This week, we are looking at a section of a letter in the
Bible called the book of Galatians. Yesterday, we saw Paul explain to the
members of the churches of Galatia that when they began to identify themselves
with the religion of legalism that was based on one’s performance for God
instead of trusting in Jesus performance for us, Christ was of no benefit.
Christ could no longer provide assistance or aid because they were no longer
trusting in Christ but in their performance for God. Paul revealed for us
another timeless reason why we are to vote no on religion in that we are to
vote no on religion because relying on religion results in destruction. In
Galatians 5:2-15, we are going to see Paul reveal for us four different areas
where a religious centered lifestyle results in destruction. We see Paul reveal
the first area in Galatians 5:4:
You have been severed from Christ, you who are
seeking to be justified by law;
To understand what Paul is communicating here, we first
need to define some terms. As we discovered earlier in this series, the word
justified is a legal terms that literally means to be declared not guilty of
something, in this case having a problem with God. So when Paul talks about “you
who are seeking to be justified by law” he is referring to those what were
attempting to be declared not guilty of having a problem with God as a result
of their selfishness and rebellion by attempting to keep the list of religious
rules that were recorded in the law. And those rules needed to be followed
perfectly.
Paul paints a graphic word picture with the practice of
circumcision to reveal the first area where a religious centered lifestyle
results in destruction: you have been severed from Christ. Paul’s point is that
those who strive to be declared not guilty of having a problem with God by
keeping a list of rules for God are estranged and separated from Christ. Christ
no longer has anything to do with a religious centered person and their desire
to be in a right relationship with God.
And it is here that we see Paul reveal for us the reality
that religion results in the destruction of our relationship with Christ. The
religious centered lifestyle does not live in a genuine and authentic
relationship with Christ, because they do not need Jesus and they do not trust
Jesus. They may attempt to use Jesus, but at the end of the day, a religious
centered life of legalism trusts in their performance for God and not in Jesus.
Any and every relationship will eventually be destroyed if there is a lack of
trust. And a religious centered lifestyle severs and destroys a relationship
with Jesus. Paul then reveals a second area where relying on religion results
in destruction, beginning in the second half of verse 4:
you have
fallen from grace. For we through the Spirit, by faith, are waiting for the
hope of righteousness. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor
uncircumcision means anything, but faith working through love.
Paul explains to the members of the churches of Galatia,
and us here this morning, that for those who strive to be declared not guilty
of having a problem with God by keeping a list of rules for God, you have
fallen from grace. But, this morning, what does it mean to fall from grace? And
how do you fall from grace? When Paul states those who being circumcised in
order to identify with the Jewish religious system had fallen from grace, he is
revealing the reality that they had experienced a change for the worse from a
previously favorable condition. That previously favorable condition was the
result of God’s grace, or God’s transformational intervention and activity in
their lives.
Paul here is revealing for us a second area where a
religious centered lifestyle results in destruction in that religion results in
the destruction of grace in our lives. Because they were no longer trusting in
God’s transformational activity through Jesus life, death, and resurrection,
they were no longer experiencing God’s transformational activity in their
lives. The members of the churches of Galatia who had embraced religious
centered lives were no longer experiencing the state of receiving forgiveness
and a right relationship with God.
In verse 6, Paul contrasts the position of
those who had embraced a religious centered lifestyle with those who embraced a
gospel centered lifestyle. For the person who had embraced a gospel centered
lifestyle, they looked forward with a confident expectation of their future as
a follower of Jesus who was in a right relationship with God here on earth and
for all eternity. Empowered by the Holy Spirit, those who embrace a gospel
centered lifestyle are driven by a state of devotion to Christ that is based on
their confident trust in the claims of Christ and the message of the gospel.
Paul then provides the reason for this confident
expectation of their future as a follower of Jesus in verse 7. What matters
when it comes to a right relationship with God through Jesus Christ is neither circumcision
nor uncircumcision. In other words what you attempt to do for God by keeping a
list of religious rules does not mean anything when it comes to experiencing a
right relationship with God. Instead, Paul tells us that what matters when it
comes to experiencing a right relationship with God is faith working through
love. What matters is a state of devotion to Christ that is based on a
confident trust in the claims of Christ and the message of the gospel that
results in us revealing and reflecting the love of Christ to God and one
another.
You see, while religion destroys God’s grace in our
lives, a gospel centered life reveals and reflects God’s grace in our lives.
God’s grace is powerfully revealed when we live gospel centered lives that are
driven to respond to what God has done for us through Jesus by being devoted to
confidently trust Jesus and show our love for Jesus by how we love others.
Friday, we will see Paul reveal two other areas that are destroyed
by religion…
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