​The Offensive Cross
 
Galatians 5:11 Brothers, if I am still preaching circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been abolished.
 
PAUL’S question indicates his opponents were saying he preached circumcision is necessary for salvation while at other times he said it is not. One way to discredit an opponent is to accuse him of doublespeak – he says one thing to one audience, and he says another thing to another audience. Bible teachers must always be sure they are attentive to God’s truth. An example of doublespeak in our culture today is the issue of sexual immorality. Some preachers proclaim the Bible’s truth. But the “official denomination authorities” submit to the lies of the culture. They please the ears of the sinful nature that wants to believe God ordains any form of sexual relationship.
    Paul assures the Galatians he has been consistent with his teaching. If he has not, then the offense of the cross has been abolished. What’s he mean? How is the cross offensive?  
    Jesus’ death on a cross is very offensive to the Jews. In truth, they were seeing Jesus’ death through his law in Deuteronomy 21:22-23a If a man guilty of a capital offense is put to death, and his body is hung on a tree, 23 you must not leave his body on the tree overnight. Be sure to bury him that same day, because anyone who is hung on a tree is under God's curse. (See here, too, why Jesus was taken from the cross before sundown.)
    It makes sense to the Jews, doesn’t it? How could Jesus be the long-prophesied Messiah? God cursed him! The cross was and is, indeed, offensive to the Jews.
    But in view of God’s Scriptures, we can see how this particular law is a part of God’s redemptive plan. Yes, a man on a tree is cursed. This is the reason Jesus submitted to the cross. He was sin’s curse fulfilling the law.
    Then Psalm 22:1-21 describes the crucifixion. Later, Isaiah prophesied the Messiah would take up our sins and be stricken: Isaiah 53:4 Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. 5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed…8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away. And who can speak of his descendants? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was stricken. 9 He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth. 10 Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the Lord makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand.
    God placed sin’s curse on Jesus. If the Jews looked at the entire law, in the Psalms and the prophets, they would know Jesus is God’s Messiah to redeem his people. They know he submitted to the law, so he would reign forever over his beloved ones. The cross is not offensive to the Christian. It is the sign of God’s great devotion to his people to fulfill his salvation Promise.
    This is evidence for you, too. As you tell someone about Jesus, you can point to God’s specific plan to prepare for and reveal his Savior to the world. Jesus’ cursed death is for your blessed eternal life. 

Galatians 5:7-8 You were running a good race. Who cut in on you and kept you from obeying the truth? 8 That kind of persuasion does not come from the one who calls you.
 
MOST of us at some time in our lives have run a race. Paul used running a race in several epistles to describe the Christian life. Have you thought much about this? After all, it’s likely no one reading this has recently run a race. Why not?
    Running requires a good deal of effort. Perhaps it's too much work. Running requires conditioning. We might not want to spend time and effort strengthening our bodies. A race is run on a planned course. Maybe we like to run our own route at our own pace. Maybe we don’t like to run. It’s too hard on our bodies.
    A race may also have unregistered runners blocking your route. That is the kind of persuasion that does not come from the one who called you. These are people who seem like runners but want to take you out of the race. They may threaten or ridicule you to change your course or leave the route.
    That’s why a race requires organization and obedient participation. Your Christian life is a race on God’s course. It is not about someone casually running on his own at his own pace over his own route on his own time. Following Christ requires you to say, “I’m registered to run!” You need to know the rules and the starting point. You will need to build your strength, understand your purpose, be prepared to endure pain, fight off weariness and focus on the route.  
    And that’s Paul’s point. The Christian life requires persistent and determined participation. When you confess Jesus as your Lord, you begin training in Jesus’ teachings. Strengthening occurs when you activate his teachings into your daily life. You learn the course Jesus has set for you when you understand your spiritual gifts. In the power of those gifts, you begin to run with others in the church to encourage one another forward. You compete against those who do not belong in the race. They will attempt to block you from your appointed route. When you are weary, you pause for a refreshing drink of the Living Water, and you eat of the Bread of Life.  
    The race becomes an even more relevant image when we realize each race has more spectators than participants. God has chosen you to run. You cannot be a bystander to God’s work on earth. Moving toward God and into his will does not allow you to sit while others run.
    God’s race also requires your constant attention to the signs God erects to direct you into his plans. There are no shortcuts to completing the race. You run with God until your days are done.
    Have you registered? The prize of eternal life with Jesus awaits you.

