Monday, June 6, 2016
Galatians 1:11-12 But I make known to you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ.
CHAPTER BY CHAPTER: GALATIANS 1
Paul uses the word "gospel" five times in the first chapter of his letter to the Galatians. It's clear that he is intent on setting a tone of Christ crucified in their lives. The Galatian congregation was founded upon the gospel. But as Paul penned this letter they were at risk of losing this precious heritage. Some in their midst were trying to get them to combine they own efforts with Christ’s atonement, as if His sacrificial payment upon the cross was not enough to pay for their sins.
Paul was the perfect apostle to speak to this problem, for he had tried the path of self-reliance before. He tells the Galatians that he grew up in Judaism and was "exceedingly zealous for the traditions of my fathers" (v. 14). Paul had spent the majority of his life trying to earn favor with God. He was better at it than most. But none of this vainful striving helped alleviate the guilt of Paul's conscience. He was not at peace with God until he was called to faith by the grace of Jesus Christ.
We, today, may not be under threat by the laws of Judaism, but the same reliance upon human effort is abundant in our culture. Some churches only preach the kind of "gospel" that focuses on works we must do. Others elevate the sayings of certain holy men and church traditions to the same level as God’s inspired word. For the growing number of religious "nones" in our society, hope for a better life rests entirely in their hands.
Let us heed Paul's emphasis on the true gospel from Galatians chapter one. Life eternal comes freely through Jesus Christ and his merits alone.
