Some have suggested that Grace is a license to sin or a call
to laziness, yet nothing could be further from the truth. The only
"Works" that are acceptable God are those that He has prepared and
arise out of rest. It for that reason that we suggest that "Grace
Works."Whenever one attempts to define Christian conduct, one must
begin with freedom as the immutable premise. To paraphrase Gene Edwards if we
should begin anywhere else, such as when we start with guidelines, codes, rules
or laws, we begin in bondage.
In arriving at this point in Paul's Epistle to the
Galatians, Paul's freedom exhortation has comprised of a compelling combination
of autobiographical, allegorical, historical and theological argument designed
to repudiate the repugnant theology of the Agitators who had insidiously
inserted themselves in Galatia. These pervasive intruders had evidently enjoyed
a measure of success [1:6] and had managed to persuade members of the fledgling
community that they must receive the sign of "God's covenant in the
flesh" [3:3; 5:12; 6:12; Gen. 17:13].
Natural man prefers law to freedom. Yet, law is the antithesis
of the freedom which we have been saved for and called to [5:1; 5:13]. Having
been liberated from the law, those who subsequently choose to accept
circumcision must realize that rather than progressing towards perfection
[3:3], they have repatriated themselves back to slavery [4:9], bound "to
keep the whole law" [5:3], "under a curse" [3:10], "severed
from Christ" and "fallen from grace" [5:4]. T hose who wish to
be under the law [4:21] make themselves "outlaws". At both an
individual and corporate level, the ramifications are seismic because the
imposition of Torah, not its removal, results in non-love and ultimately,
"mutual destruction" . Paul redirects the Galatians to the realm of
the Spirit.
The bewitchment at Galatia reverberates with an echo of
Eden. The underlying perennial reprobate insinuation is unmistakable - There is
something that you can do to make yourself more like (or more liked by) God
[Gen. 3:5]. Even the impugning of Paul's motive followed a similar logic - The
circumcised Paul is denying the Galatian converts circumcision because he knows
that should they receive it, they would be like him. The proposition is
perverse in that the Agitators were pretending they want to secure the
Galatians' freedom; nothing could be further from the truth [6:12,13]. Having
"heard evidence" from Hagar and Sarah [4:21-31] in the preceding
chapter, Paul proceeds to Galatians 5:13-6:10 which now serves as his closing
argument, by disabusing the Galatians of the Law's ability to vindicate. The
Law is not part of the defense; au contraire , the Law is the star witness for
the prosecution - "There is one who accuses you - Moses - on
whom you have set your hope." [Jn. 5:45]
Paul's hope was that his converts would resist the
Agitators' overtures and "go the whole way
and emancipate themselves." [5:12] "For
neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new
creation." [6:15] In summary, Paul says and now concludes
by proving that it is not Law but Grace that works.
Paul Anderson-Walsh
Share this article:
Price: $30.00
Sale! $21.99
