Embrace the grace

Galatians 1:1 – 2:21

Backdrop… Paul had previously planted a church in Galatia based on the Gospel of faith through Jesus Christ Paul is speaking to the Galatians, a people falsely believing they must become Jews (under strict Mosaic Law and earn salvation through obedience) in order to be accepted into the Christian community. In this letter he is correcting them and teaching them that we can only be saved by faith.

"There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise." - Galatians 3:27 “His son by the slave woman was born in the ordinary way; but his son by the free woman was born as the result of a promise.” – Genesis 4:23

What does it mean to be free from the "law"? The Galatians Paul is speaking to are called Judaizers which = self-righteous people Knowing that we are free from the “must do’s and do not’s” to earn salvation The law only causes us to fail and knowing we are set free from the bondage of this law by the grace given to us through the promise of Jesus Christ

Paul's main point… "The law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith. Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the law.” Salvation does NOT depend on obedience. It depends on faith in Jesus Christ alone.

So… do I avoid being obedient???? Is obedience my enemy??? NO! God’s grace and the law are actually friends There is a difference between obedience through faith and obedience through self-righteousness

The difference is… By faith – you are compelled to be obedient, your desire is to surrender your ways to the living and true God to glorify Him BUT IT DOES NOT GIVE YOU SALVATION… ONLY BY FAITH IN CHRIST WE ARE SAVED In self-righteousness – we think we can earn salvation because we think we are “good” by our own standard or we are naive and think we don’t need God’s grace. We lack humility.

Galatians 2:19-20 “I do Not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!”