Paul's Urgent Message to the Galatians^{1 2}

Imagine Paul. He is not just another teacher; he is the man who brought the good news of Jesus Christ with heart and soul to the region of Galatia. He has founded congregations there, seen people blossom in their new faith and established a deep, personal relationship with them. Then disturbing news reached him. New teachers have come, confusing the believers with a different "gospel," a message heavier and more complicated than the freedom Paul had proclaimed to them.

His heart breaks. He immediately grabs pen and paper, not for a detached theological treatise, but for an urgent, personal letter. He writes full of care and love, like a father seeking to protect his children from danger. His letter begins with a powerful reminder of the heart of everything:

"Jesus Christ, Who gave Himself for our sins, that He might snatch us from the present evil world, according to the will of our God and Father." (Galatians 1:3-4)

With these words he immediately sets the tone: our salvation is a gift, a saving act of God Himself. But what wonderful, simple message were the Galatians in danger of forgetting?

The original message: freedom by faith

Paul reminded the Galatians of the liberating truth he first brought to them. It was not a complicated list of rules, but a message that rested on three pillars of God's grace:

1. Justified by Faith This may sound like a difficult word, but the meaning is wonderful. To be "justified" means that God sees us as perfectly righteous. Not because we try so hard or follow all the rules perfectly, but purely because we believe in what the Lord Jesus did for us on the cross. Our status before God does not depend on our performance, but on His promise.
2. A New Life Believing in Christ is more than an insurance policy for the future; it is a revolution in the present. Paul describes it as being "crucified with Christ. It is no longer "me" who plays the leading role in my life, but "Christ lives in me. This new life is not driven by duty, but by a deep, personal relationship with the Son of God, who loved us and gave Himself up for us.
3. The Promise of the Spirit As proof of this new relationship, as a seal on the promise, God has given an incredible gift: He has sent the "Spirit of His Son" into our hearts. This Spirit is not a vague force, but a Person who helps us know God as our loving Father. Because of Him, we can confidently cry out, "Abba, Father!"

But this wonderful message of freedom was suddenly threatened....

The problem: a dangerous addition

After Paul's departure, "false brethren" came into the churches. They brought a message that at first glance seemed pious and serious, but in reality robbed the gospel of its power. In fact, their message was:

• Faith in the Lord Jesus is a good start, but it is not enough.
• To be truly accepted by God, you must also abide by Jewish laws, such as the circumcision.
• By following these rules, you can create a 'better believer' and "insure" your salvation, so to speak.

So they added "works of the law" to the gospel of pure grace. Paul saw this not merely as a religious error, but as an attempt to drag believers back to the "fundamentals of the world": a system based on achievement, competition and fear, from which Christ had just freed them.

For Paul, this was no minor disagreement; it was a spiritual emergency of the highest order. You can almost hear his voice skip with disbelief and frustration as he writes:

"O foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you? (...) You who began with the Spirit, will you now end with the flesh?" (Galatians 3:1-3)

Paul saw this not as a step forward, but as a tragic step backward: a return to a life of slavery.

Two ways of life: Law versus Grace

Paul makes a sharp distinction between the two systems that are diametrically opposed. One is based on human achievement ("the law" or "the flesh"), the other on God's gift ("grace" or "the Spirit").

Living according to the Law ("the flesh")	Living by Grace ("through the Spirit")
Focus on own performance and rules.	Focus on relationship with Christ.
Leads to slavery and fear of failure.	Leads to freedom and confidence.
Activates the "sinful nature" (the "flesh"): competition, pride, strife.	Activates the Spirit of God in us.
The result is discord and "biting and devouring" each other.	The result is the "fruit of the Spirit": love, joy, peace.
You become "disconnected from Christ" and "fall from grace.	You are strengthened in the grace that is in Christ.

The key word in Paul's message is grace. To understand how powerful this is, we must distinguish it from mercy. Mercy (eleos in Greek) is that God gives us not gives the punishment we deserve because of our sins. He takes care of our misery. But grace (charis) goes a step further: it is that God is actively giving us the strength, help and forgiveness gives which we just not earning. Grace is God's undeserved goodness that not only saves, but also gives strength to live. When we feel weak or failing, we may go to the "throne of grace" where we receive mercy and find grace to be helped.

After Paul exposes the law's dead end, he turns not to condemnation but to a powerful, life-giving invitation: a call to return to the path of freedom.

The call: stay in freedom!

The solution to the Galatians' confusion was not to "do their best even better. The solution was to return to the simplicity and power of the original message. Paul's call can be summarized in three steps:

• Walk by the Spirit: This is not a vague, mystical experience. Many Christians misinterpret this as if it is about pursuing special messages or experiences. On the contrary, Paul warns against this deception. Walking by the Spirit is a daily process, like learning to walk. It means consciously allowing ourselves to be led by the Spirit of God and His Word - just as Christ was led - so that step by step we become more like the Lord Jesus.
• Deny yourself: This does not mean to hate yourself. It is the very concrete choice not to be led by your own ego, pride and sinful desires ("the flesh"), but to choose instead the humility we see in the Lord Jesus.
• Fame in the Cross: The cross of Christ is not only the starting point of faith, it remains the absolute center. It is the only reason we can be proud. Because of the cross, we are no longer bound by worldly rules or achievement; we have become a "new creation.

Paul closes his impassioned letter with the wish that sums up the essence of his entire message. It is not a final warning, but a blessing full of hope and love, pointing the Galatians back to the only Source of strength:

"The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers! Amen."

Galatians 6:18

Footnotes

1. This article is a simplified merging of two blogs on the letter to the Galatians (see here and here). ︎
2. This is an attempt to present briefly and simply the contents of Paul's letter to the Galatians. Above all, read the letter in the Bible itself so that the Spirit of God can imprint that Word in your heart. ︎