BACKGROUND:
Paul gave a serious warning, and he didn’t want any of his hearers to miss it. If the Galatian believers were to follow the Judaizers’ teaching, counting on circumcision to make them right with God, then Christ would not be able to help them. How could this be? What could be the harm in circumcision?
Obviously, only men could be circumcised, but more than circumcision was at stake. Paul was confronting the Galatians because they were trying to fulfill the Jewish law. Insistence on circumcision had become the most prominent feature of the Judaizers’ thinking. They taught that the gospel needed the Jewish law system to make it perfect. But God’s way was different—salvation through Christ by grace alone. We can’t mix and match works and grace. God has an exclusive arrangement. The Galatians were about to be circumcised as a requirement to “complete” their salvation. But Paul explained that by that very act they would be saying that Christ’s sacrifice by his death had not been enough to save them.
Choosing circumcision would cause them to lose the value of the free gift of salvation given through Christ. It also would have another devastating effect. Choosing circumcision would mean choosing law keeping (legalism). To choose law keeping meant that one must obey all of the regulations in the whole law of Moses.
By becoming circumcised, the Galatians were submitting themselves to an entire system—one that doomed them to failure.
Those who try to make themselves right with God by keeping the law are, in fact, cut off from Christ. God allows no middle ground—it is Christ or law, not both. Anyone deciding to be justified by law(legalism, doing good works) has fallen away from God’s grace. Christ cannot save those who persist in saving themselves. Paul’s words should not be taken out of context to mean that salvation can be lost. Grace did not mean salvation, but refers to the means of salvation. To decide on legalism as the way of salvation is to “fall away” from grace. It’s like throwing away the life preserver when lost at sea.
If Paul clearly told the Gentile Galatian believers not to be circumcised, what would he say to the Jews, who were already circumcised? Paul made the point that it makes no difference to God whether we are circumcised or not circumcised. Paul’s conviction rested on the importance of all it means to place our faith in Christ Jesus. Each aspect of salvation and every component of the life we live after conversion are rooted in Christ.
Bottom Line: We are saved by faith alone; but for these Galatian believers who seemed to want so desperately to work for their salvation, Paul was saying, “OK, work, but don’t try to earn your salvation. Instead, let your salvation by faith result in loving and kind works done to serve others.” Genuine faith in Christ is expressed in love for others.
SO WHAT? (what will I do with what I have read today?)
The simple foundational truth for today is this. We can't earn our salvation. Period. End of story. We are save by grace through faith.
"For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast." Ephesians 2:8-9 (ESV)
Because of this truth, we don't do good things to earn favor with God. We do good things because we have been saved, not to be saved. Only by asking Jesus Christ into our hearts and trusting Him to forgive us will actually save us.
The good works we do proves that we are saved.
Lord, today, may our lives and all we do bring honor to You. We are so grateful for all you have done for us. Out of a heart of gratitude and thanks we seek to serve you today. Lord, walk with the people of COV. Bless them. Be kind to them. Make a way for them. Encourage them. Protect them. Protect their hearts and minds.
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