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By Neal Griffin
Paul wrote to the Galatians that they had started off so well but that someone had "bewitched" them. They started off in the freedom that Jesus offered but rejected His grace in favor of bondage. Jesus had previously announced, "Ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free". In another place it is written, "I am the truth----". At first they embraced this Truth and were set free. At first they appropriated His blood in the place of their sins. At first they put their trust for salvation in Him only but someone "bewitched" them.
The "someone" were the Jewish Christians who came down from Judea with the false teaching that they must keep the law (circumcision) in order to be saved. Paul was so put out with these "Judaisers" that he wished they were "cut off" (castrated). What they were teaching contradicted Paul’s message of salvation by grace through faith in Jesus. They were adding provisions to God’s plan of free salvation. They were attempting to enslave those whom Jesus had set free. The thrust of Paul’s message in Romans and Ephesians is that we are made righteous by reason of our faith and not because of our efforts at law keeping. This principle was true even before the advent of Jesus. Abraham, for example, was counted righteous by reason of his faith. Genesis 15:6, and we too will be accepted as Abraham was by reason of our faith. Romans 4:24. Our righteousness is derived from our faith. Philippians 3:9.
Is there a similarity between the Galatians and the religious world today? Yes, definitely. Could the Galatian apostasy be repeating itself in our age? Yes, very definitely. Was circumcision the only possible violation of God’s free plan that could cause them to be "fallen from grace"? Certainly not! "Circumcision", in the broader sense as the word was being used in the Galatian letter, referred to law keeping. Any addition to God’s free plan is a violation.
Presently hearers of the Gospel message are believing it and by faith allowing Jesus to dwell in their hearts. Ephesians 3:17. They are being set free by the terms of Ephesians 1:13-14, but deceivers (bewitchers) are plaguing them with the idea that in addition to faith one must do 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 in order to be saved, and then 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 in order to stay saved. Shades of Galatia! If this is not the Galatian apostasy repeating itself I don’t know what to call it. The Bible is very clear on this point: Salvation is the free gift of God and by grace ye are saved through faith. In Titus 3:5 we read: "He saved us by a washing of rebirth and renewal of the Holy Spirit. Salvation did not come from any good deeds we ourselves did. No, it came by God’s mercy". We are saved by His grace. Salvation is altogether of Him. It is "impossible" on the part of man. Matthew 19:26. It is in the court of God, and when men try to place it in the court of man they are doing exactly what the Judaisers were doing. They are adding to God’s free plan of salvation.
Man does not accomplish salvation by his efforts at law keeping, by his church membership, nor by his good deeds. Salvation is the accomplishment of God. It is a demonstration of His goodness and not the consequence of man’s goodness. We are righteous only because God has declared us to be so by reason of Calvary. When men teach that righteousness is attained by the efforts of man they do err. The righteousness that matters, the righteousness that relates to salvation, is the righteousness that is from above, the righteousness that accrues to us by reason of our faith. Philippians 3:9. Physical man is not birthed (born—brought into life) by his own efforts and neither is Spiritual man.
Be not deceived! God is not mocked. I pray that God will help us to retain our freedom in Christ Jesus and not allow us to go backward into the bondage of religion. Your servant in Him, Neal Griffin
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