You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. – Galatians 3:1
In Paul’s letter to the Galatians, he shares the revolutionary message that God wants to accept everyone into his family by grace and the only ticket needed is faith. Because of God, and the grace of God, and the Gospel of God, we are free from the shackles of legalism. We don’t have to be good enough for God, because we can never be good enough for God. Jesus was good enough for all of us. Once we accept Jesus and his free gift of grace, through faith in Him, God completely and totally accepts us.
The way you avoid the shackles of legalism and breathe the fresh air of liberty that the Gospel brings is to first look to the Son.
In his writing, Paul is being both a compassionate pastor and a wise counselor. He realizes there is always going to be a struggle in really believing that God accepts us just because of His grace, and it has nothing to do with how good we are. Paul preaches to the Galatians how Jesus had done everything necessary on the cross for them to be accepted by God, freeing them from this notion that somehow they had to be good enough for God, and now they are being tempted to go right back into the slavery of legalism and law keeping.
The vast majority of this world has been convinced that they can earn their way to God, that they can work their way to God, and that if they keep enough rules, abide by enough regulations, effect enough restrictions, then God will accept them. There can only be one reason why God would not only allow Jesus to die on the cross but would actually send Jesus to die on the cross. It is because you cannot earn your way to God. That is why it’s so imperative we understand that the Gospel is not an invitation for you to do anything for God. It is a declaration of what God has done for you through His Son Jesus.
Dear Father, thank you for the freedom you offer from the shackles of legalism. Help me not to focus so much on what I’m doing for you, but rather what you have done for me through Jesus. Amen.
Topics: Freedom in Christ
