“Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.” (Galatians 1:3-5)
Back in Paul’s day, just as today, there were false preachers and teachers of the word of God who tried to turn believers away from the true teachings of Christ. Paul was disappointed that the Galatians had been sidetracked so easily in their faith. He spends the first portion of the letter reestablishing the fact that there is no other gospel other than the one true gospel of Jesus Christ and that he, Paul, had without question been sent by God to preach to them that one true gospel.
“‘Grace’ translates the Greek charis, which means ‘an undeserved act of kindness.’ Paul uses this word more often than any other New Testament writer and gives it immense theological significance. It refers to all that God has given us in Christ, nothing of which we have earned or can repay.” *
The grace of God is nothing to trifle with. It is undeserved to begin with, so we cannot boast in any way that we have achieved it. Regarding false teachers and preachers Paul is very clear in verses 8 and 9 of the first chapter that anyone who deviates from the one true gospel should be under the curse of God and undoubtedly would be. Paul paints a clear picture of God’s grace when he says that Christ “gave Himself”. He essentially poured Himself out for our sake. He allowed Himself to be brutally beaten, savagely flogged ** and nailed to a cross that was reserved for common criminals. He volunteered for that. He did it willingly. He did it for you and for me. While it’s true none of us asked Him to do it, without that selfless act we would all be walking dead men (and women). Our sin would convict us and there would be no absolution forthcoming. It was this message that was being altered by the false teachers and preachers in Paul’s day and it is that same message that is being watered down today. Don’t let anyone deceive you. Christ came, Christ lived and Christ died. He did it for a specific purpose; He did it to pay the sin debt for every man, woman and child who was ever created. No other way of redemption is available or ever will be. If someone ever tells you otherwise run in the opposite direction, for they are heretics and frauds and their words are not to be entertained for even a moment. Believe in God and serve Him only.
WALK WITH THE KING TODAY AND BE A BLESSING!
* Taken from the Reformation Study Bible.
** Flog is a polite word. Scourge is the proper term. A ‘scourge’ is a whip with strips of leather that had affixed to them pieces of broken bone, jagged metal, beads of lead and the like to actually tear flesh from the body of the one being punished. That is what Christ endured for us.
NOTE: “Paul had received word that in Galatia, where he had preached the Gospel, there were some who were preaching ‘another gospel,’ which was unsettling the believers. These other preachers were responsible for ‘bewitching’ (Gal. 1:6-9; 3:1) them.” [Asbury Bible Commentary]
