Dwell in the Word: Galatians 5:1-15

Contemplate these questions as you dwell in Galatians 5:1-15:

1. How does Paul's argument in Galatians 5 emphasize the conflict between relying on the law versus embracing the freedom granted through faith in Christ, and what implications does this hold for understanding salvation?

2. Paul uses strong language regarding circumcision, drawing connections between it and being severed from Christ. What is the significance of this analogy in terms of salvation and the teachings he addresses in Galatians?

3. In discussing freedom in Christ, how does Paul balance the concept of freedom from the law with the responsibility to love and serve others? How does this redefine the purpose of freedom in a Christian context?

Transcript:

As we find ourselves in chapter five, we see that Paul has not given up his feisty tone, here has he? He does start off here reminding us that it is for freedom that Christ has set us free. In other words, Jesus died to set you free from this yoke of slavery, this yoke of the law. It was so that you wouldn't have to do things like circumcision or follow the law to feel as though you had to earn your salvation that Christ died for you. It was that... It was for this purpose. Paul says, Hey, if you're going to accept that circumcision is what saves you, then Christ has of no advantage to you. You are trying to save yourself. You're trying to fulfill this all through the law. You are essentially getting rid of the grace of God and putting yourself under a burden. That is what Paul says here, Hey, if you accept circumcision, you need to accept the rest of the law, too. You need to use that. Why just circumcision is essentially what he's saying. If you are going to do this, then you're saying, Hey, I need something more than Christ. 

And so Paul is essentially using some imagery here as they're being severed from theirfor skin, they are being severed from Christ. They're getting cut off from Him. That's the idea here. If you want to be justified by the law, if you want to do this by works, by these rites and rituals, then what good is grace to you? And so Paul is continuing to make his case here. We hope for righteousness. We wait for this. This is coming through Christ, it's not through anything that you are going to do. Don't be severed from Christ. Instead, hold fast to him, because Paul says here in verse 6, For in Christ Jesus, neither circumcision nor uncircumstation counts for anything, only faith. In Christ, you don't need to do these rites, these rituals, these works of the law. Instead, you are trusting in Jesus by faith. And this is about the love of God that is for you. And he also says here that, Hey, you were doing good. What happened? Paul is really concerned about these people who are teaching this false teaching that are leading them astray, these Judaismizers. He makes it seem as though maybe there's a specific individual here. 

I don't think we know that for sure. But this is the point Paul says, Hold fast to what you knew before. You were doing good with the truth. Why are you deviating from it? And we see something interesting here in verse 11. I didn't highlight it, but if I'd rather still preach circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? If circumcision is good, and if this will be saved and you still keep the rites and rituals and those are all still good, why would the Jews persecution him? Why would they say that Paul is not teaching correctly? There would be no offense of the cross if that was all there is. That's part of the offense of the cross, right? That all you need is in the suffering of Christ. So if he was saying, Hey, you can keep doing these rites and rituals, and they earn righteousness for you, why worry about the offense of the cross? Why be persecuted? And so Paul continues, as I said before, with this harsh tone. And it's really interesting here in verse 12, I wish those who settle you would emaculate theirselves. And the idea being a fad, essentially, hey, if you think circumcision is what's going to save you, why not go a step further? 

Why not take care of the whole thing? But Paul then contrasted that by saying, For you were called freedom. You're free in Christ. Paul says here, Hey, this isn't a license for you to do whatever you want. Instead, what he says is don't use this opportunity for the flesh. In other words, don't say, Hey, I can do whatever fleshly indulges I wanted to because I've been set free. No, the idea here is to love God and neighbor, to serve one another. Because the goal here, the law, what we want to do because what we want to follow, because Christ has died for us, is you shall love your neighbors as yourself. That is the big idea here, that because Christ has set us free, we are now free to love and serve our neighbors. We can now follow Christ without worrying about earning anything for ourselves. Instead, we now love God in a response to what He has done for us. And as always, that's the best application that you and I can walk away from scripture with. That is how we are called to live our lives. And as reformed Christians, we look at the Heidelberg Catechism that spells this out for us, that we understand the misery we were in. 

We understand how we were delivered from that misery, and then we respond in gratitude. That's the idea that Paul is showing us here. Hey, if you want to live for God, love your neighbor as yourself in response to freedom that Jesus has given you. May you and I live striving for that today.