—Cephas (Peter, 18). Remember, Paul had been saved—and had been forming his doctrine—for three years at that point (18). You might think Paul went to Jerusalem to get a badge or a certificate from all the apostles, verifying that his ministry was legitimate. Not on his first trip there—on this first visit, Paul was there merely to get to know Peter (18). And while he was there, he also met James, Jesus' younger brother and a leader in the Jerusalem church (19). And, note, there was no word of correction, no challenge, no rebuke from Peter or James to Paul. They accepted Paul. The first apostle and the brother of our Lord accepted Paul and his gospel as legitimate.

And after his departure from Peter and James, Paul went to the regions of Syria and Cilicia, including his hometown of Tarsus, where he ministered and studied for years (21). While he was there, the church back in the Jerusalem area—Judea—rejoiced at all the reports they heard about Paul (22-23). Paul seems so happy when he writes: And they glorified God because of me (24). This all means Paul was accepted not only by the original apostles, but the original church.

For Paul to answer the Galatian challenge about the legitimacy of his gospel this way helped with both horns of a dilemma. Paul had to show that his message didn't come from any human group, even himself. His message wasn't up for debate—it came from God. But he also had to show that his fellow apostles, and the church they led, received him.[^2] If they didn't, Paul might easily be dismissed as a rogue operator. But they did receive him.

So when someone today reads back into the life of Christ and decides that Paul's doctrine or gospel doesn't jibe with Jesus' life and words, they must understand they are in disagreement with the very people who lived with Jesus. To say you cannot agree with Paul because you don't think he agrees with Jesus is to ignore the apostles and witnesses in the first century who agreed with Paul precisely because they thought he agreed with Jesus. It would be like looking at archived photographs of Abraham Lincoln preserved by the Library of Congress and deciding that even though all the photos depict him with a beard, you don't think he had one. Paul claimed to have received his gospel (and even training) directly from Jesus, and the apostles and early church all believed those claims and received Paul as being consistent with the Jesus they knew, so we should receive Paul and his theology as well.

What Did Paul's Gospel Produce?

So we've thought now, from Paul's story, about why Paul's gospel was legitimate, but let's close our time together by asking our second question: what did Paul's gospel produce in Paul? Are there things that happened to Paul that we could hope would happen to us?

1. Release From People-Pleasing

First, notice how the gospel released Paul from people-pleasing. He started this entire section by announcing that he was clearly not seeking the approval of man and was no longer trying to please man because he was serving Christ (10).

The Bible's teaching on man-pleasing, a major issue in Scripture, is summed up in Proverbs 29:25:

The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is safe. (Proverbs 29:25, ESV)

It was the gospel that set Paul free of the fear of man. The book Dune speaks of fear as the mind-killer, a little death that brings total obliteration.[^3] And the fear of man is just that, a cancer that, if permitted to live, will end in your total demise. But the gospel can set you free of chasing people's approval, mostly because its message says that you have the approval of the one who made you. In Christ, you are righteous and completely accepted by God, just as much as he accepts his only begotten Son.

Imagine a little girl playing a softball game. Her dad is the coach, but he is a good father, so she knows that no matter how she performs, he loves and accepts her. She can't do anything to earn more of his love. But that unconditional love from her dad makes her want to do well on the field. And, if she hits a home run, she will round the bases with the knowledge that she has pleased her daddy. She has not gained his pleasure, but because he loves her, she is pleased to perform well in front of him.[^4]

This is what happens when you receive and realize the gospel of grace. You are set free from trying to please people and turn your attention to living life for the God who loves you. And, as I said, your life begins to bless others anyways. You're hitting homers, and your teammates rejoice!

2. A Better Zeal

A second way the gospel impacted Paul was that it gave him a better thing for which to be zealous (14). Before Christ rescued him, Paul threw his time and energy and mind and talent and money into religious training and leadership. He advanced beyond others his age; his passion was obvious (14). He likely thought of himself as a new Elijah—a fiery prophet of old who would expunge the land of false gods. But when Jesus came into his life, Paul's energies were placed in a new and good direction.

Zeal is not enough. Little children are often zealous about the reality of Santa Claus. And adults are often zealous to become something, to have something, or to feel something. But the zeal to be or have or feel is always a terrible foundation on which to build your life.

The gospel is not a call to be moderate. It's actually a call to be rather extreme—die to self, lay down your life, become a servant, love as Christ loved—these and other New Testament exhortations do not describe a moderate life. Instead, they describe zeal in the right direction, zeal for the only thing that won't come up short, zeal for the only thing that isn't, in the end, pointless.

3. A Strong Sense Of God's Calling

A third way the gospel impacted Paul was that it gave him a strong sense of God's calling. Once Jesus delivered him from his blindness and transferred him from the kingdom of darkness to light, Paul because aware that God had set him apart before he was born and called him by his grace (15, cf. Acts 26:18). And with that calling came God's purpose for Paul, that he would preach Jesus among the Gentiles (16). In short, the gospel gave Paul meaning and purpose in life.

And the gospel of Christ can do the same in you because now you have access to your Father in heaven. He made you, and now you can engage with him to learn of his plans for you.

4. A Hunger For Growth

A fourth way the gospel impacted Paul was that it gave him a hunger for growth—he wanted to learn all about Jesus and walk with him! For the first three years of his Christian life, he went to Arabia and Damascus to learn from the Lord (17-18). Then, after his trip to Jerusalem, he went far away to the regions of Syria and Cilicia for almost a decade (21-22). All that time allowed Paul a chance to grow into the mighty and dynamic apostle we all know and love.

Those years were the embodiment of the phrase measure twice, cut once. Paul was measuring—studying, learning, praying, practicing, serving, and growing—for years before his first missionary journey with Barnabas and his contribution of at least thirteen letters to the New Testament.

J.I. Packer said that faith and preparation go together because God does not bless a goofy perspective that dispenses with planning and personal preparation. When Martha complained to Jesus that her sister, Mary, should stop listening to Jesus' teaching and help her in the kitchen, Jesus told Martha that Mary had chosen the better thing (Luke 10:38-42). God is looking for those who will sit at his feet and grow in him, and the gospel releases us to do so.

5. Hard Work And Service (21-24).

Finally, the gospel impacted Paul by giving him both the desire and the resources to work hard for God's kingdom. For years, he was preaching the faith he once tried to destroy (23). Even far away from Tarsus, people heard of Paul's hard work and service, glorifying God because of Paul (24).

I have found the cross of Christ is the only perpetual source of inspiration, motivation, and energy required to work hard in the service of his church. The gospel is the message that propels us forward into lives of self-sacrifice and service.

Conclusion

Our passage today helps us to consider Paul's gospel (and, thus, the theology that stemmed from his gospel) as legitimate. Neither he nor any other apostle in the first century delivered a man-made message but a divinely inspired and conspired plan of redemption through Christ's cross. It's an inconceivable message in that humans could and would not fully conceive of it. And we have a decision today—do I receive Paul's gospel and all the theology that flows from it, just as the early church, those closest to Jesus, did? Or do I reject Paul, his gospel, and his gospel theology in favor of how I see the world, truth, or even Jesus?

But, for those who have received the gospel message Paul (and others) preached, our passage also helps us consider the impact of that message on our own lives today. We aren't apostles. How we receive the gospel isn't vital to the underpinnings of Christianity. But Paul's testimony should reawaken in us an appreciation—not only for his gospel story—but ours. Paul's past life had a stranglehold on him, driving him even to the zealous murder of Christians, but Christ broke through and created a new man in place of the old. And, for as powerful as our pasts are, we must remember that Jesus makes all things new. If you are in Christ, you are a new creation, old things have passed away, and all things have become new (2 Cor. 5:17). For far too many of us, the past defines who we are today, and while it certainly is a factor, it is not the only factor. As Matthew Harmon wrote, "Our past has a profound role in shaping who we are. But it does not determine who we are. One encounter with Jesus is enough to change the entire direction of a person's life."[^4]

With that all in mind, we are now commissioned to not only receive Paul's gospel and celebrate Paul's testimony but to share our testimony with others. We never want to share it in a way that distracts or detracts from the gospel—Look at me! I am an amazing case! No, instead, we want to share our story to say, Look at him! He has amazing grace!

[^1]: Campbell, Donald K. 1985. “Galatians.” In The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, edited by J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, 2:592. Wheaton, IL: Victor Books. [^2]: Bruce, F. F. 1979. New International Bible Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House. [^3]: Herbert, Frank. 1981. Dune. London, England: Oxford University Press. [^4]: Keller, Timothy. 2013. Galatians For You. New Malden, England: Good Book Company. [^]: Harmon, Matthew S. 2021. Galatians. Edited by T. Desmond Alexander, Thomas R. Schreiner, and Andreas J. Köstenberger. Evangelical Biblical Theology Commentary. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Academic.

Galatians 2:1-10

1:1-9 | 1:10-24 | 2:1-10 | 2:11-16 | 2:17-21 | 3:1-5 | 3:6-9 | 3:10-14 | 3:15-22 | 3:23-29 | 4:1-7 | 4:8-20 | 4:21-31 | 5:1-6 | 5:7-15 | 5:16-18 | 5:19-21 | 5:22-26 | 6:1-5 | 6:6-10 | 6:11-18

Galatians 2:1–10 (ESV) — 1 Then after fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus along with me. 2 I went up because of a revelation and set before them (though privately before those who seemed influential) the gospel that I proclaim among the Gentiles, in order to make sure I was not running or had not run in vain. 3 But even Titus, who was with me, was not forced to be circumcised, though he was a Greek.

4 Yet because of false brothers secretly brought in—who slipped in to spy out our freedom that we have in Christ Jesus, so that they might bring us into slavery— 5 to them we did not yield in submission even for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might be preserved for you.

6 And from those who seemed to be influential (what they were makes no difference to me; God shows no partiality)—those, I say, who seemed influential added nothing to me. 7 On the contrary, when they saw that I had been entrusted with the gospel to the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been entrusted with the gospel to the circumcised 8 (for he who worked through Peter for his apostolic ministry to the circumcised worked also through me for mine to the Gentiles), 9 and when James and Cephas and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given to me, they gave the right hand of fellowship to Barnabas and me, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised. 10 Only, they asked us to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do.

A Second Jerusalem Visit

This text details Paul's second time Paul visited Jerusalem as a Christian, fourteen years after his conversion (1). In our previous passage, Paul said it took him three years from the time of his conversion to finally make his first trip to Jerusalem to meet Peter and James (1:18-19). But after that visit, it took another eleven years or so for him to go back.

Why did Paul go to Jerusalem fourteen years into his new life in Jesus? Not to report for duty or gain a verification of his gospel, but because of a revelation (2). For over a decade, Paul had been preaching all throughout his hometown region of Syria and Cilicia (1:21). Acts tells us that, eventually, a church leader named Barnabas needed Paul's help with the church in Antioch, so he recruited Paul for a year of ministry there (Acts 11:25-26). Eventually, some prophets from the Jerusalem church went north to visit the church in Antioch, and one of them, a man named Agabus, "foretold by the Spirit that there would be a great famine all over the world" (Acts 11:28). Agabus's prophecy might be part of the revelation Paul wrote about here (1). After some prayer, the Antioch church decided to take a collection and send Paul and Barnabas with a financial gift to the church in the Jerusalem area (Acts 11:29-30).

But, while there, Paul took the opportunity to privately set the gospel he proclaimed among the Gentile world to the apostles (2). Please don't misunderstand Paul's motives for doing so; he was not worried that he might've been preaching the wrong message all those years. He only went to Jerusalem because God told him to, likely to deliver a financial aid package to an impoverished church.

But while in Jerusalem, Paul became worried that the apostles there weren't confronting legalists who added the Old Testament law to the beautiful gospel of Christ. And if the apostles didn't renounce the legalists, then Paul's work among the Gentiles would suffer. He didn't want to run in vain and do all this work to get the gospel of grace to the nations if those same nations were then going to get hijacked by a perversion of the gospel (2). He was concerned that all his work among the Gentiles would be undone by the false teaching of the Judaizers, so he set his gospel before the apostles.

Paul happened to bring the perfect ministry companions for a meeting that would ask if Gentile Christians needed to become Jewish. On one side, Barnabas was a Jewish Levite. He would be a persuasive witness when he testified that Judaism was not necessary for the new Gentile converts. On the other side, Titus was a Gentile convert Paul was training for ministry. Though he's not mentioned in Acts, he often appears in Paul's letters and is even the recipient of a letter all about how to organize and lead the church. Titus had never before been compelled to become culturally Jewish (or embrace Judaism and its customs) after he became a Christian. But in Jerusalem, Titus would be the ultimate test case, a lab rat for the gospel. Was the gospel enough, or would the Jerusalem church pressure a man like Titus to submit to Jewish religious practices?

Circumcision Issue?

Thankfully, the gospel was enough, and Titus, Paul said, was not forced to be circumcised, though he was a Greek (3). This is the first time circumcision is broached in Galatians, and it will become a recurring subject throughout the book. It might seem like an alien or awkward subject to you, but it was of central importance to the legalists who followed Paul around.

The origin of this subject in the Bible is found all the way back in Genesis when God chose to bless Abraham. God promised to make Abraham into a great nation that would be a blessing to all the nations of the earth (Genesis 12:1-3). It was a promise that the nation of Israel would come from Abraham but also that Jesus Christ would come from Israel. Through Jesus, who is from Israel, who is from Abraham, all the nations of the earth can be blessed.

But as a way to mark Abraham and his family line as blessed by God, set apart for his purposes on earth, God gave Abraham and his descendants the sign of circumcision. And since it affected the male reproductive system, it should have served as a reminder that God would help them reproduce, making them into a numerous and great nation who would bless all the nations.

Over the years, however, many stopped seeing circumcision as a reminder of God's promise and started seeing it as a key to righteousness. If men didn't submit to circumcision, they said, they could not earn God's approval. With circumcision, however, they were received by God. Soon, real and inward holiness was replaced with this outward ceremonial rite.

So when Paul began blasting the gospel throughout the nations, there were some in the Jerusalem area who thought he should add circumcision to the message. And attached to circumcision would have been a host of other requirements—dietary restrictions, religious feasts, fasting days, and Sabbaths—that these legalists would've insisted on. But circumcision and all the religious regulations God gave Israel were not meant as means of earning God's approval, but reminders of and paths to enjoy the approval God had already given them.

And this was the issue at stake when Titus went to Jerusalem with Paul. Is God's acceptance something we earn or something we receive? And—praise God!—Titus was not forced to add anything to the message of the cross (3).

It's Received, Not Earned (1-3)

This leads me to my first point about the beautiful, acceptable gospel: it is received, not earned. Titus could remain as he was. He could not earn God's favor. He could only receive it through the gospel of grace—the message of Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection.

A friend recently told me about a cruise he took his family on many years ago. His son was just a little boy at the time. When they arrived on board, he pointed out an ice cream station to his boy and, knowing it was all-inclusive, told his son to go get an ice cream whenever he wanted. The boy immediately stood in line while the family continued strolling on. Soon, they began looking around, wondering if he'd caught up to them. When they looked back, they saw him standing next to the ice cream line, bawling his eyes out. When they asked him what was wrong, he said, "I don't have any money! I can't buy any ice cream." That's when his dad showed him the bracelet on his wrist: "See this bracelet? It means you can go up to ice cream carts like this one and get anything you want any time you want." All-access!

This is often our attitude toward the blessings of God on our lives—I can't afford it! I haven't earned it! I don't have anything to contribute to get it! But that's the point. We don't, but the Son does, so when we receive the gift of Jesus' substitutional death for us, we receive a radical position before God. But it isn't something that is earned, only received.

Christianity is essentially news that tells us what Christ has done. Other religious systems—even the secular system many operate by—are advice on how to live and prove yourself. Do this, do that, and you will be approved, either by the divine or by society. But the gospel announces a historical event, happy news of what Christ has done on our behalf.

When we place our faith in Christ, we become "blessed in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places" (Ephesians 1:3). All the spiritual blessings are ours because they all belong to Jesus, and the Father has bestowed Jesus' righteousness onto us through the gospel.

But the temptation to earn God's acceptance through our actions is difficult to resist. We live every day with examples that say good things are earned. People go to school for many years, get good grades and the highest degrees, and then enter into impressive and well-paying fields. We don't let people who didn't finish high school perform brain surgery—they didn't earn the position (or the income that comes with it). And once we embrace works-righteousness before God, we will begin believing we can earn more for certain behaviors.

There is a WikiHow webpage on how to receive gifts. Apparently, some of us struggle to know how to do this, so the article is filled with many tips—smile, sincerely thank the giver, don't refuse, etc.—but the last tip is "do not compete with the giver."[^1] Don't get into a giving contest where you have to try to one-up them because you don't want to be in their debt. But some of us do this with God—we try to earn the gift of acceptance (and so much more) that God has given us. So, daily, we must remember that the gospel and its benefits are received, not earned.

It Brings Divine Freedom, Not Human Control (4-5)

A Challenge From False Brothers

The second movement of this passage reminds us that the beautiful, acceptable gospel brings divine freedom, not human control. While Paul was in Jerusalem, false brothers were secretly brought in, perhaps even into his meeting with the apostles! (4) Paul describes these men with spy language—they came in secretly and spied out Paul and his team's freedom in Christ (4). Something about the way Paul, Barnabas, and Titus lived annoyed these legalists. They hated the sweet freedom Paul's team had. It is reminiscent of the way the religious leaders treated Jesus' disciples—Why are they allowed to pick grain on the Sabbath? Why don't they ceremonially wash before meals? Why do you all eat with tax collectors and sinners?

But, for all the legalist's sly manipulation, Titus would not yield submission for even a moment (5). Not even for a moment. The preservation of the gospel was at stake, so they didn't feel compelled at all to obey these Judaizers (5).

The Gospel Brings Divine Freedom, Not Human Control

But notice what these religionists saw in Paul and his team: freedom in Christ (4). And notice what Paul knew they wanted to do to his team: bring them into slavery (4).

For many of us, the word freedom contains the idea that we can do whatever we want. No one restricts us. We have complete freedom in what we see, hear, or say, but this version of freedom is often paralyzing and destructive.[^2] But there is a better version of freedom that the gospel gives us. John Ortberg explains it well:

"Think of freedom coming in two flavors, two kinds of freedom. There is freedom from external constraints, somebody telling me what to do. This is freedom from. But there is another kind of freedom that might be called freedom for. There’s the freedom for living the kind of life I was made to live, freedom for becoming that man I most want to be — freedom for."[^3]

This is the case Paul will build in Galatians; that we should use our freedom to fly up into a life of love and goodness with God.

For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. (Galatians 5:1, ESV)

For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. (Galatians 5:13, ESV)

And it is through the gospel that we can come into this beautiful version of divine liberty—a freedom to love and serve and lay down our lives for others.

But because the gospel brings us into divine freedom, it also sets us free from human control. I don't mean total liberty, as if we will never need to submit to any authority. But what I do mean is that the gospel sets us free from the need to obey humans who tell us to behave in certain ways because they said so. Titus did not have to obey the religiously zealous pressure to succumb to circumcision, and we don't have to obey legalists in our time.

This pressure can come from various directions. One side tells us to dress humbly enough, don't enjoy entertainment too much, engage in enough religious activity, distance ourselves from the world enough, etc. Another side tells us to dress sustainably enough, approve of (not just accept) people enough, enjoy the arts and entertainment enough, engage in enough community service, distance ourselves from religious people enough, etc.

But the gospel sets us free from human controls like these and places us in divine freedom and a relationship with God. Rather than tell us to do this or do that, it gives us a broader and higher standard of loving God and our neighbor.

And there are thousands of legalists in our time, from the religious and the non-religious. Even those who believe this life is all there is and reject the existence of God, zealously preach a version of righteous living to society. Rather than embrace the alleged accidental and, therefore, meaningless nature of life, they tell the world to do good and be good, merely because they said so.[^4]

One version of human control or legalism I'd like to address today affects all the parents. We are swimming in a psychologized culture where it seems almost every failure or sadness is blamed on our childhoods. I don't mean to minimize anyone's past trauma—it can effect us greatly—but all this talk of parents damaging their children can paralyze parents from parenting. But you are the only one for the job! If God wanted someone else to parent your kid, he would have given them different parents. Don't let human controls shackle you from taking the responsibility—kids need parents because kids need to be parented.

We have been set free from human control and can now live in divine freedom—a simple allegiance to Christ where he operates as the Lord of our lives, directing our steps. Sometimes he will exercise his lordship through others—governmental leaders, a spiritual leader, an employer, a parent, a spouse—but his leadership is ultimately what we are responding to. And this life is free in Christ from odd human constraints the religiously zealous love to place on us.

It Is Versatile, Not Rigid (6-10)

The Details Of The Apostolic Meeting

In the final movement of our passage, we learn that the beautiful, acceptable gospel is versatile, not rigid. In this section, Paul detailed his private interactions with three of the most significant apostles in Jerusalem, James, Peter (or Cephas), and John (9). Three times in our text, Paul highlights how these apostles seemed to be influential or seemed to be pillars (2, 6, 9). He almost sounds condescending in his description of them, saying, "What they were makes no difference to me; God shows no partiality" (6).

Paul was not being disrespectful of the apostles when he said these things, but respectful of God while challenging the legalists. Paul knew God and his gospel were superior to the apostles—he'd even said he himself should be cursed if he contradicted the gospel (1:8-9). But he also knew the legalists had appealed to the apostles, saying they approved of adding the law onto the gospel. So, now, here he describes their meeting by saying, "They seemed like a big deal. And what did they say? They said my gospel was legit. The same gospel they—especially Peter—preached to the Jewish world, I preached to the Gentile world. It has different points of emphasis because it reaches different types of people with different beliefs, but it is the same gospel! And I would think the apostles would know! And the only real request the apostles wanted to make sure what part of our message was to care for the poor—and I was already about that!"

The Gospel Is Versatile, Not Rigid

This part of the story reminds us of the versatility of the gospel. It is not a message that changes, but it has something for every culture that has ever or will ever exist. It is versatile. In the classic children's book Charlotte's Web, Charlotte the spider tells Wilbur the pig that she is versatile. "What does 'versatile' mean — full of eggs?" Wilbur asks. "Certainly not," Charlotte replies. "'Versatile' means I can turn with ease from one thing to another."[^5]

And the gospel message is versatile—it can turn to address one thing or another. It can target the abuser or the abused. It can target highly conservative or religious societies (Iran) or very lax and liberal ones (France). It can target the poor or the rich. It can target people on both extremes of the political spectrum. It can target every tribe and nation and tongue. It can impact a teenager who is battling anxiety or an octogenarian who is battling aging. It can go into the the jungles of South America or the concrete jungles of modern society and reach people right where they are at. It has a versatility to it that allows it to survive and thrive in any environment.

It is not like a factory line, forcing people to come out the other side looking a specific way. It is more like a garden, causing individuals to flourish as God intended them, bearing all sorts of fruit. But legalism makes people rigid. Soon, everyone must look and act the same way. Conformity.

Jesus said,

"No one puts new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the new wine will burst the skins and it will be spilled, and the skins will be destroyed. But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins." (Luke 5:37–38)

Conclusion

So this passage tells us Paul's story of presenting this unearnable, freeing, and versatile gospel to the apostles in Jerusalem nearly 2,000 years ago. They considered it, and though they may have been quietly tolerating some who distorted the gospel by adding the Old Testament law to it, they stood up and recognized the gospel of grace as the gospel transmitted from Christ to them.

We have a similar decision before us today. Our decision does not impact church history as much as theirs did, but it greatly influences us and the people around us, even subsequent generations.

• Will we think of acceptance by God as something we can earn through good works or religious ceremonies? If so, we have destroyed the gospel.
• Will we allow ourselves to come under human controls that tell us we must add this or that behavior to the gospel to be approved by God? If so, we have destroyed the gospel.
• And will we preach a message that forces everyone into a particular mold? If so, we have destroyed the gospel.

Instead, we must accept this unearnable, freeing, and versatile gospel message just like the apostles did.

[^1]: Guttman, Jennifer. 2015. “How to Receive.” WikiHow. February 3, 2015. https://www.wikihow.com/Receive. [^2]: Willard, Dallas, and Randy Frazee. 2005. Renovation of the Heart: Putting on the Character of Christ. Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress. [^3]: Ortberg, John. 2014. Soul Keeping: Caring for the Most Important Part of You. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan. [^4]:Keller, Timothy. 2016. Making Sense of God: An Invitation to the Skeptical. Viking. [^5]: White, E. B. 2013. Charlotte’s Web. London, England: Puffin.

Galatians 2:11-16

1:1-9 | 1:10-24 | 2:1-10 | 2:11-16 | 2:17-21 | 3:1-5 | 3:6-9 | 3:10-14 | 3:15-22 | 3:23-29 | 4:1-7 | 4:8-20 | 4:21-31 | 5:1-6 | 5:7-15 | 5:16-18 | 5:19-21 | 5:22-26 | 6:1-5 | 6:6-10 | 6:11-18

11 But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. 12 For before certain men came from James, he was eating with the Gentiles; but when they came he drew back and separated himself, fearing the circumcision party. 13 And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. 14 But when I saw that their conduct was not in step with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas before them all, “If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews?” 15 We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners; 16 yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.

A Completely Different Visit

Paul wanted the Galatians—and us—to fly up into a life of freedom and love, and he knew that the gospel message is what can take us there (Gal. 5:13). But the Galatians were in danger of destroying the gospel message by adding to it, so Paul wrote this letter to defend the precious message of the gospel of grace. And since he was the one who first brought the gospel to Galatia, Paul knew he had to defend himself as a way to defend his message.

And, in defending himself, Paul recounted two early and peaceful interactions with the apostles in Jerusalem (Gal. 1:18-2:10). Twice, they had confirmed his message, the gospel of grace. But this third encounter wasn't as peaceful.

And it didn't take place in Jerusalem but in Antioch, the third most important city in the Roman Empire, after Rome and Alexandria (11). It was located only 300 miles north of Jerusalem and boasted a large Jewish population, so when persecution hit the church in Jerusalem, many Christians fled there. And, in Antioch, the gospel spread and the church flourished. Barnabas ministered there and, as I mentioned last week, eventually recruited Paul to help him (Acts 11:19-30). It was a beautiful church full of the grace of God (Acts 11:23).

At some point, we don't know exactly when, Peter (Cephas) came to Antioch (11). At first, his presence only added to the beauty of the church there because he was so united to the Gentile believers in Antioch that he regularly ate with the Gentiles (12). The harmony of different cultures, customs, and backgrounds, all coming together under the banner of the cross, was breathtaking. This man, Peter, the lead apostle, a racial and cultural Jew, signified through his actions that the blood of Jesus had united him with his Gentile brothers. As Paul said to the Ephesian church, Jesus had broken down the wall of separation and had made a new humanity by his death, burial, and resurrection—Peter felt he was part of it with the Gentile church in Antioch (Eph. 2:15-16).

But Paul had to oppose Peter to his face because Peter did something worthy of condemnation (11). During his visit, some men came from James down in Jerusalem (12). Paul doesn't say why they were there, but, whatever the reason, Peter feared the circumcision party and began to slink back and separate himself from his Gentile friends (12). And, because he was a leader, his shameful act spread like wildfire, and soon the rest of the Jews separated themselves during meal time (13). Even Barnabas, a beloved pastor and friend to the Antioch church, was swept up by their hypocrisy (13). You can imagine the hurt and confusion the believers in Antioch suffered because of Peter and Barnabas' withdrawal from them. The dividing wall of separation that Christ had destroyed was now fully rebuilt.

As you might suspect, Paul could not stand by and let this unfold with no consequence. He arose to rebuke Peter before them all (14). In addressing Peter, Paul addressed everyone who went along with him, reminding Peter of the doctrine of justification by faith that Peter preached and espoused, bringing Peter back in line with the gospel he professed.

Why Include This Story?

But why include this embarrassing story? Paul has already told us that if anyone distorts the gospel, they should be cut off. If even an angel or an apostle adds to the gospel message, they should be accursed (Gal. 1:8-9). By confronting Peter, Paul shows that no one is above the gospel and that even if we profess it, as Peter did, we must also live by it, which Peter did not.

And that was Paul's main issue with Peter. He said, "When I saw that their conduct was not in step with the truth of the gospel, I rebuked Peter before them all" (14).

Don't miss what's happening here: Peter was a champion of the gospel of grace. He was the one who took the keys of the kingdom and opened the door wide to the Gentile world. Years earlier, God led him to go to Caesarea and preach to the household of a Gentile military officer named Cornelius. And when he did, they all believed and were filled with the Spirit (Acts 10:44). Seeing that God had accepted these Gentiles, so did Peter, and he baptized them on the spot (Acts 10:47-48). And when Peter went back to Jerusalem, he defended his actions by saying things like:

"If God gave the same gift (of the Holy Spirit) to them as he gave to us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could stand in God's way?" (Acts 11:17).

Nothing in the passage before us suggests that Peter changed his mind about any of that. He did not separate himself because he'd come to a new theological conclusion, but out of fear of the circumcision party (12). The fear of man led him to act contrary to his theological convictions, and Paul knew it, which is why he sought to bring Peter back into living in step with the gospel he believed. The gospel presents a path to walk on—and Peter stepped of it for a moment. As Matthew Harmon wrote:

"The gospel is not merely the way we begin the Christian life; it is the means by which we continue to live the Christian life. It sets out a path for us as believers to walk."[^1]

So how does this passage encourage us to walk out the gospel? What does it teach us about living in step with the gospel?

1. Unite Over The Gospel

First, most significantly, this passage shows us that we must unite over the gospel. When Peter acted the way he did, he united with some over Judaism, which divided him (unnecessarily) from others who did not embrace Judaism.

Again, Peter believed the gospel, but through his actions, Peter was telling a whole church of Gentile Christians that simple faith in Christ was not enough—they needed to add circumcision and dietary laws. They needed to become Jewish! This would have been an intensely depressing message for a group of Gentile Christians living in a Gentile society. The good news that Jesus came to save them was turning into the bad news that they would have to adopt Judaism. And, since Peter was a heavyweight in the church, he was telling the entire future church the same thing!

But when Peter freely ate with the Gentile believers, he was representing the gospel well, living in line with the gospel of grace. During those meals, he was saying, "It's the gospel of Christ that unites us. It is bigger than any other dividing factor." But once he separated, he was saying, "The issue of Judaism is on the level of the gospel. It is just as important. And you cannot be fully accepted by God unless you embrace it."

We might also be tempted to get out of line with the gospel with our actions. In fact, the passage suggests we should be on guard for the inevitable moments we will get out of step with the gospel. If the Apostle Peter, who had Scriptures, dreams, visions, and personal experiences showing him that the gospel was for the Gentiles, fell to the temptation to live out of step with the gospel, who are we to think we wouldn't? Like Peter, we might not denounce the core elements of the gospel, but we should not, with our actions, communicate that one must add anything to faith in Christ.

In many facets of life, we must be on guard against doing what Peter did. To, as Paul said, live in step with the gospel is to never stray from the straight path of the gospel. But detours abound, and we must resist them.

• To live in step with the gospel is to avoid classism, the tendency to only be in relationships with people from the same social class.

• To live in step with the gospel is to resist sectarianism, the tendency to withdraw into small theological enclaves that agree with even the most minor points of doctrine while rejecting everyone else.

• To live in step with the gospel is to embrace different personalities, believing that Jesus loves and has created everyone.

• To live in step with the gospel is to avoid dividing over the spectrum of political persuasions, knowing that we should not put up a barrier to entry into Christ's kingdom that Christ himself did not construct.

• To live in step with the gospel is to avoid relational snobbery, the tendency to spend time only with those who are easy (for you) to be around.

• To live in step with the gospel is to appreciate people from every generation because you recognize that your generation's values and norms are subservient to the supremacy of the gospel.

• To live in step with the gospel destroys racism—blatantly racist attitudes or the soft racism of nodding at racial stereotypes behind closed doors—because the gospel adds to all the Bible says about creation, so not only are we all made in God's image, but the gospel puts us all on the same level before God.

So we must be careful not to communicate through our words or actions that, to be a real Christian approved by God, you have to be of a certain class, sect, personality, political persuasion, social skill, generational value system, race, or anything else. And even if we wouldn't say such a thing with our words, we cannot say such a thing with our actions. Peter would only eat with those under Judaism. To eat was to commune and fellowship with someone. So if we will only commune and fellowship with someone who is of a certain class, sect, personality, political persuasion, social skill, generational value system, or race, what are we communicating about the gospel?

I am sure you've heard about the recent rise in popularity of the sport pickleball. It is a bit like tennis, but quite different. And it is a very laid-back crowd that plays it, so much so that I've heard that when someone is too argumentative, aggressive, or competitive on the pickleball court, others will say, "You're being a bit 'tennis' about it."[^2] It's their way of calling someone out for losing the big picture and becoming a bit too intense. And when it comes to secondary matters, we must keep them in that second place. The moment we become "too tennis about" our secondary things, we've given the impression they are on the level with the gospel, meaning we are out of step with the gospel.

As John Stott wrote: "When the issue between us is trivial, we must be as pliable as possible. But when the truth of the gospel is at stake, we must stand our ground."[^3]

2. Be Motivated By The Gospel

So the passage shows us that we must unite under the gospel, but it also shows us, secondly, that we must be motivated by the gospel. Peter acted the way he did because he grew to fear the circumcision party (12). He was motivated by fear.

But when Paul confronted Peter, he didn't try to shift Peter's motivation to shame, embarrassment, or anger. He wasn't saying, "You should be ashamed of yourself, Peter. You are a terrible person. You disgust me." He didn't merely point out that Peter was breaking the rules—though he was—but instead pointed out that Peter had forgotten the gospel.[^4] He reminded Peter what the gospel had done to him: "If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not a Jew, how can you force Gentiles to live like Jews?" (14). Then he said, "We know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed..." (16). WE—he was reminding Peter of what he'd been, what he'd believed, and how the gospel had set him free from the law.

Paul reminded Peter of who he was and what he'd believed. This is a far better form of motivation than manipulation, anger, or shame. When we are reminded of who we are in Christ, the riches that we have in Christ, and the destiny that is ours in Christ, we are elevated to a better motivation.

I recently heard from a beloved woman in our church who had to be hospitalized for a time, but far from here. Because of the distance, many people sent her flowers. The hospital staff had to rearrange the room quite often to make room for all the flowers and cards that flooded her room. And she said she noticed that as more flowers arrived, the quality of the medical care she received seemed to increase. To her, it was as if the nursing staff said, "She is really important to a lot of people. She is loved. We need to take care of her."

In a similar way, when we realize how much we are loved, when we are reminded afresh of the gospel of Christ, we are tapping into the best motivation for right living. By realizing our position before God because of justification by faith, and the position of all others who have believed in Jesus, the way we treat others improves.

I heard of a mom whose teenage son lost his contact lens while playing basketball in the driveway. He came in and announced that, though he'd looked everywhere, he couldn't find it. She went straight outside and found it in a couple of minutes. He asked her, "How did you find it?" She said, "We weren't looking for the same thing. You were looking for a contact lens. I was looking for $200." If Peter had only remembered the value God had placed on those Gentile believers in Antioch, he would have found the motivation to resist his fear of the legalists.

