Sometimes wrong teachings and beliefs can creep into a church. This can happen to a young, new church, or one with a young pastor. It can also happen to an older church, as well. Whenever this happens, it is important that someone well-grounded in the faith step in and get the believers back on track. In today’s passage from the New Testament Book of Galatians we see where false teachings were being deliberately taught to some young believers, and how The Apostle Paul had to set them straight.
Paul and his companions had brought the Gospel to several towns and villages in the region of Galatia, which was in central Asia Minor (modern day Turkey). Many of the believers here were from Gentile background. Shortly after Paul had left, traveling on to bring the Gospel to other areas, people from the Jewish faction of the church came in, telling them that they first had to become Jewish, and then that they had to keep all of the Mosaic Law in order to be saved. When Paul heard about this he naturally became quite upset. This teaching that was being spread by the “Judaizers” was completely contrary to the Scripture teaching and doctrine of Justification by Faith alone.
In his letter to the churches in Galatia, Paul sought to set them straight about the false teaching that one must keep the Old Testament Law in order to be saved. Some of these false teachers argued what the purpose of the Law was then, if they didn't have to keep it now. As Paul taught, the purpose of the Old Testament Law was to lead people to a complete realization of our inability on our own to live up to God’s holy and righteous standards. It was to show us that we can never make ourselves acceptable to God by our own efforts. We are absolutely dependent on God to provide righteousness for us. God did that through Jesus Christ. The Law teaches us the need for salvation. God’s grace gives us that salvation. We cannot be saved by keeping the Law. We must trust Christ.
To help the Galatians understand this, Paul pictured the Law as a jailer of guilty, condemned sinners (vs. 23). They are on death row, awaiting God’s judgment (Romans 6:23). Since the dawn of time only faith can unlock that prison door. Faith in Christ alone releases people from bondage to the Law. Paul also used the example of a child under a tutor (vs. 24). When a child is young, they often have a tutor to instruct them and watch over them until they are old enough to be on their own. The Law was our tutor, which, by showing us our sins, was escorting us to Christ. Believers who have accepted Jesus through faith, have now come of age, and do not need that tutor anymore (vs. 25).
Paul proceeded to teach these young believers that they did not have to worry that they were not “blood descendants” of Abraham (vs. 26). Only those who have put their faith in Jesus Christ are God’s true children (John 1:12). If we are saved, we are just as much the child of God as Peter and Paul were, just as much as Abraham and Moses were. God has the same tender heart towards all who have accepted His Son, regardless of their blood lineage.
Not all of the physical descendants of Abraham are true spiritual children of him. Gentile believers, though not physically descended from Abraham, are his spiritual children because they followed the pattern of his faith (vs. 29). All believers who have accepted Jesus as Savior, whether Jewish or Gentile, are heirs of the spiritual blessings that accompany the Abrahamic Covenant of Justification by Faith. Through faith in Jesus we are accounted as God’s children, regardless of our physical lineage, and have all the privileges of His children. We are joint-heirs with Jesus.
When we stand at the Cross of Jesus we are all equal - male, female, rich, poor, no matter what race, country, or continent one is from (vs. 28). Do you feel welcomed by Christians? If you are already saved, do you welcome everyone in your church, or are willing to tell everyone, regardless of race, about Jesus? Everyone needs salvation, and Jesus died to provide that for everyone. We are saved through faith, by His grace (Ephesians 2:8). God doesn’t play favorites, either before or after salvation.
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