By Aaron Swartzentruber
Greenleafton, MN
“O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?” (Galatians 3:1)
The Apostle is writing to a people that believe in Christ, that Christ paid for their sins but now they’re trying to perfect their salvation by their own works. In other words they were trying to have a better “hope of salvation” or “possibility of salvation.” Christ alone wasn’t enough for them anymore.
In Verse 2 he asks, “Did you receive the Spirit by the law or by faith?” They already know the answer and he knows it. They received the Spirit by faith. Now Verse 3, “Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?” If you are trying to get to heaven by Christ plus your works you are foolish. Now that’s not just that fanatical nutcase Aaron Swartzentruber telling you that! It’s God’s Word telling you that.
Verse 6: “Even as Abraham ‘believed’ God, an it was accounted to him for righteousness.” Verse 9: “So then they which be of ‘faith’ are blessed with ‘faithful’ Abraham.”
But wait a minute, James 2:21-22 says “Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? Seeth thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?” That looks like a contradiction at first. But James’ whole point is that faith without works is dead, it’s not the real thing. Faith alone saves but the faith that saves is never alone. Saving faith produces works; works don’t produce saving faith.
Faith alone justifies us before God but the works justify us before man. It may be that you’re justified before man because of your works but you’re not justified before God because you’re not trusting in Christ alone for your salvation. Here’s what Jesus said to that crowd, “Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he that doeth the will of my Father (will of the father, see John 6:40) which is in heaven. Many will say, “Have we not prophesied in thy name and done many wonderful ‘works.’” And then will I profess unto them, I never new you.” (Matthew 7: 21-23) Why? Because they do not have faith in Christ’s blood atonement alone.
That’s like Cain and Abel. Abel brought a blood offering and Cain brought an offering of the work of his own hands. The New Testament confirms that Abel was righteous because of his offering. That’s Hebrews 11:4. Killing animals at that time was a very uncommon thing. When Adam and Eve sinned, God had to kill animals for skins to cover them up. That’s how Abel knew that God requires the shedding of blood for the remission of sin. His offering didn’t justify his sin, his “faith” in his offering made him righteous. His offering pointed to the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ. “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is a gift of God not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).
Back to Galatians 3, Verse 10, “For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, cursed is everyone that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.” The law is a curse to us because we haven’t kept it. Or maybe you have, I know I haven’t. Verse 11, “The just shall live by faith.” Verse 13, “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law.” Verse 14, “That we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.”
I love the book of Galatians! It’s so liberating! I feel like shouting a blessed hymn that’s stuck in my mind: Blessed be the name! Blessed be the name! Blessed be the name of the Lord! Let all the redeemed sing it.
Until next time…