Every day, we must be reminded of the gospel because it correctly frames our motivations. Just as ancient Israel, while wandering in the wilderness, went out daily to get a fresh supply of manna, so we need to daily set our minds again on the cross. They weren't allowed to collect two days' worth of manna. Each day they got what they needed for that day. And we must do the same. Be in the word every day so you can be reminded of the cross every day. It is the message that can truly motivate us.

3. Know Justification Comes By The Gospel

The last way to live in line with the gospel I'll mention today is that we must know justification comes by the gospel. Paul said, "We know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ" (16).

This is the first time the word "justification" is used in Galatians. It is a term from the legal world and is the opposite of condemnation. To be condemned, you are guilty in a court of law. To be justified, you are found not guilty in that same court of law.

In the Bible, justification is used to describe a once-and-for-all experience when you trust in Christ's work instead of your own. God deposits Christ's righteousness into your account, which means he begins to see you just as he sees his Son, without error, without sin, and without guilt. You have been justified.

Envision two open documents on a computer screen. One is the record of you life. We don't want anyone to read that document. The other is the record of Jesus' life—God the Son. If you trusted in Christ, it was as if God selected all in Jesus' document, copied it, went to you document, deleted everything, and pasted Jesus' record into yours. Now, when he opens your document, he sees the righteousness of his only begotten Son.

I heard an old-time preacher illustrate justification with a story about a man in England who put his Rolls-Royce on a boat so he could take it to Europe for vacation. While touring throughout Europe, the car abruptly stopped working. He contacted Rolls-Royce back in England, and they flew a mechanic right over, and he fixed it on the spot. The man continued his vacation but began wondering how much that bill was going to be—a flight! A mechanic! Parts! When he returned home, he wrote to Rolls-Royce to ask, and they replied with a note that said: "Dear Sir: There is no record anywhere in our files that anything ever went wrong with a Rolls-Royce." The record was clean. It was as if nothing had ever happened.[^5]

And, in the eyes of God, we are completely justified, clean, as if nothing had ever happened, when we trust in Jesus' work and not our own. There is no record in God's files anywhere that anything ever went wrong.

Paul is emphatic that we receive this justification not by our own works but by faith. Three times in one verse, Paul highlighted that this justification comes by faith. First, he said justification comes through faith in Jesus Christ (16). Second, he said, "We also have believed in Christ Jesus" (16). And third, he said again that we are "justified by faith in Christ" (16).

Some try to claim that faith is somehow a work before God. It's not. It's trust in the work of God through the gospel. It's belief. It's not "the work" for which God is waiting. As my friend Richard Cimino wrote:

"Faith is not a work that earns us salvation. It is the channel through which salvation is received." — Who I Am: Receiving The Identity We Could Never Create, Richard Cimino[^6]

When God made his promises to Abraham that he would bless him, make a great nation out of him, and bless the world through him, Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness (Gen. 15:6, Rom. 4:3). And what Paul is saying is that you can only really be justified that way—faith in Christ's work. Trust. Believe. Hold it to be true. Lean upon it.

The only other way to be justified is by the works of the law, which Paul also mentions three times in our passage (16). This means that if you execute the law without fail, without error, without sin, for the entirety of your life, you can be justified that way. But it's a non-starter. Paul said: by works of the law no one will be justified (16). It just can't happen.

And to live in line with the gospel is to never forget this glorious truth. We stand before God, not because of anything we have done, but because of what Christ has done.

Conclusion

When God delivered the people of Israel from their captivity in Egypt, the final victory they won over their captors was at the Red Sea. As Moses stretched out his hands and his staff, the waters parted so Israel could cross on dry ground. And when the Egyptian armies pursued them, the waters closed upon them, ensuring freedom for God's children.

From that point on, Israel was meant to walk in line with the events of the Red Sea. When intertribal disputes arose, they needed to realize that, for all their differences, God chose all of them that day—they were united at the Red Sea. When they were faced with impressive foes in the Promised Land, they needed to remember who they were, God's victorious people—they needed to be motivated by the Red Sea. And when God gave them the tabernacle system of worship, they needed to remember that they were already God's chosen people—they became his at the Red Sea. And Israel should have pushed forward in determination, all because of the great and final victory God had won for them at the Red Sea.

And this great gospel message should produce a determination in us: I am going to live in step with the gospel I believe. I will unite with everyone who comes under the banner of the gospel. I am motivated to do so because that same gospel calls me up into a better version of life. And justification only comes by faith in that gospel—I will never trust my personal performance to gain me right standing with God, nor will I require others to perform above and beyond the gospel to get right standing with me. I will live in step with the gospel.

[^1]:Harmon, Matthew S. 2021. Galatians: Evangelical Biblical Theology Commentary. Lexham Academic. [^2]:The Journal: Is Big Money Souring Pickleball? 2022. Wall Street Journal. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/is-big-money-souring-pickleball/id1469394914?i=1000583878607. [^3]:Stott, John R. W. 2008. Galatians: Experiencing the Grace of Christ. Nottingham, England: Inter-Varsity Press. [^4]:Keller, Timothy. 2013. Galatians For You. New Malden, England: Good Book Company. [^5]:Wiersbe, Warren W. 2002. Key Words of the Christian Life: Understanding and Applying Their Meanings. Ada, OK: Baker Books. [^6]:Cimino, Richard. 2022. Who I Am: Receiving the Identity We Could Never Create. Clay Bridges Press.

Galatians 2:17-21

1:1-9 | 1:10-24 | 2:1-10 | 2:11-16 | 2:17-21 | 3:1-5 | 3:6-9 | 3:10-14 | 3:15-22 | 3:23-29 | 4:1-7 | 4:8-20 | 4:21-31 | 5:1-6 | 5:7-15 | 5:16-18 | 5:19-21 | 5:22-26 | 6:1-5 | 6:6-10 | 6:11-18

17 But if, in our endeavor to be justified in Christ, we too were found to be sinners, is Christ then a servant of sin? Certainly not! 18 For if I rebuild what I tore down, I prove myself to be a transgressor. 19 For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. 20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 21 I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose. (Galatians 2:17–21)

Introduction

Remember the context of these words. Peter had come to Antioch and visited the church there, eating meals with its mostly non-Jewish congregation. But at some point, because of his fear of the legalists, Peter withdrew from his Gentile church family during meal times. And Paul rebuked Peter because for Peter to withdraw in this way meant he was not living in line with the gospel (2:14). He was not living out his gospel life.

So Paul confronted Peter, and out of Paul's heart poured beautiful teaching about the life the gospel is meant to produce. Once you are justified by faith in Christ, what should life look like? This passage tells us.

What this passage describes the beauty of a life in line with the gospel—gospel life. It is a life that is free and for God, enjoying and walking with him every day. It is a life that is totally identified with Christ, connected to him in his death and burial, but also his resurrection. And it is a life of daily faith, a dependence upon Jesus. Let's consider all three.

1. Free And For God (17-19)

The first element of gospel life—life in line with the gospel—is that it is free and for God. It has been released from relating to God through a legal code, but that freedom is used to now live compleltely for God. In short, the person enjoying gospel life is a person who is enjoying God. Paul said:

17 But if, in our endeavor to be justified in Christ, we too were found to be sinners, is Christ then a servant of sin? Certainly not! 18 For if I rebuild what I tore down, I prove myself to be a transgressor.19 For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. (Galatians 2:17-19)

I Died To The Law

Paul has just told us we are justified in Christ through simple faith in Jesus, and not by our works in any way (17, Gal. 2:15-16). And some said this freely given justification would lead people to sin all the more. After all, if we are completely forgiven due to the work of Christ alone and not our response or obedience, why would we obey in the future?

In other words, if someone who has been justified by Christ sins, is it because justification by faith in Christ promotes sin? Paul's answer is clear: certainly not! (17). Jesus is not a promoter or servant of sin in any way—he was slaughtered in order to rescue us from sin, not as a way to recommend a life of more sin! And Paul knew that if he rebuilt the old life of sin, he was only proving himself to be a transgressor (18). He would be the one with the problem, not Jesus (or Jesus' gospel).

To Paul, the accusation that justification by faith alone creates a permissive attitude is a fundamental misunderstanding of what happens when someone trusts in Christ. People who make this claim think of justification in technical terms, as if nothing actually occurred. But Paul wants us to know that justification produces a real, tangible, and actual death to the law so that we can live to God (19). In other words, the justified person has been fundamentally changed, so to "return to the old way of life after such a change is inconceivable."[^1]

My Life Is To God

If you believe in Jesus, you have died to the law, Paul says, so that you might live to God (19). Notice: death is what set you free, and resurrection is what gave you new life. Imagine you robbed a bank and were caught. During the trial, as the case is mounting against you, imagine you suddenly died. The trial would end. The demands of the law would have no power over you. That is what happens to your relationship with the legal-code way of relating to God when you believe in Jesus—you die to it. It's over because you died.

The analogy Paul used to describe this new life comes from marriage. In Romans 7, he said our connection to the law is like a woman married to a man. As long as her husband lives, she is bound in marriage. But if the husband dies, Paul said, she is free to remarry. Then Paul said that we died with Jesus, so we are free. We can belong to another, namely Jesus. Now we can live "live by the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code" (Romans 7:1-6).

This new way of the Spirit is what Paul is getting at when he says we have died to the law so that we might live for God. Before Christ, Paul was living for Paul, trying to get a reward from God. Now he was dead to that life. His position before God was unalterable and could not improve in any way, no matter what he did. He had been set free to obey God out of love, to live for the one who died for him and loved him.

And, if we've believed in Jesus, we are also now alive to God, free to live in response to God and for God (Rom. 6:11). We are now free to simply enjoy God. Legalists abound who will try to drag us back into a law-code contract with God, but the gospel has set us free to live in love response to him.

2. Totally Identified With Christ (20a)

The second aspect of gospel living Paul draws out here is that it is a life that is totally identified with Christ. The person who believes the gospel—who trusts in Christ's work to justify and save them before God—is a person who who God has connected to Jesus' life, death, and resurrection. Paul wrote:

20a I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. (Galatians 2:20a)

I'm Identified With Christ

Paul's announcement is astounding: when you trust in Christ, you are crucified with Christ (20). Paul expands on this in Romans 6, where he says:

We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. (Romans 6:4)

Imagine it! When you believe in Jesus, you die to the law, and the way this happens is that God considers you to have died and been buried with Jesus so that you can have new, resurrection life with Jesus. As a Christian, your old life is gone, and your new life is found in Christ. You are totally identified with and in him.

As Paul said to the Corinthians:

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. (2 Corinthians 5:17)

Paul knew, and we should know, that the old self—the self-righteous, self-centered, weak, needy, dead in trespasses and sins, righteousness-as-filthy-rags person is gone. Once we trust in Christ, we are made new and placed into Christ as a new creation.

If a dove is being hunted by a hawk, it will find a hiding place, perhaps in the cleft of a mountain face. In the cleft, the dove is safe. It is in the rock. This is the case for us as Christians. We are safe because we are in Christ. We are in the rock! We are absorbed into him and protected by him, alive with him.

And Paul felt this was what had happened to him. He died with Christ—he no longer lived. It was Christ living in him (20). This doesn't mean that Paul's personality or personhood was suppressed. It does mean that even his love response to God was enabled, not by his own energy, but by the energy of Christ living within him. Jesus had made himself at home in Paul, and Paul drew upon the resources of Christ to obey God.

Jesus had promised to make his home in and with us. He promised to be one with his people. He said things like:

"Because I live, you also will live. In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you." (John 14:19–20)

And these statements were commentary on something he'd said earlier:

“If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you." (John 14:15–17)

I consider myself fortunate because, as a young Christian, one of the first lessons my mentors taught me was about the indwelling and enabling presence of the Holy Spirit. I learned how the Spirit empowered the early church and could empower me. With open hands and an open heart, I asked God to strengthen me for a life dedicated to him. I've repeated that dependence daily, and he has proved himself time and time again. It is not I who live, but Christ who lives in me.

This beautiful truth was foreshadowed in the pages of the Old Testament. The Spirit would come upon the great heroes of the Bible, but seemingly only in spurts. Abraham would trust God for descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky but then try to produce offspring by sinful means. Moses would boldly lead the people out of captivity in Egypt, only to fall into a fit of rage and misrepresent God at the rock of Meribah. David would slay Goliath but also sin against Bathsheba.

It wasn't until Jesus stood in the waters of the Jordan, freshly baptized by his cousin John, that the Spirit descended and remained upon a man. Jesus did everything by the power of the Spirit. And his death, burial, and resurrection made it possible for us to depend daily on the Spirit's strength for life. We can say with Paul, "it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me" (20).

The church in Laodicea was filled with Christians who felt they had no needs. They were smugly self-sufficient before God. But Jesus saw their spiritual poverty and wanted them to become desperate for his help. Jesus said, "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me" (Rev. 3:20). If they turned to him, he was at the door, waiting to come in and strengthen them.

Brothers and sisters, gospel living is found completely in Christ. Find your life in him and, daily, cling to him. Open the door!

3. By Daily Faith (20b-21)

So gospel living is for God and in Christ, but Paul also tells us it is by daily faith. It is a life of continual, ongoing, morning-by-morning, moment-by-moment dependence upon Christ. Christian living is meant to continue by the way it began—faith. You receive justification by simple faith, and you are to receive sanctification, to walk every day, also by simple faith. Paul wrote:

20b And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 21 I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose. (Galatians 2:20b–21)

This statement shows us that Paul still felt responsible for himself. Even though he had died with Jesus and no longer lived because Christ was living in him, Paul knew he still had a life to live in the flesh (20). In other words, Paul knew he still had a body to inhabit.

This is the challenge every Christian faces. I am justified. I died with Jesus. I am a new creature. But I have this old body. It has appetites and desires contrary to God's wise commands. And many of us grow weary because of the desires and tendencies of our bodies. It feels like a war that will never end. But be encouraged. The presence of the war can serve as a reminder that it will one day end. In the age to come, the battle will conclude, and Christ will reign. He will give us new bodies that are unstained and unaffected by sin. Even temptation will be vanquished.

But, even if we have this hope, what do we do right now? Paul said we must live this life in the flesh by faith in the Son of God, who loved us and gave himself for us (20). What does this faith look like? What did Paul mean?

First, there is faith in what Christ has done for us. Even on your worst days and in your worst moments, you must consider yourself to have died with Christ and been made new with him. As Paul said to the Romans, you must believe you are just as alive to God as Jesus is—and just as dead to sin as Jesus is (Rom. 6:11).

Second, there is faith in what Christ can do for you. As I mentioned earlier, there is a daily dependence aspect to Paul's words. As God said to Habakkuk, "the just shall live by their faith" (Hab. 2:4). Every day of our lives is a faith journey, trusting God for his power and resources.

Sometimes we overcomplicate life by forgetting this simple and daily need to trust in Christ. In my house, when someone tells me their laptop or phone isn't charging or a device isn't working, the first thing I do is check to see if it is really plugged in. Sometimes it's the simplest things that need to be fixed. And sometimes, our issues stem from a lack of simply plugging into the power and resources of Christ by expressing daily trust in him.

Jesus Loves Me

Paul was motivated to trust Jesus every day because he knew that Jesus loved him and gave himself for him (20). Jesus has done the same for you and me.

But why is Paul saying this here? By recalling Jesus' love here, Paul was highlighting the trustworthiness of Jesus, but also the desire of Jesus. Legalists love to highlight the earnestness of your works, even the earnestness of your trust—you better really believe and have strong faith! You better be serious! You better show God how earnest you are! But Paul wanted to highlight the earnestness of Jesus.

Each year, my family watches It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. In it, little Linus believes a figure called The Great Pumpkin will visit the pumpkin patch he thinks is the most sincere. It's a parody of Santa Claus—and the idea that you must believe if he is going to appear. And once Linus finds his pumpkin patch of choice, he says, "He's gotta pick this one. He's got to. I don't see how a pumpkin patch can be more sincere than this one. You can look around and there's not a sign of hypocrisy. Nothing but sincerity as far as the eye can see."[^2]

This same sentiment is often how our legalism-prone hearts feel about our walk with God. If we are sincere enough, if we are earnest enough, if our faith is strong enough, then Christ will work in and for us. But Paul's understanding of Jesus' love and grace should help us shed that skin (20). Paul refused to nullify the grace of God by thinking that way (21). Instead of his trust in Christ becoming a work or performance, it was merely a reaction to the overwhelming love and grace of Jesus—of course, I will trust him! Think of who he is!

As Charles Spurgeon once said:

"It is not what you feel that will save you, but what Jesus felt."[^3]

It was this love from Christ that drove Paul to trust Jesus every day.

Conclusion

Gospel living is before us in the passage today.

• It tells us that through the law we died to any possibility of standing approved before God on the basis of our own personal goodness. We died to that legal way of relating to God, and in being set free from it, we are now free to live for God.
• It also tells us that we are so inextricably identified with Christ that it's as if we no longer live, but Christ lives in us. We died on the cross with Jesus, and now his resurrection life can be our daily experience.
• And it tells us that this brand of life is gained by ongoing and persistent faith in Jesus, the one who loved us so much he gave his life for us. We are to live in continual dependence upon him because he has proved himself dependable to us.

In the Old Testament era, worshippers came from afar to offer animal sacrifices to God. It was God's way of helping them understand the problem of sin—their unholiness kept them from his presence. The sacrifices were meant as a covering for their sin, allowing them to engage in fellowship with God. Every sacrifice pointed forward to the ultimate and only satisfactory sacrifice of God's only begotten Son. But when those worshippers approached the altar, when the animal was slain, they would place their hands on the head of the animal. And, for many sacrifices, after the animal was offered, the worshipper would eat the meat in a holy meal. So they had to touch and consume the sacrifices that were offered. It was not enough to watch from afar; the worshipper had to connect with that which was offered on the altar.

In a similar way, modern worshippers must place their hands on and consume the sacrifice. The gospel life made possible by Christ's sacrifice must be energetically entered into. We cannot be passive. If we are, we will rebuild laws and codes that Christ destroyed, seeking to approach God through our works. If we are, we won't see ourselves as completely identified with Christ in his death and resurrection. If we are, we won't enjoy the simple devotion of faith and trust in Jesus every day of our lives. But we must not nullify the grace of God. Instead, we must put our hands on Jesus and take hold of him for life today and every day, believing that the power of his cross means life today is for God, in Christ, and by faith.

[^1]:Barker, Kenneth L., and John R. Kohlenberger III. 2019. The Expositor’s Bible Commentary the Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Old & New Testaments. USA: Zondervan Academic. [^2]: Melendez, Bill. 1966. It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. USA: CBS. [^3]: Spurgeon, C. H. 1972. Around the Wicket Gate. Welwyn Garden City, England: Evangelical Press.

Galatians 3:1-5

1:1-9 | 1:10-24 | 2:1-10 | 2:11-16 | 2:17-21 | 3:1-5 | 3:6-9 | 3:10-14 | 3:15-22 | 3:23-29 | 4:1-7 | 4:8-20 | 4:21-31 | 5:1-6 | 5:7-15 | 5:16-18 | 5:19-21 | 5:22-26 | 6:1-5 | 6:6-10 | 6:11-18

1 O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified. 2 Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? 3 Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? 4 Did you suffer so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain? 5 Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith? (Galatians 3:1-5)

The Gospel: What Christ Has Done

Have you ever watched a movie that made you feel like you were there? For me, the movie 1917 is like that. It's a vivid portrayal of World War I, where two young soldiers are told to bring a message to another unit, but they must cross through enemy territory to do so. It has me on the edge of my seat every time I watch it. It is gripping because it puts you there. It is a clear and masterpiece portrayal of war in that era.[^1]

When Paul went to Galatia with the gospel, he had clearly and powerfully depicted Jesus for them. He had publicly portrayed Jesus Christ as crucified to the Galatians (1). He had set Jesus and his cross before their eyes (1). With power, clarity, and boldness, Paul had brought these Galatians to the foot of the cross. It was like they'd seen, not just with their eyes, but with their souls, the cross. But now they were turning from Jesus and the sufficiency of his cross—and Paul can't believe it!

So Paul began this new doctrinal portion of his letter with a jolt, calling the Galatians a foolish group who someone must have cast a spell on (1). He wondered aloud who had bewitched them, using a popular concept from his day that said people could be influenced for evil through the eye (1). Like Sauron's eye influenced so many in the Lord of the Rings, someone must have affected these Galatians if they were willing to turn so quickly from Jesus![^2]

If you've ever seen an artistic depiction of someone using a crucifix in a superstitious way to somehow defend themselves against forces of darkness, you've seen a good illustration of what Paul is doing in this section. He thinks the Galatians are spellbound by legalism, so Paul holds up the cross of Christ. He wants to ward off the deleterious effects of false gospels with the true one.

And notice that the essence of Paul's message to them was not values or morals—how they should live—but how and why Christ died on the cross. The gospel wasn't just a message or a set of beliefs. It was an event: the brutal death of their Lord and Savior.

To the Corinthians, Paul said, "I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified" (1 Cor. 2:2). This doesn't mean that Paul wouldn't talk about anything but the cross. But it does mean that everything Paul proclaimed, taught, and exhorted was rooted in the cross of Christ. Everything we think, feel, and do should be tied to the cross.[^3] But for this to occur, we must see the gospel. Jesus must be vividly portrayed in our minds and hearts as the one who was crucified for us. We must see his cross.

"As Christians, we need to relearn the gospel every day. We are prone to wander, as the old hymn says, and hence we may act as if a spell has been cast over us. The Christian life is a battle to rely on the gospel...In our counseling and our preaching and teaching we must summon people over and over to the cross of Christ and call them to look away from themselves and focus on Christ. We may slowly drift from the gospel, just as the Galatians did. The problems Paul addressed in Galatia remind us all that the Christian life cannot be lived on autopilot, that there is a daily struggle to grasp the gospel." —Thomas Schreiner, Galatians[^4]

Because Paul wanted them—and because God wants us—to see the gospel, Paul asked them a series of rhetorical questions as he pivoted his letter to a defense of gospel doctrine. Each question is rooted in the cross. Each question highlights some of the beautiful benefits of the gospel. If someone sees the gospel afresh, they will see each of these benefits clearly. So what are they?

1. The Gospel Unleashed The Spirit (3:2)

Paul's first rhetorical question helps us remember that the gospel unleashed the Spirit. He asked them, "Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith?" (2) These Galatians knew the answer. When Paul and his friend Barnabas had traveled through Galatia years earlier, they shared that Christ had died and risen for the Galatians in order to justify them before God. They needed to repent and believe the gospel, which they did. And when they did, every one of them received the Holy Spirit of God. He began residing within them at the moment of their justification. They were renewed, regenerated, born again by the Spirit.

In fact, there was no way they received the Spirit by works of the law (2). How do we know? They were Gentiles; they hadn't ever even considered doing the works of the law. It was only later, when legalists showed up in their towns, that the idea of law-keeping to gain God's approval began to get traction. No, the Galatians had simply seen and believed the gospel of Christ. And, when they did, the Spirit immediately began residing within them.

And the Spirit-led life is much more beautiful than the legalism-led one. I don't know about you, but there is something about airplane travel that I love. Without distractions, I enjoy writing, creating, thinking, or reading whatever I want. But, as many airlines have added screens to the back of every seat, I have noticed a terrible habit. Sitting there, thinking, brainstorming, or creating, I notice my eyes drifting to the screens around me. Soon, I find myself watching someone else's movie for way too long. No sound. Tiny screen. Far away. Creepy. But engaged.

Legalism is life focused on someone else's screen. The Spirit-led life is the one that is creative, renewing, and rich, but the legalistic life throws you into someone else's mold. Paul said that the Spirit gives a variety of gifts to people who then conduct a variety of ministries in a variety of ways (1 Cor. 12:6). But legalism produces a sameness—a mold—that destroys God's personal work in our lives. Soon, we no longer need to be led by him anymore because all we need to do is look to the legalistic code someone else created for us.

But the gospel breaks all that manmade legalism apart. Not only did the cross create the way for God and man to know one another, but it unleashed the Spirit on each believer. And the Spirit, who is God, helps us interact with God.

Last week I shared with you from John 14:16, where Jesus promised he would ask the Father to send another Helper, the Holy Spirit, to his people. Some translations render it "another Advocate" (NIV). He is like Jesus in that he is an Advocate, but the emphasis of their advocacy is different. Jesus, the first Advocate, speaks to the Father for you. But the second Advocate, the Spirit, speaks to you for the Father.

I love Formula 1 racing. During the race, the team back in the paddock is in constant radio communication with the driver, adjusting strategy and giving updates as needed. As our Advocate, the Spirit uses the Bible, sermons, other believers, prayer, and our own devotional life to give us the radio updates we need. He is in constant contact with us—not because of our works, but because of the cross of Christ—available to lead and guide our lives.

So Paul's first rhetorical question helps us remember that the gospel unleashes the Spirit.

2. The Gospel Supplies Resources To Become Complete (3:3)

Paul's second rhetorical question helps us remember that the gospel supplies the resources we need to become complete. He asked, "Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?" (3) Paul's first question would have helped them admit that they'd begun in the Spirit, so now Paul challenges them with how they would continue. They had become the people of God by faith in the gospel, but how would they progress as the people of God? Are you going to be perfected/completed/finished by the flesh? Are you going to become mature through human effort? Are you going to be sanctified by sheer human energy?

These are important questions. How do we make progress as Christians? Paul's thought is that it happens the same way we became Christians in the first place. We were confronted with our sin, we saw God's provision for us in the cross of his Son, we repented and believed in him and his work, and we were made complete before God. Growth happens the same way—we are confronted with our sin, we see the cross, we repent and trust him, and he makes us complete by his Spirit. He grows us—if we repeatedly turn to his cross.

For an example of our continued need to be nourished by a clear portrayal of the cross, consider human life. As babies in the womb, we needed nutrients and oxygen in order to grow. Connected to our mothers by the umbilical cord and placenta, nutrients and oxygen flowed into our little bodies. But once born, we still need nutrients and oxygen. It might look and feel different, but we have not graduated from those needs. Similarly, after we are born again, we still need to depend regularly on the gospel as our resource for growth. By his cross, we are regenerated and justified. And by his cross, we can also be renewed and sanctified.

I will hold myself out as an example for this point. Each of us battle many of the same old sins throughout our entire lives. For me, I have always battled with anger. It is a go-to emotion for me. At the beginning of my Christian life, I found myself praying that God would help me with it. I wanted him to, by his power, remove it from my life. It was a good prayer and one God has faithfully and gradually answered.

But I have found it important to go back to the cross for a clear portrayal of what happened there. In Jesus' death, I died, and I am made new in him. The more I see how he has made me complete, the less rattled I am by circumstantial events in my life. When I remember that whatever I'm tempted to be angry over would not complete me if it were different, I gain victory. But when I feel I am made complete by something other than the gospel, I become angry when that thing isn't as I hoped.

Only Jesus can complete us—and has, on his cross. In other words, we are not only saved by the gospel, but we grow by applying it to every facet of our lives. So how will you become complete? Through self-mastery and perfectionism? Through success and accomplishments? Through self-acceptance and self-esteem? All of these routes lead to a dead end. But in Christ, we have all the resources we need to become complete.

3. The Gospel Is Worth Every Sacrifice (3:4)

Paul's third rhetorical question helps us remember that the gospel is worth every sacrifice we might make because of it. Paul asked the Galatians, "Did you suffer so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain?" (4).

Paul's question is loaded with personal backstory. He knew everything the Galatians had endured for their belief in Jesus. While with them, Paul and Barnabas had to strengthen their souls by telling them that "through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God" (Acts 14:22). And now Paul wonders if all their suffering for the gospel was going to be in vain. If they denied the sufficiency of the cross, why had they suffered for the sufficiency of the cross? What a waste!

Here's the thing: manmade rules are not worth suffering for. You can't watch movies. You can't drink a glass of wine. You can't trick-or-treat. You can't get a tattoo. You can't have a nice car or nice clothes. You can't work out too much. A paper cut would be too much to suffer for these manmade strictures. But the gospel of Christ is worthy of every drop of blood, sweat, or tears shed for it. Throughout the centuries, billions of Christians have made sacrifices because of and for the gospel—and every sacrifice has been worth it.

When I was coming up, the straight-edge community fascinated me. It was usually comprised of young men who were into hard music and violence but not into drugs and alcohol.[^5] They were straight-edge, after all. And it attracted a lot of young guys into its club-like environment. But it didn't really last. Legalism can only attract you for so long. The gospel, however, can inspire for a lifetime (and for billions of lifetimes after that). And every sacrifice you make for it—financially, emotionally, physically—is worth it.

Some of you have sacrificed romantic relationships for the sake of the gospel. Someone pressured you to do things with them that Jesus died for on the cross, so you decided for Jesus instead of that relationship.

Some of you have sacrificed social status for the sake of the gospel. The things you had to say or do or believe in order to become socially accepted were things Jesus died for on the cross, so you decided for Jesus instead of social status.

Some of you have sacrificed financial gains for the sake of the gospel. The sins you had to commit and the corners you had to cut to gain more wealth were things Jesus died for on the cross, so you decided for Jesus instead of those financial gains.

Some of you have sacrificed your emotional safety for the sake of the gospel. To love and serve the people that Jesus died for on the cross, you had to decide between emotional risk or emotional protection, and you decided for Jesus and his work instead of your personal safety.

And all these sacrifices—and thousands more—are worth it. The gospel is that good, that valuable.

4. The Gospel Asks For Ongoing Trust (3:5)

Paul's fourth and final rhetorical question helps us remember that the gospel asks us to trust God on an ongoing basis. He asked them, "Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith?" (5).

This final question was meant to remind them that the Spirit's radical work among them didn't happen because of how righteous they were but by simple faith in Christ. The work of God in Galatia was not tied to their works but to their faith. And not faith that God would work miracles, but their initial and introductory faith in Christ's cross. They saw the gospel, believed it, and God began working.

Paul wanted them to continue on in faith—to trust God in an ongoing way. How does this work? How can we experience God's powerful and transformative hand by faith?

Consider sexual temptation. It is one of the most powerful forms of testing for many Christians. But scripture is clear that sexual pleasure is meant for and within the covenant of marriage (Prov 5:1-23, 1 Thess. 4:3-8). So rather than merely try not to enter into that temptation, a believer must trust God again. God, I trust you. I trust your word. I trust that you know better than I do. I trust that you love me and have my best in mind. I trust that you have better plans for me than I have for myself. I trust you. And our trust—or faith—becomes the step that releases God's power to help us overcome sexual temptation.

"Today’s church is awash in books and seminars that promise the key to the Christian life is found in three keys, five steps, or seven principles. And while there may be helpful elements of such books, they can easily give the impression that ongoing faith in Christ and walking in the power of the Spirit are insufficient. But Paul makes it clear that faith in Christ not only initiates the Christian life but is also the ongoing means by which we live the Christian life." —Matthew Harmon, Galatians[^6]

Conclusion

Believers in Jesus must repeatedly see the cross of Christ, along with all its implications. Jesus Christ must constantly be "publicly portrayed as crucified before our eyes (1). When Jesus is famous to us personally—when his sacrifice on the cross is understood and appreciated for what it is—beautiful results follow.

• When we see afresh that the gift of the Son dying on the cross led to the gift of the Spirit living within us, we will turn to him for leadership, guidance, and strength.
• When we see afresh that Jesus made us complete us on the cross, we will realize that he is constantly there for us throughout life, helping us grow.
• When we see afresh the immense value of what Jesus did for us by substituting himself for us, we will become willing to sacrifice anything to live for him.
• And when we see afresh how simple faith in the gospel released God's power in our lives, we will continue to express simple faith in him, releasing his power towards us.

But for all this, we must continually see his cross.

The week before Jesus died in Jerusalem, he passed through Jericho. A great crowd gathered, but there was a blind beggar named Bartimaeus. When he heard that it was Jesus passing by, he began to cry, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" People tried to silence him, but Jesus called for him and asked him, "What do you want me to do for you?" Bartimaeus replied, "Let me recover my sight." Jesus commended Bartimaeus for his faith, healed him, and went on his way with Bartimaeus in tow (Mk. 10:46-52).

I think Bartimaeus can be a metaphor for every believer in Jesus. When we aren't hearing a clear, continuous, and bold portrayal of Jesus Christ and him crucified, we inevitably slip into spiritual blindness, begging for scraps, turning to lesser things to solve our issues. But when we cry out afresh to Jesus, asking him to open our eyes again to him and his cross, we begin to see once more. And with our sight, he stands before us, and we are able to follow him again. So, every day, let us be a people who ask him for sight so that he and his cross will be clearly portrayed to us. Let us ask him to help us see the gospel.

[^1]: Mendes, Sam. 2019. 1917. USA: DreamWorks Pictures. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8579674/. [^2]: Tolkien, J. R. R. 2014. The Lord of the Rings. London, England: HarperCollins. [^3]: Harmon, Matthew S. 2021. Galatians: Evangelical Biblical Theology Commentary. Lexham Academic. [^4]: Schreiner, Thomas R. 2010. Galatians. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan. [^5]: Wikipedia contributors. 2022. “Straight Edge.” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. November 19, 2022. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Straight_edge&oldid=1122806898#2000s. [^6]: Harmon, Matthew S. 2021. Galatians: Evangelical Biblical Theology Commentary. Lexham Academic.

Galatians 3:6-9

1:1-9 | 1:10-24 | 2:1-10 | 2:11-16 | 2:17-21 | 3:1-5 | 3:6-9 | 3:10-14 | 3:15-22 | 3:23-29 | 4:1-7 | 4:8-20 | 4:21-31 | 5:1-6 | 5:7-15 | 5:16-18 | 5:19-21 | 5:22-26 | 6:1-5 | 6:6-10 | 6:11-18

Agape Nights—A monthly all-church gathering of Calvary's believers for food, fellowship, testimonies, worship, prayer, and scripture on the second Wednesday night of each month.

• Churches worldwide have experienced abnormal and unprecedented upheaval and turnover in recent years.
• The digitization of life—including church life—has proven detrimental.
• Believers (and non-believers) are thirsty to experience actual manifestations of God's power.

For at least a season, Calvary Monterey’s leadership should provide regular opportunities at regular intervals for new and increased relationships, enjoyment of actual personal contact, and corporate connection to God.

Definition: A monthly Wednesday night gathering of Calvary's believers for food, fellowship, testimonies, worship, prayer, and scripture.

Explanation: At least portions of New Testament church held a practice called “the love feast” (Jude 12, 1 Corinthians 11:17-22, Acts 2:42-27). This gathering has been expressed in culturally-appropriate ways throughout church history. It is not the Sunday/Weekend gathering but a second time for God’s people to be together. You might say it has been attended by the church's core wherever and whenever it has been in practice.

Goal: Agape Nights will lead the church further into connection and relationship with the Lord, church leadership, and one another.

1 O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified. 2 Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? 3 Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? 4 Did you suffer so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain? 5 Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith—

6 just as Abraham “believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”? 7 Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham. 8 And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “In you shall all the nations be blessed.” 9 So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith. (Galatians 3:1–9, ESV)

Introducing Abraham

The book of Galatians is a letter detailing a struggle for the gospel of grace. Paul was a first-century apostle, and God's purpose for Paul was to send him to the non-Jewish (Gentile) nations with the good news of Jesus. So Paul went everywhere he could, including the region of Galatia, telling people that Jesus had died on the cross for their sins before rising from the dead and ascending back to heaven. If they believed in Jesus' work on their behalf, they would be forgiven and seen as righteous by God.

But after Paul's departure, false teachers spread throughout the Galatian church, telling people they had to adopt Jewish practices to become true Christians. Their claim was that Paul was only a rogue operative, preaching a new message contrived in his own imaginative heart.

So Paul wrote to the Galatians. The letter is comprised of three parts:

• 1. An autobiographical argument: a defense of Paul's story or testimony.
• 2. A theological argument: a defense buttressed with Scripture.
• 3. An ethical argument: a defense against the accusation that grace produces immoral people.[^1] [^2]

Here, in Galatians 3, we are at the beginning stages of Paul's theological defense. At this point, he has already exhorted the Galatians to remember their own story. He reminded them that when he arrived in Galatia, he clearly portrayed Jesus' death on the cross to them. And when they believed, the unmistakable presence of God came upon them. Paul wanted them to remember that the Spirit worked powerfully in their midst without any of them adopting or converting to Judaism (Galatians 3:1-5).

But, in our passage today, Paul moves beyond their personal experience that the gospel of grace is true and shifts to Scriptural evidence that the gospel of grace is true. And to prove his point from the pages of the Bible, Paul called a star witness—Abraham. Abraham and his story were the perfect way to combat the false teachers. They repeatedly appealed to Moses (and the Law as penned through Moses). Moses said men should be circumcised. Moses said we should keep the Sabbath. Moses established religious festivals for us. Moses inaugurated the sacrificial system. Moses gave us these works as ways to be God's children.

So when Paul trotted out Abraham, it was a devastating move. Abraham predated Moses by well over half a millennium and was widely considered the prototype of godliness by every person of Jewish descent.[^3] The false teachers loved Abraham. And, clearly, so did God—he blessed Abraham's life.

So Paul holds out Abraham as his first Scriptural proof that the gospel of grace is true. And what he highlighted was Abraham's belief and Abraham's blessing. From this short passage, let's consider both.

Abraham's Belief

First, Paul focused on Abraham's belief by quoting from Genesis 15:6. He said, "Abraham 'believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness'" (6).

What Paul is alluding to is a moment early on in Abraham's story. Early in Genesis, God called this man out of his homeland and away from his family, promising to make a great nation out of him, one that would somehow and someday bless all the other nations on earth (9, Gen. 12:1-3). So Abraham set out in obedience on a journey with God. And because God had promised him descendants more numerous than the stars in the sky, Abraham waited for God to give him and Sarah at least one child. The years ticked by, and still no child, so Abraham asked God if his servant Eliezer would be the heir of his household, the one through whom God would fulfill the promise (Gen. 15:2-3). But God said:

“This man shall not be your heir; your very own son shall be your heir.” And he brought him outside and said, “Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” And he believed the LORD, and he counted it to him as righteousness. (Genesis 15:4–6, ESV)

Promise + Faith = Righteousness

It is this passage that Paul quotes here in Galatians, and it is the story that gave him sound Scriptural footing for preaching the gospel of grace. Abraham was not made righteous by completing religious tasks but by believing in the massive promise God made. All of God's true Old Testament saints were made righteous in the same way—they trusted God and his promises. And the Galatians were made righteous in that way as well. God made a massive promise: I have sent my Son to fulfill the righteous requirement for you, then he died on your behalf and rose from the dead. Trust in him, and you will obtain his standing before me. You will be righteous in my sight. Big promise. Faith required. Result: righteousness.

And what does it mean that Abraham's belief in God's promise was counted to him as righteousness? When Abraham believed in God's promise, God orchestrated a trade—Abraham's faith was counted as righteousness. God credited (NIV, HCSB) Abraham with righteousness that "did not inherently belong to him."[^4]

This imputation, accreditation, accounting, or declaration is what happens to us when we trust in Christ's substitutionary death. Like a judge declaring a guilty defendant not guilty, God declares every believer in Christ as righteous. Like a banker declaring a debtor to be free of all debt, God declares everyone who leans on the sacrifice of his Son as righteous.

Accepted Without Works

One ramification of this truth is that it shows it is possible to be loved and accepted by a perfect and holy God while we are imperfect and unholy. Because God deposits sinlessness and perfection into our account, because he takes what belongs to Jesus and transfers it to us, we are loved and accepted by God.

How marvelously freeing to know that God does not embrace us because of our personal virtue or piety. The thing God looked for among the Galatians was not circumcision or other religious acts. What God wanted more than anything else was belief in his only begotten Son.

Like someone giving a massive gift and waiting for the recipient to explode with happiness, God gave the most valuable of all gifts when he gave his Son, and he looks for those who explode with joy over that gift. He cherishes those who believe in what he has given. And when he finds people like that—people who do not trample the gift of the Son underfoot but regard it as the most precious treasure—God accounts their faith as righteousness before him. He embraces them. He accepts them.

Keep On Believing

It is at this point I urge you to believe—and keep on believing—the magnificent promises of God. You are not accepted because of your piety or religiosity but your belief in the marvelous promises of the gospel of grace. And we continue in the Christian life the same way we began—by faith. And the more we believe and trust God, the better life is.

I recently came again across the story of Caleb in the book of Joshua. He and Joshua, as much younger men, were two of twelve spies that Moses had sent into Canaan on a recognizance mission. Ten of those spies doubted God could give them a land filled with impressive military forces, but Caleb and Joshua believed. Unfortunately, their people believed the ten spies, and that lack of trust in God kept them out of the land for forty more years until a new generation emerged (Numbers 13-14).

The book of Joshua is the story of that new generation, the one allowed into the land. By that time, every man alive looked up to Joshua and Caleb. They were the last men alive from their generation, and the reason they were alive was that God promised they would go into the land one day. God loved their faith. And, in his old age, Caleb approached general Joshua and told him he still wanted to fight for the territory God promised him. His faith was still alive. He still believed in the promises of God. He still ran in the power and victory of God (Joshua 14:6-15).

I recall his story here because the life of faith is an attractive one. The better one. The one that stands the test of time. And I pray we—even if we've already believed the gospel of grace—would all allow the goodness of the gospel of grace to propel us into a further and deeper trust in God. It is the best brand of life.

Abraham's Blessing

So that's a bit about Abraham's belief, but let's consider Abraham's blessing. We already saw how God blessed Abraham with righteousness, but there is also the blessing of the promise God said he would perform. Paul alludes to it by quoting again from Genesis when he said, "the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, 'In you shall all the nations be blessed'" (8). So somehow, Abraham's life would bless the world, which is what happened when Jesus came. As a descendant of Abraham, Jesus became a blessing to everyone.

And then Paul said, "those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith" (9). In other words, by faith in Christ, we have been given a passport into the same blessings Abraham received. We've already explored the overarching blessing of imputed righteousness, but what doors does God's gift of righteousness unlock for us? What doors did it unlock for Abraham?

A Place In God's Family

One blessing faith unlocks is that it puts you in God's family. When Abraham stepped out from his homeland in obedience to God, he was moving towards God's promise to make his family like the stars in the sky and sand on the seashore. He was inaugurating a great and glorious family of God. He was the first in a long line of God's people, a new family God would work through. And Paul said that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham (7).

What this means is that faith in Christ makes you the spiritual offspring of Abraham. Galatians will explore this further, but it is a great blessing to be brought into Abraham's heritage and family. When I was a boy in church, we used to sing a song about how Father Abraham has many sons, many sons has Father Abraham. We sang, "I am one of them, and so are you, so let's all praise the Lord." I had no idea what that meant, but now, as I read my Old Testament, I am dumbfounded that I have been brought into such a rich, historical, and ancient heritage—Abraham's family.

I recently heard professional skateboard legend Tony Hawk describe himself as a child. His mother was in her early forties when he was born, and all his siblings were much older than him. But he was a wired and highly energetic kid, and he wore his mother down. One day, she was so fed up that she told him that if he didn't calm down, she was going to flush herself down the toilet. He was unrelenting, so she went into the bathroom and flushed before slipping behind the door. Little Tony came running in just as the last of the water swirled down the drain. He looked around. His mother was gone. I think she let him cry it out for quite a while. He was a wild child, but everything changed when he discovered skateboarding. He became focused, obsessed, and determined—his energy was channeled, and the rest is history.[^5]

It reminded me that God wants even the craziest among us. He wants to bring us into his family. And when we are brought into his family, we are given something far greater than skateboarding to throw ourselves into. We are given a mission, a purpose, and the love of our Heavenly Father.

As believers in Christ, we are adopted into God's family (Eph. 1:5). In the first century, adoption often meant bringing an adult servant into the fold as a full-fledged family member—previously a slave, but now a son. And this is what happens when you believe in Jesus. No longer are you a slave of sin, but now you are a child of God complete with purpose and meaning.

Friendship With God

Another blessing faith unlocks is friendship with God. Scripture refers to Abraham as a friend of God, and this friendship was founded upon faith (2 Chr. 20:7, Isa. 41:8, Jas. 2:23). As long as the foundation of our relationship with God is our good works, we don't stand a chance in that friendship. But if faith is the foundation of our relationship, we, like Abraham, can be friends with God. It is this covenant of grace through faith that unlocks a new way of relating to God—no longer by works of the law but through the imputed righteousness of Christ—so now, each one of us can enjoy God.

As David wrote:

The friendship of the Lord is for those who fear him, and he makes known to them his covenant. (Psalm 25:14, ESV)

Recently, I was on an early morning walk with my little dude dog, Max. I walk the same route at the same time almost every morning, and because of this, I pass other regulars who also have a routine they follow. So Max has walked by the same people many times. Recently, two men who walk together, men we've seen many times, asked what my dog's name was. When I told them, they began talking to him. And he could not believe it! For the next half mile, he kept looking back, trying to get a glimpse of his new friends!

Well, as much as my pup was blown away by his new friends, we should be more amazed that God would make us into his friends by simple faith in Christ.

A Changed Life

And faith unlocks the blessing of a changed life. People sometimes wonder if sanctification (transformation and growth) has anything to do with justification (the deposited righteousness we are talking about today). It does. Justification and sanctification are inseparable. They "both have their source in the infinite love and free grace of God. They are both accomplished by faith. In justification, we rely on what Christ did for us on the cross. In sanctification, we rely on Christ to work in us by His Holy Spirit."[^6]

Dallas Willard said that sanctification "is not the result of mere human effort" but of "a regenerate will interacting with the constant overtures of grace from God."[^7] And we see all this in Abraham's story—justifying faith unlocked a life of sanctification and personal growth, a life responding to the constant overtures of God's grace. Faith in God, trust in God, is what led Abraham to leave his homeland in the first place, fight though radically outnumbered for his nephew Lot, give Lot the green lands near Sodom, and offer his son Isaac up to God. He trusted God. Though to our vision, he seems to have often faltered, God saw his faith. In Romans, Paul commented on Abraham's life:

In hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told, “So shall your offspring be.” He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead (since he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah’s womb. No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. (Romans 4:18–21, ESV)

Abraham's faith led him to hope, even against hope, that God would fulfill his promise that he would become the father of many nations. Even when he saw his own frailty and Sarah's infertility, he did not waver and continued to believe God's promise. This faith made him strong. It affected everything about him. And when we trust God—believe him and his promises—our lives are changed as well.

Paul's Conclusion

Let's wrap up by thinking about why Paul put this little discussion about Abraham here in this letter in the first place. Remember, the Galatians were being told that they needed to adopt Judaism to be true Christians. Faith in Christ was not enough—they needed to add the customs of Moses. The false teachers told them not to expect such a new and novel way of approaching God—the law was still required!

So Paul comes along and concludes that justification by simple faith in God's promises is nothing new and is, in fact, more ancient than Moses. Since Abraham believed God and received righteousness, Paul said we should know then that it is those of faith who are sons of Abraham (6-7). And since God told Abraham that through him all the nations on earth would be blessed, Paul concluded that those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith (8-9). "Know then, so then," Paul said (7, 9).

With this master stroke, Paul has turned the tables on his opponents. They accused him of bringing this new and strange doctrine of justification by faith. But by appealing both to the Galatians' experience and Scripture's story, Paul showed how it is justification by works that is foreign to God. Paul had not declared a novel doctrine to the Galatians or anyone else. The way of salvation is consistent throughout the Old and New Testaments—we are saved by grace through faith.

In Matthew 22, Jesus told a parable about a wedding feast a king gave for his prince son. When he sent out his servants to invite the guests, it did not go as it does in Disney movies, where villagers are ecstatic that there is going to be a ball. Instead, his invitation was rejected, and some of his servants were shamefully treated. So the king commissioned the rest of his servants to go to the streets—to the highways and byways—to invite as many as they could find. The invitation must have included clothing provided by the king because when he saw one of his recently invited guests there without a garment, he told his attendants to cast him into outer darkness, where there was weeping and gnashing of teeth.

The entire parable is outrageous. Who would reject the honor of being invited to the prince's wedding? What king would clothe an entire population just so they could be his guests? And why would the lack of proper attire get someone a one-way ticket to outer darkness?

But the strong elements of the parable are what make it memorable. And the lesson seems simple: accept and wear the garments the king provides. Don't bring your own garments; wear the ones he offers.

And this passage tells us the same. The way for us to be found acceptable for God's wedding feast—for his forever kingdom, first on earth and then in the new heavens and earth—is to accept the clothing he has provided. By simple faith in Christ, we will be draped with the appropriate attire for our God. Just as Abraham believed God's promise and God deposited righteousness to his account, so when we believe in Christ, we are clothed with the righteousness of God.

[^1]: Stott, John R. W. 2008. Galatians: Experiencing the Grace of Christ. Nottingham, England: Inter-Varsity Press.

[^2]: Moo, Douglas J. 2015. NT341 Book Study: Paul’s Letter to the Galatians (Audio). Logos Mobile Education. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.

[^3]: Barry, John D., David Bomar, Derek R. Brown, Rachel Klippenstein, Douglas Mangum, Carrie Sinclair Wolcott, Lazarus Wentz, Elliot Ritzema, and Wendy Widder, eds. The Lexham Bible Dictionary. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2016.

[^4]: Keller, Timothy (quoting Douglas Moo) 2013. Galatians For You. New Malden, England: Good Book Company.

[^5]: Jones, Sam. 2022. Tony Hawk: Until the Wheels Come Off. USA: HBO. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt16118722/.

[^6]: Bridges, Jerry. 2018. The Discipline of Grace. Navpress Publishing Group.

[^7]: Willard, Dallas, and Randy Frazee. 2005. Renovation of the Heart: Putting on the Character of Christ. Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress.

Galatians 3:10-14

1:1-9 | 1:10-24 | 2:1-10 | 2:11-16 | 2:17-21 | 3:1-5 | 3:6-9 | 3:10-14| 3:15-22 | 3:23-29 | 4:1-7 | 4:8-20 | 4:21-31 | 5:1-6 | 5:7-15 | 5:16-18 | 5:19-21 | 5:22-26 | 6:1-5 | 6:6-10 | 6:11-18

10 For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.” 11 Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for “The righteous shall live by faith.” 12 But the law is not of faith, rather “The one who does them shall live by them.” 13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”— 14 so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith. (Galatians 3:10–14, ESV)

From Curse To Blessing

How can someone enjoy and experience God? How can we become fully human as God intended? How can we be released from paralyzing guilt and shame? How can we attain abundant life? How can we be free?

Our passage today sets out two paths. One is the way of blessing; the other is described as cursed. One path gets to God by trusting him and his gospel of grace; the other by keeping a righteous standard without any error.

And what we will learn today is that when it comes to God's righteous standard, even one disobedience breaks God's law, rendering us as cursed. Paul makes this point in the opening verse of our passage today by quoting from Deuteronomy. He said:

For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.” (Galatians 3:10)

God has a law. And if all things in his law are abided by at all times, then we would be righteous. But by breaking just one law, like Adam and Eve, we become guilty and put under a curse. The book of James makes the same point when it says, "Whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it" (Jas. 2:10).

Imagine a cargo container dangling from a large chain attached to a crane. If one ring on that chain fails, the container will plummet. Every inch of that chain must hold its own, or else the chain is no good. This is how it is with God's law. If even one part of it is broken at one point, perfection is lost, and another route to God must be found. As the Bible says, "All have sinned and fallen short of God's glory" (Rom. 3:23).

Unless we embrace the other path to becoming acceptable in God's sight—the gospel. Through Christ, we can escape the curse of being barred from God's kingdom, a kingdom filled with goodness and joy and love and peace and selflessness and forgiveness. It cannot be enjoyed on the merit of our good works, and Paul deploys four passages in the Old Testament (two from Deuteronomy and one from Habakkuk and Leviticus) to prove it. These were likely some of the same verses Paul used when he preached about Jesus in synagogues throughout the Roman Empire.

The logic of this passage is simple. The righteous standard of the law promises a blessing to all who keep it. But no one keeps it. So anyone who relies on keeping the righteous standard as a way to God is doomed. We must instead put our faith in the promise of the cross of Christ, because on the cross, Jesus became cursed—doomed—in our place. And if we turn to trust in him, we become blessed like Abraham, recipients of the Holy Spirit.

So, a summary of this passage is that through the gospel of grace, we are no longer cursed but blessed. How so?

1. Because It Promotes The Way Of Faith (11-12)

The Righteous Shall Live By Their Faith

The first reason the gospel transfers us from curse to blessing is that it promotes the way of faith. I have already alluded to this—there are two ways to be accepted by God. The works of the law or faith in the gospel. Perfection or the borrowed righteousness of Christ. Total obedience inside and out or confessing your need for another to rescue you. The law of God or the grace of God. And the gospel presents this better way of faith to us. It tells us to believe.

Paul used two passages from the Old Testament to make this point. In the first, he said:

Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for “The righteous shall live by faith.” (Galatians 3:11)

Last year, we took four weeks to study the book of Habakkuk, and this is its pinnacle quote. Habakkuk was a godly man who struggled with the evil he saw all around him in his home nation of Israel. God told him he saw it too and that he would judge it by sending the even more wicked Babylonians to attack them. Habakkuk objected. He was unable to understand God's process and logic. But then he waited, and God told him that the righteous live by faith (Hab. 2:4). They lean on God. They depend on him. They throw themselves upon him.

And Paul used that text as another evidence that righteousness never came through the meticulous keeping of God's law: now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law (11). No one. None. But, as Habakkuk and Abraham and many others in the Old Testament show, one who is in a right relationship with God stands before him by faith.

Faith is a needy cry for God, while works try to impress God. Faith is a hand reaching out for help, while works insist that no help is needed. Faith trusts that God alone can accomplish salvation, while works smuggle in human effort and cooperation. —Thomas Schreiner[^1]

Imagine a tall mountain that serves as a ski slope in the winter months. There is a tram—and that is one way up—but there are also hiking trails that are revealed once the snow melts. You might think there are two ways up that mountain, by trail or by tram. But now imagine that every human on earth was struck by a condition that rendered them completely paralyzed. Though there is a pathway up that mountain, no one would be able to climb it. We would all need the tram.

So it is with the pathways to God. The law is a way, but it doesn't work for anyone. We have been infected with sin. It has disabled us. But the tram of the gospel is there, ready for any who will enter its doors of grace.

The Law Is Not Of Faith

But Paul went on to quote another passage—this time from Leviticus—to make his point that the gospel promotes the way of faith. He said:

But the law is not of faith, rather “The one who does them shall live by them.” (Galatians 3:12)

Some might have wondered if faith and works, the gospel of grace and law, were compatible. Perhaps we could emphasize justification by both faith and works? Paul said no, based on this quotation from Leviticus 18:5. The idea of the quote is that to affirm a part of the law is to be bound to the whole law. To do any of it as a way to be acceptable to God is to be bound by all of it as a way to become acceptable to God. And Paul is not only talking about Jewish people, either. In Romans, he said:

When Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus. (Romans 2:14–16)

Paul presents every person on earth as having some sort of law to respond to, at least ones written on their hearts by nature and conscience. And when we follow those laws, we are demonstrating the existence of those laws and are going to be held accountable to them.

For example, I recently came across an interesting story about college students in the Philippines. Colleges there have made a major anti-cheating push, and students there have taken it to heart, inventing all sorts of creative headgear to keep them from seeing other students' answers. I saw one guy wearing a motorcycle helmet. Another wore blinders made of egg cartons attached to a sweatband. Still another taped cardboard tubes to goggles so that all he could see what his own paper. Cheating is a form of lying because you are representing the answers as yours when they are not. Cheating is also a form of theft because you are stealing answers from someone else. And cheating is a form of covetousness because you are doing whatever you can to attain a grade (and the life that comes with it) that is not yours.[^2]

So when we admit that cheating is wrong by trying not to cheat, we must live by that code all the time if we are going to be justified by our works before God. So now—if those students aren't justified because of faith in the gospel—they would have to never lie, never steal, and never covet if their works are their path to God's acceptance.

So Paul has used verses from Habakkuk and Leviticus to demonstrate that the gospel promotes another path to God, the way of faith. If no one can climb the mountain and if everyone has at least one law they are under, then the gospel of grace by faith is the only way. While we were under that curse or doom, it announced another way up the mountain, another way to pass the test. And all that is required in that other way is to trust it. And it is our next verse that shows us what we must believe, the second reason the gospel tranfers us from curse to blessing.

2. Because Christ Was Cursed For Us (13)

The second reason the gospel transfers us from curse to blessing is that Christ was cursed for us. This is what we must believe. For this point, Paul again quotes from Deuteronomy. He wrote:

Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree.” (Galatians 3:13)

The idea is that in the Old Testament period, capital punishment was carried out by stoning. After the criminal died, they were often hung on a tree (or wooden stake or post) as a sign of their curse.[^3] Here, Paul made it clear that Jesus' cross qualified as a cursed tree. Peter joined Paul when he preached that Jesus was "hung on a tree" and wrote that Jesus "bore our sins in his body on the tree" (Acts 5:30, 1 Pet. 2:24). So while sin entered the world by eating the fruit of a tree, Jesus dealt with our sin problem on the tree of his cross so that we could one day eat of the tree of life (Gen. 2:24, Rev. 22:2).

And because Jesus was hung on a tree, Deuteronomy says he was cursed. What this means is that Jesus fulfilled the law both by carrying it out to perfection—he climbed the mountain peak none of us could climb—and he also fulfilled the law by consuming its curse for us on the cross. Paul said he became a curse for us (13). He not only took the curse, but he became the curse. This is similar to what he wrote in 2 Corinthians:

For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Corinthians 5:21)

And because Jesus did not die for his own sins but became a curse for ours, he was able to redeem us from the curse of the law (13). This speaks clearly of the substitutionary death of Jesus on our behalf. He did not die for his own failures—he had none. He completely absorbed the curse that we were all under, a curse brought on by our guilt when he died on the cross.

We see an example of this substitutionary atonement in our very bodies. When you have an infected wound or sore, if it is opened, pus comes rolling out. What is that? It's dead, white blood cells that your body has sent to fight the infection. They have died so that you might live. So substitutionary salvation is in our very blood![^4]

So we must cling evermore to Jesus. He bore the curse of the law for us. On the cross, he took on the exclusion from God that we humans deserve. Adam might've substituted himself for God, but Jesus was God substituting himself for us!

...God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh. (Romans 8:3)

As time ticks by, we might easily begin to believe we are better than we are. It almost appears inevitable that people who began steeped in the gospel will one day look down on others. But our hope is not in our goodness—we are clinging to the righteousness of another! And every human is alike: fallen short of God's glory. God is not grading on a curve. Our good works cannot somehow outweigh the bad, at least not to be considered acceptable in God's sight. To escape the curse, we must have someone else rescue us—and Jesus is that rescuer!

3. Because It Brought The Spirit (14)

So the gospel shows us the way of faith and that Christ is the one to consume the curse. And the third reason the gospel transfers us from curse to blessing is that it brought the Spirit to us. Because Jesus died and rose, when we believe in him, the Bible teaches we become recipients of the Holy Spirit (cf. Eph. 1:13-14, 2 Cor. 1:22). He is God, and he makes his home in us. Paul said this truth this way here in Galatians 3:

So that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith. (Galatians 3:14)

We talked about the blessing of Abraham last week, but now Paul gives it a precise definition: the promised Spirit (14). The Galatians knew this was true, and Paul had already interviewed them earlier in this chapter about it. Hadn't the Spirit come upon them when they believed? Yes, he had. And the Galatians knew it.

And now Paul labels the gift of the Spirit as the blessing of Abraham. It's an amazing title. God told Abraham that people of all nations would be blessed through him (Gen. 12:1-3). That blessing came through the gospel of Jesus, but here, Paul says the gospel brought the Spirit of God to live within us. That's the blessing of Abraham!

This was a key point for the Galatians because they might have begun thinking that the Law of the Old Testament was, at least to Paul, completely worthless. But it wasn't. Over and over again, all throughout the First Testament, God's prophets and priests and kings pleaded with God's people to obey the law. If they did, a beautiful society would emerge, and they would drink in the blessing of living in God's blessing. The law gave them just rules for how to govern daily life and worship. But, though it could govern them for good, restrain them from evil, and bless them in practical ways, it could not justify them in God's sight.

But when we believe in the gospel, the Spirit comes to live within us, and he begins to help us live for God. As Paul will say later, the Spirit helps us love, and the whole law is fulfilled in one word, to love our neighbor as ourselves (Gal. 5:13-14). So, in a sense, the Spirit comes along and helps us live according to the very law we could not keep. For me, when I read the Law of the Old Testament, I think of myself as reading principles that I am able to now adhere to only by the power of the Holy Spirit. As I abide in fellowship with Christ, his life flows into mine, and I am empowered and transformed to live in the way his law promotes. I am not justified by it. I am not approved by it. But I can now grow into doing more and more of it because of the Spirit living within me.

And life in the Spirit is wonderful. He is like a battery that energizes me for this life of faith. He is like a lamp that illuminates the path in front of me. He is like a fire that warms me from the bitter cold of life and burns of impurities. He is like a mirror that shows me where I need to change. He is like water that satisfies a deep thirst within. He is like a wind in my sails, propelling me to his destination. He is like a guide who comes along and leads me on the next leg of a long journey.

I recently noticed an Amazon Alexa plugin called "What should I do with my life?" Terrible. I think Alexa's answer if it were honest, would be to buy as much as possible on Amazon. That isn't something you should have to ask Amazon or Google or ChatGPT. But with the Spirit within, you can be led by God himself! This is a blessing the gospel gives.

Conclusion

I once heard the story of two men whose rowboat capsized above Niagara Falls. The current rapidly carried them to the falls, but people on the shore floated a rope out to them, and they both grabbed it. But one of the men saw a large log floating by and, in a panic, let go of the rope and grabbed at the log instead, leading to his demise.[^5] And there are so many other things we might grab at or trust in—our religious activity, our prayers, our good deeds—but only Christ can deliver us. Cling to his cross! Rely on him! Depend on him!

When we do, we escape the curse of the law and enter into the blessing of the gospel. It brings us into a life of faith. It shows us that Christ took on our curse by becoming a curse for us on the cross. And it allows us to partake of the blessing of Abraham, namely by receiving the Holy Spirit the prophets of old said would come.

And, with the Spirit leading and empowering our lives, we can enjoy the very life the law hoped to achieve—one where we trust in the true and living God, refuse to worship anything that would dehumanize us, are free from all forms of shameful defilement, are generous and just, keeping God's rules and acting faithfully (Ezek. 18:5-9). It is a life where God puts his laws into our minds and writes them on our hearts (Heb. 8:10). The Spirit empowers us, partly by reforming our motivations. And with this change of perspective and fresh empowerment, our lives come to describable with just one word—blessed!

[^1]:Schreiner, Thomas R. 2010. Galatians. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

[^2]:FitzGerald, James. 2022. “Philippines: Student ‘anti-Cheating’ Exam Hats Go Viral.” BBC, October 23, 2022. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-63363473.

[^3]:Walvoord. 2003. The Bible Knowledge Commentary: New Testament. Colorado Springs, CO: David C Cook Publishing Company.

[^4]:Keller, Timothy. 2012. Center Church: Doing Balanced, Gospel-Centered Ministry in Your City. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

[^5]:Spurgeon, C. H. 1972. Around the Wicket Gate. Welwyn Garden City, England: Evangelical Press.

Galatians 3:15-22

1:1-9 | 1:10-24 | 2:1-10 | 2:11-16 | 2:17-21 | 3:1-5 | 3:6-9 | 3:10-14 | 3:15-22| 3:23-29 | 4:1-7 | 4:8-20 | 4:21-31 | 5:1-6 | 5:7-15 | 5:16-18 | 5:19-21 | 5:22-26 | 6:1-5 | 6:6-10 | 6:11-18

In a sense, there is no bigger question than the one Galatians attempts to answer: How do we relate to God? How do we engage with him? Do we experience God as a reward for good works? Do we gain fuller and more complete revelation of him by keeping more of his law as revealed in nature, conscience, or Scripture? Or do we encounter God by his grace? Do we enjoy him through faith in his promises? How do we relate to God?

Your answer to this question will impact your eternity, but it will also impact your psyche. Much of our current joy or despair, contentment or strife, peace or unease, stems from our answer to these questions. If we can answer them correctly we have a great odds of enjoying God. And enjoying God will shake itself out in thousands of ways in your life.

If you've been here for the bulk of our study of Galatians, you probably already suspect that the answer is that we come to God by his grace, his promise, and our faith in that promise. And in recent weeks, we've learned that the false teachers in Galatia had emphasized the law of Moses, telling even new non-Jewish Christians that they had to keep it. And they were bothered that Paul had told the Galatians that they were free from God's law.

To them, this was problematic. They thought Paul had fused Abraham and Jesus together, forgetting Moses. Paul made it all about faith in Christ like Abraham, but they thought it was about works of the law like Moses. Paul first told them that justification could not come through keeping the law because a curse rests on anyone who fails to keep it without error (Gal. 3:10-14). Our good works before God are not enough to be approved before God. The law cannot produce righteousness with God; law-keeping cannot make us right in his eyes.

But God had given the law to Israel on Mt. Sinai. They centered their entire nation upon it for centuries. When they obeyed it, they flourished, and when they didn't, they floundered. They were blessed when they delighted in the law of the Lord day and night (Ps. 1:2). And now Paul comes along with his seemingly low view of the Mosaic law; he preached that we could not be justified (made acceptable) before God through law-keeping.

So what is the purpose of the law? Paul thought of the law as a divine and wonderful complement to the gospel of promise, and this passage shows us how.

1. Because It Arrived After Christ Was Promised (15-18)

15 To give a human example, brothers: even with a man-made covenant, no one annuls it or adds to it once it has been ratified. 16 Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, “And to offsprings,” referring to many, but referring to one, “And to your offspring,” who is Christ. 17 This is what I mean: the law, which came 430 years afterward, does not annul a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to make the promise void. 18 For if the inheritance comes by the law, it no longer comes by promise; but God gave it to Abraham by a promise.

The law complements the gospel because it arrived after Christ was promised. Here, Paul pointed out that the law arrived over four centuries (430 years) after the promise made to Abraham and to his offspring (16). This timeline is incredibly important. The law complements the gospel of promise because it came so long after the promise.

To illustrate this, Paul gave a human example (15). In a man-made covenant, no one arbitrarily changes it once it has been ratified (15). You cannot merely decide to pay less interest on your mortgage, less money on your cell phone bill, or less tuition for your education. To start a mortgage, a mobile data plan, or college classes, you have to enter into an agreement. Once ratified, you cannot change the agreement at will.

And if that is the case with a human covenant, how much more the promises God made to Abraham and his offspring? (16). So when the law of Moses arrived 430 years after the promises God made to Abraham and his descendants, the promises were not altered in any way.

How was Abraham accepted by God? By believing God's promises, partly that from his line would come a figure who would bless the whole world. And this is how we are always accepted by God: by believing the promise of that figure who would bless the whole world. And, on this side of the cross, we no longer wait for that figure to be revealed for the first time. We look back at the cross and recognize God's promise to Abraham was fulfilled in Jesus. Jesus is the promised offspring, seed, or descendant of Abraham through whom the whole world is blessed (Gen. 12:3).

Imagine Abraham living an incredibly long life of 500 years. Imagine he lived all the way up to the days of Israel's slavery in Egypt and their deliverance at the Red Sea. Imagine he was there when Moses climbed the mountain and received the Ten Commandments. He would have loved the law God gave.

But he would not have been accepted, saved, justified, approved, or considered righteous by God by keeping the law. He was "in" with God because he believed. No law could change that. And Paul saw how that pattern of justification by faith did not die with Abraham—the law only came centuries after Abraham and his faith set the template for all of us.

It is good for us to recognize that the law arrived many years after the coming Christ was promised to Abraham because that promise was the seedbed of the gospel. So, in a sense, the gospel predates the law. And since God began by relating to Abraham through promise and faith, he always relates to his people through promise and faith, not by works of the law.

This is abundantly good news because it shows us that Christ and the gospel of grace still stand. The Galatians wondered if—after they'd believed in Jesus—God was now ready to relate to them by works, law, or contract. But since God's promise and Abraham's faith are much more ancient than the law, we can know that God still relates to us by promise and faith.

In an improv comedy class, amateur students can get off track, so the instructor will sometimes jump in to recover the plot. And sometimes our hearts are like that group of amateur comedians—we get off track. We begin thinking our gospel days are over, and we now relate to God through our works. And that either deflates you or inflates you. It either fills you with despair or fills you with pride. You either think you're doing terribly or that you're the next great saint to grace God's green earth. You either become like Zacchaeus, thinking you could have nothing to do with the Lord, or like the Pharisees, thinking you are above others and don't need him. Because of this tendency, the plot must be recovered. We do not relate to God based on our goodness. No one ever has. We relate to God by responding to his promises by faith.

Rejoice! Having begun with the Spirit, having begun by gift and grace and faith, we are not perfected by our human effort or performance. If we were, then God's gift would have been canceled out. His promise to Abraham would be void. But God's promises cannot be altered. God still relates to us by grace, gift, and faith.

We are firmly in a gift-promise relationship with God, not a law-wage one. But we have difficulty believing it. So much around us preaches a law-wage way of doing things. If we study hard, we earn good grades. If we work for a specific amount of time, we earn an agreed-upon wage. If we obey the laws of the land, we hope to be left alone. If we are nice to our spouses, they might be nice in return, and we're upset if they're not. The law-wage way of life colors everything around us, so it feels foreign when God invites us into this grace-gift way of relating to him.

Paul is trying to help us conclude that Christianity is "the religion of Abraham and not Moses."[^1] And since God dealt with Abraham in the promise/grace/faith category, and he wants us to continue in that way. But this is difficult for us and we often lose this perspective. As Matthew Harmon wrote, "We live in a world of broken promises...yet our hope as believers is grounded in the absolute faithfulness of God to keep his promises"[^2] All those broken promises might make us believe God has not kept his.

But God is a promise keeper, and he has told us that by faith, he will give to us "an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven" (1 Pet. 1:4). And right now, we have been given the Holy Spirit as a down payment for that inheritance, a constant reminder that the best is yet to come (Eph. 1:14).

