Summary: Paul has just greeted the churches in Galatia with thanksgiving for the Cross and now it’s time to get down to business. He is now beginning his defense of the true Gospel. He starts in this passage by first announcing his amazement of the pace at which the Galatians have turned away. He then moves in to a claim that people have distorting the real view of justification through faith alone.
Timeless Principle: The main thing that must be brought out of this text is the fact there is only one Gospel. There never has been nor will there ever be nor can another ever exist. It is in this spirit that Paul is writing this letter, a letter to say that Christ is sufficient. Paul is “astonished” at the mere fact that the church has turned from the truth so quickly. He is overwhelmed with the decision that the church has made, dumbfounded even. This astonishment causes a Paul to jump right into an argument; he doesn’t even skip a beat to give thanksgiving. This is peculiar. In all of Paul’s other letters he first encourages the church he writing to before addressing the problems that have risen, even in his letters to the Corinthians, who were easily the most immoral of all the churches. This leads to a question: Why is Paul so quick to jump into a defense without offering up the slightest encouragement? The answer is simple but dire. The problems of the other churches were usually questions of holiness; however, this has become a question of whether or not the Galatians had ever believed the truth of the Gospel in the first place. Perhaps this is why Paul worries if all his troubles in Galatia had been in vain [4: 11].
From this two things arise that must be noted. The first is a question of what is the true Gospel? The word Gospel, literally translated “good news,” is tossed around more in churches today than perhaps any other time in history, so often in fact that the true meaning has been lost or tainted. So then what is it at its core? What are its bare bones? What does it consist of that it can never be anything less than? It is the very fact of the propitiative death and resurrection of the very Son of God, Jesus Christ. That is it at its core, the atoning death of Christ for the infinite debt of sin. The second point that must be understood is simply the mere fact that there is not any other gospel. The Galatians were, as is clear from the rest of the book, were beginning to get things twisted; they began thinking that the Gospel was Christ plus something else. If that were true then “Christ died for no reason” [2:21]. Nothing we do makes us more saved. We cannot submit to a false, works-based salvation. We pursue holiness not as a way to when Christ’s acceptance, but rather we pursue holiness because of the love that Christ has “compels” us [2 Cor. 5]. Any man when reading the Psalms will see the overwhelming love Christ has for us, as if anything else will ever win us more of his grace that has been reserved for his children at Calvary.
For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them. “
[Psa 139:13-16]
David’s words render the nature of the love of a God who is perfectly at work in the delicate stitching of our being and who has laid out each day carefully even before we were formed. Our creator’s love is perfectly displayed on the cross and nothing can ever add to it. Just as we cannot add to the Gospel, we cannot take away from it. Every event at Golgotha was carefully planned and carried out by the Father above. These things bring to light yet another truth in that we cannot ever let our minds go beyond the cross nor can we ever let our minds push it to the side. The Cross is what should define our decisions and captivate our thoughts.
My Prayer: Father, too often I wander from your Gospel. Inherently I find myself looking to go beyond it, as if there were anything beyond it. Forgive my sin, too often I find myself being motivated but everything but your Gospel even in my quiet times. God your love is all that sustains me and so I plea that you make the love that you have so freely given me compel my actions. In Christ’s name I pray Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment