Galatians; James

As Paul continued to evangelize Asia Minor and plant congregations he encountered Jews and Gentiles in synagogues and in the marketplace of the cities. The infant church in those cities needed his, guidance and training in order to be established firmly in the faith. By obeying the gospel and putting on Christ in baptism, they turned their backs upon Jupiter, Zeus, Mithra and the Law of Moses. Whether paganism or Judaism was their heritage, the pull to turn back was always there. For an abundance of reasons, the pull of Judaism was strong enough to cause many to either reject Christ entirely, or to try to blend Judaism and Christianity into a hybrid.

So successful were those who tried to turn themselves and others back to the Law, the Holy Spirit moved Paul, James, the writer of the book of Hebrews and Peter to address the urgent and essential matter with the Jewish converts. This was no small matter to God. The Word of God became flesh and His name was Immanuel … God with us. The Light of Life came into the world and His name was Jesus … Yahweh saves.

We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners; yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified. But if, in our endeavor to be justified in Christ, we too were found to be sinners, is Christ then a servant of sin? Certainly not! For if I rebuild what I tore down, I prove myself to be a transgressor. For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.

Galatians 2:15-21

In the body of Jesus, the Word of God – the Law of Moses – was nailed to the cross.

In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.

Colossians 2:11-14

Jesus fulfilled the Law and the Law fulfilled its purpose.

Why then the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the offspring should come to whom the promise had been made, and it was put in place through angels by an intermediary. Now an intermediary implies more than one, but God is one. Is the law then contrary to the promises of God? Certainly not! For if a law had been given that could give life, then righteousness would indeed be by the law. But the Scripture imprisoned everything under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise.

Galatians 3:19-29

The Law of Moses both held the Jews captive and pointed them to Christ. To return to the captivity of the Law of Moses is to be cut off from Christ. To be cut off from Christ is to fall from grace. That’s why this was essential for the Holy Spirit to communicate these things to the infant church.

For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. Look: I, Paul, say to you that if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you. I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law. You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace.

Galatians 5:1-4

Freedom. Many take the concept to the ungodly extreme that in Jesus we are free to do as we wish and God will forgive. Although we are no longer under the Law of Moses, the church is still under law.

Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

Galatians 6:2

Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.

James 1:21-25

If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well.

James 2:8

Whether pagan or Jew, sin is lawlessness. We make choices and sin results from choosing to live by our own desires, instead of the will of God. God’s law is eternal, but the Law of Moses was temporary. The distinction is essential to understanding grace and freedom in Christ. A life outside of law is sin. In addition to the Law of Moses, all sin was nailed to the cross in the body of Jesus when He did not turn back and fulfilled His purpose.

In Christ, our choice is not law or freedom. Our choice is to turn to Jesus and live under the perfect law of liberty or to turn away and live under the law of sin and death. For the Jews and the Gentile, there is no turning back,

Consider His nature.  Consider His ways.  Strive to love Him more!