2. Because It Combatted Sin Until Christ Arrived (19-20)

19 Why then the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the offspring should come to whom the promise had been made, and it was put in place through angels by an intermediary. 20 Now an intermediary implies more than one, but God is one.

The second way the law complements the gospel is that it combatted sin until Christ arrived. The Galatians—and the false teachers amongst them—would likely have wondered, "Why then the law?" (19). If it's all about believing the same promise God made to Abraham—if he was justified by looking forward to Jesus and we are justified by looking back to him—then why did God give Israel the law?

There is scholarly confusion as to how to interpret portions of this passage, but the generalities of Paul's answer seem clear enough.[^3] Why was the law given? Because of transgressions (19).

When I was a boy, one of my favorite games on a rainy day was the floor-is-hot-lava game. Because we imagined the floor was deadly, we did everything we could to stay off it. And the law became like that for the emerging Israelite nation. They had to know what would kill them as a people, and the law helped them discover it. What will happen if adultery is rampant among us? It will kill us; avoid it. What will happen if children don't obey their parents? It will kill us; avoid it. What will happen if we worship other gods? It will kill us; avoid it. What will happen if we are greedy? It will kill us; avoid it. What will happen if we obey any sexual impulse? It will kill us; avoid it. What will happen if we abuse the poor or the foreigner? It will kill us, avoid it.

The law helped them see what was good and bad for them. Like the nutrition facts on the side of food packaging, the law showed them the healthy (and not-so-healthy) forms of life. And you see this all throughout the historical books of the Old Testament, books like Judges or 1-2 Samuel or 1-2 Kings or Ezra or Nehemiah. When they obeyed the law, they flourished. When they disobeyed, it hurt them. When Samson worshipped God, refrained from uncleanness, and kept himself from foreign women, he was strong and mighty. But as he succumbed to temptation and increasingly walked away from a law-guided life, he lost his strength. When David walked with God, kept himself pure, and wrote his songs of worship, he excelled. But when he caved to his baser impulses, he lost his strength. And when the nation as a whole trusted God, he expanded their boarders and gave them peace. But when they rejected God's ways and adopted the ungodly ways of the nations around them, they suffered.

But Paul's point is that the law did not negate the promise. As he'd already said, "If the inheritance comes by the law, it no longer comes by promise; but God gave it to Abraham by promise" (18). And that promise was an entirely one-sided affair. When Abraham believed God, they made a covenant. In those days, a contract was often made by cutting an animal sacrifice in two and passing through it. It was a way of saying, "May I be torn asunder if I break my vow to you." And God and Abraham even went to that length, but the thing is, Abraham was asleep for the whole event (Gen. 15:7-21). He was a mere recipient. God was the active party. God was the promiser. And God is a man of his word.

So when the law arrived, it couldn't negate Abraham's covenant with God because it was all based on God's promise. But what it added was rules for daily life until the Christ God promised Abraham should come (19). And the law was not one-sided—or God-sided—like the promise to Abraham was. The law was two-sided. When the law came, angels brought it to Moses, who brought it to the people—intermediaries (19-20). It was contractual, negotiated, and legal—sign here, please.

And it came, as Paul said, because of transgressions (19). Left to their own devices, Israel would have devolved and assimilated into the nations around them. They would have lost their distinction. They would not have been known as a God-fearing people. And once they lost their national identity, once the people of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were dissolved into the nations, the promised line would be lost! So they had to remain intact as a people—at least until Christ came! And to remain intact, God gave them the law to supervise and keep their sin in check. And through all those centuries, the law combatted sin in Israel, urging the people on until the promised offspring arrived (19).

I once drove by a southern California strip mall that had a Candy-4-Less store in a prominent corner location. I had never seen such a store. I was intrigued but knew that no matter how cheap their candy was, I would pay some sort of price. But, as I thought about what it would be like inside a Candy-4-Less, I noticed its immediate neighbor—a dentist. The presence of that dentist right next to a Candy-4-Less is like the presence of the law for Israel. Their sinful tendencies called them, but the law reminded them of the great price they would pay if they went in that direction. And, before we trust Christ, we need the law to restrain us from evil. We need it to say, "If you go there, you will pay the price."

3. Because It Reveals Our Need For Christ (21-22)

21 Is the law then contrary to the promises of God? Certainly not! For if a law had been given that could give life, then righteousness would indeed be by the law. 22 But the Scripture imprisoned everything under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.

The final way our text shows us the law complements the gospel is that it reveals our need for Christ. It does not contradict the promises of God because it could never give life or righteousness before God (21). Last week, we thought about how there are technically two ways to God—law or faith. But here we see that the way of works righteousness is so impossible that it's considered a non-way—it could not give life (21).

But what it did was imprison everything under sin (22). We don't often focus on this aspect of the law (or Scripture). We usually come to the Bible for something to affirm or encourage us, but sometimes the good news cannot be appreciated until we know the bad news. And the law teaches us how morally helpless we are. When Paul says that the law imprisons us, he is referring to the power of sin in our lives. Paul is referring to the power of the law in our lives. The law was given to Moses to show us what sin is and to make us aware of our need for a Savior. Paul is saying that the law has “imprisoned” us because it reveals our sin and shows us that we cannot attain righteousness on our own. The only way to be free from the power of sin is to accept the promise of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.

Prison! What powerful imagery. We are locked up, shackled, behind bars, without freedom—not only because when we break the law, we become guilty, but because we can't not break the law in our natural state. Without Jesus, we are unable to obey!

So the law complements the gospel because it points us to our need for it. The law of God, as revealed through Moses, nature, and conscience, is to the gospel as baking powder in a chocolate chip cookie. Without the baking powder, the cookie won't become light and airy but will instead be flat and dense. And without the law, the gospel might seem flat and uninspiring to you. But once the law does its work by showing you your limitations and the impossibility of keeping it in its entirety, the gracious gift of the gospel begins to rise. As Paul said, "The Scripture imprisoned everything under sin, so that the promise by faith in Christ Jesus might be given to those who believe" (22). It is the law that helps us see our sin problem. It is the law that helps us see our need for Jesus. As Paul wrote in Romans, "if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin" (Rom. 7:7a).

In Andor, the recent Star Wars show, a young Cassian Andor finds himself wrongly jailed in an imperial prison. When he realizes he is never going to get out alive, he pitches an escape attempt to an experienced older inmate who knows the prison inside and out and is able to devise an escape plan. And, on the big day—spoiler alert—he leads Cassian and hundreds of other inmates to freedom. But when they all finally work their way to freedom, a tall jump into a large body of water is required. But he hesitates. He won't jump. He can't swim. It is there his story ends.[^4] He could lead everyone else to freedom, but he could not be free. This is the way of the law—it can point you to freedom, but it is not the way. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6).

To again quote Paul in Romans, "For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin” (Rom. 3:20). And that knowledge of sin should cause us to turn from the law as a path to being accepted by God. And it should make us turn to Jesus!

Conclusion

Now that we've considered how the law complements the gospel, how should we respond? Since it arrived well after God began dealing with us by grace, promise, and faith, it cannot void his grace, his promises, or justification by faith, but what do we do with that information? It was useful among the Israelites before Jesus arrived as a way to suppress evil, but how does that impact us? And it reveals our deep need for Jesus Christ and his cross to save us from sin, but does that have any meaning for us after we've trusted in Jesus? How should we respond to this passage?

First, if God promised to be enjoyed by faith in his promise and not by works of the law, we should be encouraged to enjoy God by faith. Hebrews held out a man from Genesis called Enoch as an example of this type of faith. Enoch used to walk with God every day until one day he disappeared because God took him (Gen. 5:25). Hebrews then says that "without faith it is impossible to please God, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him" (Heb. 11:6). We cannot enjoy God by works and wage, but by grace and faith.

Second, if it was good for Israelite society that the law acted as a lid holding down the toxic waste of sin, we should rejoice that we are on this side of the cross. With the Spirit living inside us, we can be transformed from within. And that very real change in us—and new law within us—is bound to be a major blessing to the communities we are in. Our relationships, families, workplaces, cities, states, and nations all benefit when Christ changes us by his Spirit.

Third, we should recognize that if the righteous standard of the law points us to our need for Jesus, then righteous living fueled by the Holy Spirit is a powerful witness. We don't have to walk around trying to condemn anyone, but a holy life challenges accepted societal norms better than any placard in a protest ever could. Jesus said to let your light shine before mankind (Mat. 5:16). When, by the power of the Spirit, it does, your life serves as a signpost to Jesus.

Finally, thank God that he is a promise keeper who put you on earth at this moment in time. You can look backward to the cross of Christ. Abraham had to believe offspring would come to bless the world, but we know his name—Jesus! God fulfilled his promise. Respect God and the time he has placed you in. The law has been fulfilled. Christ has come. And now he can transform you from the inside out!

[^1]:Stott, John R. W. 2008. Galatians: Experiencing the Grace of Christ. Nottingham, England: Inter-Varsity Press. [^2]:Harmon, Matthew S. 2021. Galatians: Evangelical Biblical Theology Commentary. Lexham Academic. [^3]: Dr. Douglas Moo is widely considered one of the great, modern experts on the book of Galatians. And in his class on this book, he says he is puzzled by Paul's answer in these verses. He estimates there are over 200 possible interpretations scholars have put forward about this text—and, remember, there is only one accurate interpretation. [^4]: Caron, Toby Haynes Susanna White. 2022. Andor. USA: Lucas Film. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9253284/.

Galatians 3:23-29

| 5:22-261:1-9 | 1:10-24 | 2:1-10 | 2:11-16 | 2:17-21 | 3:1-5 | 3:6-9 | 3:10-14 | 3:15-22 | 3:23-29 | 4:1-7 | 4:8-20 | 4:21-31 | 5:1-6 | 5:7-15 | 5:16-18 | 5:19-21 | 6:1-5 | 6:6-10 | 6:11-18

Up to this point in Galatians, Paul has built a strong case that we can only be accepted by God through faith in the gospel. Keeping the Old Testament law is not necessary, and Paul masterfully appealed to the Old Testament to prove this, pulling out Abraham, Moses, Habakkuk, and the law itself to make his point.

But today, Paul is going to tell us what faith in the gospel does to us. When we truly believe, what happens to us? Our passage today tells us in fairly radical terms, first by telling us what we were (the bad news), and then by telling us what we are (the good news). So lets look first at what we were. He said:

23 Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. 24 So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. (Galatians 3:23-24)

What We Were (23-24)

1. Imprisoned (23)

The first thing we are without the gospel is imprisoned under the law (held captive, 23). Paul alluded to this in our passage from last week, the preceding verse, when he said that "the Scripture imprisoned everything under sin" (Gal. 3:22). The words Paul used meant 'to be protected by military guards'—guards who would keep an enemy out and inhabitants in.[^1] The word is used about Paul in one episode in the New Testament when the governor of Damascus guarded the city—and Paul's enemies also watched the gates—so Paul could not escape (2 Cor. 11:32, Acts 9:24). Paul was trapped in the city under the watchful eye of his opponents.

And the law does this to us—it restrains or imprisons us until Christ comes. The picture is one of being caged. A cage can limit behavior, but it cannot change a heart. I recently saw a video of a small toddler in front of a lion exhibit at a zoo. The child was totally safe in front of a strong glass wall. At one point, his parents had him turn to take a photo with the lions behind him. And, as he did, a lioness near him opened up its mouth and tried to wrap its teeth around the toddler's head, the glass prohibiting it from catching its prey. The cage kept the lion from doing what it wanted, but it still wanted.[^2]

That is how the law is for us. It cannot bring true inner transformation, but because it imprisons us until Christ, it slows down the practice of sin. If there were no ten commandments, no laws of nature, and no one had a conscience, sin would be worse than it is today.

2. Under A Guardian (24)

But the second thing we are before faith in the gospel is under a guardian. Paul said the law was our guardian until Christ came (24). In the first-century Roman world, wealthy families would appoint a guardian to supervise and discipline their children from around the age of six to sixteen. This guardian was usually a household servant, and there is not a good parallel in our modern society. They were much more severe than a tutor or teacher but were charged with teaching and training. [^3] Queen Elizabeth had a "governess" who helped shape her—there are some similarities. Perhaps vice-principal is our closest comparison! It was a role that spoke the truth and gave strong corrections to the emerging adult under their tutelage.

The law did the same for Israel and did the same for us before we came to Christ. It served like a mirror that showed us our flaws and imperfections, but it was powerless to substantially change any of those flaws.

Earlier this month, Christina and I went away for a couple of nights to celebrate our anniversary. We had a great time, and while away, we ate a lot of food. Well, the first morning we were home, I hopped on my scale. It's a scale that connects to an app on my phone and tracks me over time. But on that morning, I got a notification I don't think I've ever received before. It read, "This must not be Nate Holdridge. Who is this?" Thanks, scale. I get it. So now I'm trying to be good and make my scale happy.

That's what the law was like—a scale, a mirror, an honest governess who points us to our lack. And the conclusion we must come to is that we need another way to be accepted before God. And fortunately, that way has now arrived. As Paul wrote to the Roman church:

But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. (Romans 3:21–22, ESV)

What We Are (25-29)

So that's a bit about what we were—imprisoned and guarded—but let's spend the rest of our time where the text does by thinking about what we become after placing our faith in Christ. What does faith in the gospel do to us?

1. Sons Of God (25-27)

First, we become sons of God after faith in Christ (25-26). Paul said:

25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, 26 for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. 27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. (Galatians 3:25-27)

This idea presents us as graduates from the guardian, full grown sons in God's sight (25-26). When first-century heirs reached the maturity of adulthood, they were given garments that communicated their new status. And Paul alluded to our new graduation attire when he said we have put on Christ (27). And if we've believed in Jesus, it's as if we've been fully immersed in him—or baptized into him—so we are fully identified with the actual Son of God (27). We have a new status before Father God. We are no longer under a guardian or i,mprisoned by the law. We are now his children.

Some object to the idea that the gospel makes us sons of God because it doesn't feel gender-inclusive. Why not God's children or even sons and daughters?

For this, we must remember the context. In the first century, to say that female believers became sons of God elevated them beyond anything their culture held out for them. Only sons could be heirs in that Roman world; daughters could not inherit property in most ancient cultures. So when Paul calls men and women who trust in Christ sons of God, he is suggesting that we receive the exact same inheritance, no matter our gender.

On top of this, when you consider that Paul is saying faith clothes us with Christ, meaning we have the same position as the Son of God before Father God, it makes sense that we would be considered sons of God before Father God.

Next time I want to get into the difficulty some people have with thinking of God as Father. What I will say here is that I believe the father wound so many of us are nursing—along with the preoccupation therapists have with our dads and the mileage storytellers have gotten out of father stories—is an indication of the truthfulness of God's design. He made us with a father longing. It is a longing—a love—only he can satisfy, and it can have incredible ramifications on our daily living and inner health. I think one way to describe making progress in Christian maturity is that it's a continual process of learning of God as your Father.

I also want to mention, from this passage, an exhortation to parents and anyone who works with the next generations. Though the law could regulate Israel, it could not transform their hearts. Though the law could guard us, it could not change us within. For change to come, we needed to be changed, made into God's people. And though rules and commands are needed to help a child become mature and civilized and obedient, that should not be mistaken for true inner transformation. Being polite is not the same as being born again.[^4] What we should all be praying for and working toward is for children to have an epiphany-like experience of Jesus, that their eyes would be opened to his grace (Eph. 1:17-18, 14-21). Once this occurs, once Jesus is famous to them, they can begin to grow at the heart level.

2. One In Christ (28)

The second thing we become after faith is one in Christ Jesus (28). Paul said:

28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. (Galatians 3:28)

According to Paul, the ways humanity normally wars against itself are made away with in Christ. It isn't that we lose our beautiful and God-given distinctions. In Christ, men are still men, women are still women, and cultures are retained and can be celebrated. And various classes find redemption and beauty because of Jesus. But before God and one another, we are all one in Christ Jesus (28).

Is there even one Jew or Greek, or anyone from any race or culture, who does not need the blood of Christ to become righteous? Is there even one person from the humblest or loftiest place in society who isn't in need of the gospel? Is there even one man or one woman who can be accepted by God according to their works? No, not one.

Paul knew that once anyone from anywhere at any time trusts Christ, they are transferred into God's family and totally clothed with Christ. And that radical unification with Christ makes us radically unified to one another.

This was important for the Galatians to hear because they were being told that, as Gentile believers, they were second-tier citizens in God's household. But the gospel makes us all one. Through him, the unity that so many crave is possible. In Christ, we can find unity across cultures, classes, and both genders.

In the same way that one human body is comprised of many parts, so we are unified to one another in Christ. We are one, on the same team, and in the same family. And none of us, in Christ, are in a forgotten or useless position before God. Every one of us has the same value before God.

Again, this idea was radical in the first century. For the Galatians to believe that people from a Greek culture were on the same level before God as the Jew, that women were on the same level as men, or that the poor in the church were on the same level as the wealthy, was revolutionary.

On this point, I should clarify that Paul is not arguing that our distinctions are erased because of Jesus. As I've already suggested, our racial and gender distinctions are of divine design, and our class distinctions can become beautiful when influenced by Jesus. But I have to say this because some have taken this verse are ripped it from its biblical context as a way to say that—specifically—gender is no longer something Christians should regard and that men and women are interchangeable.

If that is the Bible's message, it is horrible at communicating it. Elsewhere in Scripture, even in Paul's writings, maleness and femaleness are regarded as still relevant. Because they are, Paul had instructions regulating our sexual activity, the position of elder/pastor in churches, and the roles of men and women within the context of marriage (Rom. 1:26-27, 1 Cor. 6:9, Eph. 5:22-33, Col. 3:18-19, 1 Cor. 11:2-16, 1 Tim. 9-15).

Some of you might object that it is impossible to be both equal in Christ and have different roles. But in the same way that the Father, Son, and Spirit are equal within the Trinity yet have different and complementary functions, so we are equal before God yet have different and complementary functions, especially within the church and family structure.

Christ had a different role than the Father, but no less dignity than the Father, while men and women have different roles from one another in certain spheres, yet no less dignity. And though this is hard for many modern minds to accept, it should be beautiful in Christ to know that we are a great complement to one another, yet one in him. No one is less than in any way—the gospel does this to us—and this can set us free from sameness and help us embrace our distinctions.

I hope we understand this when it comes to the first category Paul mentioned—cultural or racial distinctions. We aren't to have a sort of colorblindness that cannot appreciate the different races, cultures, and heritages represented within the church today. We are to celebrate that God's kingdom is comprised of every tribe, nation, and tongue (Rev. 4:9-10). And neither should we obliterate both genders by pretending they don't exist. Instead, we should celebrate men and women for what God has made them to be.

As much as many modern believers have misunderstood Galatians 3:28, I should also say that the church has often failed to practice Galatians 3:28, even if they've understood it. Though we can rejoice that parts of the church stood up to the grievous sin of the transatlantic slave trade, has spoken and speaks up about inequality and racial prejudice, or fights for biblical forms of justice, there have been and are components of the church who look down on others. Whether it be one race looking down on another, one class looking down on another, or one gender looking down on another, it has no place in the body of Christ.

Finally, it is worth mentioning that Paul is talking to those in Christ about what the gospel produces. He was not talking to the Roman culture at large. But, as Christianity spread, changed hearts and perspectives would've slowly changed Roman culture. Christian parents who had thought only their oldest son was worthy of an inheritance might have begun thinking their daughters were worthy of one as well. Wealthy Christians who had gone along with Rome's version of slavery would have, through the gospel, seen how God saw every class of people. They would have slowly decided to set the captive free! And Jews and Gentiles, seeing the unity they had before Christ, would have begun to practice that unity in their churches.

All this would have begun to spread throughout everyday life in the Roman world as Christianity spread throughout the Roman world. This is part of the reason why many—including me—believe that what the world needs most in our divided times is the unifying message of the gospel. It might be slow, but it is our only real hope.[^5]

Some of you are squirming at this point for one reason or another, perhaps because you have not found the church to be a unified group but a divisive and divided one. And while church-caused pain is terrible, it is to be expected, because there is only one perfect member of the church—the cornerstone member, Jesus Christ (1 Pet. 2:4-8). The rest of us are flawed people who are in a process with God.

I recently saw an article about the discovery of a new emperor penguin colony in Antarctica.[^6] We know about sixty-one of these colonies at this point, but they are difficult to find because of the icy terrain they exist on. Apparently, however, the way they are discovered is by satellite imagery. Whenever the pristine white ice looks brown and muddy, scientists know they've found the penguins because even penguins go number two. It's a fantastic picture of the church. It can be a bit messy at times—we are people, after all—but despite all that, we need the colony! Be patient. Let's endure together.

3. Abraham's Offspring (29)

The third thing we become after faith in Christ is Abraham's offspring (29). Paul said:

29 And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise. (Galatians 3:28)

Previous passages in Galatians have said as much—this is a reiteration. Belief in the gospel of Jesus Christ puts you in the line of Abraham—you are wrapped up in God's promises and plans to this father of faith!

It is hard to overstate how shocking this would have been to the Galatians. After the false teachers had circulated there, the non-Jewish Galatian Christians felt like second-class citizens in God's kingdom. How could they be truly special in God's sight since they were outside the Jewish community with all its ceremonies, laws, and codes? But now Paul says that they—and we also—are part of Abraham's family! We are not at all outside God's program—or even a secondary part of it. We are in!

We belong to the same class as the saints of old. In God's long and historical process of bringing his salvation plans to fruition, we are as vitally in his plans as Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Biblical heroes like Moses, Joshua, and Samuel are not on one plane while we are on another. We are on the same level as David and Esther and Nehemiah and Isaiah. We are Abraham's offspring because we are Christ's (29).

This truth does not negate God's continued plans for the biological descendants of Abraham. God will one day revive his ancient people and fulfill the promises he made them thousands of years ago. But we are the spiritual seed of Abraham, considered part of God's program on earth in every way. We are no afterthought.

Conclusion

All the truths we've talked about today should fill us with meaning and significance. We are no longer imprisoned and guarded by the law. We are now sons of God because of the Son of God. We are now one in Christ because Christ broke down every wall of hostility between us (Eph. 2:14-16). We are now Abraham's offspring because we believed the promise just like he did (Gal. 3:11-14).

Notice the direction of all these changes. Our relationship with the heights of heaven has changed—we are sons of God. Our relationship with the breadth of humanity has changed—we are one in Christ with all others who've believed. And our relationship with the length of human history has changed—we are now part of God's long program of introducing his kingdom. This should infuse every one of us with a feeling of great significance, and I encourage you to meditate on each truth until that feeling arises. Up to heaven, around the globe, and deep into history, our lives have been changed by Jesus.

But how should we respond to all these truths? Here are a handful of suggestions:

First, if life under the law was one in captivity and under a guardian—if it couldn't produce true transformation—then we believers must turn to the right source for personal growth today. God has given us a new nature, and our flesh or old body of sin competes with that new nature, so we should feed the Spirit because he is the one who will transform us into all God has intended.

Second, if we are now sons of God, we should expect a lifetime of learning to experience God as our Father. We will jump into this more in our next study of Galatians, but this aspect of knowing God is of vital importance and is not gained overnight. Learning of God as our Good Father is clunky and awkward at times. We will often revert to a law code or angry dad way of relating to him. But we must keep pressing until we feel him for who he is: our loving and good Father in heaven.

Third, if we are one in Christ, we should resist the voices of division that seek to inflame us against other cultures, other classes, or the other gender. Instead, we should appreciate our differences and rejoice that, despite them, we are one in Jesus! Then, we should treat one another with the utmost respect.

And last, if we are Abraham's offspring, we should let it sink in that our lives are not accidents. We are part of God's long and beautiful redemptive plan, a massive family tree connected to Abraham, the father of faith. Many have come before us, and we are part of them. And many will come after us—hopefully from us—and we are part of them as well.

[^1]: Stott, John R. W. 2008. Galatians: Experiencing the Grace of Christ. Nottingham, England: Inter-Varsity Press.

[^2]: USA Today. 2023. “Hungry Lioness Tries to Eat Unsuspecting Baby through Glass Wall at Zoo in China,” January 11, 2023. https://www.usatoday.com/videos/news/have-you-seen/2023/01/11/lioness-chinese-zoo-tries-snack-baby-through-glass-barrier/11035184002/.

[^3]: Barker, Kenneth L., and John R. Kohlenberger III. 2019. The Expositor’s Bible Commentary the Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Old & New Testaments. USA: Zondervan Academic.

[^4]: Schreiner, Thomas R. 2010. Galatians. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

[^5]: Keller, Timothy. 2013. Galatians For You. New Malden, England: Good Book Company.

[^6]: Gramling, Carolyn. 2020. “Penguin Poop Spotted from Space Ups the Tally of Emperor Penguin Colonies.” Science News Magazine. August 4, 2020. https://www.sciencenews.org/article/emperor-penguin-poop-satellite-images-space-new-colonies.

Galatians 4:1-7

1:1-9 | 1:10-24 | 2:1-10 | 2:11-16 | 2:17-21 | 3:1-5 | 3:6-9 | 3:10-14 | 3:15-22 | 3:23-29 | 4:1-7 | 4:8-20 | 4:21-31 | 5:1-6 | 5:7-15 | 5:16-18 | 5:19-21 | 5:22-26 | 6:1-5 | 6:6-10 | 6:11-18

Up to this point in Galatians, Paul has built a strong case that we can only be accepted by God through faith in the gospel. Keeping the Old Testament law is not necessary, and Paul masterfully appealed to the Old Testament to prove this, pulling out Abraham, Moses, Habakkuk, and the law itself to make his point.

But today, Paul is going to tell us what faith in the gospel does to us. When we truly believe, what happens to us? Our passage today tells us in fairly radical terms, first by telling us what we were (the bad news), and then by telling us what we are (the good news). So lets look first at what we were. He said:

23 Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. 24 So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. (Galatians 3:23-24)

What We Were (23-24)

1. Imprisoned (23)

The first thing we are without the gospel is imprisoned under the law (held captive, 23). Paul alluded to this in our passage from last week, the preceding verse, when he said that "the Scripture imprisoned everything under sin" (Gal. 3:22). The words Paul used meant 'to be protected by military guards'—guards who would keep an enemy out and inhabitants in.[^1] The word is used about Paul in one episode in the New Testament when the governor of Damascus guarded the city—and Paul's enemies also watched the gates—so Paul could not escape (2 Cor. 11:32, Acts 9:24). Paul was trapped in the city under the watchful eye of his opponents.

And the law does this to us—it restrains or imprisons us until Christ comes. The picture is one of being caged. A cage can limit behavior, but it cannot change a heart. I recently saw a video of a small toddler in front of a lion exhibit at a zoo. The child was totally safe in front of a strong glass wall. At one point, his parents had him turn to take a photo with the lions behind him. And, as he did, a lioness near him opened up its mouth and tried to wrap its teeth around the toddler's head, the glass prohibiting it from catching its prey. The cage kept the lion from doing what it wanted, but it still wanted.[^2]

That is how the law is for us. It cannot bring true inner transformation, but because it imprisons us until Christ, it slows down the practice of sin. If there were no ten commandments, no laws of nature, and no one had a conscience, sin would be worse than it is today.

2. Under A Guardian (24)

But the second thing we are before faith in the gospel is under a guardian. Paul said the law was our guardian until Christ came (24). In the first-century Roman world, wealthy families would appoint a guardian to supervise and discipline their children from around the age of six to sixteen. This guardian was usually a household servant, and there is not a good parallel in our modern society. They were much more severe than a tutor or teacher but were charged with teaching and training. [^3] Queen Elizabeth had a "governess" who helped shape her—there are some similarities. Perhaps vice-principal is our closest comparison! It was a role that spoke the truth and gave strong corrections to the emerging adult under their tutelage.

The law did the same for Israel and did the same for us before we came to Christ. It served like a mirror that showed us our flaws and imperfections, but it was powerless to substantially change any of those flaws.

Earlier this month, Christina and I went away for a couple of nights to celebrate our anniversary. We had a great time, and while away, we ate a lot of food. Well, the first morning we were home, I hopped on my scale. It's a scale that connects to an app on my phone and tracks me over time. But on that morning, I got a notification I don't think I've ever received before. It read, "This must not be Nate Holdridge. Who is this?" Thanks, scale. I get it. So now I'm trying to be good and make my scale happy.

That's what the law was like—a scale, a mirror, an honest governess who points us to our lack. And the conclusion we must come to is that we need another way to be accepted before God. And fortunately, that way has now arrived. As Paul wrote to the Roman church:

But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. (Romans 3:21–22, ESV)

What We Are (25-29)

So that's a bit about what we were—imprisoned and guarded—but let's spend the rest of our time where the text does by thinking about what we become after placing our faith in Christ. What does faith in the gospel do to us?

1. Sons Of God (25-27)

First, we become sons of God after faith in Christ (25-26). Paul said:

25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, 26 for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. 27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. (Galatians 3:25-27)

This idea presents us as graduates from the guardian, full grown sons in God's sight (25-26). When first-century heirs reached the maturity of adulthood, they were given garments that communicated their new status. And Paul alluded to our new graduation attire when he said we have put on Christ (27). And if we've believed in Jesus, it's as if we've been fully immersed in him—or baptized into him—so we are fully identified with the actual Son of God (27). We have a new status before Father God. We are no longer under a guardian or i,mprisoned by the law. We are now his children.

Some object to the idea that the gospel makes us sons of God because it doesn't feel gender-inclusive. Why not God's children or even sons and daughters?

For this, we must remember the context. In the first century, to say that female believers became sons of God elevated them beyond anything their culture held out for them. Only sons could be heirs in that Roman world; daughters could not inherit property in most ancient cultures. So when Paul calls men and women who trust in Christ sons of God, he is suggesting that we receive the exact same inheritance, no matter our gender.

On top of this, when you consider that Paul is saying faith clothes us with Christ, meaning we have the same position as the Son of God before Father God, it makes sense that we would be considered sons of God before Father God.

Next time I want to get into the difficulty some people have with thinking of God as Father. What I will say here is that I believe the father wound so many of us are nursing—along with the preoccupation therapists have with our dads and the mileage storytellers have gotten out of father stories—is an indication of the truthfulness of God's design. He made us with a father longing. It is a longing—a love—only he can satisfy, and it can have incredible ramifications on our daily living and inner health. I think one way to describe making progress in Christian maturity is that it's a continual process of learning of God as your Father.

I also want to mention, from this passage, an exhortation to parents and anyone who works with the next generations. Though the law could regulate Israel, it could not transform their hearts. Though the law could guard us, it could not change us within. For change to come, we needed to be changed, made into God's people. And though rules and commands are needed to help a child become mature and civilized and obedient, that should not be mistaken for true inner transformation. Being polite is not the same as being born again.[^4] What we should all be praying for and working toward is for children to have an epiphany-like experience of Jesus, that their eyes would be opened to his grace (Eph. 1:17-18, 14-21). Once this occurs, once Jesus is famous to them, they can begin to grow at the heart level.

2. One In Christ (28)

The second thing we become after faith is one in Christ Jesus (28). Paul said:

28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. (Galatians 3:28)

According to Paul, the ways humanity normally wars against itself are made away with in Christ. It isn't that we lose our beautiful and God-given distinctions. In Christ, men are still men, women are still women, and cultures are retained and can be celebrated. And various classes find redemption and beauty because of Jesus. But before God and one another, we are all one in Christ Jesus (28).

Is there even one Jew or Greek, or anyone from any race or culture, who does not need the blood of Christ to become righteous? Is there even one person from the humblest or loftiest place in society who isn't in need of the gospel? Is there even one man or one woman who can be accepted by God according to their works? No, not one.

Paul knew that once anyone from anywhere at any time trusts Christ, they are transferred into God's family and totally clothed with Christ. And that radical unification with Christ makes us radically unified to one another.

This was important for the Galatians to hear because they were being told that, as Gentile believers, they were second-tier citizens in God's household. But the gospel makes us all one. Through him, the unity that so many crave is possible. In Christ, we can find unity across cultures, classes, and both genders.

In the same way that one human body is comprised of many parts, so we are unified to one another in Christ. We are one, on the same team, and in the same family. And none of us, in Christ, are in a forgotten or useless position before God. Every one of us has the same value before God.

Again, this idea was radical in the first century. For the Galatians to believe that people from a Greek culture were on the same level before God as the Jew, that women were on the same level as men, or that the poor in the church were on the same level as the wealthy, was revolutionary.

On this point, I should clarify that Paul is not arguing that our distinctions are erased because of Jesus. As I've already suggested, our racial and gender distinctions are of divine design, and our class distinctions can become beautiful when influenced by Jesus. But I have to say this because some have taken this verse are ripped it from its biblical context as a way to say that—specifically—gender is no longer something Christians should regard and that men and women are interchangeable.

If that is the Bible's message, it is horrible at communicating it. Elsewhere in Scripture, even in Paul's writings, maleness and femaleness are regarded as still relevant. Because they are, Paul had instructions regulating our sexual activity, the position of elder/pastor in churches, and the roles of men and women within the context of marriage (Rom. 1:26-27, 1 Cor. 6:9, Eph. 5:22-33, Col. 3:18-19, 1 Cor. 11:2-16, 1 Tim. 9-15).

Some of you might object that it is impossible to be both equal in Christ and have different roles. But in the same way that the Father, Son, and Spirit are equal within the Trinity yet have different and complementary functions, so we are equal before God yet have different and complementary functions, especially within the church and family structure.

Christ had a different role than the Father, but no less dignity than the Father, while men and women have different roles from one another in certain spheres, yet no less dignity. And though this is hard for many modern minds to accept, it should be beautiful in Christ to know that we are a great complement to one another, yet one in him. No one is less than in any way—the gospel does this to us—and this can set us free from sameness and help us embrace our distinctions.

I hope we understand this when it comes to the first category Paul mentioned—cultural or racial distinctions. We aren't to have a sort of colorblindness that cannot appreciate the different races, cultures, and heritages represented within the church today. We are to celebrate that God's kingdom is comprised of every tribe, nation, and tongue (Rev. 4:9-10). And neither should we obliterate both genders by pretending they don't exist. Instead, we should celebrate men and women for what God has made them to be.

As much as many modern believers have misunderstood Galatians 3:28, I should also say that the church has often failed to practice Galatians 3:28, even if they've understood it. Though we can rejoice that parts of the church stood up to the grievous sin of the transatlantic slave trade, has spoken and speaks up about inequality and racial prejudice, or fights for biblical forms of justice, there have been and are components of the church who look down on others. Whether it be one race looking down on another, one class looking down on another, or one gender looking down on another, it has no place in the body of Christ.

Finally, it is worth mentioning that Paul is talking to those in Christ about what the gospel produces. He was not talking to the Roman culture at large. But, as Christianity spread, changed hearts and perspectives would've slowly changed Roman culture. Christian parents who had thought only their oldest son was worthy of an inheritance might have begun thinking their daughters were worthy of one as well. Wealthy Christians who had gone along with Rome's version of slavery would have, through the gospel, seen how God saw every class of people. They would have slowly decided to set the captive free! And Jews and Gentiles, seeing the unity they had before Christ, would have begun to practice that unity in their churches.

