LifeWay Explore the Bible Series for June 21: Living by the gospel

Biblical illiteracy is a perplexing issue for Christianity. The causes are many but the results are the same. Use your mind, not just your emotions in approaching spiritual issues. The reasoning power of the mind can unfold information that can lead to faith in Christ (John 5:39).

Though biblical illiteracy is more than a recent problem, a paradigm shift is needed to explain God and the gospel to a postmodern world. Understanding the gospel is complicated by intellectual apathy and irresponsible arrogance.

The Apostle Paul said to Timothy, “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15; 3:14-17).

The language of Scripture is a challenge, but even more challenging is understanding the mysteries of God, his revelation and the meaning of faith. The more we know of God and Scripture, the better able we are to explain our faith. Christians should be grateful for the brilliance of Paul in communicating the gospel of free grace with such precise perception, clarity of explanation and logical presentation.

Paul confronted the unawareness and intellectual confusion of the Galatians and false teachers by providing them new and logical insight into the meaning and consequence of the law and its inadequacies (Galatians 3:15-25). Paul’s argument and explanation in Scripture follow a clear line of evidence from Scripture.  

Starting from the beginning, Paul reminds the Galatians that God would never break or set aside his covenant (v. 17). The covenant was given to Abraham through a promise (Genesis 12:1-3), not through the law (Galatians 3:17-18). The law was given because of the sinfulness of man, in the interim, until the promise of a great nation was fulfilled in Christ (vv. 21-22).

If the law could have been effective to bring righteousness, then it would have been so.  However, the law “was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith. Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the law” (vv. 24-25). The law, a divine gift, helps grace as a guardian and teacher but never can be a substitute for grace through faith nor could it ever change the sin nature of anyone.

Paul laid to rest any argument for a works salvation with his true and logical explanation of the history of God’s plan and implementation of that plan for salvation of all through the death, burial and resurrection of Christ, God’s Son.

Paul’s argument should be convincing to anyone who will seriously consider the facts. Paul argues from the point of view of the Old Testament (vv. 6-14)—the true nature of the covenant (vv. 15-25), the nature of the new relationship as a son of God as compared to the previous condition of living like a child and slave.

Appealing to sonship (Galatians 3:26-29)

Justification by grace through faith establishes a special and particular relationship with God. “All” is the first word in the Greek sentence and is emphatic to include both Jew and Gentile: “You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus” (vv. 26, 29), seed of Abraham (v. 29) and adopted into the household of God. Once a son of God, law becomes an afterthought. A new controlling presence, authority, supervisor or guardian is at work. Faith has brought new life in the old body of flesh and created the new man in Christ, a son of God.  

A son of God has “clothed” himself with Christ, symbolized by baptism (v. 27). Having taken a strong stand against salvation by works, Paul never could mean baptism was necessary for salvation. Paul never would infer that baptism should take the place of circumcision, or he himself would be a hypocrite, like Peter, and a legalist of the worse sort.

Baptism is a symbol, a metaphor, an outward sign of inward change of life. In the manner that one is surrounded by water in baptism, a believer is clothed in Christ. Baptism is a first step of obedience picturing cleansing from sin and one’s death, burial and resurrection with Christ (Romans 6:4).

Baptism that is merely a ritual of entrance into the church takes on a kind of legalism that defies Paul’s defense and explanation of salvation by faith alone. Intrinsic to the experience is the putting off of the old man and the creation of the new one, the cleansing of sin and being clothed in righteousness by God’s forgiveness.  

In Christ, the field is leveled and everyone has the same standing and all discrimination and prejudice is gone. Paul, as a Pharisee, often prayed like this: “I thank God that I am not a Gentile, a slave or a woman.” Paul, knowing Christ, came to see things very differently, for “all are one in Christ” (v. 28). No racial (no Jew or Greek), social (slave or free) or sexual (male or female) discriminations are acceptable in Christ. Today, the church still is working on these same issues.

A believer is a son and heir of God, clothed in Christ who looks on all people with the same respect, appreciation and love.  