 

Galatians 5:1, 4-6 It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery…4 You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. 5 But by faith we eagerly await through the Spirit the righteousness for which we hope. 6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.
 
 WHAT does it mean to be free in Christ? How does this affect the way you live each day?        
    Understanding your freedom through Jesus begins with knowing God’s love. The apostle John clearly defined Jesus’ freeing love with one sentence: 1 John 3:16a This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. When we know what love is, we will know we can stand firm in God’s redemptive love to sacrifice Jesus on the cross.
    The Jews were trapped in the old covenant of circumcision. This was necessary for a time as God created a pathway to his promised redemption of Genesis 3:15 And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.”  Jesus came to crush Satan’s head – his authority. And Satan would strike Jesus’ heel at the cross. God’s plan began with the circumcision covenant. It ws fulfilled with Jesus’ freedom-giving new covenant the night before the cross: Luke 22:20 In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.”  The cross replaced the circumcision knife that locked the Galatians to the law that no longer applied. Faith in Jesus’ blood that has poured out for you is now sufficient to free you from sin’s curse. Confess your sin. Confess Jesus is your risen Lord and Savior. That is enough.  
    With unending mercy and love, Jesus’ new covenant frees you from sin’s afflictions. For example, obeying Jesus’ commands we are free of guilt and a vengeful spirit when we forgive others. Hatred cannot bind us when we model Jesus’ “Good Shepherd” love to protect and guide one another. Pride does not insist on selfish desires when we freely humble our hearts and put others above ourselves. Jesus-like submission frees us from a controlling spirit. Free from envy, we will be content with the Lord’s provision for our lives. Free from fear, our faith will give rest to our souls. Freedom in God’s gospel opens our lives to receive the fullness of Jesus’ love for us.
    That’s why Paul’s heart was breaking for the Galatians. They had confessed Jesus as Savior. Then they rejected Jesus’ new covenant to insist on keeping the old covenant. The old covenant alienated them from Christ. It is as if the Jews had been led to the Promised Land, but they refused to cross the Jordan to possess it. God’s salvation pathway had led them to Jesus. But they refused to follow the way, the truth and the life.   
    Is there any rule or any sin keeping you from Jesus’ freedom? Are you focused on what you must do or on what Jesus has done for you?
            

Galatians 4:12-15 I plead with you, brothers, become like me, for I became like you. You have done me no wrong. 13 As you know, it was because of an illness that I first preached the gospel to you. 14 Even though my illness was a trial to you, you did not treat me with contempt or scorn. Instead, you welcomed me as if I were an angel of God, as if I were Christ Jesus himself. 15 What has happened to all your joy? I can testify that, if you could have done so, you would have torn out your eyes and given them to me.  
 
WHEN Paul wrote, “I plead with you, brothers.” and “What has happened to all your joy?”  the apostle reveals a loving heart for people who have strayed from the church. Paul was not a transient preacher who came for a few days or even a few months and then left for the next stop. He was an apostle who obeyed the Lord’s call to make disciples. That takes time and requires relationship building. He ministered the gospel with personal love and kindness.
    One way he did this was to become like the people to whom he ministered. Paul would take time to understand their customs and circumstances. The best way to lead people into Jesus’ light is to build a trusting relationship with them. People will not trust a leader until they know he cares for them.
    Paul reminds them, too, it was God’s providence that brought Paul to the Galatians. Paul was very ill, and apparently his associates took him to Galatia for some special treatment. Or he had to stop there for recovery. As some Galatians cared for him, they developed a deep devotion to Paul. He says that they would have torn out your eyes and given them to me. Perhaps the illness affected Paul’s eyes. Or this may be an illustration of the Galatians’ sacrificial love for Paul in his illness.
    God used the illness to open the door for Paul to minister the gospel. In Paul’s ministry, God used visions, shipwrecks, persecution, imprisonment and even this sickness to put Paul where he wanted Paul to expand the gospel.  
    The LORD God arranges circumstances to direct his missionaries, pastors, evangelists and each of us into the place he has prepared for us to do his work. Sometimes God will take his chosen leaders into severe persecution to advance his Kingdom. He did so with his Son. And Jesus warned his apostles they would face many trials and death for his name.  Today, remarkable testimonies come from God’s churches around the globe to tell the ways our Lord uses challenging, even life-threatening situations to open doors to the gospel.
          As you consider your church, be mindful the Sovereign Lord has arranged for it to be his church. Yours and the church’s task is to serve God in faith, so his gospel will be known in your community.   