All this would have begun to spread throughout everyday life in the Roman world as Christianity spread throughout the Roman world. This is part of the reason why many—including me—believe that what the world needs most in our divided times is the unifying message of the gospel. It might be slow, but it is our only real hope.[^5]

Some of you are squirming at this point for one reason or another, perhaps because you have not found the church to be a unified group but a divisive and divided one. And while church-caused pain is terrible, it is to be expected, because there is only one perfect member of the church—the cornerstone member, Jesus Christ (1 Pet. 2:4-8). The rest of us are flawed people who are in a process with God.

I recently saw an article about the discovery of a new emperor penguin colony in Antarctica.[^6] We know about sixty-one of these colonies at this point, but they are difficult to find because of the icy terrain they exist on. Apparently, however, the way they are discovered is by satellite imagery. Whenever the pristine white ice looks brown and muddy, scientists know they've found the penguins because even penguins go number two. It's a fantastic picture of the church. It can be a bit messy at times—we are people, after all—but despite all that, we need the colony! Be patient. Let's endure together.

3. Abraham's Offspring (29)

The third thing we become after faith in Christ is Abraham's offspring (29). Paul said:

29 And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise. (Galatians 3:28)

Previous passages in Galatians have said as much—this is a reiteration. Belief in the gospel of Jesus Christ puts you in the line of Abraham—you are wrapped up in God's promises and plans to this father of faith!

It is hard to overstate how shocking this would have been to the Galatians. After the false teachers had circulated there, the non-Jewish Galatian Christians felt like second-class citizens in God's kingdom. How could they be truly special in God's sight since they were outside the Jewish community with all its ceremonies, laws, and codes? But now Paul says that they—and we also—are part of Abraham's family! We are not at all outside God's program—or even a secondary part of it. We are in!

We belong to the same class as the saints of old. In God's long and historical process of bringing his salvation plans to fruition, we are as vitally in his plans as Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Biblical heroes like Moses, Joshua, and Samuel are not on one plane while we are on another. We are on the same level as David and Esther and Nehemiah and Isaiah. We are Abraham's offspring because we are Christ's (29).

This truth does not negate God's continued plans for the biological descendants of Abraham. God will one day revive his ancient people and fulfill the promises he made them thousands of years ago. But we are the spiritual seed of Abraham, considered part of God's program on earth in every way. We are no afterthought.

Conclusion

All the truths we've talked about today should fill us with meaning and significance. We are no longer imprisoned and guarded by the law. We are now sons of God because of the Son of God. We are now one in Christ because Christ broke down every wall of hostility between us (Eph. 2:14-16). We are now Abraham's offspring because we believed the promise just like he did (Gal. 3:11-14).

Notice the direction of all these changes. Our relationship with the heights of heaven has changed—we are sons of God. Our relationship with the breadth of humanity has changed—we are one in Christ with all others who've believed. And our relationship with the length of human history has changed—we are now part of God's long program of introducing his kingdom. This should infuse every one of us with a feeling of great significance, and I encourage you to meditate on each truth until that feeling arises. Up to heaven, around the globe, and deep into history, our lives have been changed by Jesus.

But how should we respond to all these truths? Here are a handful of suggestions:

First, if life under the law was one in captivity and under a guardian—if it couldn't produce true transformation—then we believers must turn to the right source for personal growth today. God has given us a new nature, and our flesh or old body of sin competes with that new nature, so we should feed the Spirit because he is the one who will transform us into all God has intended.

Second, if we are now sons of God, we should expect a lifetime of learning to experience God as our Father. We will jump into this more in our next study of Galatians, but this aspect of knowing God is of vital importance and is not gained overnight. Learning of God as our Good Father is clunky and awkward at times. We will often revert to a law code or angry dad way of relating to him. But we must keep pressing until we feel him for who he is: our loving and good Father in heaven.

Third, if we are one in Christ, we should resist the voices of division that seek to inflame us against other cultures, other classes, or the other gender. Instead, we should appreciate our differences and rejoice that, despite them, we are one in Jesus! Then, we should treat one another with the utmost respect.

And last, if we are Abraham's offspring, we should let it sink in that our lives are not accidents. We are part of God's long and beautiful redemptive plan, a massive family tree connected to Abraham, the father of faith. Many have come before us, and we are part of them. And many will come after us—hopefully from us—and we are part of them as well.

[^1]: Stott, John R. W. 2008. Galatians: Experiencing the Grace of Christ. Nottingham, England: Inter-Varsity Press.

[^2]: USA Today. 2023. “Hungry Lioness Tries to Eat Unsuspecting Baby through Glass Wall at Zoo in China,” January 11, 2023. https://www.usatoday.com/videos/news/have-you-seen/2023/01/11/lioness-chinese-zoo-tries-snack-baby-through-glass-barrier/11035184002/.

[^3]: Barker, Kenneth L., and John R. Kohlenberger III. 2019. The Expositor’s Bible Commentary the Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Old & New Testaments. USA: Zondervan Academic.

[^4]: Schreiner, Thomas R. 2010. Galatians. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

[^5]: Keller, Timothy. 2013. Galatians For You. New Malden, England: Good Book Company.

[^6]: Gramling, Carolyn. 2020. “Penguin Poop Spotted from Space Ups the Tally of Emperor Penguin Colonies.” Science News Magazine. August 4, 2020. https://www.sciencenews.org/article/emperor-penguin-poop-satellite-images-space-new-colonies.

Galatians 4:8-20

1:1-9 | 1:10-24 | 2:1-10 | 2:11-16 | 2:17-21 | 3:1-5 | 3:6-9 | 3:10-14 | 3:15-22 | 3:23-29 | 4:1-7 | 4:8-20 | 4:21-31 | 5:1-6 | 5:7-15 | 5:16-18 | 5:19-21 | 5:22-26 | 6:1-5 | 6:6-10 | 6:11-18

We are still in the middle of Paul's theological case to the Galatian church. After he had gone to them with the full, true, and simple gospel, they had begun to drift from it. False teachers had arrived in their midst, telling them they needed to attach the practices of Judaism to their new faith in Christ. Soon, these brand-new Gentile Christians were acting out Old Testament practices in an attempt to become fully accepted in God's sight.

All this was abhorrent to Paul—he referred to it as a gospel contrary to the one they had received, a distorted gospel, a different gospel, one worthy of a curse on all who proclaim it (Galatians 1:6-9). Since the argument of the false teachers was that Paul did not know the true gospel, the first portion of the letter had to do with how widely Paul and his gospel were accepted in the early church—Paul's personal case for the gospel (Galatians 1-2). And since the argument of the false teachers was that Paul's gospel would produce a wild and sinful people who thought grace allowed them to follow their sinful impulses, the last portion of Paul's letter will cover the radical changes the gospel is meant to produce in us (Galatians 5-6). But the middle section of the letter is Paul's theological argument. The false teachers thought they had Scripture on their side, but they had wrongly divided the word, so Paul broke down the Old Testament in a demonstration that the simple gospel of grace and faith in Christ, not works and law, has always been God's plan.

But Paul is not a dry theologian. Today, amid his scriptural teaching, Paul made a loving appeal. This section is one of the most intimate in Galatians. He referred to the false teachers, but only twice. But he used personal words like I, me, and you forty-five times. With a bleeding heart, Paul begged the Galatians to stay firm in the gospel of grace. And, as he expressed his heart to them, it was the Spirit expressing his heart for all of us. This passage, in other words, shows us God's desire for us to stay firm in the gospel of grace. And, as I hope to show, he longs for us to stay simple in our relationship with him, free in Christ, and focused on Christ being formed in us.

1. Stay Simple: God Is Our Father (8-11)

8 Formerly, when you did not know God, you were enslaved to those that by nature are not gods. 9 But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more? 10 You observe days and months and seasons and years! 11 I am afraid I may have labored over you in vain. (Galatians 4:8-11)

Dead Legalism Is Slavery To False Gods

This paragraph shows us that God wants us to stay simple in our relationship with him. What I mean is that he doesn't want us to make our relationship with him a complex affair, but to relate to Him as our Father. He has just taught them that God was their good Father through the power of the gospel (Gal. 4:1-7). So Paul is saying here, "God is your Father. You are now in a relationship with him. Don't add the legal code of the Old Testament. You don't need to. Stay simple."

Notice how Paul viewed their current actions. Before Jesus had saved them, before they knew God, they were enslaved to those that by nature are not gods—false gods like Zeus and Hermes (8). But now the Galatians were going back to those days of slavery! As they did, Paul thought of them as turning back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world (9). He thought of them as becoming slaves of those principles once again (9).

But here's where Paul's words become shocking. He called these Galatians out for observing features of Judaism that were rooted in the Old Testament law. They kept the special days of the weekly Sabbath. They observed the monthly new moon celebration and seasonal festivals like Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles. They were even inclined to keep the sabbatical and jubilee years (10). When Paul witnessed all this, he concluded that they were going back to their old life—slavery to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world.

Zeus. Hermes. Dead religions. False gods. These Galatians were in danger of being enslaved to all that again! It made Paul fearful that they had not understood the message of grace he had proclaimed to them (11).

The Galatians were trading sonship for slavery. And the version of legalism the Galatians were submitting to is a pervasive and significant problem for people who are sensitive to God. We love God. We want to honor him with our lives. And the slip into a works-based relationship with him, what Paul called slavery to the elementary principles of this world, is all too easy. As Tim Keller wrote about this passage:

"The idolatry and slavery of religion is more dangerous than the idolatry and slavery of irreligion, because it is less obvious. The irreligious person knows he is far away from God, but the religious person does not."[^1]

Keller went on to utilize—as he often does—the example of the two brothers in the story of the prodigal in Luke 15. It was the immoral prodigal who enjoyed his father at the end of the story, but the moral son distanced himself from his father. Because he wanted his good works to give him a high standing before his dad, he was demoralized and angry when they didn't. He preferred servitude over sonship, works over grace, and law over the gospel. The point is clear: God wants us to remember we are sons.

Remember Who You Are

The key to all this is to always remember who you are. Paul told the Galatians, "But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God..." (9). This is what they had forgotten. Had they kept it simple and remained forever conscious that they knew God and, more importantly, God knew them, they would have been protected from legalism.

If you've trusted Christ, stay current in the simple truth that God is your Father. No earning. No works. Don't let your Christian life devolve into anything less than a relationship with your Father in heaven. Christ shed his blood to win you that position. Cherish it! Don't allow external forms of Christianity to take the place of joyful communion with the living God.

"We are in an age of religious complexity. The simplicity which is in Christ is rarely found among us. In its place are programs, methods, organizations, and a world of nervous activities which occupy time and attention but can never satisfy the longing of the heart. The shallowness of our inner experience, the hollowness of our worship, and that servile imitation of the world which marks our promotional methods all testify that we, in this day, know God only imperfectly, and the peace of God scarcely at all." —A.W. Tozer, 1948[^2]

Ruth is a good example of a biblical character who stayed simple in the knowledge of God as her Father. She was not an Israelite but had come to faith through the witness of her Jewish husband's family. When her husband and her father-in-law both died, she and her mother-in-law Naomi found themselves in a vulnerable position. But, all throughout her story, she did not waiver in simple trust in God. To her, he was Father, provider, protector, guide, and friend. She knew who he was, and she knew who she was in his sight, so she kept it simple and walked by faith. May we do the same.

Stay Free: In Christian Liberty (12-16)

12 Brothers, I entreat you, become as I am, for I also have become as you are. You did me no wrong. 13 You know it was because of a bodily ailment that I preached the gospel to you at first, 14 and though my condition was a trial to you, you did not scorn or despise me, but received me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus. 15 What then has become of your blessedness? For I testify to you that, if possible, you would have gouged out your eyes and given them to me. 16 Have I then become your enemy by telling you the truth? (Galatians 4:12-16)

This second paragraph shows us that God wants us to stay free, firmly entrenched in the Christian liberty Christ won for us. It is an exhortation to be as Paul was, steeped in Christian liberty and freedom.

Freedom is a tough word these days, partly because while Paul talked about it in relationship to God, many want to talk about it in relationship to institutions, political entities, or even biological design—Freedom! Nothing can restrict us!

But this isn't the freedom Paul alludes to here. To him, we should remain free from a works-based relationship with God. We should stay free from legalism.

It might be lost on us that this is the first time Paul gives the Galatians (and us) something to do in response to the truth of his letter. It's the first exhortation.

And what is it we must do? We must become as Paul was (12). "Become is the first imperative of the letter."[^3] In context, Paul has agonized over the Galatian insistence on entering a works-based relationship with God. Paul rejected that and asked them to become like he was—free in Christ before God! He was, after all, a Jewish man who lived like a Gentile when he visited the Galatians (12). He was clearly free from the law—and so should they.

1. Grace-Oriented

I would like to explain and approach this paragraph as a textbook on how to stay free in Christian liberty, free in Christ. The first step to freedom is to remain grace-oriented, just like Paul. He was convinced that a law-free approach to the Christian life was the right approach. He did not feel he could earn anything in God's sight. His view of God, human brokenness, and his own sin were too high to believe anything he did could merit God's favor. He clung to the cross and applied Christ's freedom to the way he lived.

The Galatians knew this about Paul. They watched this ex-Pharisee befriend non-Jewish people, eat non-Jewish food, and partake in non-Jewish cultures. This was a vulnerable thing for Paul to do. Even modern church leaders are sometimes afraid to talk about their hobbies or interests because a mere mention of them can drive the legalists to their door. But Paul was grace-oriented, and he exemplified that grace by not yielding for even a second to the legalistic branch of the Galatian church.

2. Culturally Flexible

To stay free in Christ, we must be, second, culturally flexible. This point draws from the first. Paul said, "I also have become as you are" (12). Again, he had become like these Gentiles even though he was a Jew. Paul was culturally flexible, willing to become like the Galatians in order to reach the Galatians.

A couple of weeks ago, one of our children's ministry classes prayed for a family that was moving to Africa. Pastor Matt asked if any other kids would like to pray for them, and many kids raised their hands to participate. As they prayed, one child began praying that the traffic on the way to Africa would not be bad. Soon, other kids were echoing that prayer. I think they've all seen what bad traffic does to their parents, so that became prayer #1.

In the minds of these children, all journeys are the same. If you've traveled to grandma's, you know what it's like to travel to Africa. But, obviously, the two journeys could not be more different—unless your grandma lives in Africa, of course!

I like this because it illustrates the way we often think about Christianity. We think it must look the same way everywhere, at all times, and for all people. But anytime we tie the gospel to the specifics of any culture or custom, we have removed it from other cultures and customs, which is something Jesus (and Paul) would not do. The gospel has a cultural flexibility to it, rebuking and affirming various aspects of every society on earth. It can work anywhere, and Christians who want to stay free will learn to adapt to their culture in godly and appropriate ways.

3. Focused On The Inner Person

Third, to stay free in Christ, we must be focused on the inner person. When Paul arrived in Galatia for the first time, he had some type of bodily ailment (13). No one knows with certainty what it was. Some guess that it was a disfiguring eye condition because he said they were willing to gouge out their eyes and give them to him (15). Some think he had contracted malaria in mosquito-infested Pamphylia and was driven to the mountain plateaus of Galatia.[^4] Others think he was weak from beatings he'd received in previous cities.

Whatever his malady—and I don't know what it was—the important thing is that the Galatians received him while in that condition. They might've been tempted to scorn or despise him but instead received him as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus (13-14).

What this means is that the Galatians were not superficial about their minister. They weren't looking for the handsome, healthy, and smooth. They weren't into appearance, but the truth, when he first arrived. He was a messenger of Christ, preaching Christ's truth, so even though his condition was a trial to them, they received him like they would've received Jesus!

We get into trouble when we become attracted to style over substance. Outward appearance lends itself to legalism because legalism is all about appearances. But the gospel is about the inner matters of the heart, changing someone from within. If we value that, we can stay free.

4. Receptive To Truth

Fourth, we can stay free in Christ by being receptive to the truth. Paul was shocked at how quickly they had changed their minds about him. They'd gone from a sacrificial love towards him that made them willing to hurt themselves for his sake to declaring Paul their enemy in no time at all (16). And how had he become their enemy? By telling them the truth (16).

Paul was confused by this new reality. He had told them the truth, the legalists had lied to them, and the Galatians were upset at him! How quickly these believers had soured on the truth of the gospel. They wanted something else, something more, something additional, and they were willing to drive Paul out in order to get it. They didn't like Paul anymore because he didn't affirm their theological whims.

Once we are no longer receptive to the truth, we are prime candidates to slip into legalism because our law-prone hearts need constant course correction lest we slip from Christ. But once we are no longer receptive to course correction, we are doomed.

Stay Focused: Christ Formed In Us (17-20)

17 They make much of you, but for no good purpose. They want to shut you out, that you may make much of them. 18 It is always good to be made much of for a good purpose, and not only when I am present with you, 19 my little children, for whom I am again in the anguish of childbirth until Christ is formed in you! 20 I wish I could be present with you now and change my tone, for I am perplexed about you. (Galatians 4:17–20)

The False Teachers' Aim

So God wants us to stay free and also simple. This third paragraph tells us that God wants us to stay focused on the ultimate goal of having Christ formed within us. We aren't to try to fake Christlikeness but to learn of Christ and submit to the Spirit so much that Christ's life is formed in us.

To make this point, Paul was clear about the false teachers' aim for the Galatians. They made a big deal about the Galatians so that the Galatians would be cut off from everyone else. Why? Because the false teachers knew that once a wall of division went up, the Galatians would make much of the false teachers. Many false teachers do this today. They make much of their listeners so they can shut them off from other voices, so their platform becomes the celebrated one.

I have always been instinctively cautious about messengers who seek to alienate me from other Christians. Don't listen to that preacher. Don't read that author. Don't attend that meeting. Don't go outside your tribe; they aren't balanced enough.

But I have resisted that message, and I'm glad I have, because so many other scholars and pastors from other orthodox streams within Christianity have radically blessed my life. I'm not talking about embracing cults or ecumenicalism, but other true Christians.

I want you to remember this when you are listening to Christian pastors, teachers, and podcasters. If they are trying to separate you from other orthodox and godly strains of Christianity, be wary.

Christ Formed In You

Paul, however, did not want to separate the Galatians unto himself. He wanted to, like a parent, make much of the Galatians for a good purpose (18). With mother-like labor, Paul worked to see Christ formed in them (19).

This phrase is the essence of the Christian life—Christ formed in you.[^5] It is a phrase that depicts God working to develop us as his children into the image of his only begotten Son. Slowly, steadily, and faithfully, he transforms us to become more like Jesus. It isn't fake. We aren't acting. It's not a legalistic front. It's true transformation from the inside out.

We must keep this as our main focus. When we do, we throw ourselves into the study of Christ, we yield to the Spirit, and we spend time with the Father. Like a cucumber slowly turning into a pickle as it soaks in brine, Christ is formed in us as we soak in our relationship with him. But we must keep this goal as our main focus. The second we drift, we will settle for legalism as a cheap replacement.

But it's our nature to lose focus. I recently heard the story about the company Stitch Fix. They had to lay off 20% of their workforce and close a brand new massive warehouse in Utah because they lost focus. When they began, women signed up for their wardrobe design services in droves. Then they expanded to men and kids, only to discover that many men don't care much about their fashion and kids grow too fast to make it worthwhile. But their lack of focus cost them.[^6]

When Nehemiah arrived in Jerusalem 2,500 years ago, he knew he had a job to do. He wanted God's people to live in devotion to God. It would take many steps to get there. First, he had to have funding and a plan for rebuilding Jerusalem, the city that housed God's temple at that time. Second, he had to gather the people around the mission of rebuilding. Third, he had to resist the enemies around them that sought to attack and distract them. Fourth, he had to keep people motivated for hard work. Fifth, he had to call for the scribes to teach the people the word. Sixth, he had to deal with sins and issues that threatened their unity and fruitfulness. But Nehemiah endured each step because he kept his focus on the goal: a revived people, a people who loved God with all their heart, mind, soul, and strength.

Keep your focus: let God produce the life of Christ in you. That's all Paul wanted. And it's what God wants for us. Keep it simple. Stay free in Christ. And remain focused on God's mission to form Christ in you.

[^1]: Keller, Timothy 2013. Galatians For You. New Malden, England: Good Book Company.

[^2]: Tozer, A. W. 1969. Pursuit of God. Glasgow, Scotland: HarperCollins Distribution Services.

[^3]: Rydelnik, Michael, and Michael Vanlaningham, eds. 2014. The Moody Bible Commentary. Chicago, IL: Moody Press.

[^4]: Stott, John R. W. 2008. Galatians: Experiencing the Grace of Christ. Nottingham, England: Inter-Varsity Press.

[^5]: Harmon, Matthew S. 2021. Galatians: Evangelical Biblical Theology Commentary. Lexham Academic.

[^6]: Forman, Laura. n.d. “The Decline of Stitch Fix.” The Decline of Stitch Fix | 1min Snip from The Journal. Accessed February 16, 2023. https://share.snipd.com/snip/49c4e97a-4961-4f07-9a9a-93985898620a.

Galatians 4:21-31

1:1-9 | 1:10-24 | 2:1-10 | 2:11-16 | 2:17-21 | 3:1-5 | 3:6-9 | 3:10-14 | 3:15-22 | 3:23-29 | 4:1-7 | 4:8-20 | 4:21-31 | 5:1-6 | 5:7-15 | 5:16-18 | 5:19-21 | 5:22-26 | 6:1-5 | 6:6-10 | 6:11-18

21 Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not listen to the law? 22 For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by a slave woman and one by a free woman. 23 But the son of the slave was born according to the flesh, while the son of the free woman was born through promise. 24 Now this may be interpreted allegorically: these women are two covenants. One is from Mount Sinai, bearing children for slavery; she is Hagar. 25 Now Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia; she corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. 26 But the Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother. (Galatians 4:21–26)

A Genesis Story Paul Uses As An Illustration (21-26)

At this point in Galatians, Paul decided to cap his scriptural defense of the gospel of grace with a story from Scripture.[^1] Paul was shocked that some in the Galatian church, after receiving Christ's gospel, contemplated living under the law (21). Clearly, they were not listening to the demanding nature of the law (21). And Paul could not understand why they wanted to rely on the it for their standing with God.

So Paul went all the way back to Genesis and retold the story of Hagar, Sarah, and the birth of each of their sons. Paul had already utilized Abraham's life in Galatians as foundational to the Christian faith, so it made sense he would draw from father Abraham's story one more time.

Paul used a well-known portion of Abraham's life so he could illustrate the truth that there are two ways to relate to Abraham. He had, after all, two main sons, Ishmael and Isaac (22). The portion Paul chose is one of the more disturbing parts of Abraham's biography, but Paul used the story as a way to show there are two ways to become a son of Abraham. The story itself shows God's grace comes by promise and faith, not personal righteousness and works, because it is not a passage that glorifies Abraham's life, decisions, or morality in any way. There are elements of it that are painful to read—still, God chose Abraham.

In the story, years after Abraham had believed God's promise that through him one would come who would bless the whole world, Abraham and Sarah remained childless. So Sarah concocted a plan that, to their credit, was culturally acceptable in their day—though it is abhorrent in ours, and God certainly did not condone it. Sarah told Abraham to impregnate a household servant named Hagar, which he did, and she had a son named Ishmael. But years later, God announced that Ishmael was not the line he would work through but that Sarah would have a son of her own. Even though Abraham and Sarah were very old—according to Romans, their bodies were as good as dead!—God fulfilled his promise, and miracle baby Isaac was born (Rom. 4:19).

Then, in a masterstroke, Paul played off the differences between these two sons of Abraham when he said he would interpret their story allegorically (24). Paul isn't introducing a new style of biblical interpretation—wild allegory!—but is admitting that he is going to use the Genesis story as a potent illustration of the struggle between law and grace.[^2] This is important to remember, especially since Hagar and Ishmael are used negatively as a way to describe legalists. In the Genesis account, Hagar and Ishmael are spoken of tenderly and with great honor—God saw them, valued them, and ultimately blessed them. But Paul's usage of their story here is a symbolic illustration of the ongoing battle between grace and works.[^3]

This argument was important because, by the first century, many in Judaism thought they were right with God by a mere ancestral claim to Abraham and through law-keeping. And this thought was creeping into the predominantly non-Jewish Galatian church: Maybe we need to become Jewish and adopt Jewish customs to lay claim to being children of Abraham and, therefore, children of God. And this thought can make it way into our minds as well: Maybe my morality or views or personal righteousness are what approve me before God.

Paul wasn't the first New Testament figure to deal with this problem. John the Baptist had warned the crowds by saying, "Do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’ for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham" (Matt. 3:9). And Jesus, in a long interchange with the religious leaders, said that while they were biological offspring of Abraham, they were not acting like Abraham, but more like their "father the devil" because they would not acknowledge the truth about Jesus (John 8:39-47).

John, Jesus, and Paul were in agreement that a claim to Abraham does not come through mere biology, nor does it come through keeping a legal code delivered to Abraham's descendants over four centuries after his death. It comes by faith in God's gracious promise. Not works, but faith. Not law, but grace. Not effort, but promise.

As an illustration, Paul was careful to detail the differences between the births of these boys.

• 1. One's mother was a slave, while the other's was free (22).
• 2. One was born because of human planning (the flesh), while the other was born because of God's promise (23).
• 3. In his illustration, Hagar represented the covenant instituted on Mount Sinai, where the law was delivered, while Sarah was represented by Mount Calvary, where grace flowed down (25).
• 4. Hagar represented present day Jerusalem, a place Paul was very familiar with, a place filled with people who, by that time, were trying to earn their standing before God (25). Sarah, however, represented the Jerusalem above, which is spoken of in Scripture as the "city of the living God," the eternal and future home of all God's children (25, see Heb. 12:22, Rev. 21:2). By calling it "the Jerusalem above" and not "the future Jerusalem," Paul hints that though this city will be revealed in the future, it can be accessed right now by simple faith in Jesus.

The passage is not meant to leave you perplexed. Though the biblical world Paul referred to with Abraham's story confuses some, Paul's intention was to add light to the radical truth of the gospel with his illustration. To Paul—and the Spirit—this is a capstone consideration. By faith in Jesus, we become children of promise, born into freedom, and part of God's forever kingdom.

Every part of this illustration is meant to contrast law and grace, works and faith, legalists and true Spirit-filled Christians. If you are in Christ, (1) you belong to Sarah because you were born into freedom, (2) you are part of Calvary's New Covenant, (3) and you are a citizen of the heavenly Jerusalem that is and is coming.

But how does Paul apply his illustration? Let's spend the rest of our time together briefly considering four applications of the truth Paul laid out by contrasting Hagar and Sarah.

Applying Paul's Illustration (27-31)

1. Rejoice In Spiritual Barrenness (27).

27 For it is written, “Rejoice, O barren one who does not bear; break forth and cry aloud, you who are not in labor! For the children of the desolate one will be more than those of the one who has a husband.” (Galatians 4:27)

This is a quotation from Isaiah 54:1. In its original context, it was not about Hagar and Sarah but was spoken to Israel about their future. After a long period of disobedience, God was going to push them into exile, but their future was still bright. One day, from the barrenness of exile, they would explode in population. This was fulfilled—at least partly—in the Christian church, which flowed from the Jewish Messiah. Even though Israel was barren, empty, and helpless, God would do amazing things in them—the vast multitudes of the church would be born from the barrenness of first century Judaism.

What Paul is saying here is that we can rejoice in the barrenness of our depravity before God because it is not the end of the story. God prospers the spiritually poor who come to him in simple faith. As Jesus said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" (Matt. 5:3).

The legalists thought they had good works, morals, and rule-keeping that could help them stand approved by God. But the gospel enables us to rejoice that we come to God as spiritual paupers without anything in our hands to please God. Despite this, God becomes completely and totally satisfied and overjoyed with us by the blood of his Son. Though we came to him "dead in trespasses and sins," he makes us alive by his grace (Eph. 2:1). Though we were spiritually barren, God still loves and chooses us.

I hope you can bring this home and into your heart. When we slip into legalism, we are decimated by our failures because we are trusting them to approve us before God. Eventually, we simply give up and tap out. But when steeped in grace, we are shocked to find that we are loved and accepted by God without any work of our own. Though barren, he loves us, and now fruit can come from our lives.

If we were approved by God due to works, only the fertile, able, productive, and strong would be accepted. But we came to God like Sarah came into pregnancy—weak, without anything real to contribute, unproductive, as if we were dead—but God is able. And he looks for the barren, so we rejoice in our barrenness! He looks for the spiritually poor, blind, and destitute (Rev. 2:17). In the same way that the Old Testament's Sarah and Rebekah and Rachel and Hannah and Elizabeth all had children, even though they were unable, we were unable to produce righteousness on our own, but God has accepted us and made us fruitful. We can now take radical steps of obedience because we have been born into freedom, not slavery.

Think of Moses' life. He began humbly, but was quickly brought into the glory of Pharaoh's household. And as he aged and matured there, once he realized his Hebrew lineage, he began assuming God would use him to deliver his people. He thought his power and authority and position was the needed ingredient. Not to God. God allowed him forty more years of desert living as a fugitive. That's when God appeared to him at the burning bush, inviting him to be his instrument to set the people free. At that point, Moses felt weak and powerless. He could not believe God would use him. And that's what God needed—a spiritually barren man (Ex. 2-3).

This humility, this recognition of our low spiritual state, is what God can use. He looks for the spiritually barren, not the proud.

2. Expect A Struggle With Legalism (28-29).

28 Now you, brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise. 29 But just as at that time he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, so also it is now. (Galatians 4:28–29)

Here, Paul geared the Galatian believer up for the inevitable battles they and all future gospel believers would have to endure. His way of preparing them was by reminding them of the episode when teenager Ishmael mocked and scoffed at toddler Isaac (see Gen. 21:9-10). In the same way that Ishmael persecuted Isaac, legalists will always persecute people who are clinging to God's grace alone by faith alone (29). In one sense, you could say that Paul's usage of the Genesis story is a perfect depiction of church history. Much of the strongest persecution the church has endured has come by the hands of legalists, those who feel something must be added to the gospel of grace. Grace alone by faith alone is insufficient to these persecutors.

And we must expect this struggle between law and grace. Ishmaels always persecute Isaacs. People who want to be approved by God because they think and do the right things will always chafe at those who are accepted by God through grace. Just as Cain was angered that God did not accept his sacrifice but did accept Abel's, legalistic people in the visible church will despise the freedom of those steeped in grace. Legalists hate grace. There will always be a legalistic contingent of the visible church that wars against the radical possibilities of grace. Ishmaels don't know what to do with Isaacs, just as Cains don't know what to do with Abels, whose sacrifice was accepted because he gave it by faith (Heb. 11:4).

Even within the recesses of our own hearts, doubts and arguments and old habits will surface, telling us that it is our performance that gains us God's affection. It is hard for us to feel completely free. We constantly battle a drift back into law—not as a practice, but as a way to be approved by God. Believers who love God obey God, so we will want to keep aspects of even the Old Testament law. But we struggle by often believing it is those works that approve us before God.

We are often like an older teenager or college student who is on the cusp of adulthood. They are beginning to feel their independence but are still under the authority of their parents. They can stay out late at night, but also know their parents will be checking their GPA. In a similar way, we feel free and loved and accepted by God through Jesus, but we then revert back to the parental authority the law had over us. But this has been Paul's point: when you receive Jesus, you receive full adult sonship before God. You have graduated with honors from the law's authority and are now free to respond and live before God! But you should expect a perpetual struggle with legalists, even the legalist within.

3. Purge Anti-Gospels (30).

30 But what does the Scripture say? “Cast out the slave woman and her son, for the son of the slave woman shall not inherit with the son of the free woman.” (Galatians 4:30)

In the Genesis passage, a point of contention arose when Sarah witnessed Hagar's son mocking toddler Isaac. She appealed to Abraham, and God told him to send Hagar and Ishmael out on their own. God would bless and care for them, but that isn't the point Paul is making here. He is using the story as an illustration of what the Galatian believers needed to do to the legalists in their midst—drive them away! Cut them off! Cast them out![^4]

Since law-keeping as a way to gain God's approval is in direct contradiction with Jesus' cross, believers must drive out that mentality. We "must recognize the incompatibility of man-made and God-made religion and respond by casting out the legalizers."[^5]

Paul's usage of the Genesis story here is nothing short of incendiary. Many Judaizers (legalists, Jewish nonbelievers) had likely used the story as an illustration of God's rejection of Gentiles, but Paul uses it in the opposite way. Those who are relying on Judaism—whether through biology or obedience—to save them must be driven out like Hagar!

Believers must drive out all the anti-gospels that creep into our minds and churches. When we think our own righteousness approves us before God, we must cast out the thought. When we think our own power can deliver us, we must cast out the thought. When we think our own wisdom can guide us, we must cast out the thought. When we think our own ingenuity can prosper us, we must cast out the thought.

And conversely, when we think our own shortcomings have disqualified us, we must cast out the thought. When we think God's strength is unavailable to us, we must cast out the thought. When we think God is looking for perfect people, we must cast out the thought. We must drive out these anti-gospels.

The life of Job is a good example of the need to cast out anti-gospels. Job suffered, and his friends all told him he must have sinned to bring such pain into his life. But everyone suffers, and God was doing something beautiful in Job and for all of us behind the scenes. But the perpetual voices aimed at Job told him that if he had simply performed better, he wouldn't be in such despair. It was an anti-gospel, and it had to be cast out. And you often find this anti-gospel alive and well when Christians suffer—What did I do wrong? What must I do to get out of this? Why am I being punished?

The tower of Babel is another example of an anti-gospel gone wild. As people gathered there, they believed they could build a structure reaching the heavens. They believed they could create a glorious society without God, making a name for themselves (Gen. 11:4). Through their own works, without God's grace, power, or strength, they thought they would thrive. Instead of humbly asking God for help and grace, they believed in the anti-gospel of works.

But as we preach the good news of the gospel of grace to ourselves every day, we become built up against anti-gospels when they well up within us. We grow to detect them more easily, and soon they begin to stand out in strange opposition to the true gospel.

Recently, I was working out in my garage when my daughters came home from winter camp. I didn't realize a friend was with them, and I also didn't think twice about what I was wearing. Workout shorts over a nice pair of tights, a snug little t-shirt, and a dew rag-styled sweatband. She is part of our church, and she couldn't stop laughing. To her, something was off with Pastor Nate. I pray we can come to the same place when anti-gospels appear. I pray we would grow to detect them, laugh at them, and then, as Paul said, quickly cast them out.

4. Know Who You Are (31).

31 So, brothers, we are not children of the slave but of the free woman. (Galatians 4:31)

Paul meant that Jesus' people are, in his illustration, descendants of Sarah, children of promise, connected to the New Covenant of Mount Calvary, and of the Spirit. This is who we are, and we cannot forget it because our remembrance of it is quite literally a life-or-death issue. When we recall that we are illustrations of God's majestic grace, we live well as gospel lights to the world around us. We embrace our position as a chosen race, royal priesthood, holy nation, a people for God's own possession—we proclaim the excellencies of him who called us (1 Pet. 2:9).