Appealing for maturity and freedom (Galatians 4:8-12)

One’s state before becoming a son of God is that of a child and a slave. Straight to the point, Paul tells the Galatians not to go back to living like a child and a slave (vv. 1-7). Children grow up under the rule of law of their parents and are subject to their rule of authority. Such is like being in slavery “under the basic principles of the world” (v. 3). Christ came to redeem us from the law that we might receive the full rights of sons (v. 5), joint heirs with Christ. To his children, God sent “the spirit of his son into our hearts” (v. 6). A son is no longer a slave but an heir (v. 7).  

Paul’s logic is this: who in their right mind would rather be a child and slave rather than a son and heir. He asks the Galatians: “How is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable principles? Do you want to be enslaved by them all over again?” (v. 9). He tells them how they are slipping backwards by “observing special days and months and seasons and years” (v. 10). Paul, honestly, wondered if he had wasted his time and effort.

The situation in Galatia is a significant warning for our culture today. America, proud of its rule of law, is the most litigious nation on earth. The lawyer jokes are not made without some cause. With the secularization of society, more and more laws are necessary, and there are never enough to combat the irresponsibility of our citizenry.  

As a whole, we slide down the slippery slope back to a less mature state of existence based on selfishness and greed controlled, with limited effectiveness, by law. Rather than freedom in Christ, lived out by loving God and loving one’s neighbor, we continue to shake ourselves free of Christian morals, values and principles in order to live like children and slaves. Unfortunately, Christians are about as guilty as the non-Christian when it comes to living beneath the law rather in the rarified air of freedom in Christ.  

Law is a capable teacher but limited by the powerful will of man tempted by the Deceiver. In Eden, God had one rule, but Adam and Eve said, “I want to and will break it,” abruptly experiencing the irresponsibility of freedom in spite of God’s expectation. Depending on the rule of law is like trying to walk on water with no boat in sight. Sophisticated reasoning, often unwittingly, pushes society away from the mystery of the living God and moral behavior to a standard of lesser good standing on a foundation of sand.

Appealing by persuasion (Galatians 4:12-20)

Paul has laid out an irrefutable argument for faith and freedom. Having explained the factual, he appeals urgently with personal persuasion. He follows his tactical presentation of the gospel with a tender, affectionate appeal. “Brethren” was a term of fellowship and love, and “beseech” means to beg urgently and anxiously. With feelings intense, Paul revealed his heartfelt concern that the Galatians have freedom in Christ and not miss out by drifting back toward the harsh realities of false doctrine.  

Using himself as an example, Paul having embraced the Gentile life, appealed to the Galatians to embrace his life in the gospel (v. 12). Their hospitality and friendship, receiving him as though he were an angel from God, had brought much joy to all of them in spite of his ailment. Paul thought the Galatians would have torn out their eyes and given them to him (vv. 13, 15). This may indicate the nature of the illness (2 Corinthians 12:7) which gave Paul the opportunity to preach in Galatia. Paul’s stay, because of his illness, was welcomed in that the Galatians had the opportunity to hear Paul preach.  

Paul was concerned enough to ask, “Have I now become our enemy by telling you the truth?” (v. 16). The affection and zeal of the Judaizers was not noble and contrary to the interest of the Galatians. The Judaizers had their own self-interest at heart. Telling the truth should strengthen a relationship rather than hurt it.  

Paul was struggling to convince the Galatians to stay away from these teachers who would enslave them again in legal paganism (vv. 8-11). The gospel of grace and a gospel of law are like oil and water and cannot be mixed. Paul’s emotional appeal was both passionate and perplexed.  

Conclusion

The Galatians had the same problem as Lot’s wife who looked back and the nation of Israel, on their journey from bondage to freedom, who wanted to go back to safety and comfort of Egypt. Paul is fearful the Galatians will give in and go back to the familiar rituals and sacrifices of Judaism rather than embrace freedom in Christ.

Using Scripture, reason and passion, he urged faithfulness to what they had experienced and the Holy Spirit they had received. The invitation contained all verses as he waited for their response.  His sermon was effective, powerful, true, spiritual, rational and emotional. Paul asked the Galatians to become like him (v. 12).

With all of the issues right, the call of Paul was now in the hands of the Galatians to respond. Paul had done his work well, but was it enough for the results he wanted, or would his labor be in vain? In America today, this happens every Sunday somewhere in church.