Galatians 4:8-11 Formerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods. 9 But now that you know God – or rather are known by God –  how is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable principles? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again? 10 You are observing special days and months and seasons and years! 11 I fear for you, that somehow I have wasted my efforts on you.
 
PAUL’S “know” here means an in-depth knowledge of another person. When Paul wrote formerly you did not know God, he acknowledged the Galatians had no understanding of God. The Gentiles worshiped the Greek and Roman gods. The Jews did not know God, the Father, Son and Spirit. But through Paul’s teachings, they had come to know God as a personal Father, Savior, and Spirit. If asked, the Galatians, would know how to answer such questions as: “Who created the heavens and the earth?” “When did God promise to send a Savior to redeem our sins?” “Who is the Savior?” “How does he redeem our sins?” – and many more. Through the apostle’s and evangelists’ teachings, the Galatian church members would have come to know God on a very personal level.
    Paul said this was possible because they are known by God. In other words, God chose to reveal himself to these Galatians. It’s as if a person came to you and said, “I know you. I want you to know me.” Then he tells you about himself. You would come to know him because he first knew you and revealed himself to you. Knowing God begins with God knowing us.
    To know God also means we are actively engaged in a relationship with him. We do not stop at knowing God with an introduction and a few teachings. Knowing God in a true relationship requires we spend time with him. We learn how he responds in various circumstances. We understand in our hearts what he has done and what he will do. To know God in truth, we trust our lives are in his hand, saved by his grace for eternal life.
    Paul could not understand how the Galatians would know God and turn back to those weak and miserable principles that kept them in bondage to sin and the law. To know God and then reject our knowledge of him is a story as old as the Bible. It began with Adam and Eve rejecting their personal relationship with God. Israel did the same thing repeatedly. And the Christian church is just as guilty as illustrated here and throughout history.    
    You must be very careful to keep your knowledge of God above all other things you know. Know who God is. The Spirit has taught you. Remain faithful to him because he knew you first.
 
John 10:3The watchman opens the gate for the shepherd, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice.

Galatians 4:4-7 But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law. 5 God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children. 6 And because we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, “Abba, Father.” 7 Now you are no longer a slave but God’s own child. And since you are his child, God has made you his heir.
 
DO you want to feel loved? This is a good scripture to memorize. Let’s see God’s active love for you here.
    First: when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law. The Father sent the Son. God became man at just the right time. The right time is God’s time to fulfill his will to save mankind from sin. He had promised and prophesied the coming. The Father arranged the right physical and political circumstances for Jesus’ incarnation. Jesus was born of a woman – not a man and a woman. Conceived by the Holy Spirit, Jesus was free of man’s sin nature, so he is our perfect Savior. Jesus did not end or change the law. He fulfilled the law. That means the Son fulfilled the Father’s promise and purpose for you. God loves you.
    Second, God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children. As discussed in a previous lesson, your Redeemer paid the price of your sin. Your sin debt is gone because Jesus is the Father’s sacrifice on the altar of the cross. When we confess Jesus as Lord, we are holy and acceptable in God’s sight. Therefore, you can be his child. God loves you.
    Third, and because we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, “Abba, Father.”  Cleansed of sin, your heart now is the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit. As God sent Jesus into the world, Jesus now sends the Spirit into the hearts of those who confess Jesus as Lord of their lives. In this very intimate love relationship with God, we are his children who can address him as Abba Father. “Abba” is as the English word for “daddy”. Your God is your daddy. God loves  you.
    Fourth, now you are no longer a slave but God's own child. And since you are his child, God has made you his heir. You are not a slave commanded by God to do certain works for his good. You are a child who obeys the Father for Kingdom good. As a child you inherit the wealth of God’s favor and Spiritual fruit. You become a Kingdom owner with full benefits of an eternal relationship with God. You belong in God’s house. God loves you.
          Remember why Paul wrote this letter. The Galatians were turning from the gospel of God’s grace to believe a gospel of human works. Paul’s compelling words of God’s love here was a very strong teaching. God’s work is to draw us into a love relationship with the LORD God that is so strong and good, we can lovingly call him, “Abba.”  