"As believers, a key component of the significance of our lives is that we are living, breathing symbols of the transforming grace of God that has freed us from our slavery to sin, death, the devil, and all the powers of this present evil age." —Matthew Harmon[^6]

But when we forget who we are, we begin to project to our world that we are self-made before God through our own personal morality or goodness. Our lives become pulpits proclaiming legalist mantras just like all the other religions of the world. But grace is different. And we are children of the free woman. We are children of grace, and we must not forget it.

Recently, I was out on a walk when I saw a hat lying on the side of the road. I suspected I had dropped mine the day before, and there it was. But when I inspected it, I realized it wasn't mine after all, so I kept on walking. As I did, I scratched my head and realized I was wearing the very hat I thought I had lost. It was right there, on my head. This is how it so often is regarding our identity in Christ. We slip into an attempt to prove ourselves to God, but the gospel reminds us we are already approved. We are already clothed with the righteousness of Jesus!

Conclusion

By God's grace, we have been brought from barrenness to fruitfulness, slavery to freedom, and law to grace. We now have an eternal and heavenly citizenship. One day, our city will arrive.

And it has all happened through the work of Christ. Just as Abraham's plotting and planning could not fulfill God's purposes, our efforts and attempts cannot gain our good standing before God. We needed his plan and power. And just as Sarah received a miracle child in Isaac, so we are born to God through the miracle of Christ's resurrection and the new birth of the Spirit. So when the anti-gospels roll in, let us stand firm against them!

[^1]: Barker, Kenneth L., and John R. Kohlenberger III. 2019. The Expositor’s Bible Commentary the Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Old & New Testaments. USA: Zondervan Academic. [^2]: Rydelnik, Michael, and Michael Vanlaningham, eds. 2014. The Moody Bible Commentary. Chicago, IL: Moody Press. [^3]: Keller, Timothy. 2013. Galatians For You. New Malden, England: Good Book Company. [^4]: Walvoord. 2003. The Bible Knowledge Commentary: New Testament. Colorado Springs, CO: David C Cook Publishing Company. [^5]: Barker, Kenneth L., and John R. Kohlenberger III. 2019. The Expositor’s Bible Commentary the Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Old & New Testaments. USA: Zondervan Academic. [^6]: Harmon, Matthew S. 2021. Galatians: Evangelical Biblical Theology Commentary. Lexham Academic.

Galatians 5:1-6

1:1-9 | 1:10-24 | 2:1-10 | 2:11-16 | 2:17-21 | 3:1-5 | 3:6-9 | 3:10-14 | 3:15-22 | 3:23-29 | 4:1-7 | 4:8-20 | 4:21-31 | 5:1-6 | 5:7-15 | 5:16-18 | 5:19-21 | 5:22-26 | 6:1-5 | 6:6-10 | 6:11-18

1 For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. 2 Look: I, Paul, say to you that if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you. 3 I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law. 4 You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace. 5 For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness. 6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love. (Galatians 5:1–6, ESV)

---

This is a critical and fresh passage because it answers some lingering questions about what the gospel of grace will inevitably produce. If I gain a good standing before God based entirely on trust in the work of Christ, then doesn't that mean I can go on living however I'd like to live? If God adopts me through Christ's merit and not my own, doesn't that give me the license to live as I want? Doesn't the Bible say something about holy and righteous living after trusting Christ? Isn't God a holy God who wants holy people? So isn't the freedom found in the gospel of grace radically impractical and permissive?

Paul wrote the last third of his letter to the Galatians to answer these objections. At this point, he has dealt fully with their personal attacks against and theological objections to the gospel of grace he preached (Gal. 1-4). But now Paul begins his ethical defense of the gospel of grace, showing us what kind of person it produces. In this first paragraph, we will learn that the gospel produces incredible freedom—and we are expected to protect and enjoy that freedom. How?

1. Stand On Christ (1)

Christ, Our Liberator

The first step to enjoying gospel freedom is to stand on Christ. In the first verse of this new section, Paul said, "For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery" (1). Here, Paul tells us in a dense little sentence about the freedom Christ won for us.

How did Christ set us free (1)? The answer is on the cross. Galatians has told us as much (Gal 2:17-21, 3:13). But from what did Christ set us free? The surrounding passages before and after this verse demand a specific answer. Christ set us free from the law by fulfilling the righteous requirement of the law that we had no hope of keeping on our own.

So Christ set us free from the law, but why did he set us free? What was his goal or purpose in freeing us? Paul said it was for freedom that Christ did his work of amazing grace (1). His goal was for us to not only be set free but to continue on in freedom. As one translation put it, "Christ set us free to be free" (NEB).

This freedom is important to understand correctly because our modern world, including many Christians, thinks of freedom as the ability to do whatever they please. But simple observation and experience demonstrate this is not freedom at all. The nature of the human condition is to become enslaved when we do whatever we please. The Bible presents an alternate and truer version of freedom.

"Human beings are truly free when they are no longer under the dominion of natural desires. Those who are constrained by natural desires are not free but slaves, whereas those who live in love are liberated to serve others, so that slavery to the will of God is perfect freedom." —Thomas Schreiner[^1]

It's not hard to imagine someone exercising freedom by indulging in an appetite of some kind, only to find themselves enslaved to the thing they freely chose. Our world is full of support groups for people addicted to drugs, alcohol, nicotine, pornography, gambling, junk food, unhealthy body image, and a cacophony of self-damaging practices. These constraining habits begin as freedoms but easily turn into addictions because freedom from constraint of any kind is not true freedom.

What Paul refers to is freedom from the law, which sets us free for God. By the gospel, we are no longer enslaved to a performance-based standing before God, so now we are free to live in the way God made us to live. We are free to enjoy and respond and experience him.

If you go back to Genesis 3, you'll discover Adam and Eve in communion and fellowship and freedom before God. But through sin, they lost their freedom, and life changed dramatically for the worse. Their experience could be compared to taking a fish out of water—they were no longer in the environment for which they were made. But, through the gospel, we are set free from that environment that distanced us from God and brought back into closeness with him. We are free from the tyranny of the law and the constant struggle to keep it as a way to win God's favor. We are now living in the way God designed us to live—free to enjoy him.

Stand In His Freedom

And Paul tells us here that it is Christ's intention that we enjoy that freedom—that we stay free! Christ set us free so that we could be free, and Paul even warns that we must stand firm in that freedom and refuse to submit again to a yoke of slavery (1).

Paul's warning that we stand firm and not submit to slavery again is surprising. His statement that Christ set us free for freedom is so resounding, so strong, and so clear that we might think there is no danger of losing it. But Paul knew that, despite the divine source of freedom, humans are prone to legalism and can slip from the beautiful position Christ won for us. Soon, the same feelings of guilt, shame, and misery creep right back in. Like a prisoner who chooses to remain imprisoned because it is what he knows, we often drift back into a works-based relationship with God because it is what we know, so Paul tells us to maintain the freedom Christ won for us. Just as Joshua led Israel into victory but then told them to be sure not to become enslaved to the nations around them, so we have been led into freedom by Jesus, and now he wants us to resist becoming enslaved again to the law.

So Paul tells us to stand firm in and on what Christ has done for us. There is no other work we need to be approved before God.

2. Remain In Grace (2-4)

A Warning

Paul continues on in his encouragement that we enjoy our freedom in Christ by urging us to remain in grace. To exhort us in this way, Paul pointed out the high cost of going back to works as a way to get God's favor. He warned us when he wrote, "Look: I, Paul, say to you that if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you. I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law. You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace" (2-4). Some of you might wonder why Paul is writing about something so private and awkward as circumcision. Why does Paul move into this delicate and personal subject matter?

The problem was that the false teachers in Galatia told the men in the church that they needed to be circumcised in order to gain God's acceptance. Their teaching is summed up in Acts: "Unless you are circumcised and keep the law, you cannot be saved" (see Acts 15:1, 5). Circumcision was the big act they used to communicate that faith in Christ was insufficient for salvation. You must do something, and for them, that action was circumcision. But circumcision could be a stand-in for any practice or viewpoint someone says you must do or have to be accepted by God.

Stay In Grace

But Paul warned that taking up a practice like this has terrible consequences. Christ is of no advantage when you add to the gospel. You are actually severed from Christ. And you become obligated to keep the whole law—something the legalists might not have told the Galatians (3). And, perhaps worst of all, adding works to the gospel as a way to be approved before God means that someone has fallen away from grace (4).

In context, Paul does not mean a loss of salvation. He has steadily written all about the danger of adding law-keeping to the gospel. And when you move towards a works-based relationship with God, you depart from a grace-oriented way of relating to God. You leave the sphere of grace.

And to leave the sphere of grace might be a strong indication that you never knew true grace in the first place but merely claimed with your lips that you knew Christ. So this warning is a strong one. The word Paul used for "fall away" is also used to describe being shipwrecked or blown completely off course. And this happens today, for example, when a believer leaves a church that emphasizes salvation by grace through faith to join one that says salvation depends on the quality of your repentance, a specific confession, baptism, or church membership. They have fallen from grace!

Let us remain in—stay in—the sphere of grace. Let's allow the grace and love of God to make us confident and free before him. Let's allow his grace to melt away the ice of fear and insecurity before him. The Christian life begins by believing in the love and grace that God freely offers, but it continues that way as well. Believing—continually—in the love and grace that God freely offers sets off a series of explosive and wonderful results in a Christian's life, so we must remain in grace.

3. Wait For Righteousness (5)

The Innermost Desire Of True Believers

But Paul went on to tell us that to enjoy our freedom in Christ, we should also wait for righteousness. He said, "For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness" (Gal. 5:5). Paul means that gospel-believing people, all those who have trusted in Christ's work to make them right in God's sight, will look forward in great anticipation to Christ's return, for a very specific reason. Though the Bible gives us many good reasons to long for Christ's return, this passage tells us we long for it because it is when we will experience the righteousness God granted to us when we believed in his Son.

And this is what someone who is drawn to the gospel wants more than anything. The gospel message declares that God can fix the problem of sin within. But even after we trust Christ, we still have an ongoing battle with sin. Later in Galatians, Paul refers to a war between our flesh and the Spirit of God within us. The flesh is the body of sin we all inhabit. Conscious and experienced in the ways of sin, the flesh struggles against the newness we have in Christ.

But when the new creation arrives with Jesus, so will our appearance with him as totally new creatures. As John said,

“> Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.> ” (1 John 3:2, ESV)

Think of it! When Jesus returns for his bride, believers will be changed into total Christlikeness—not in divinity, but in character, sinlessness, and purity. All things are new right now for the Christian, but on that day, perpetual newness will be our lived reality. Sin will never decay us ever again. We will be totally conformed in every facet of our character to God's will. There will be no blind spots, no secret corners in the recesses of our hearts, and no failure of any kind.

It reminds me of a phrase about music from back in the day. Before the internet gave us amazing services that provided on-demand music at our fingertips, the way we got music was either on the radio or by purchasing a CD, a tape, an album, or an 8-track. Music labels often released a total jam to the radio stations, and it made you want to buy the whole record. But we were often disappointed to discover that the rest of the tracks weren't anywhere close to as good as the hit. But some bands were the exception, and when you got your hands on their albums, so many of the songs were great. And the phrase we had for CDs like that was "all killer, no filler."

Well, on the day we enter into glory with Christ, it will be all killer, no filler. There will be no gaps in our character. There will be no secret sin. Even temptation itself will be a distant memory. All hits, all day.

A Beautiful Life Is Produced

And this hope that Paul mentions here is a beautiful one. And please don't mistake what he meant—in the Bible, hope is a confident expectation and anticipation of something God has already promised. It is sure. It is coming. It is happening. It is assurance. It is certainty (Heb. 11:1).

This confident expectation that we will one day be glorified into the image of Christ is a great protection for our freedom in Christ.

• On one hand, it protects us from legalism. People who are looking forward to becoming fully like Jesus when he returns know how silly it is to try to become perfected by legalism. Little rules cannot bring us all the way to our final destination.
• On the other hand, it protects us from license. Since Jesus-like righteousness is our hope and expectation, the very thing we are on the edge of our seats to receive, continuing in sin makes absolutely no sense to us today. Why would I want to engage in that which is so unlike my Lord, so unrighteous, when the thing I am longing for more than anything is to become righteous?

Paul said we, by faith, eagerly wait for this moment to come (5). I recently saw a video that depicts eager anticipation well. In a strip mall parking lot, someone filmed a dog in a neighboring car. Its owner had just parked in front of a bank, gotten out, and gone inside. The dog never lost sight of that bank entrance. Sitting in the driver's seat, it placed its paws on the horn of the car and began simultaneously barking and honking for its owner to return. Eager.

With an eager spirit like that within us, one that is looking forward to our final and great transformation, we are bound to stay free from slavery to sin and the law.

4. Respond Through Love (6)

Neither Religion Nor Lack Of Religion

Finally, Paul tells us to maintain and enjoy our freedom in Christ by responding through love. He wrote, "For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love" (Gal. 5:6). What Paul means is that being irreligious or very religious doesn't produce real fruit anyhow. The best motivation for good works and righteous living is not through intimidation, boundaries, or warnings but a radical appreciation for what Christ has done. When a person sees the cross clearly, they do begin working, but it is love that motivates their work (6).

A person under grace no longer does good works as a way to earn merit or standing before God. Instead, they carry out acts of love—things like devotion to God and service to others—because they have been so impressed and impacted by God's love.

Faith Working Through Love

Notice how Paul saw it—faith works through love (6). It has been said that faith alone saves, but that saving faith is never alone. True faith is trust in what Christ has done. And the revelation required to see what Christ has done leads to a love for God. And love for God leads to a strong desire to be like Jesus and serve him. So we respond through love (6). Our faith works through love.

Jesus said, "If you love me, you will keep my commandments" (John 14:15). What does that mean? Perhaps it is like a parent who tells their child, "If you love me, you'll take care of yourself. Please take care of your health, your finances, your education." In a similar way, Christ says, "If you love me, you'll keep my commandments," because his commandments are the best thing for us.

Unfortunately, we are often like children who say, "If you loved me, you would let me do whatever I want to do." Or we think that because we love ourselves, we will treat ourselves to whatever desire enters our minds. But many of our desires are the worst things for us and do not lead to human flourishing. Love, however, obeys Christ because his word is the best for us.

In Exodus, God continually told Pharaoh to let his people go so that they might serve him (Ex. 7:16). God didn't want to free Israel just so they could do whatever they wanted—that's not freedom! The only way to truly be free is to submit to God. But his love shows us he is worthy of our submission.

Perhaps an example of love being a great motivation would be to consider the difference between a nanny and a mother. A mother will, of course, tire of her work as a parent, but love will drive her. And though a nanny might genuinely love a child in their care, they have hours and receive pay for their efforts, and they could never love as the mother does. Paul said, "Christ's love compels us," and it is this compelling love that serves as our best motivation for good works (2 Cor. 5:14, HCSB). Love is much better than law.

Conclusion

It is important to note what Paul is doing in this paragraph and the coming section in Galatians because many misunderstand. When they read Galatians 5-6, they think Paul is providing needed balance to the radical gospel of grace, as if he finally noticed that he went a little too far and now needs to reign in God's people. But that is not at all what Paul has done here. He is not providing a balance to grace but perspective and clarity on what it produces in a person's life.

In Greek mythology there is the famous story of Odysseus and three Sirens, humanlike beings with angelic voices. Sailors would pass by the islands they occupied and find themselves drawn towards their singing, only to die when they crashed upon the rocks. Odysseus wanted to hear their song, however, so he had himself tied to mast while putting wax in the ears of his sailors. Under no circumstances were they to untie his ropes until they were well clear of the islands. And his plan worked; he heard their songs, although he was tormented by his inability to go towards them.

But there is another story of a sailor named Jason. His method was to employ a talented musician named Orpheus to captivate his men while they passed by the islands of the Sirens. As long as Orpheus played, his crew would only hear his beautiful song—they could not hear the deadly song of the Sirens—and their lives were preserved.[^2] This is a good picture of the life we can have in Christ. We can respond in love to all God has done for us. The beautiful song of the gospel is a far greater motivation than the binding ropes or blocking wax of the law.

To Paul, saving faith produces a beautiful life. When a person is drawn to the gospel, it is because they appreciate—at least to some degree—what Jesus has done. In some real sense, they have become appreciative of Christ's cross and all it provides: forgiveness, cleansing, sonship, newness, and acceptance before God. They are moved by grace and want God to remake them. For a person like this, abusing grace is unimaginable because it makes you less like Jesus, less holy, and less clean in a practical and experiential sense. And that's the last thing a person who gets grace wants. They have been decimated by their sin—they don't want to continue in it and turn to God to help them overcome it. And because God loved them, they respond in acts of love to him and the people whom he loves.

[^1]: Schreiner, Thomas R. 2010. Galatians. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan. [^2]: Bos, Carole. n.d. “Odysseus and the Sirens.” AwesomeStories.Com. Accessed March 18, 2023. http://www.awesomestories.com/asset/view/Odysseus-and-the-Sirens.

Galatians 5:7-15

1:1-9 | 1:10-24 | 2:1-10 | 2:11-16 | 2:17-21 | 3:1-5 | 3:6-9 | 3:10-14 | 3:15-22 | 3:23-29 | 4:1-7 | 4:8-20 | 4:21-31 | 5:1-6 | 5:7-15 | 5:16-18 | 5:19-21 | 5:22-26 | 6:1-5 | 6:6-10 | 6:11-18

Galatians 5:7–15 (ESV) — 7 You were running well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth? 8 This persuasion is not from him who calls you. 9 A little leaven leavens the whole lump. 10 I have confidence in the Lord that you will take no other view, and the one who is troubling you will bear the penalty, whoever he is. 11 But if I, brothers, still preach circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been removed. 12 I wish those who unsettle you would emasculate themselves! 13 For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. 14 For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 15 But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another.

---

One of the Apostle Paul's favorite teaching analogies was the foot race. In this passage, he used it as a way to illustrate how the Galatians were in danger of getting off the course God had assigned them. He told them, "You were running well" (7).

That's how Paul left these Galatian believers. They had heard the gospel and were running in God's grace. It was only later that someone had come along and disrupted their progress by telling them they had to add Jewish laws to their faith in Christ—that if they wanted to be truly accepted by God, first-class citizens in God's kingdom, they needed to adopt the Old Testament law.

So Paul unleashed this paragraph on the Galatians. It is a string of clauses that do not connect as cohesively as his more measured logic elsewhere in the letter. It's a section infused with passion, a rapid fire cavalcade of blunt emotion, proverbs, rebuke, honesty, disappointment, and desperation for God. Paul was truly concerned about the young believers in Galatia—were they really going to abandon the grace of Christ for the works of the law?

This emphasis is why Paul spoke with such severe passion in this passage. The stakes were so high, he felt compelled to state with conviction how he felt about false-gospels and their messengers. These high stakes are why he went the length of saying, "I wish those who unsettle you would emasculate themselves; they will bear the penalty" (10, 12).

Paul didn't go around talking like that over every minor disagreement, but adding to the gospel is a major offense, and Paul wished the legalists would completely cut off their ability to reproduce their doctrines in others. It might sound on the surface like Paul is harsh or intemperate, but his ferocity came from a bedrock of love for the people of this earth. If legalists had their way, the life-saving message of the gospel would've been buried.

So the Galatians were in danger of abandoning the incredible grace they had in Christ. They had been bumped off course and were wobbling along, searching for their balance. Paul's letter was an attempt to get them on sure footing once again, and this section is an emotional plea for them to get back on the grace track. How could they, and how can we, get back to running in grace?

1. Identify Hindering Voices (7-11)

Stop And Think

First, we must identify voices that hinder us from running in grace. Paul came right out and asked them, "Who hindered you from obeying the truth?" (7). Someone had tripped up these Galatians, and Paul wanted them to examine and inspect who it might be. Stop and think, who hindered you?

On Thanksgiving Day 2013, the Pittsburgh Steelers played a football game against their rival, the Baltimore Ravens. During one play, a Ravens player was bolting down the sideline on this way to a long touchdown when the Steelers coach edged his way onto the playing surface just a bit. It forced the Ravens player to adjust his course, which led to his tackle and stopped him from scoring. It happened so fast, no one thought much about it at first, but then they started showing replays. And it looked bad. Like the coach had intentionally tried to trip the player. And even though he denies it was intentional to this very day, he does admit his actions changed the outcome of that play.[^1]

Paul wanted them to run their own replay review of their long run in grace. Who tripped us up? What doctrines did we start believing that caused us to downgrade the gospel? When did we start thinking law-keeping could save us? Who taught us this error? Paul wanted them to identify the hindering voices they had listened to so that they would stop listening to them.

Paul said this because he knew it wasn't God who had called them into the legalism they were about to adopt, but a person or group of false teachers (9). He said, "This persuasion is not from him who calls you" (9). God hadn't authored the persuasive things they had believed—and that should always be alarming to God's people. Anytime we are persuaded, moved, and influenced by a message God did not create, we should be concerned. Why?

Because, Paul said, "A little leaven leavens the whole lump" (9). This saying was a well known proverb from their time, and it meant that even a small amount of evil teaching could spread through the entire congregation, just like a small amount of leaven impacts the whole loaf of bread. Like yeast, their anti-gospels would spread and permeate everything in the Galatian church, which is why Paul wanted to them to take the task of identifying the hindering voices seriously.

What about you? What voices have shaped you the most? What voices have helped you process the world? Are they pushing you toward the gospel more, or do they cause you to dillute or devalue the gospel? Do they hold it up as the highest message, or do they rarely mention it? Do they champion it as the hope for mankind, or is it relegated to the corner of the room like a disobedient child in the olden days? Questions like these can help us identify the voices from outside and inside us that hinder us from running in grace.

Embrace The Offense Of The Cross

One way to remain alert to voices that hinder us from the gospel, according to this passage, is to embrace the offense of the cross. Paul said, "If I still preach circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been removed" (11). Apparently, the false teachers had made the false accusation that Paul preached circumcision whenever it suited him. They might have claimed that Paul didn't preach circumcision—or law-keeping for God's approval—to Gentiles, but that he did preach it to Jews.

The confusion might've stemmed from Paul's practice of being sensitive to the cultures he preached in. For instance, there was a time he asked a young man named Timothy to be circumcised before they went to preach to Jewish people. Everyone knew Timothy had Jewish blood in his veins, so Paul thought it would be respectful to remove that obstacle for them before sharing the gospel with them. But this was misunderstood by some as a two-faced way to conduct ministry. Paul, though, was not flip flopping, but applying the same truth in nuanced ways. Timothy was saved by grace through faith, not law-keeping, but law-keeping would help the message find traction, so he asked Timothy to go along with it.

But the interesting thing is that Paul knew that if he preached works-based righteousness—if he told people that being a good person who kept God's law was the way to be saved—then the offense of the cross would be removed (11). And, clearly, the offense had not been removed, because Paul was still persecuted for the message he preached (11).

The cross of Christ is offensive because it tells us that we are sinners who can't do anything to save ourselves. Some say all religions are the same, messages that encourage us to be good people. But that is not what Christianity says. Christianity claims that we are so far gone that it took a rescue mission to save us. It tells us that sin has sunk itself so deeply within our species that, even though we are made in God's image and reflect him often, our brokenness and sin is too big an obstacle to be overcome by human effort. Instead, God himself had to become one of us, live perfectly for us, and die in our place. All this is the offense of the cross.

The Greek word for offense here is skandalon—a scandal to many who hear it. In another place, Paul called it "a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles" (1 Cor. 1:23). "Human beings take umbrage in being told that even their best works are stained with evil, that everything they do is insufficient to be right with God, and that the only basis for right standing with God is the cross of Jesus Christ."[^2]

Jesus claimed to be the way to God. The way can only be found by discovering the truth bound up in him and expecting that life can only come from him (John 14:6). Some find this exclusivity offensive—it's only through Jesus you can find God—all the while missing its utter inclusivity. Everyone is declared guilty by God—there is no caste system of people more valuable than others. And everyone is invited to receive Christ—“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16, KJV). Whosoever—that's the language of inclusion.

And if you think about it, so many false-gospels say they are inclusive when in reality they are not. If any view of the world holds out some as the insiders and others as the outsiders, it is by nature exclusive. This is what I mean by saying the cross is an inclusive message—it presents all people as in need of the Savior. But this stumbling block is an important one to hold onto if we are going to run in grace. Once we think of some as better than others, we will slip from relating to God or others by and with grace. But as long as we see how the cross has leveled all of humanity, demanding that we repent and believe, then we will be well on our way in grace.

2. Adopt A New Slavery (13-15)

It Is Not For The Flesh

So we must constantly identify hindering voices if we are going to stay strong in grace. But a second way to run the grace race is to adopt a new slavery. In the thirteenth verse, Paul explains this new slavery by first telling us that our freedom is not for our flesh. He said, "You were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh" (13). So right away, we discover a new tone. Paul had been exhorting us not to lose our gospel freedom, but now he warns us not to abuse our gospel freedom.[^3]

We often think of freedom as doing whatever we please. Many of us believe that denying our rights or impulses is sacriligious, unnacceptable behavior. But the truth is that type of freedom leads to enslavement. We can see this in our recent societal history. The sexual revolution, along with birth control, offered women the right to commitment-free sex. It's a practice many men have engaged in for centuries. This was celebrated as a freedom by our society, freeing all of us—men and women—from the shackles of marital exclusivity.

"A growing body of evidence has shown that, for women especially, having multiple sexual partners is correlated with lower levels of mental health and happiness. Conversely, far from being locked into misery, the happiest wives in America are highly religious women married to highly religious men. Couples who pray together, read Scripture at home, attend church, and so on are twice as likely as their secular peers to say they are satisfied with their sexual relationship. We might think that Christian marriage is robbing women of sexual freedom. But the data suggests that it’s pulling women (and men) away from the train wreck of commitment-free sex." — Rebecca McLaughlin, Jesus Through the Eyes of Women[^4]

But the early church initiated their own sexual revolution. When men converted to Christianity, they gave up their sexual freedom and committed to faithfulness in marriage. Though free from the law, they could not imagine practicing unholiness in front of their beloved and holy God, so they restrained themselves. They would not use their freedom on their flesh and neither should we, because the flesh enslaves. To deny the self in a culture of self is one of the most countercultural things we can do. Self-disobedience is seen as taboo, but it is Christian, and it leads to a better life.[^5]

To illustrate this, consider the computer and phone application, Freedom. Once installed, you choose when and what internet it will allow. If you tell it to shut the internet off your devices first thing in the morning to protect some undistracted time with God, it will do it. And the restriction—or lack of freedom—is meant to produce a greater freedom to do what you are made to do. Restriction leads to freedom, but spending yourself on your flesh leads back to slavery.

It Is A New Slavery

Then Paul said, "Through love serve one another" (13). That's the language of a new version of slavery—serve one another. Jesus, of course, nudged and trained his disciples in this direction. The night before he was crucified, Jesus took the position of the lowest household worker and washed the feet of his men. He said it was meant as an illustration of how they should serve one another (John 13:14).

To many, service of others sounds terrible, but Jesus said to his men, "If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them" (John 13:17). And anyone who has given themselves to the service of others had discovered the truth of his words. When we use our freedom for the flesh, we become miserable. But when we use our freedom to serve others, burdens lift, problems are put in perspective, and life becomes what it was meant to be as God's image bearers.

I began walking with God at the end of the summer of 1996. It was a tumultuous summer, one where I wrestled over the decision to fully submit myself to God. Like a yoyo, I was up and down in my obedience—committed one day, waffling the next. And I was miserable until I surrendered myself more wholly to God. I contrast this with the summer of 1997. It was one of the best summers of my life, because I was exposed to ministry for the first time. My days and nights were filled with pouring into others, serving others, and it was so, so good.

And this new slavery leads to life and health for the communities it touches. When a man denies his impulses and works hard to serve his people, he creates a place of safety and love. When a woman lays down her life to serve a congregation, she becomes a beacon of love and nurture in a brutal world. When pastors deny their baser instincts and instead sacrifice themselves to be men of the word and prayer, the churches they serve are blessed.

The word Paul used for "serve" is a word he used to describe our condition before Christ—we were enslaved to the elementary principles of the world (Gal. 4:3). This is a hint that he thought of Christians as being set free to come under a new empowering principle—love.

This love is the launching pad from which all good ministry occurs. If we try to help people because we are bothered by them, see a problem with them, or have a need to fix them, we are as annoying as a "noisy gong or a clanging cymbal" (1 Cor. 13:1). As Paul said in another place, we can have all power, all faith, and all sacrifice, but if we have not love we are nothing and gain nothing (1 Cor. 13:1-4).

It Fulfills The Law

Then Paul told us how this new slavery fulfills the very law the Galatians were tempted to obey, though they never could. He wrote, "For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself'" (14).

This statement might shock those of you who have tracked with Paul's argument in Galatians up to this point. He has said we are free from the law, but now he returns to the Law and holds it up as something he is happy to see fulfilled.

You might think he's quoting Jesus when he says, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself," but Jesus was quoting from Leviticus 19 when he said it, so, since Leviticus is Law, Paul is quoting the Law (Lev. 19:18). In other words, love fulfills the true purpose of the Old Testament law, and Paul was in total support of Christians exercising their freedom by obeying the law of love.

Think of the ten commandments. The second tablet—or final six—of the ten commandments had to do with loving others, our horizontal relationships. For instance, to honor your parents is a way to respect the family structure (Ex. 20:12). And since society is better when people listen to and care for their elders, instead of neglecting them and ignoring their wisdom, honoring your parents is a way to love your neighbor.

And all the other horizontal commandments will be fulfilled through love. To refrain from murder, theft, to refuse to lie, to resist covetousness, and to keep marriage vows are all other ways to love your neighbor as yourself. How can I love you and hurt you, or expect you to pick up the relational, psychological, and societal damage that murder, hatred, abuse, and the like leave behind? How can I love you and steal your money or time or attention for my own selfish gain? How can I love you and lie to you? How can I love you and promote fornication or adultery that would harm current or future marriages? To love is to keep the law, and Christ has set us free so that we can.

The Old Testament anticipated this message. Since no one kept the law perfectly, the prophets of old eventually began promising that the Spirit would one day come to make us new. At that time, God would put us under a new covenant, and he would transform us from the inside out (Jer. 31:31-34, Ezek. 36:24-28, Heb 8:6-13). So the Old Testament, knowing its adherents were not capable of obedience and were guilty before God, anticipated an era when God would give his people new natures and enable them to obey. This is true freedom—freedom to follow God. Free to fulfill the law through love.

So are we obligated to keep the law or not obligated? Yes. In one sense—getting our acceptance from law-keeping—we are not obligated at all to keep the law. It has been fulfilled for us and we are set free. In another sense—since we are regenerate people with new natures who are free from sin—we are obligated to keep the law. We are free from the law as a way to earn a position before God, but the law-keeping by neighbor-loving is still a way to please God. And people who have been remade by Christ's cross want to please God!

Conclusion

Paul was confident that God would help these Galatians run again in grace. He said, "I have confidence in the Lord that you will take no other view" (10). He believed God would work on their behalf and get them back on course, running the race of grace. He had the same attitude towards them that he had about the Philippians:

“And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” (Philippians 1:6, ESV)

I pray we could have the same confidence about one another. I pray that God would form in us a community that helps one another identify hindering voices and adopt the new slavery of love. Let us not be a people who use freedom as a mask for fleshly sin, but abandon our freedoms for the sake of love. Let us be like Jesus, who laid down the freedom of eternal privilege to obey the impulse of love. Let us fulfill the law by going past mere requirement and into sacrificial love. Let us run in grace.

[^1]:Schottey, Michael. 2013. “NFL Must Come down Hard on Mike Tomlin for Sideline Interference.” Bleacher Report. November 29, 2013. https://bleacherreport.com/articles/1869638-nfl-must-come-down-hard-on-mike-tomlin-for-sideline-interference. [^2]:Schreiner, Thomas R. 2010. Galatians. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan. [^3]:Keller, TImothy. 2013. Galatians For You. New Malden, England: Good Book Company. [^4]:McLauglin, Rebecca. 2022. Jesus Through the Eyes of Women: How the First Female Disciples Help Us Know and Love the Lord. The Gospel Coalition. [^5]: Sayers, Mark. 2016. Disappearing Church: From Cultural Relevance to Gospel Resilience. Moody.

Galatians 5:16-18

1:1-9 | 1:10-24 | 2:1-10 | 2:11-16 | 2:17-21 | 3:1-5 | 3:6-9 | 3:10-14 | 3:15-22 | 3:23-29 | 4:1-7 | 4:8-20 | 4:21-31 | 5:1-6 | 5:7-15 | 5:16-18 | 5:19-21 | 5:22-26 | 6:1-5 | 6:6-10 | 6:11-18

Galatians 5:16–18 (ESV) — 16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

---

What? Who?

What Is The Flesh?

When I was a boy, it took my family a little while to realize that I'm left-handed. Babies don't come with instruction manuals, so they had no way of knowing. But one of my earliest memories is of an interchange with my paternal grandfather. He had bought me my first baseball glove, but since it was for right-handed throwers, it sat on my left hand. But when they threw me a ball, I would both catch and throw with it my gloved left hand. I think I remember the moment because of my dad's excited response—I think he immediately began dreaming that I would be the next Sandy Koufax, the next great left-handed pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers! Once we all figured out my handedness, everything else made more sense. Soon, I was writing, playing sports, and eating with my left hand.

In a similar way, once we come to terms with the dynamics of the flesh and Spirit within us, other elements of life fall into place. Soon, the basic disciplines of the Christian life become clear because we realize our need for them and why we often resist them.

So what is the flesh? It comes from the Greek word sarx. It can mean the body, including bodily appetites, but Christians developed it to mean a bit more than that. Many translations render it "sinful nature," which helps us understand Paul's meaning. Paul wasn't thinking of the body versus the Spirit or the physical realm versus the spiritual realm. Instead, Paul thought of the flesh as the "sin-desiring aspect of our whole being as opposed to the God-desiring aspect."[^1] In the New Testament, it is used to denote how even our most charitable and best desires are stained and tainted by underlying sinful ones.[^2] It is the part of every Christian that is not yet renewed by God's Spirit. It can be understood as "any mindset, action, and attitude that is not led by the Spirit."[^3]

The flesh seems to be that remnant part of us that we inherited from Adam. And it still pulls at us against the desires of God.

Who Is The Spirit?

But who is the Spirit Paul speaks about here? The word Paul used in Greek is the word pneuma. At its base level, it means wind, air, or breath. But Paul attributed this word to the Holy Spirit of God, the third person of the Trinity. The Spirit behaves like the wind in that you cannot see him, but you can see his effect on a person submitted to him. He is like air in that he is the one to give us spiritual oxygen while we live in a broken world. He is like breath in that just as God breathed life into Adam, he also breathes in everyone who believes the gospel, awakening them to life with God. These are appropriate ways to think of the Spirit because, in Paul's usage here, the Spirit is meant to convey that part of us that is alive to God.

So the flesh is the part of us that is yet unrenewed, still pulled in rebellion against God, and the Spirit is the new heart, nature, and life that we receive when we believe the gospel.

Paul majors on the Spirit in this ethical section of Galatians. He will mention the Spirit seven times by name. This new focus is appropriate because Paul has made it clear that Christians are not under the law (18). But if we aren't under the law to guide us, how did the early church produce so many beautiful lives? How did such power and holiness come to exist among them? What standard did they follow? How could Paul say, in another place, that he worked harder than anyone for God without being a legalist (1 Cor. 15:10)?

