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HOT UNDER THE COLLAR
"Paul, an apostle - sent not from men nor by a man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised Him from the dead - and all the brothers and sisters with me. To the churches in Galatia: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ who gave Himself for our sins to rescue us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen." Galatians 1:1-5.
Paul had every reason to be hot under the collar! There were men, called Judaizers, on his trail who were so zealous for the Law that they were trying to undo everything he had done to teach the Gentiles the truth and lead them to freedom in Christ.
Paul was a Jew, a died-in-the wool Pharisee who had, in his pre-conversion days, contended so vigorously for the Law that he was willing to kill for his beliefs. His compatriots had killed Jesus and he was determined to kill His followers and stamp out this rival, anti-God religion, so he thought. That was until he met Jesus in a face-to-face encounter that opened his eyes and shook him to the core.
He discovered that what was called "The Way" was no corruption of his faith but the completion of what he had learned and taught with vigour and zeal as a Pharisee. This Jesus, whom he was unwittingly persecuting, was the Messiah he and his fellow Jews had yearned for and yet rejected when He came because He was not the person they expected.
What's more, he discovered that in this one person, Jesus, God had fulfilled every promise and that He was a sufficient Saviour from everything that the Law demanded but could not provide. Paul knew what it was like to fail, Pharisee though he was, and to suffer the pangs of guilt for breaking God's Law with no hope of ever satisfying His righteous requirements.
He also knew what it was like to experience the freedom from guilt that the forgiveness of sins had brought him. Peace with God! The peace of God! These were so real to him that he was willing to lay down his life to make this Jesus known. Only in Him could the sinner be reconciled to God. Jesus plus nothing was the revelation he had received and Jesus plus nothing was what he contended for and would to his last breath.
These Judaizers were false teachers who were insisting that, to be acceptable to God, Gentiles had to be circumcised and keep the Law of Moses as well as believing in Jesus. Paul was incensed because his beloved Galatians had swallowed this lie and veered off course, not realising the implications of their actions. They had to be informed and quickly before they disqualified themselves from receiving God's grace.
Even Paul's introductory statements reveal his concern about what was going on in the Galatian church. No friendly greeting, no commendation or prayer, just the bold declaration of who he was - an apostle of God and of Jesus Christ, in case they had any doubts about his authority. He not only represented the triune God, but also his fellow believers who stood with him in what he taught and what they believed.
Even his benediction - grace and peace - has a ring of sternness about it. Don't you Galatians understand that the grace and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ come at a price? It cost the Son His life-blood to rescue you from the corruption in the world and of your own hearts. How can you ever think that you can add to what He did to effect your rescue and restoration to God as His children?
Paul would contend vigorously for one thing - do you want to be slaves or sons? If you go back to the Law, you will be going back to slavery, cancelling out God's grace and putting you back under the curse of trying to do it yourself. It didn't work for the Jews and it won't work for you.
This subtle error rears its head in many ways in the church today. There are those who still contend for the Law in such things as Sabbath worship, health laws, dress codes, even the use of musical instruments in public worship. What about the current teaching about "spiritual warfare" as though it is still the church's job to fight against principalities and powers before people will believe the gospel?
Again and again we have to ask the question: Did Jesus say or did He not say, "It is finished"? Was His life, death and resurrection enough to satisfy God's justice? Did He or did He not defeat the devil? We must let the Apostle Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, answer these questions.
"When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ, He forgave us all our sins, having cancelled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; He has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed powers and authorities, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross." Colossians 2:13-15.
Acknowledgement
Scripture taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
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