Favor With God-In Christ Alone

“You foolish Galatians! Who has cast a spell on you? Before your eyes Jesus Christ was vividly portrayed as crucified! The only thing I want to learn from you is this: Did you receive the Spirit by doing the works of the law or by believing what you heard? Are you so foolish? Although you began with the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by human effort?”  Galatians 3:1-3 NET

Paul's encouragement to the Galatian gathering in chapter two is now juxtaposed with a stark reality of the futility of the flesh's attempts to gain favor with God. Paul emphasizes that there is nothing the Galatians, or anyone else, can do to earn God's favor. God desires nothing from us except an empty vessel that He can occupy and transform to reflect His nature. This nature is God Himself, which God can mirror in our bodies and personalities so that He might be our all-in-all.

Paul asks in no uncertain terms, How could it be clearer?  You’ve received the message of the cross, which demonstrates the meaning of Jesus’ death for all humanity in exhaustive detail. The message could not be more evident. With a passion that burns like a flame, Paul reiterates this point. The fact that Paul refers to the Galatian gathering as foolish only further shows that he is not pulling any punches in putting them in their proper place and bringing the Galatians back to the beginning of the teaching of Christ. What is truly lacking is discernment, both spiritually and mentally, which is causing a shift in their thinking, contrary to what Paul had taught them.

The problem with the Galatian church is the significant influence from Jewish sources and local pagan beliefs, which detracted from the finished work of Christ taught by Paul. The people adopted these ideas and tried to curry God’s favor through works of the flesh. Much of this counterargument came from the church in Jerusalem, which adhered to the belief that it was Christ and the addition of Jewish law that brought salvation. As we discussed in previous posts, there were many arguments between Paul and leaders of the Jerusalem church, with Paul arguing that salvation was about the finished work of Jesus on the cross, and nothing else, not following the law, for the law was fulfilled in Christ Jesus, a significant point in the understanding of salvation.

It's a debate that continues to echo through the ages: Should we conform to cultural norms, or a condition for Church membership but not for salvation? We're in a constant struggle, navigating between laws, rules, and ordinances and the freedoms we've been granted in Christ Jesus. To fit into certain social circles, we're expected to follow specific practices that some churches endorse. But it's important to remember that these practices are not a prerequisite for salvation. The only thing that truly matters for salvation is our believing loyalty in Jesus Christ, a simple yet profound truth that we must always keep in mind.

There will always be differing opinions regarding doctrinal matters in local church bodies and denominational sectors, but these differences shouldn’t divide us; differences should unite us in the diversity within the body of Christ. Paul takes the position that when a weaker brother or sister has a position that they take which may be contrary to our freedoms, we should acquiesce to the weaker brother or sister so that we do not derail their faith with our freedoms. This doesn’t mean that we give up our freedom in Christ, but rather that we respect others' beliefs and refrain when we are around certain people, empowering us to maintain our freedom while at the same time being respectful to others.

The following phrase was coined in the Spiderman series by Spiderman’s uncle Ben Parker: “With great power, comes great responsibility.” the same can be said for our freedom in Christ, except for the change of one word, “With great freedom, comes great responsibility.” We are indeed our brother’s keeper when it falls within our ability to do so. We safeguard our brothers and sisters in Christ with the truth of the gospel in ways that support their belief system and their maturity in Christ, or their lack thereof. This unity in supporting each other's belief systems helps us to trust the Lord to work in their lives as we ask the Holy Spirit that He may bring them along in more profound and more deeply fulfilling encounters with Jesus.

My personal thoughts on this passage are concerning. Paul has laid the foundation of faith and brought many in the Galatian gathering to an understanding of their freedom in Christ. However, there were those who are trying to circumvent that foundation of freedom with their own agenda, bringing them back into bondage. This is not just a matter of differing opinions, but a dangerous situation where they are harming those in the Galatian gathering with differing concepts of confusion and disunity. For this reason, I believe that Paul is using the word ‘foolish’ to describe their willful giving into this damaging thought process. Also, that Paul is trying to jolt them back into reality to emphasize the importance of recapturing their minds and their mental acuity, with their spiritual freedoms in Christ intact in thier minds. In other words Paul is being a good spiritual Father to the Galatian gathering.

Stephen Barnett