Paul has already told us that it is the law of love that now drives us, but here we learn who authors this love—the Holy Spirit of God. When our lives are submitted to him, he makes us like Jesus, and Jesus is love, so we become loving. So we aren't led by the law anymore, but love—and love grows within us as we walk and are led by the Spirit (16, 18).

War

Desires

So believers have both the Spirit and a flesh, a renewed nature and a sinful one, warring within them. Paul was clear about this here. He said that the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other (17). This conflict is a fact of the Christian life, and it will not abate until our hope of righteousness comes with Jesus (Gal. 5:5).[^4]And this battle is recognized here as fierce.[^5] The flesh and the Spirit have incompatible desires which means the Christian is a battleground.

What this all means is that "Christians should not think that they have the choice to do whatever they want; whether conscious of it or not, their actions at every point are governed by the flesh or the Spirit."[^6] We are far from autonomous individuals with complete self-control. Instead, the Bible presents us here as under pressure from evil while being pulled by the Spirit.

In the next passage in Galatians, we will consider just what the flesh and the Spirit are trying to produce, but notice here that both have desires of their own (17). We will soon discover that the flesh desires for us to sin in the realm of sex, practice our own religious forms, contribute to a chaotic society, and give in to the abuse of substances, to name a few (Gal. 5:19-21). But the Spirit has desires of his own, namely to produce love in us, but this love leads to a life that looks suspiciously like Jesus—joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (22-23).[^7]

The news that you are a battleground might at first discourage you, but there are reasons to be immensely encouraged by it. First, this is far better than the alternative. Before Christ came to rescue us, we were dead in our trespasses and sins (Eph. 2:1). In a sense, there was no battle at all because we only had a sinful nature to work with.

This isn't to say that people without God never face a moral conflict within. But the Christian is under even more pressure because of the presence of both the flesh and the Spirit. And when we did want something better or healthier than our addictions and sins, even those better and healthier desires were driven and tainted by our sinful nature. But when Jesus gives us new life, hope is born. Yes, there is a battle, but at least there is a battle. We don't have to be merely annihilated by sinful desires anymore.

Second, this battle is evidence of the Christian life and experience. "We should not become discouraged and think that we aren't Christians if we are engaged in a struggle against sin." When Paul describes this war between the flesh and Spirit, he describes the normal Christian life. "It is [a life] not marked by perfection, but war."[^8]

Temptation is not the problem; it's what you do with it that is problematic. As James said, "Each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire" (Jas. 1:14). These are words one would use to describe setting a trap or bait. Temptation uses our own desires to try to bring us into defeat. But temptation—and the flesh's desires—are a fact of life.

James went on to say, "Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin" (Jas. 1:14). He means that there is a gap between the temptation and the conception of desire that births sin. Again, temptation is normal, but what will you do with it is the issue?

James finished, "And sin, when it is fully grown, brings forth death" (Jas. 1:15). When temptation can lock harmful desires in as our practice, moral, spiritual, psychological, relational, and (sometimes even) physical death come. But this battle with temptation is not evidence that we aren't Christians. You might even say it is a specifically Christian conflict.

Deepest Desires

Paul said that this war within keeps you from doing the things you want to do (17). Does he mean that we live in a constant middle ground as Christians, that we never fully obey the flesh or the Spirit, so we never do what we completely want to do in either direction? Is this his way of describing a torn individual, a tormented soul that will never experience satisfied desire?

Romans can shed some light on this for us. There, Paul said, "I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members" (Rom. 7:22-23). What this and many other passages like it tell us is that the New Testament vision of Christians is that we are so completely remade by God that our truest new self wants to obey God.

But there is another principle—the flesh!—within us that wars against our deepest desires. This logic is right in line with the already, not yet truths of Christianity. I am already saved, righteous, and in the kingdom, but I have not yet fully experienced that salvation, righteousness, or kingdom. And we are already new but not yet free of old desires. But, in God's sight and mind, the true you wants to follow and obey him.

Walk

The Right Focus

All this helps us understand why Paul's exhortations that we walk in the Spirit and are led by the Spirit are of such importance (16, 18). If the true you wants to follow God, but you have an adversary within that wants to rebel, then feeding and nurturing the Spirit within will lead to victory. That's how Paul said it when he made the promise that if we walk in the Spirit, we will not gratify the desires of the flesh (16).

What this means is that a major source of victory and freedom in the Christian life comes when we focus on nurturing our spiritual life. Paul does not tell us to stop obeying the flesh. He does want us to stop that, but he wants us to focus our energies on walking in, being led by the Spirit. When we are in the Spirit, we won't obey the flesh; that's God's promise here.

Scripture does encourage us to focus on the deeds of the flesh in an attempt to cut them off. It's just that we'll never be successful without the Spirit's power. For instance, Paul said, "If you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live" Romans 8:13). This means we should, without shame and condemnation, analyze our fleshly desires and sinful impulses, and then seek to remove them with the Spirit's help.

And we are to be aggressive in this endeavor. Paul said we must "put to death...what is earthly in you" (Col. 3:5). Like gardeners who weed out the bad and nurture the good, the Spirit will help us identify the flesh and unroot it from our lives.

But the promise here in Galatians is that when we focus on life in the Spirit— life according to the new nature God has given us—we win. Walk in the Spirit and you won't fulfill the desires of the flesh. Victory comes.

Walk In The Spirit

Let's spend the rest of our time thinking about what it means to walk in and be led by the Spirit. If it is such a key to our flourishing, we should know how to do it. To walk indicates a long, step-by-step journey. It is a procedural word. It isn't fast or slow but steady and constant. It speaks of the need to submit to the Spirit (and life in the Spirit) every day. It has less to do with guidance for daily decisions and more to do with a life that is completely reformed by God. As Paul said, "Those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit...[which is] life and peace" (Rom. 8:5-6).

This is where I would like to go back to the word for the Spirit Paul used here—pneuma. I said it could mean wind or breath or air. This imagery is perfect because it is useful for understanding how divine energy mixes with human responsibility. If you went out to the bay to watch sailboats, you would see human responsibility. Sails are up, ready to catch the wind, and someone put them up. The sailboat is not powered by human energy but by the wind.

In like manner, there are actions we can do on a regular basis that set the sails for God's Spirit to drive us along in the new life he has designed for us. Theologian Trevin Wax calls these "subversive habits" in that they undermine the desires of the flesh.[^9] I would like to consider a few of the subversive habits he suggests today.

The big three are worth mentioning but probably don't need much elaboration because we talk about them often. They are prayer, Bible study, and church attendance. There is lots of biblical weight and current data attesting to the importance of all three habits in the life of the believer. Can they be done legalistically as a way to earn God's favor? Yes. But are they meant to be sails for the wind of the Spirit to fill in the life of the believer? Absolutely. When engaged in with the right heart, they greatly reduce the tendencies of the flesh and give the Spirit tools to work with. But are there other ways to "walk in" or be "led by" the Spirit?

Wax holds out three people as examples. First, consider a man who finds his identity in his career. Rather than merely meditate on Scripture, he could memorize and study passages that talk about wealth and the desire for power. Rather than work hard all seven days of the week, he could set a boundary around a weekly Sabbath day as a way to cut off the flesh and give the Spirit space to breathe. Or when he makes his plans, he could think harder about how to be generous and build relationships because an overemphasis on business building is his natural temptation.

Or consider a woman who is addicted to and sees most of life through the prism of politics. She would do well to establish routines where she does not read, listen, or watch any news until after she has meditated deeply on Scripture. She would do well to set limits on how many politically oriented podcasts, news outlets, and social media accounts she consumes. And she could pray for popular politicians from all sides as a way to engender love for people with whom she disagrees. Or she could prioritize eating meals with people of different political perspectives. She could also get more engaged with foreign missions as a way to get outside her current political bubble.

Or consider a young man who is prone to video game addiction. He could make a plan for moderate video game usage and tell a few Christian friends or a pastor about his commitment. He could decide that each day must end with reading a psalm so that he resists the temptation to be on a screen until his eyelids are forced shut. He could volunteer to serve somewhere in the community as a way to change his focus and story. He could keep a daily journal as a way to honestly catalog his time—forcing himself to see with his own eyes if he spent the too much of the day playing games.

Practices like these can help us in our quest to walk in and be led by the Spirit, keeping us from fulfilling the desires of the flesh. We can create them by thinking through our temptations and building practices that counteract them. Addicted to social media? Silence and solitude. Bitter and angry? Gratitude journal. Lazy? Serve. As I said, we are in a war, we are a battleground, so we are told by Paul to walk by and be led by the Spirit (18). It is a decision Paul put to the Galatians—and puts to us.

Conclusion

In the Old Testament, Samson was uniquely empowered by God's Spirit. Set apart by God from his birth, he became a heroic deliverer of God's people. But for as strong the Spirit was in Samson's life, he always battled with the desires of the flesh. It all culminated for him in a relationship with a forbidden woman named Delilah. She enticed him day after day in an attempt to find the secret of his strength, all with the intention of reporting it directly to Israel's enemies. For a while, Samson danced around the truth. But one day, he caved, told her the secret to his strength, gave himself completely to her, and was captured.

Samson vexed his soul by putting himself in harm's way time and time again. Rather than flee so he could walk in the Spirit, he stayed in environments that would torment him, hinder his progress, and inevitably enslave him. It would have been better for Samson to acknowledge the power of temptation in his life, to himself, to God, and to others, than to keep throwing himself into places that would inflame his lusts. Had he walked in the Spirit, he would not have gratified the desires of the flesh.

Fortunately, a better than Samson has arrived. Jesus was tempted in all points as we are, yet without sin (Heb. 4:15). Alone in the wilderness for forty days without sustenance, Jesus endured the most brutal of direct assaults from Satan. And alone on the cross, Jesus never flinched in submission to any selfish desires or temptations. And when Jesus rose from the dead, he brought with him a newness of life for anyone who believes in him. So the Spirit of Christ births in us a new nature, one responsive to his leading, making us more like Jesus.

But the old desires still linger within us, awaiting their final execution at the return of Christ. Because we are influenced by both the newness of the Spirit and the oldness of the flesh, it is wise for us to pursue, feed, walk in, and be led by the Spirit. He reforms us. He guides us. He makes us look more like Jesus than our selfish desires.

But this shaping is not automatic. As Paul said elsewhere, we must work out what God has done inside of us (Phil. 2:12). We are called to be involved. And when we submit ourselves more and more to God's Spirit, he transforms us more and more into Christ's image (2 Cor. 3:18).

[^1]: Keller, Timothy. 2013. Galatians For You. New Malden, England: Good Book Company. ↩ [^2]: Barker, Kenneth L., and John R. Kohlenberger III. 2019. The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Old & New Testaments. USA: Zondervan Academic. [^3]: Sayers, Mark. 2017. Strange Days: Life in the Spirit in a Time of Upheaval. Moody. [^4]:Stott, John R. W. 2008. Galatians: Experiencing the Grace of Christ. Nottingham, England: Inter-Varsity Press. [^5]: Schreiner, Thomas R. 2010. Galatians. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan. [^6]: Moo, Douglas J. 2015. NT341 Book Study: Paul’s Letter to the Galatians (Audio). Logos Mobile Education. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press. [^7]: Keller, Timothy. 2013. Galatians For You. New Malden, England: Good Book Company. [^8]: Schreiner, Thomas R. 2010. Galatians. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan. [^9]: Wax, Trevin. 2020. “The ‘Subversive Habits’ Approach to Changing Your Primary Story.” The Gospel Coalition (blog). January 27, 2020. https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/trevin-wax/the-subversive-habits-approach-to-changing-your-primary-story/.

Galatians 5:19-21

1:1-9 | 1:10-24 | 2:1-10 | 2:11-16 | 2:17-21 | 3:1-5 | 3:6-9 | 3:10-14 | 3:15-22 | 3:23-29 | 4:1-7 | 4:8-20 | 4:21-31 | 5:1-6 | 5:7-15 | 5:16-18 | 5:19-21 | 5:22-26 | 6:1-5 | 6:6-10 | 6:11-18

Galatians 5:19–21 (ESV) — 19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21 envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

---

What we have here is a list of the works of the flesh (19). As a reminder, Paul has told us that two elements within Christians, the flesh and the Spirit, are at constant odds with each other. "The desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh," he said (Gal. 5:17). So every Christian has a new nature that is alive to the Spirit, but also a flesh that is connected to the old nature. Because of this war within, Paul said it was important for us to walk in and be led by the Spirit (Gal. 5:16, 18). But Paul went on to describe both the works of the flesh, which we will consider today, and the fruit of the Spirit, which we will consider next week.

His list is not a total or complete list of the works of the flesh. We know this because after he listed fifteen different actions or attitudes, he said, "and things like these" (21). So there are more works of the flesh than these. But even though this list is not exhaustive, it does represent four major categories in which the flesh operates.

So why should we slow down and consider these works of the flesh? It is an unattractive list, one we might be excused for reading quickly and moving on from. Who wants to preach a sermon or spend much time at all meditating on such a list?

One reason reason we should slow down here is love for God. Love for God should put in us a willingness to hear and heed his voice. To love God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength, as Jesus said, we will respect him and his words (Matt. 22:37). As the band Boston sang, it's more than feeling. Love for God includes actions, and a list can help us form a view of how to live for him.

Another reason we should slow down here is concern for others. When you become a Christian, you enter into a community called the church. We are a spiritual family, likened to a body that has many different parts to play. This all means that each of our lives impacts everyone else in one way or another, and the works of the flesh are often used to destroy a church community. So to be conscious of what they are and to plan for their demise through the spiritual disciplines, is one of the most loving things we can do for others.

And one more reason we should slow down here is because of a healthy care for the self. This list is emblematic of what God is trying to rescue us from. Through the gospel, we are saved from the ultimate penalty of sin and transferred from its power, but this list helps us see what God will continually try to weed out of our lives. And he does so, not because he is a prudish being who is shocked by human desire, but because he is a good Father who knows what will hurt or help us. All the elements of this list will harm us, so God urges us to instead walk by the Spirit so that we can be delivered from the damaging effects of these works of the flesh. So, in a sense, one of the most self-respecting, health-producing, life-giving things we could do is slow down on a list like this one. Like an MRI searches for cancer, this list can detect destructive practices that harm us if left unchecked.

Before we look at the four categories Paul presents, I want to remind you that this is addressed to Christians. Paul framed the works of the flesh and the fruit of the Spirit as pitted against each other in the believer's life. We are all susceptible to all the things found in this list.

But, you might ask, what about Paul's statement "that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God" (21)? Most translations use the word practice, which fits the text and context. If it were impossible for Christians to ever do the things in this list, Paul would not have to write about them. Instead, he means that people outside the kingdom of God live in and practice these elements. It is their persistent reality.

But believers are part of God's kingdom, so why would we practice these elements? And we are new creatures in God's sight, so we don't have to. It is always the New Testament way to encourage good behavior by reminding us who we are. If we are in the kingdom, why would we behave as if we aren't?

1. Sexual Misalignment (19)

The first category Paul mentions is found in the first three words: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality (19). These words represent sexual misalignment and overlap in meaning and emphasis. Sexual immorality, the first word, comes from the Greek word porneia, and refers to sexual activity of many types between unmarried people. Impurity, the second word, refers broadly to moral uncleanness through sensual thoughts, words, and deeds outside the sacred confines of marriage. And sensuality, the third word, speaks to uncontrolled sexuality, an atmosphere that is sensual. By starting here, Paul addressed a significant issue in the Greek and Roman world, but our world as well.

There are many views of sex in circulation today. Some treat sex as a god that defines, gives life, and is worthy of devotion. Some treat sex as a mere facet of nature to be pursued for personal gratification. Some treat sex as the expected response to feelings of affection. And many within the church have embraced the idea that sex is an unholy activity, dirty and undesirable.

But the biblical view is that God invented sex—it is natural, enjoyable, and intimate. Sex is so powerful that it should only be used in the safe confines of covenantal marriage because it requires you to give yourself to another. Fire belongs in a fireplace. You wouldn't start a fire on your living room rug. In a similar way, sex is so potent that it is only meant for a marital relationship designed for the giving of one's entire self. If any part of a person is held back, sex is too weighty for that relationship.

So sex is meant to be natural, enjoyable, and powerful, so much so that God authored it for committed marriage between a man and woman. God said the two would become one in marital sexual activity. A husband cannot ghost his wife—he goes home to her every night. A wife cannot drive off to her apartment before her husband wakes up—they are sharing life together. A married couple cannot quickly ditch each other—the legal intertwining of their lives and finances, the presence of children, and their network of family and friendships all encourage and nudge them toward the very best of what God has planned for them—oneness with their spouse.

By starting his list with sexual misalignment, Paul addressed "the most open and shameless vice of the Greek and Roman world."[^1] Our world is swimming in this work of the flesh as well. It has found its way into so many facets of life. It's in our music. It's in our movies. It's in our curriculums. It's in our humor. It's in our advertising. It's everywhere, so we must remain vigilant against our own fleshly tendencies.

Allow me a moment to give you some tools to combat this area of the desires of the flesh. As Paul said to the Thessalonians, "This is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality" (1 Th. 4:3). And it is entirely possible. And I want to give you some counsel on how to pursue holiness in this area of your life.

First, do not attempt to struggle alone. There is a reason this set of actions is listed first. The human impulse in this direction is strong, and many Christians are fighting to pursue sexual wholeness and holiness. Paul said:

No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. (1 Corinthians 10:13)

Bring your temptations or confusions or failures into the light with trusted believers (men if you are a man, women if you are a woman). Light is a powerful disinfectant. As James said:

Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. (James 5:16)

Second, do not be shocked by others. So many of us have experienced overexposure to sexual content or have endured sexual trauma of some kind. Many of our views have been nurtured by people outside the faith. And others of us have been confused by people inside the church. This has generated all manner of sexual desire or lack of desire in many. Addictions and broken desires have taken root in so many of us. Have compassion. Our sexuality is important to God and society—and repentance and submission to God are vital—but it is also a discipleship and sanctification issue. In the generation we are in, we must give the requisite time for God's Spirit to help us see and submit to the biblical standard God has given.

And third, receive the grace of God for a fresh start in Christ. When a woman caught in adultery was brought to Jesus, he said, "I do not condemn you; go—and from now on—sin no more" (John 8:11, paraphrase mine). He did not dismiss her action but told her to sin no more. But he did not ruin her with condemnation but told her he did not condemn her.

2. Spiritual Misalignment (20)

Next, Paul addressed two religious works of the flesh: idolatry and sorcery (20). Idolatry refers to actually making idols, substitutes for the true and living God. Sorcery includes magic and witchcraft but comes from the Greek word pharmakeia, which makes room for the medicinal or drug-induced ways people in the ancient world sought out religious experiences. To Paul, idolatry produced a weak imitation or substitute for God, while drug-induced sorcery faked the work of the Spirit.[^2] In Paul's mind, why would anyone want a cheap knock-off when, through the gospel, a real encounter with God is available?

These works of the flesh might seem very distant to us, but at their base level, we often fall into them. We often make gods out of things that are much less than the true God. We often try to control our false gods. And we often try to control our lives, which is the essence of sorcery. Magic is an attempt—at its core—to control something.

This type of spiritual misalignment says, "I don't need to trust God." Instead of leaning not on their own understanding and trusting him, the spiritually misaligned person grabs control for themselves (Prov. 3:4-6). This type of spiritual misalignment says, "I make my own rules for relating to God." Instead of looking to the trusted, reliable, outside source of God's word, the spiritually misaligned person creates their own ways of practicing spirituality.

One way to resist this work of the flesh is to worship God. So many of our problems in life stem from a worship problem. Who or what are we worshipping? When we worship relationships—our friendships, our community, our spouse, our children, or our grandchildren—we put pressure on them that they aren't made to handle, and we dry up because we will never get from them what God can give. When we worship success or experiences or image, we become enslaved to them, and they become a vicious cycle of expectations for more and more, better and better. When we give our worship to education, career, possessions, beauty, intelligence, current events, or any other thing, we stand to be disappointed. Only God can handle our devotion and worship.

Another way to resist this work of the flesh is to pursue spiritual depth with God. Don't tell yourself you can produce high-quality spiritual experiences without him. Turn to him in his word; press into the hard but biblical spiritual disciplines; engage with others in the church community who are seeking the same.

And one more way to resist this work of the flesh is to encourage one another. Hebrews says we should not neglect to meet together and should encourage one another (Heb. 10:25 paraphrase). And one area to encourage one another in is the age-old, time-tested worship practices of the Christian faith. The flesh is always looking for something new and exciting, accessible and easy, so we should encourage each other to lean into prayer, Bible study, fasting, silence, solitude, gratitude, fellowship, and other biblical Christian practices.

3. Societal Misalignment (20-21)

So we have covered sexual and spiritual misalignment. We might have supposed those categories would require the most definition, but Paul only used five words to cover both of them. In this next section, however, Paul used eight words, which is fascinating because it deals with societal misalignment. In other words, the community (or society) of the church was hurt greatly by these internal attitudes that produced schism and fracture among God's people.

Paul warned that the works of the flesh include enmity, which is hatred and an inward feeling of hostility towards another. He warned against strife, which is a type of discord the Galatian church was in danger of engaging in. He warned against jealousy of others—an obsession with what I don't possess. He warned against fits of anger, which are rage-filled outbursts. He warned against rivalries, which are fueled by selfish ambition and a "me, me, me" mentality. He warned against dissensions and divisions, which unnecessarily divide people, create walls between camps, and create factions. And he warned against envy, which is always an impure jealousy of others.

Remember, this list was meant for citizens within the church. Our flesh is alive and well, and we are capable of all these expressions of the old sinful nature. In fact, you could make a case that we are often most guilty or more tolerant of these sins within the church. We might get our hackles up about sexual or religious sins, but coexist with this barrage of attitudinal sins Paul drops on us here. But these expressions of the flesh are highly damaging.

• These works of the flesh show up in long, raging text messages.
• They show up in those who refuse to work things out face-to-face but instead hide behind a deluge of angry and one-sided words.
• They show up in quiet slander and gossip about others, talking about them in disparaging ways when they aren't around.
• They show up when we have a hard time celebrating wins and blessings in someone else's life.
• They show up when we throw temper tantrums in the privacy of our homes when we are exasperated or at our wit's end.
• They show up when we demean or bully someone because they don't agree with our perspectives.
• They show up when we command attention because we need people to notice us.
• They show up when we check out reactions to our latest witty social media post.
• They show up when we form odd religious sects that over-emphasize one element of the faith over all others.
• They show up when we bounce from church to church because we don't like the people at our last one.
• They show up when we readily and quickly embrace voices that are clearly seeking a fight.

Attached to these forms of the flesh are various lies.

• One lie is that the most damaging sins are all in the other categories in the list. But this list levels all of humanity.
• Another lie is that "this is the real me" and "I have to be true to myself." As a Christian, the real you is like Jesus, and he is none of these elements, so it is important to walk with the Spirit in order to see a decrease in all of them.
• And another lie is that we could never change from the sins mentioned here, but the power of God is at our disposal. Over time, as we walk with him by engaging in the means of grace he has supplied (the word, prayer, community, etc.) and directly bring our tendencies to him, we will change.

As a church, we would do well to remember that Jesus came to deliver us from these works of the flesh. We should not minimize God's rescue plan to only outward actions, but also inner attitudes of the heart. Otherwise, we might enter into the very legalism the Galatians were in danger of embracing by thinking the Christian faith only reforms the external person. Not at all—Jesus is after the heart.

4. Substance Misalignment (21)

I will call the final category of Paul's list of the works of the flesh the "substance misalignment" portion of his list. We've already dealt a bit with drug abuse in the pharmakeia (sorcery) found earlier in the list. But he concludes with drunkenness and orgies, which is likely a reference to "drinking parties (ragers).

Again, Paul is telling us what the works of the flesh look like. He is telling Christians in Galatia to watch out for the flesh. The old nature is a lurking predator who will pounce at the opportune time. It is a hibernating monster, looking to come awake at any moment. It is a disease that will spread without continual and proper treatment.

And, all too often, we believers let our guard down in this final area Paul describes. But then the pressures of life mount, and we find ourselves medicating with alcohol or substances that dull our edge. Or the successes of life mount, and we find ourselves passing the time with excess and indulgence. Soon, we are drunk or high rather than filled with the Spirit. Soon, we are turning to overindulgence as a way to feel alive again or numb our pains. Soon, we make embarrassing decisions or compromise our integrity.

We must not dismiss this manifestation of the flesh. We must encourage one another to sobriety and moderation. Many among us experienced God's radical deliverance in this area of life when we believed the gospel. But some of us, with time, slip back into private intoxication or public partying. Maybe the environment is now more yacht rock than punk rock, but it is all the same. The deeds of the flesh don't care about our season or station of life—teenage sins grow up into senior sins, so we must stay on guard.

One weapon at our disposal against this work of the flesh is to reach out to our brothers and sisters in Christ. It should be obvious that this particular struggle can be arresting. And, though you might be embarrassed to say you have gone a little (or a lot) further than you should, it is better than allowing this work of the flesh to quietly (and then loudly) destroy you.

Another weapon is connected to the first—a solid and supportive Christian community is a must. I'm not talking about highly permissive Christians who don't live according to Scripture. Nor am I talking about legalistic Christians who ban far more than the Bible does. We shouldn't make Christian obedience any more challenging than Scripture does. We should refuse to take the bait from those who say a Christian can never drink alcohol, for instance. That is great advice for those with addictive tendencies, those who have struggled with addiction in the past, or those who work with those coming out of addiction. The Bible flies in the face of a mandate like that, but it does condemn intoxication of any kind. And a godly and supportive Christian community can help you avoid substance misalignment.

I would also suggest that we engage in incarnational ministry in this area. Jesus became one of us, and then he took on the mess we created. And, if we are going to be the church, we are going to have to work hard to pick up the pieces that the works of the flesh leave behind. Broken families, bodies, and minds are in need of care because of the damaging effects of sin. But Christians are meant to be like Christ, jumping in to help rather than standing back to condemn. Like Jesus, we see the truth, so we don't need to act as if all is well. But like Jesus, we should be full of grace, so we can engage and serve.

Finally, for those of you who have a loved one steeped in addiction, I want to encourage you to regularly and faithfully pray for a very long time. I have seen firsthand amazing answers to prayers for God to release someone from their addictions, but it has always taken much longer than I wanted. And, as you pray, I advise you to pray for more than release from addictions but for a revelation of Christ.

Conclusion

In our next study of Galatians, we will think about how walking in the Spirit produces the fruit of the Spirit. As God's Spirit transforms us to look more like Jesus, these works of the flesh are overcome. But my hope—and I think Paul's hope—is that we would see this passage today as insight into what God is in the continual process of rescuing us from. He does not reach us only to abandon us. He saves us and then sanctifies us. He rescues us by the cross and then reforms us by his Spirit.

Before young David went into battle against Goliath, he was doubted by King Saul. How could such an inexperienced young man expect to defeat the veteran warrior? David responded that he'd been forced to defeat fight lions and bears to protect his father's flocks, and Goliath's fate would be the same as theirs. David would win because, as he said, "The LORD who rescued me from the claws of the lion and the bear will rescue me from this Philistine” (1 Sam. 17:37, NLT).

And I pray we can have the same attitude about the flesh. The same Lord who delivered us from sin and death through his cross will continue to fight for us. The same God who gave us positional victory through the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ will give us practical victory as we engage the Spirit of Christ. And, just as our burdens, shame, and sins rolled away from us at the foot of the cross, so the temptations that plague us can lose their power as we walk in the Spirit. God has rescued, and he still rescues, conforming us evermore into the image of Christ, the perfect man.

[^1]: Barker, Kenneth L., and John R. Kohlenberger III. 2019. The Expositor’s Bible Commentary the Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Old & New Testaments. USA: Zondervan Academic. [^2]: Keller, Timothy. 2013. Galatians For You. New Malden, England: Good Book Company.

Galatians 5:22-26

1:1-9 | 1:10-24 | 2:1-10 | 2:11-16 | 2:17-21 | 3:1-5 | 3:6-9 | 3:10-14 | 3:15-22 | 3:23-29 | 4:1-7 | 4:8-20 | 4:21-31 | 5:1-6 | 5:7-15 | 5:16-18 | 5:19-21 | 5:22-26 | 6:1-5 | 6:6-10 | 6:11-18

Galatians 5:22–26 (ESV) — 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

The Apostle Paul knew the Galatian church had gotten its start because of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit had birthed the Galatians into Christ's family and strengthened them in their early days as Christians.

But over time, the Galatians began to think they could be perfected by human effort, which led to a nasty environment where people became conceited, provoking one another, and envying one another (26). Legalism had produced a competitive environment where some felt superior and others felt inferior.

Because of the self-effort ideas floating around the Galatian church, Paul felt it was important to explain to them the differences between life in the flesh and the Spirit. Every Christian, Paul said, is a battleground between the old nature of the flesh and the new nature of the Spirit.

And, as Paul articulated the battle between these two, he detailed the works of the flesh, which we thought about in our last study, and the fruit of the Spirit, which we will consider here (22). This fruit is the outworking of the new nature the Spirit gives every believer, and it grows when we walk in and are led by the him (Gal. 5:16, 18). When we walk by the Spirit, we no longer follow the desires and passions of the flesh (Gal. 5:16). As we enjoy fellowship with God, the Spirit produces growth and transformation that rules and regulations could never generate.

Paul said the fruit of the Spirit is so strong that against such things there is no law (23). No law would ever be written to try to restrain the love, joy, and peace that the Spirit produces. No legalistic code could ever produce the patience, kindness, and goodness the Spirit does. And no one would ever try to prohibit someone from the kind of faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control the Spirit authors. To Paul, only the Spirit-led life could produce the kind of growth the Galatians were after.

The Method of Our Growth (22a)

One of the first things to notice in this passage is the method of our growth. Paul wrote about the works of the flesh, but here he refers to the fruit of the Spirit (19, 22). Paul used these words intentionally because they contrast each other.

The flesh is like a factory or a machine that inevitably produces various works. It conjures up images of the job site or factory line—human effort making and constructing.

But the Spirit's fruit cannot be produced. The concept of fruit takes us out of the human factory and into the farm. Any farm requires human labor, but the produce of the field is far different from the byproduct of the factory. Imagine a car factory—no one expects a car to merely grow from the ground if the conditions are right. But that's how fruit occurs. The goal of the farmer is to set up the right conditions for natural growth to occur.

If this is God's method of true transformation—if it is all about the Spirit producing fruit in us—then we must embrace this method. We aren't on a grand "just say no" campaign against the works of the flesh. We are instead asked to walk in and be led by the Spirit, setting conditions for his fruitful work to occur in us. Just as the sailboat requires human engagement but is powered by the wind, so the Christian life is powered by the Spirit, but we must choose to set the conditions for him to work. And just as the farmer tends the field in an attempt to create an environment for growth, so we must tend our lives and fight for good conditions for God's fruit to appear.

In another agricultural metaphor, Jesus said, "I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing" (John 15:5). When we engage in and enjoy Jesus, fruit comes from our lives.

The psalmist understood this concept when he said that day and night meditation on and delight in God's word would make someone fruitful. Like a tree next to flowing waters, bearing fruit in its season, is someone who loves and continually meditates on Scripture (Ps. 1:1-3). Constant interaction with the word sets the conditions for God to produce growth.

The important thing to remember is that the works of the flesh come naturally to us, but the fruit of the Spirit must be organically grown within us. We can, of course, fake the fruit of the Spirit and act loving, joyful, or at peace. We can seem to others to be patient, kind, and good, at least for a little while. And we can easily portray ourselves as dependable, tender-hearted, and self-disciplined people. But Paul is not telling us to fake these attributes but to walk with God so the Spirit grows them within us.

I once heard of a man who struggled to keep plants alive. Someone gave him an orchid, and he became determined that it would live, so he researched how to care for it. He read somewhere that all he needed to do was put an ice cube a week in the flower pot, and the orchid would thrive. For a whole year, faithfully, he put his weekly ice cube in the pot. And he was so proud of himself—until one day he realized that it was an artificial, manmade orchid! He had been maintaining a fake. Let it not be so with us. Rather than maintain fake character, let's be a people who press into our walk with God and allow him to transform us in a real way.

This method of growth God has chosen is gradual but predictable. When an apple grows, it happens slowly over time. To the naked eye, nothing is happening, but soon fruit is on the branch. So it is with our growth in Christ. Rather than fake immediate fruit, it is better to allow the process of time walking with God to produce real fruit in us. We must expect our growth to often be slow and imperceptible. But, if we continue to feed the Spirit, we will experience moments when we realize we have changed.

You understand this when it comes to physical transformation. No one expects radical transformation after one day of healthy eating and some gym time. Change is gradual and slow. Or think of your personal photo stream. You can easily come across a photo from five or ten years ago with a few clicks. And sometimes it can be astounding how much you have changed! While you changed you didn't feel it, but change happened. So it is with the Spirit. Going to church, reading the Bible, spending time in prayer, or engaging in any other spiritual discipline all lead to slow but predictable growth.

Why is it predictable? Because it is promised. Walk by the Spirit, and the fruit of the Spirit grows. There is no mystery as to what the fruit of the Spirit looks like. Apple seeds produce apples. Orange seeds produce oranges. Fruit bears according to its kind. And the Spirit produces the same thing every time—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. It is a seed that cannot be stopped; its growth is inevitable.

I cannot express enough how important knowing and embracing this method for growth is to the Christian life. We must be fully confident that Christianity is not a "try hard" message but a "walk with God" message. As we walk in and are led by his Spirit, transformation comes. We aren't a factory that produces good works but a farm that grows good character.

The Balance of Our Growth (22-23)

A second thing to notice in this passage is the balance of our growth. It might have escaped us English readers, but the ancient Greek Paul wrote with is clear: there is a singular fruit of the Spirit that grows from our lives. Some have wondered if this means the singular fruit of the Spirit is love, and that all the other elements are facets of love. But the most received and best view is that the fruit of the Spirit includes all the dimensions found here: love, but also joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (22-23). What this suggests is that these various elements are all interconnected. There is one fruit of the Spirit, and it looks like all these elements.

To put it bluntly, this is not a Pauline personality profile exam. If it were, we could come to this list and discover areas we are naturally strong, but natural strengths are not the fruit of the Spirit. We all know people who are naturally happy and bubbly; we might say they are joyful. We all know people with a strong moral compass; we might say they are good. We all know people who are subdued and speak calmly; we might say they are gentle. But natural temperament should not be confused with the work of the Spirit.

The sign that it is the Spirit who authors various elements is that the other elements can also be found. When the Spirit is working in someone's life, they won't be patient but also completely lack self-control; they won't appear to be loving but also lack a moral backbone; they won't seem gentle but also lack a deep-seated joy. When the Spirit is at work, each element of his fruit is produced in balance.

Think of the way a balloon expands when filled with air. The air is evenly distributed throughout the entire balloon. It might be small at first, but it holds its shape. Air isn't in only on one side of the balloon but not the other. And, as more air is added, it fills up in a symmetrical way.

