True Freedom
Some time ago, experts from Scotland were called in to examine a bottle of very expensive whiskey sold by an exclusive Swiss Hotel. A Chinese millionaire had been staying at the hotel and decided to treat himself to a drop or two from a bottle in the hotel’s collection dating from 1878. This guest paid 10,000 Swiss Francs, over 12,000 dollars, for those few drops. It was, apparently, the most expensive glass of whiskey ever sold. But once photos were posted online of the occasion, observers quickly raised questions about the authenticity of the label and the cork. Eventually, the experts were called in, samples were sent away for testing, the bottle was determined to be a fake, and the hotel manager flew out to China to deliver an apology and a full refund to the customer. Clearly, when the stakes are high, and when large sums are on the line, it is important to know the difference between true and false, authentic and counterfeit, genuine and fake. In the book of Galatians, we find ourselves looking in at a clash between the religious systems of the world and the authentic gospel of grace—and the stakes are high!
False missionaries had visited the church in Galatia and spread the lie that circumcision was required, in addition to faith in Christ, to be made right with God. In contrast, Paul insists that faith in Christ, and faith alone, is the basis for salvation. He declares with urgency, “Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all.” (Gal. 5:2) The Galatians may have wanted to hedge their bets and rely on both faith in Christ and circumcision. That may have seemed like the safer course. But Paul is very clear: it is a matter of either/or. He essentially says, “You either trust in Christ or you trust in law-keeping – 50/50 won’t do!”
But how is this topic of circumcision relevant in today’s culture? The deeper issue here is legalism. Paul is actually addressing the means by which we are made right with God. He points out, “Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obliged to obey the whole law. You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace.” (Gal. 5:3). To be “justified” is to be declared innocent before God the Judge – to be made right with Him. Our wrongdoing clearly establishes our guilt before God; we all deserve to have the book thrown at us on that final day of judgment. When faced with that reality, our natural inclination is to strive to appease God through our good works. But the true gospel teaches that Jesus has paid the price of our guilt through His death on the cross – and He offers us the gift of justification through faith in Him alone.
A glorious freedom flows from the authentic gospel. We are free to rest in God’s grace, and not strive to earn our salvation through religious effort. But we are called to use our freedom wisely. As Paul writes, “You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. The entire law is summed up in a single command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Gal. 5:13-14) This week, “stand firm” (Gal. 5:1) in gospel freedom knowing that “the only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.” (Gal. 5:6).