Day 271 – Galatians: Introduction
“So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law.” Galatians 5:1 NLT
A family executing their carefully planned escape at midnight, dashing across the border. A man standing outside the prison walls, gulping in fresh air and awash in the sunlight. A young woman with every trace of the ravaging drugs gone from her system. They are FREE! With fresh anticipation, they can begin anew. Whether fleeing oppression, stepping out of prison, or breaking a strangling addiction, freedom means life. Nothing is so exhilarating as knowing that the past is forgotten and that new things await. We yearn to be free.
The book of Galatians is the charter of Christian freedom. In this profound letter, Paul proclaims the reality of our liberty in Christ – freedom from the law and the power of sin, and freedom to serve our living Lord.
Most of the first converts and early leaders in the church were Jewish Christians who proclaimed Jesus as their Messiah. Understanding their roots and heritage, they struggled with a dual identity: the well-known Hebrew way, as strict followers of the law, and their newfound faith in Christ, which invited them to celebrate holy liberty. One can understand their confusion, as we too struggle with a dual identity when we first come to Christ.
This controversy tore the church. Judaizers – an extremist Jewish faction within the church – taught that Gentile Christians had to submit to all the Jewish laws and traditions in addition to believing in Christ. As a missionary to the Gentiles, Paul had to confront this issue many times.
Having laid the foundation in the epistle to the Galatians, Paul builds his case for Christian liberty. We are saved by faith, not by keeping the law; our freedom means that we are free to love and serve one another, not to do wrong; and Christians should carry each other’s burdens and be kind to each other. Then Paul takes the pen into his own hand and shares his final thoughts. Try not only to understand this first-century conflict between grace and law – or faith and deeds – but also be aware of modern parallels. Like Paul, defend the truth of the gospel and reject all those who would add to or twist the truth. You are free in Christ – step into the Light and celebrate!
Prayer: Father, thank You for the freedom we have through Christ Jesus, and that we can use it to freely love like You. As we read through Galatians, please confirm our identity in Christ and allow the roots of Your love to overflow into our lives. Amen.