The Spirit does the same thing in us, steadily working out all the facets of his fruit in our lives as we walk with him. Some of us might have natural strengths that look like some of these fruits—for example, I have a degree of natural self-discipline—but that doesn't mean we are well-rounded. Only by the Spirit can we become what Paul described here.

And this fruit is quite beautiful; it looks remarkably like Jesus. You could categorize these nine attributes into three sets of three. In the first set, Paul described ways the Spirit impacts our inner person. He started with love, which is appropriate because it is the king attribute. Jesus told us to love God and our neighbor and that we would be known by our love for one another (Deut. 6:5, Matt. 22:37-40, John 13:34-35). It is the foundational virtue. It is not only a feeling but an action of self-sacrifice for others. It is better than affection because it serves others not for what it can get from them but for their good. Just as Christ loved us by bearing our burdens so that we might know God, the Spirit generates selfless love within us.

Then Paul said joy flows from the fruit of the Spirit. Joy "delight(s) in God for the sheer beauty and worth who he is."[^1] Joy is not hopeless or despairing but optimistic and confident in God, a deep inner rejoicing that does not depend on circumstances. Just as Christ endured the agony of the cross because of the joy of being reunited with his Father, the Spirit enables us to rejoice in the simple pleasure of knowing God (Heb. 12:2).

And then Paul said peace is part of the fruit of the Spirit. A person at peace is at rest with God, and it flows into every other relationship they are in. Anxiety and worry are cast out when peace rushes in. This person still cares greatly about many things—they aren't indifferent or apathetic—but they are still inwardly calm and quiet. Just as Christ had peace in the midst of the massive war he fought against darkness, death, and sin, the Spirit generates peace in us for our mission.

After Paul dealt with these first three inner attributes, his next set went on to describe how the fruit of the Spirit impacts our interactions with others. As we walk with him, we become patient (22). Again, this is not natural patience, like the big old family golden retriever that has become accustomed to toddlers crawling all over it. This is Spirit-engineered change—we become able to endure trials and difficulties better than we could before. Like a long-distance runner who used to be a couch potato, the Spirit produces endurance in us. Just as Christ faced the extreme hardship of the cross without resentment towards God or any human, the Spirit puts an ability to patiently endure within us.

Then he said the Spirit would grow us in kindness (22). This is an outward manifestation of love that shows compassion and concern for others, especially those less fortunate or in need. But it is not charity done out of the overflow of life, but in a way that leaves me vulnerable. Just as Christ risked it all to be kind to us, so the Spirit launches us into selfless kindness to others.

Then Paul wrote that the Spirit would produce goodness in us (22). Goodness is more than mere kindness; but includes moral excellence and integrity that makes you the same in every situation. Whether others deserve it or not, this person treats them well. Just as Christ was good to everyone and lived a life of "moral beauty," so the Spirit enables us to treat others well while we maintain holiness.

After these community-oriented attributes, Paul's final set went on to describe how the Spirit impacts the self. First, he said the Spirit would create a faithfulness within us (22). The faithful person is loyal and committed to God and others. They keep their promises, are dependable and trustworthy, and are true to their word. Just as Christ could never be dissuaded from honoring his Father in heaven, so the Spirit makes us faithful despite the spiritual, external, and internal pressures we're under.

He also said that the Spirit produces gentleness (23). Again, this is not a natural temperament but a Spirit-fueled attribute. This person is so in control that they are angry at the right times and not angry at the wrong times.[^2] They are tender-hearted towards and considerate of others. They are not self-superior or self-absorbed. Just as Christ—who was always the greatest person in any room he walked into—was ever-focused on everyone else, so the Spirit produces a radical others-centeredness in us.

Finally, Paul said the Spirit produces self-control (23). This person is not self-disciplined because of their need to control everything, but self-controlled so that they can do God's will. They are not led by the winds of their emotions but submit every part of themselves to the deeper emotions and desires of God's Spirit. Just as Christ prayed in the garden for the Father's will to be accomplished, so the Spirit causes us to habitually say, "Not as I will, but as you will" (Mat. 26:39).

What a life! What beauty and majesty! What transcendence! Don't let the mountaintop of the character described here discourage you. Too many have set too low a low bar for believers. But God, who is the Spirit, has a glorious vision for what we can become by his power. Let his fruit search your heart.

• Do I love selflessly as Christ did or am I self-absorbed?
• Do I have immovable inner joy in God or am I heavily impacted by the events of the day?
• Am I at peace before him or do I constantly give in to worry?
• Do I patiently endure the difficulties of life well or am I easily jostled?
• Do I extend practical and real kindness to those around me, or am I hoarding my time and resources for myself?
• Do I live a good life of moral beauty, or do I feel morally superior to others?
• Do I faithfully keep my commitments and word, or am I untrustworthy and undependable?
• Do I gently focus on others, or am I constantly thinking about myself?
• Do I have the self-discipline to follow God, or am I overrun by impulses that keep me from experiencing him?

Again, these questions are not meant to produce self-effort—a try harder message—but a desire to put up our sails to catch the Spirit's wind. And, as we consider questions like these, we should catch a vision for what God's Spirit wants to produce in us—and it is majestic!

I have seen thousands of sunsets here on the Monterey Peninsula. As a native of this community, there have been countless times I've gone to watch the sunset over the Pacific Ocean, only to miss it because the entire coast was fogged over. The sunset is still there, beautiful for someone, but the fog hinders me from seeing its glory. If the Christian life is boring to you, perhaps it's because this destination has disappeared or been fogged over in your mind's eye. Let this picture in Galatians recapture your imagination of what God is trying to produce in you!

The Foundation of Our Growth (24-26)

In the final verses of this chapter, Paul recapped his entire teaching on the flesh and the Spirit by saying, "And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another" (24-26). We've considered the method of our growth—because it is the fruit of the Spirit, we can expect it to gradually grow from our lives as we walk in him. We've considered the balance of our growth—because the Spirit is working all these elements out in us, we will look more like Jesus as the years pass.

But here, Paul takes us back to the foundation of our growth. He reminds us that the fruit of the Spirit is not even possible until we belong to Christ Jesus (24). Without a new nature, without conversion, none of this is possible. If the Spirit produces fruit that looks like Christ in our lives, then Christ must be rooted deep within us.

He also tells us how this transformation comes, first by reminding us that when we trusted the gospel of Christ, we died with Christ, so, in the eyes of God, we have already crucified the flesh with its passions and desires (24). this is likely a nudge—if we have positionally crucified the flesh with Jesus, let's continue to crucify the flesh with the Spirit of Jesus.

Finally, Paul tells us that since we are alive by the Spirit who regenerated and birthed us into God's family, we should also keep in step with the Spirit (25). Growth comes when we feed the Spirit.

So what is the foundation of our growth? First, our identity. We belong to Jesus. Second, our continued commitment to growth. We want to kill the flesh. And third, we feed the Spirit. We want to put up our sails to catch his pneumatic power to carry us along into Christlikeness.

[^1]: Keller, Timothy. 2013. Galatians For You. New Malden, England: Good Book Company. [^2]: Barker, Kenneth L., and John R. Kohlenberger III. 2019. The Expositor’s Bible Commentary the Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Old & New Testaments. USA: Zondervan Academic.

Galatians 6:1-5

1:1-9 | 1:10-24 | 2:1-10 | 2:11-16 | 2:17-21 | 3:1-5 | 3:6-9 | 3:10-14 | 3:15-22 | 3:23-29 | 4:1-7 | 4:8-20 | 4:21-31 | 5:1-6 | 5:7-15 | 5:16-18 | 5:19-21 | 5:22-26 | 6:1-5 | 6:6-10 | 6:11-18

1 Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. 2 Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. 3 For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. 4 But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor. 5 For each will have to bear his own load. (Galatians 6:1–5, ESV)

I'm sure you've been in the room when friends or family members start bickering in front of you. I'm sure, at least once, you've been the one bickering! So you know how awkward it can be. There you are, at the dinner party, just enjoying life, when—bam!—all the energy is sucked out of the room. You just want to crawl under the table, find your keys, and run for your life.

Since the Galatian church was flirting with legalism, they were in danger of becoming that kind of unattractive community. Legalism produces a competitive environment, one where pride and envy abound, so their church was on the cusp of becoming the awkward dinner party of New Testament churches. Paul has told us that only the Spirit can produce real transformation in us—we need to walk in the Spirit—but the Galatians were squeezing the him out of their environment. And because they were, true growth was not happening.

God has not called them to legalism, but the gospel—and a gospel community, according to Paul, is totally unlike the church legalism produces. It is a beautiful community, one full of grace and truth because Jesus, its leader, is the embodiment of both (John 1:14). And the people within it are helped and transformed.

In our passage today, we'll discover three elements found in a gospel community. Each element supports the others, so that when all three are found together, the church becomes an environment of true life change.

1. Restores Others (1)

The first thing a gospel community does is restore those caught in a stranglehold or pattern of dominating sin (those caught in any transgression, 1). Paul evoked the image of someone run down by a predator. It is a perfect analogy because it reminds us that we are being pursued. Our enemy walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour (1 Pet. 5:8). But not all that infrequently, we are overcome by the predator.

Quite often, when this occurs, friends in Christ know about it. And what are they to do? If they are part of a legalistic church community—the kind the Galatians were tempted to become—they might rush to expose it. If they are part of a liberal church community—meaning they take the Bible and the subject of sin very lightly—they might quickly dismiss it.

But neither of these is the right approach. Just as we would not openly broadcast a child's failures in front of their friends, we should not unnecessarily expose transgressions. And just as we would not ignore cancer, we should not dismiss transgressions. Paul tells us that a Spirit-led person does not take either of these routes but instead seeks to restore their wayward friend.

"Restoration never minimizes the damaging reality of sin, but while it takes sin seriously, it also believes in the power of restorative grace. It believes in God’s power to turn a heart and rebuild a life."[^1]

It is important to provide nuance to the Apostle Paul's exhortation to restore those who've become entrapped by sin. The Bible teaches that love will cover a multitude of sins (1 Pet. 4:8). Love bears, believes, hopes, and endures all things (1 Cor. 13:7). We are to be a forgiving people.

On balance, the Bible teaches that we should not become hyper-aware sin hunters, but when someone we know and love is "overtaken" (CSB) by a habitual, damaging, and enslaving pattern in their lives, mature believers respond with a Jesus-like rescue mission. They know that sin can sink in its hooks to the point it becomes difficult to break free, so they do what they can, as the Spirit's instruments, to set the captive free.

Paul knew this would take godliness, maturity, wisdom, and a sensitivity to God's Spirit, which is why he said that only those who are spiritual should attempt such acts of restoration (1). Don't be quick to dismiss yourself from the qualification. This isn't like saying only those who are around seven feet tall should play center in professional basketball—I guess that's not me! Paul's sentences right before this one are all about how we can walk in the Spirit, meaning any Christian can be spiritual—and should strive to be spiritual (see Gal. 5:16-26). But, because of all the skills needed to restore a wandering believer, Paul wanted to make sure only those walking in the Spirit attempted it.

To be spiritual means the restorer must be a person of prayer who is willing to go into the spiritual dimension to deal with someone's issues. Just as Moses prayed to God when the Israelites were wayward, this person must go to God on behalf of the person engulfed by sin. Praying will soften them and release God's power toward the person they want to help.

And being spiritual means they are alive and sensitive to the Spirit's guidance and encouragement. And, because enslaving transgressions cause a tangled web of chaos, they need to sense God's leading as a way to break through the confusion the other person has caused.

Another attribute Paul mentioned was a spirit of gentleness (1). This is a fitting word because it is all too easy to be overly frustrated by the decisions others make. And if they are entangled in sin because of their choices, gentleness can seem like the worst way to approach them. But "restoration must be approached with a humility and gentleness...yet with a firmness that confronts the ugly reality of the sin and its consequences."[^2]

Another attribute is that the restorer knows how to keep watch on themselves so that they aren't also tempted (1). They know what they are capable of and make sure not to fall into the same pit. They do not feel they are better than the person they are trying to restore. Like a soldier helping an injured comrade on the battlefield, cautiously alert for enemy fire, the restorer knows to proceed carefully lest the same traps work on him! When he helps someone break free of pornography or substance abuse or drunkenness, or sexual addiction, he is on guard. He knows he can't have a cavalier attitude about these toxins. Like someone with a sensitivity to poison oak is cautious while hiking through a forest, the restorer is hyper-aware of their own tendencies while restoring another.

But the main skill these spiritual and gentle people must have is the ability to actually restore them (1). The term Paul chose was often used for setting a dislocated bone back into place or mending fishing nets that had busted. So the restorer needs surgical precision to do the fine needlework of repairing someone else.

It takes tender nuance and care—knowing when to offer a strong word or, on the other hand, offer a soft place to land. It is hard and complicated work. You never know what you'll discover when you enter into someone else's mess, but when they are ready, you'll need a Spirit-led, gentle, and wise approach.

Many years ago, when our family dog was still a puppy, our girls were sad about their first long summer vacation away from him. They grieved that he would miss them too much while they were gone. Quickly, I came to the rescue by explaining to them that since he's a dog and the person we left him with would give him care, food, and shelter, he would be fine. Then I said, "In fact, he will probably have such a good time he'll forget all about us," which led them straight to a new set of fears about how their dog wouldn't even know who they were when we returned. Not Spirit-led. Not gentle. Not wise. And, if we aren't careful, this is the kind of hack spiritual help we will offer—not Spirit-led, gentle, or wise.

These aren't, of course, the only ingredients Paul thought necessary to restore someone back into the gospel community. There has to be an open door, an opportunity. The wayward believer has to—at least eventually—be repentant, want restoration, and demonstrate a change of behavior. Even in this paragraph, Paul said that each one of us will have to bear our own load (5). And the restorer often has to initiate one-on-one. If that is unsuccessful, they then have to try again with a trusted friend. And if that doesn't work, they sometimes have to bring in church leadership (Matthew 18:15-17). They often have to carefully explain sin, repentance, confession, and forgiveness. They have to wrestle in prayer. They have to provide a safe and supportive environment. They often have to offer accountability. They need to maintain confidentiality.

All this to say, it is hard work to restore someone whose been caught in a transgression! Like putting together a machine that has been dismantled, it takes tedious and slow precision. But it is good work. It is beautiful work. And it is Jesus-like work—he rescued and restored us!

2. Bears Burdens of Others (2-3)

The second thing a gospel community does is bear the burdens of others in the church. Restoration involves one person doing hard work to help another, but bearing one another's burdens is more reciprocal (2). Sometimes you carry a burden for someone else in the church; other times, they carry yours.

As I've already mentioned, Paul knows all of us "will have to bear (our) own load" and do our "own work" (4-5). Jesus gives each of us a load to bear, a calling, a life task—and we must bear that load. So what does Paul mean here when he tells us that it is good for us to bear one another's burdens?

When Paul said we must bear our own load, he used a word that meant our own pack, but when he said we should bear one another's burdens, he used a word describing a notably heavy load. Jesus said his yoke is easy, and his burden is light—that's our own load (Matt. 11:28-30). But Jesus also said the storms of life sometimes beat down upon us—those are our burdens (Matt. 7:24-27).

You might understand if you've ever gone on a long backcountry backpacking adventure. Everyone has to be fit and strong enough to carry their own pack filled with shelter, food, and water. Everyone has their load. But if someone in the group sprains their ankle or becomes ill during the trip, they now have a burden, and the others in the group need to help carry it.

So what are some burdens believers might suffer? What events and circumstances should others in Christ jump in to address?

Sicknesses or injuries can certainly be burdens. It is a huge challenge when we are temporarily weakened or permanently diagnosed. It takes us a while to adapt—if we ever can—and we need others in a unique way when we're in the throws of illness or pain. Meals or rides or encouraging notes or phone calls or visits or help around the house can all be useful during these burdens of the body.

Financial distress can also be a burden. The book of Proverbs, a book that highlights personal responsibility throughout, ends with a virtuous woman who "opens her hand to the poor and reaches out her hands to the needy" (Prov. 31:20). And when poverty comes suddenly into a fellow believer's life, it is good for us to do what we can—as we have opportunity—to alleviate their burden (Gal. 5:10).

Grief is another significant burden believers often encounter. Death is a shock, leading to a period where those grieving need the space and support to go through it. It requires sensitivity, of course, to help someone with this burden, but do not distance yourself during times while someone grieves. Reach out. Call them. If they want space, they can let you know, but the testimony of many is that they needed their believing friends while they grieved.

Some among us endure the burdens of leadership. I heard someone describe the pressure leaders endure as similar to the way pressure per square inch (PSI) increases the further down into the ocean a scuba diver swims. At the bottom of the ocean, the pressure is intense. And many leaders feel an increased pressure and—though they must trust God—what we see here is bearing the burdens of others is good. In one New Testament episode, even Paul the mighty Apostle was distressed because he had to confront the Corinthian church. And when Titus arrived with good news, Paul's burden was lessened (2 Cor. 7:5-7).

In our modern time, many of us will become burdened by being marginalized for our faith. Many work environments are fraught with danger for holding biblical views. For this, we need to be wise as serpents and harmless as doves (Matt. 10:16). Still, there will be times our fears become actual burdens. When that happens, Jesus said we should rejoice and be glad because our heavenly reward is great (Matt. 5:11-12). Still, it is also certainly a blessing when brothers and sisters in Christ come to our aid while here on earth.

And sometimes, our burden is a weight of guilt. The Psalmist said, "For my iniquities have gone over my head; like a heavy burden, they are too heavy for me."(Ps. 38:4). And when our failures and shortcomings weigh down upon us, it is so, so good to hear the loving words of a believing friend, not dismissing sin or destroying us with it, but pointing us afresh to the cross, the place our burdens are finally lifted.

But many burdens overtake us. And Paul saw it as fulfilling the law of Christ, otherwise known as "the law of love," to mitigate the weight others bear (2, 5:14). When we carry the burdens of others, we are imitating our Lord, the one who carried our burdens when he took up his cross.

But none of this will happen without a measure of humility. And Paul knew that, which is why he said, "For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself" (3). When we are conceited, though we might not ever say out loud that we are better than others, our self-deceived self-importance will keep us from bearing others' burdens. The truth is that we are all nothing without God's saving grace. Everyone needs Jesus, so no one is above anyone else. And when we realize this about ourselves, it helps us care for others.

I remember a conversation I had with a trusted friend at the end of last year. Though ministry and life was flourishing, I felt emotionally drained. As we talked, he compassionately lifted my burden by reminding me that in the previous year, I had spent lots of time doing ministry on the road, that my oldest daughter had gone away to college, and that my wife had started working more than before to help pay for it. He reminded me of those changes, helped me see that what I was feeling was normal, and then began to encourage me. But before he spoke to me, I couldn't see why I felt the way I did. His burden-bearing love helped me tap into God's love and find the restoration I needed.

3. Responsible for Ourselves (4-5)

So what does a gospel community do? It restores others (1). It bears another's burdens (2-3). Finally, it is filled with people who are responsible for themselves. Paul said, "But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor. For each will have to bear his own load" (4-5). As I mentioned earlier, our continual work or load is different than occasional burdens. Our work or load is the life Christ has individually assigned to each of us.

This whole paragraph from Paul is incredibly balanced. It helps us carve out a middle path between two extremes.[^2] Rather than forget all about our church family so that we fill up our lives with personal or family-oriented activities, God tells us to make room for burden-bearing and restoration (1-3). Rather than be so consumed with others that we forget to tend our own field, God tells us to test our own work and bear our own load (4-5).

To walk this middle (and biblical) path will require us to test our lives (4). Through self-examination, we can design a life we will be glad we lived (boast, 4).

Do you see what Paul has done? He has taken us through three phases of the gospel community. If this passage was a flow chart, one arrow would point from you to others, and it would only go one way because when we restore others, it's a one-sided affair. Another arrow would point to others but back to you because when we bear one another's burdens, we both help and receive help when needed. And the last arrow would point within, right back to you, because we are called to assess our own lives and bear our own portion.

And when we bear our own load we are a huge blessing to the gospel community (5). In a sense, a gospel community is like a kitchen shared with many roommates. It goes best when each person cleans up after themselves. There will, of course, be many times we need others to encourage or support us, but tackling the life Christ designed for individually designed for you, the rest of the community is blessed. When I sacrificially love my wife, raise my kids into adulthood, or walk with God each day, everyone else's load becomes a little lighter because I haven't created as many messes for others to clean up.

The gospel allows for all this because it creates a new humanity, a Jesus-centered community, and the church by saving individuals. So though we are birthed into God's family, we are individual sons and daughters who must "work out our own salvation" (Phil. 2:12). One day, we will stand before God. And if we have personally trusted Christ's work on the cross, we will find our names written in a big book with billions of others—individuals in the gospel community.

Conclusion

And all this burden-bearing and gentle restoration is only possible in a gospel church. Without the cross, we are fossilized into an environment and culture of legalistic human effort. This leads to an unwillingness to help others, along with an allergy to vulnerable transparency. Soon, the very community that should have loved and saved and healed and lifted burdens like Jesus did becomes a burden in itself. So we must keep our focus on Jesus and his wonderful cross so that we can be a blessing on others' journeys and be blessed on our own.

Many video games embrace the premise of the quest or the battle where players must navigate various obstacles and enemies to solve the puzzle, end the war, and win the game. I am partial to the original 1986 Nintendo Legend of Zelda. Your character is young Link, and he embarks on a quest to rescue Princess Zelda. He starts out with barely anything but amasses treasures, tools, and weapons from various characters who help him along the way.

Games like Zelda illustrate the challenge, difficulty, and quest of life as we know it. In other words, we can relate. The obstacles of life are nonstop. The temptations are real. The burdens are huge. And though we know we're called to our own work and our own load, it is refreshing to be part of a church where others help you stay on track. And when a church is rightly centered on the gospel, it has the tools it needs to help everyone on their quest. When we wander into sin, the gospel community reminds us that Jesus died for those sins on the cross. When we are overburdened, the gospel community carries them with us just as Christ bore our burdens on the cross. And we never really know when we will need to receive or give this help. So our best move is to personally press into the body of Christ, walk in the Spirit, and commit to a life fulfilling the law of Christ.

• [^1]: Tripp, Paul David. 2020. Lead: 12 Gospel Principles for Leadership in the Church. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.
• [^2]: Harmon, Matthew S. 2021. Galatians: Evangelical Biblical Theology Commentary. Lexham Academic.

Galatians 6:6-10

1:1-9 | 1:10-24 | 2:1-10 | 2:11-16 | 2:17-21 | 3:1-5 | 3:6-9 | 3:10-14 | 3:15-22 | 3:23-29 | 4:1-7 | 4:8-20 | 4:21-31 | 5:1-6 | 5:7-15 | 5:16-18 | 5:19-21 | 5:22-26 | 6:1-5 | 6:6-10 | 6:11-18

6 Let the one who is taught the word share all good things with the one who teaches. 7 Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. 8 For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. 9 And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap if we do not give up. 10 So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith. (Galatians 6:6–10, ESV)

---

They tell us we should invest early and often into our retirement accounts. I don't mean to make you feel bad if you haven't, but that investment advice provides a good way to understand our passage today. When we deposit into the right areas—I will call them gospel investments—we will eventually experience great returns. So where should we invest? Our Scripture today will give us three areas.

Before considering them, we should notice that at the center of this paragraph is a universal principle—it states that God has designed the universe so that whatever one sows, that he will also reap (7). Practically, this means that when we sow to our flesh, we will reap corruption, but when we sow to the Spirit, we will reap eternal life (8). This is an unalterable law, which is why Paul prefaced it by saying, "God is not mocked" (7). God is unchangeable, and so is his design for the cosmos. What we sow, we will reap.

So the agricultural metaphor Paul hinted at when he wrote of the fruit of the Spirit still stands (5:22). Paul has already told us what sowing to the Spirit would produce—love, joy, peace, patience, etc.—and here he calls those elements eternal life (8, 5:22-23). But the other side of this truth is that sowing to the flesh brings an eventual harvest of corruption. What we sow today—whether flesh or Spirit—will yield results tomorrow. Even the smallest seed-like investments will develop into full-grown eternal life or corruption in our lives (8).

This principle is good because God authored it, but we decide whether its value in our lives will be positive or negative. Sow to the flesh, and its value is negative—it's a scary principle. Sow to the Spirit, and its value is positive—it's an amazing principle. So we should sow to the Spirit! We should make good gospel investments.

1. Your Church Leadership (6-8)

The first area this paragraph says we should invest in is our church leadership. Paul said, "Let the one who is taught the word share all good things with the one who teaches" (6). Throughout Scripture, to "share all good things" is often a euphemism for financial support. It might be other good things, such as encouragement or prayer, but it definitely includes money.

And after everything Paul had to write to the Galatians, he is more conscious than ever of the need for solid Bible instruction. These believers were in danger of cashing in the gospel for legalism. They were tempted to believe lies and fall for traps that Paul carefully and strategically dismantled with the word.

As much as this was a massive need in Galatia, it is a need in our modern world as well. When the word is more rightly understood, we come to good conclusions about who God is and who we are in light of him. So good Bible teachers promote the well-being of God's people. Through solid teaching, servant-leadership, and a healthy example, they impact our spiritual, emotional, and even physical health. They calm, encourage, and correct us. They help every relationship we're in. They strengthen us in our life pursuits. They talk us out of grave errors and life-altering sins. And they help us draw close to God.

All these spiritual benefits are of great importance to everyday life, so they are worthy of financial support. As Paul said to the Corinthians, "If we have sown spiritual things among you, is it too much if we reap material things from you?" (1 Cor. 9:11).

Bible teaching isn't the only thing we need—and Sunday services are certainly not the only place we need it—but Scripture is vital to the formation of a thriving community of Jesus followers. One of my favorite moments in any church service is when someone says, "Let's turn in the Bible to..." It says to me that we are centering our lives upon the word. Just as a village situated at the fountainhead of an ever-flowing stream has what it needs to sustain life, so the church that is centered upon Scripture has access to its life-giving nourishment. And because Bible teaching is of great importance, it is worthy of the investment Paul suggested.

When Paul wrote this, he was not giving the Galatians a brand-new concept:

• Ever since the days of the Exodus in the Old Testament, the spiritual workforce of priests could expect to both work hard and be supported for that work.
• And the Bible says, "In the same way (as the priesthood did), the Lord commanded that those who proclaim the gospel should get their living by the gospel" (1 Cor. 9:13-14).
• When Jesus sent his disciples out to preach, he told them to eat and drink what others provided because "the laborer deserves his wages" (Luke 10:7).
• He also said that the religious leaders should have focused on justice, mercy, and faithfulness, all while maintaining their practice of tithing everything they had, right down to their herbs and spices (Matt. 23:23).
• Paul appealed to both Jesus and the Old Testament law when he said the church should "Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching. For the Scripture says, 'You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain,' and, 'the laborer deserves his wages'" (1 Tim. 5:17-18).
• And in 1 Corinthians 9:1-14, Paul gave eight reasons a gospel-worker had a "right" to eat, build a family, and refrain from other work so they could focus on the ministry (1 Cor. 9:1-6).
• While making that long argument, Paul explained that soldiers fight wars others pay for, farmers eat the fruit of the crops they grow, and ranchers get milk from the flocks they tend (1 Cor. 9:7). And worthy gospel-workers can also be provided for, since they are fighting the good fight, tending God's field, and protecting God's flock.

There are many passages like these scattered throughout the New Testament, but they are a bit awkward for preachers to preach on. Martin Luther once wrote that he was uncomfortable preaching on passages like this one because, he said, "I am made to appear as if I am speaking for my own benefit.”[^1]

And there are obvious abuses that occur here. One abuse comes from the teachers. Are they lazy? Do they take advantage of the people? A great correction to this abuse is that they must work hard. Paul wrote to pastors: "Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth" (2 Tim. 2:15). A worker. It is work. And their teaching should make it obvious that they aren't merely talented or gifted or humorous or dynamic, but workers.

Another abuse comes from the hearers. Some congregations have tried to control their preachers by the paycheck: Say what we want you to say. Stop saying things we don't like hearing. Tickle our ears. Good teachers must resist pressure like this, but good churches won't create that pressure in the first place.[^2]

When we invest in this area, we share in a good thing with our teachers. They gave us the goods of the word, and we give them the goods to sustain life. But we also, when we invest in this area, give to our community. Good teachers are a gift to any town and church, so this form of generosity is kindness to others. And, when we invest in this area, we give back to ourselves. Rather than merely consume the benefits of our local church, we partake in the ministry and mission of that church, embedding ourselves in its life in the process. So, strategically and methodologically, let's be a people who give to our spiritual leaders.

2. The Spirit (7-8)

The second area we should invest is directly to the Spirit. Again, Paul wrote, "The one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life" (8).

The obvious application of this truth is that we should sow to the Spirit, but we cannot consider how to sow without considering what it looks like to sow to the flesh. Sowing to the flesh is to feed the desires of your old, sinful nature. What does this look like? John Stott described it well:

"The seeds we sow (to the flesh) are largely thoughts and deeds. Every time we allow our mind to harbor a grudge, nurse a grievance, entertain an impure fantasy, or wallow in self-pity, we are sowing to the flesh. Every time we linger in bad company whose insidious influence we know we cannot resist, every time we lie in bed when we ought to be up and praying, every time we read pornographic literature, every time we take a risk which strains our self-control, we are sowing, sowing, sowing to the flesh. Some Christians sow to the flesh every day and wonder why they do not reap holiness. Holiness is a harvest; whether we reap it or not depends almost entirely on what and where we sow." —John Stott[^2]

This concept of choosing not to indulge the flesh is challenging to us because we live in a time filled with catchphrases that tell us to follow our impulses and passions. The desire for pleasure is often held up as humanity's chief pursuit. We are told that "the heart wants what it wants." We are told, "Follow your heart." We say, "You, do you. Speak your truth. And be true to yourself."

What are we to do with such advice? If we are honest, there are plenty of times our desires are at odds with Scripture. Does this mean that obedience to God is disobedience to the self?

Yes and no. Yes, because we are to deny ourselves, take up our crosses, and follow after Jesus (Mark 8:34). But no, because when we are born again by simple faith in the gospel, we receive a new nature. That part of us—the Spirit enlivened new nature within us—wants so much more than the desires of the flesh. So, in one sense, for Jesus followers, the question is not whether to follow our heart or not. Instead, the question is, what heart will we follow? Which desires do we yield to, those of the flesh or the Spirit?

For instance, I have desires for Red's Donuts, black licorice, and ice cream. In their proper time—occasionally—those desires are fine. But every night is not the proper time. Why? Because I have deeper desires for physical fitness, to hike when I'm 70, and to maybe someday wrestle with my grandchildren. So which desires will I follow? Which desires are the real me? According to the New Testament, if you are a new creature in Christ, your holy desires are the true and deepest you. Follow those desires![^3]

When you do—when you invest in the things of the Spirit—Paul said you could expect an ever-increasing harvest of eternal life (8). This is not his way of saying good people who do good things get to go to heaven—that would ruin everything he's written in Galatians. Instead, he means that if you've believed in his Son, investing in the Spirit while crucifying the flesh will help you tap into the life God has given you.

So how do we make these investments in the Spirit? How do we walk in the Spirit? What are some biblical ways to put up our sails to catch his wind? Let me mention two that take discipline in our fast-paced world.

One way is to invest in prayer. I know it's tempting to say that what you will do is merely talk to God throughout your day. We are, after all, to "pray without ceasing" (1 Th. 5:17). So by all means, pray all day long, but I'm talking about designated periods of prayer with specific petitions you repeatedly bring to him, both about your life and the lives of others. I might text my wife all day long, but that cannot be our exclusive form of communication. At some point, we need to dive deep, and when we do the same with God, just like Jesus obviously did, we are investing in the Spirit.

And since so many sins flourish when we choose constant isolation, we should invest in fellowship. Selfishness, sensual lust, engaging in foolish controversies, overspending, and worshipping our children—so many sins blossom when we disconnect from others. But intentional community with other believers is a great way to sow to the Spirit. As we share life's burdens together, God meets with us, and we are changed. And part of fellowship is the practice of confession, which is like a disinfectant that kills the spread of deadly germs. Getting our sins into the light is a great way to tap into the Spirit's power.

But we can also invest in Bible study, fasting, secrecy in good deeds, worship, generosity, or solitude and silence. If you sow to the Spirit in these ways, you will be pleasantly surprised by the harvest that grows. So though it is the fruit of the Spirit, and God must do the work in and through us, we all have a decision to make. Or thousands of decisions to make. Will we sow to the flesh or the Spirit? Donald Campbell said it this way, "Each sower decides what his harvest will be."[^4] Follow the true you! Sow to the Spirit more and more and reap a harvest of real life from God.

3. Your Community (9-10)

The third area we should invest in is in our community. Paul said, "And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith" (9-10). What we see in this part of the paragraph is that we are to do good to everyone. This fits the ministry of Jesus, who was indiscriminate in the way he did good to others. When he fed the five thousand, for example, everyone there received bread and fish.[^4] That said, we see here that we are to especially care for those in our church, those who are of the household of faith. And the good we are to do is regulated by opportunity—none of us has infinite time or resources, so when we can, we should do good.

This goodwill takes various forms—practical help, words of encouragement, sacrificial service—but it will often take the form of financial generosity. This is the context of the entire paragraph we've studied today. We are to invest financially in church leadership. We are to invest financially in Spirit-endorsed ministry. And we are to invest financially in those in need, especially those in the church.

Conclusion

All this might feel overwhelming. If it does, I will remind you that Paul said we should display this care and generosity and goodness towards others as we have opportunity (10). We aren't to become overburdened and overwhelmed by Jesus' yoke.

But I would also offer you the same encouragement Paul gave the Galatians: Let us not grow weary in doing good, for in due season we will reap if we do not give up (9). Weariness comes upon everyone who commits to a life filled with good works toward others. It can be painful to sacrifice, and sometimes your sacrifices will be taken for granted, and this leads to weariness. Sometimes it is your body that is weary, while at other times, it is your spirit and soul—but often, your whole person is fatigued.

And when that weariness comes upon you, the Scripture holds out a refreshing reminder: Keep sowing, keep investing, because one day you will reap a harvest! Don't give up or give in because fruit is coming. Just as Jesus foresaw the many sons and daughters who would know God because of his hard work, so we must envision the future harvest that will come if we do not lose heart.

This brings me to Mothers' Day: Mothers, do not grow weary in doing the good and hard work of raising babies into adulthood, and then loving those adults as their lives continue to evolve. It is far easier to give up and kick back, but a harvest is coming in due season if we keep working. keep disciplining. keep sacrificing, keep praying, keep blessing, keep teaching, and keep displaying the gospel. Do not give up because, one day, a harvest will come!

---

[^1]: Luther, Martin. 1998. Galatians. Leicester, England: Crossway Books. [^2]: Stott, John R. W. 2008. Galatians: Experiencing the Grace of Christ. Nottingham, England: Inter-Varsity Press. [^3]: Adapted from Comer, John Mark. 2021. Live No Lies: Recognize and Resist the Three Enemies That Sabotage Your Peace. Colorado Springs, CO: Waterbrook Press. [^4]: Walvoord. 2003. The Bible Knowledge Commentary: New Testament. Colorado Springs, CO: David C Cook Publishing Company.