The Gospel of Grace!

Galatians 1:1-24 

Tuesday, 10 June 2025

I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—  which is really no gospel at all...” (Galatians 1:6-7)

The Epistle to the Galatians illustrates the heart of the Gospel—the grace of God. Paul emphasizes on that grace which was revealed in him to save him- the worst of sinners(1Tim.1:15) and make him into the best advocate of the gospel of grace! He corrects the wrong doctrine that had crept in with some false teachers who were trying to undermine the perfect work of Christ in the salvation of humankind.

Some so-called Jewish believers had come into their midst and were trying to pervert the gospel Paul had preached among them. This “different gospel” as Paul termed it was insisting that works of the Law be added alongside for their salvation to be complete.

Paul comes hard on them saying: “You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified.” (Gal.3:1). For they had been duped by these Judaizers who were insisting that they should adopt the Jewish Law and its practices like circumcision, following dietary laws, etc. This was absurd! Paul previously an ardent Jew who he says was “advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people and was extremely zealous for the traditions of my fathers...” (Gal.1:14) had now received the gospel of grace by revelation from Jesus Christ himself (Gal.1:12). The true gospel is that one can be saved by grace through faith alone (Gal 2:16; Eph. 2:8). He thus says no one- neither Jew nor Gentile can be justified before God by the works of the Law! Paul therefore reiterates “I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!”(Galatians 2:21).

In the rest of the epistle, Paul goes on to build his argument on the inadequacy of the Law to save people while he points to the life in the Spirit that can help a believer to live responsibly to please God. The Law reveals and accuses a person of sin but does not provide a remedy! For no one can keep the Law perfectly—except Jesus Christ who fulfilled all of the Law for you and me so that the one who put his/her faith in Him, stands as one who has fulfilled it. In Jesus, you and I stand complete, in perfect acceptance by God the Father. Galatians 3:26-27: “So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.” Brothers and sisters, no more added work is required for our Salvation- Jesus is All-Sufficient!

Brethren, there different gospels afloat in the world today- watch out!! Most of them do not deny Jesus but they bring in their little twists/turns/additions to lure people into thinking it’s acceptable. Unless the Christian’s belief and life are founded in God’s Word, it’s easy to be taken in by wrong doctrines. We are called to live by the Spirit and keep in step with the Spirit of God (Gal.5:25) so that He can direct our lives in Christ. 

As believers our goal is to become mature till we reach the full measure of Christ so ”…we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming.” (Eph. 4:13,14). May we understand and be grateful for the great grace – God’s unmerited favor- that reached out to save us and be found complete in Christ when He comes in glory to receive us!

“To Him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy— to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.” (Jude Vs.24-25)