Galatians 3:28-29 There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
 
HERE is a picture of the ideal church. You could say Paul gave the Galatian churches a vision statement of who they were to be under the Lord’s saving faith. He was calling people whose cultures deeply separated them to come together as new people in Jesus Christ.  
    Consider some differences. The Jews’ laws even commanded they keep separate from Gentiles. And the temple was constructed with a Gentile court and dividing wall to separate the two groups. You can imagine how challenging it would be for each group to say, “We are one. You are my brother, my sister in Christ.”
    The same would be true for slaves and women in the church. Again there was a separate women’s court for Jewish women in the temple. They had no voice in the synagogue. The Jews and Gentiles lived in a strong male-dominated culture. Women were second-class citizens at best. And can you imagine what it would be for slave owners to welcome a slave into a church’s community? Slaves were essentially non-persons, only property for the master’s use. When we read “For you are all one in Christ Jesus.” we must know this was a great challenge for all to join together into a church.
    Sadly, the church continues to be divided. Culture, race, economics, worship styles, preaching preferences, denomination allegiances and countless selfish considerations divide Christians. This is not God’s will. The church must understand Jesus’ teaching: “Any kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and a house divided against itself will fall.” (Luke 11:17)
    What do we do about it? Perhaps there are some answers in Paul’s affirmation you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
    There is a twofold responsibility as Abraham’s seed. Frist, as we are saved by faith into Abraham’s faith, we must submit to this truth and humbly understand God’s grace to save people of all nations into his church. God gave us the eternal gift to join with people of the world forever into God’s Kingdom. God has promised. He has caused our faith to become the gracious truth of our lives. As we understand this, let’s have a joyful, gracious mindset all Christians are people fulfilling God’s promise to Abraham. Hallelujah!
    The second responsibility is in being Abraham’s seed. What is a seed? It is the genetics of a particular plant. When it is planted and nurtured, a new plant comes to life. This must be the way of our faith. We are to be seeds of new life, planting God’s Word to grow new believers into his church. Our “seed” can be words of unity, grace and peace. In the church we can stop labeling other denominations with divisive words. Instead, we can plant seeds of unity with cooperative and gracious language: “Each confessing Christian is my brother and sister.” We can pray, “I pray for each church to know and love God. Lord, forgive any way I promote separation from others. Teach me to be in unity with all believers. May we all work together to show the world how wonderful it is to be one in Christ. Amen.”

Galatians 3:25-27 Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the law. 26 You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, 27 for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.
 
WE are no longer under supervision of the law. Does this mean we can ignore God’s commands and live in our own desires because we say, “Jesus is Lord of my life.” Some Christian teachers have advanced this thought. They have taught that as we are saved by grace and justified by faith, God does not require us to obey the law.  
    But let’s consider. When do you need a supervisor? When you are young, your parents must supervise your behavior and words. Good parents establish household rules to follow. And good parents supervise their children to live into those rules. When a child matures to learn the rules and to obey the rules, she no longer needs supervision. She still continues to live in those rules because she believes they guide her to a good, orderly life. The direct parental supervision has ended. Her heart supervises – guides – her life as she has learned.
    Believing in Jesus, we are no longer under the law’s supervision because we have the law written on our heart. Faith in Christ means we accept God’s law of the Old Testament. We understand the moral laws still are true today because our Father has taught them to us. We may break those laws occasionally, but we know when we do. And we repent and move forward to continue living in the moral laws.
    Saved into faith, we know the prophetic words of the Old Testament are true. We live in their promises that have come true in Jesus. And we rejoice in their promises that point to the world yet to come. The law of moral commands and prophetic words do not supervise us in the sense they closely watch our behavior to instruct us. Instead, they form the substance of our moral and spiritual lives.
    Paul emphasizes this further when he says you have clothed yourselves with Christ. As a Roman citizen, Paul may have been comparing the believers’ faith journey with a Roman rite of passage into adulthood. At an appropriate age, a Roman boy would lay aside his childhood clothes and put on a new toga that represented his move into adulthood. Wearing these clothes, he would have new responsibilities along with his new privileges as an adult.
    It is the same for our faith. When we confess we believe Jesus is Lord and Savior, we put on new faith clothes. We then must responsibly live in that faith, demonstrating a mature relationship with God and with his church. Wearing Christ’s clothes is a precious gift. Rejoice and wear them well. The world is watching you.

 

Galatians 3:13-14, 24 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.”  14 He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit…24 So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith.
 
PAUL’S use of the word “redeemed” had specific meaning to the Jews. Throughout God’s law, there are numerous commands and stipulations that require redemption. For example, one who was a slave because he owed a debt to his master could be redeemed from slavery when one paid a price for the slave. Land that was under debt could be redeemed – freed from debt – by a relative of the landowner. The redeemer paid the price for the debt.
    This is why Jesus is our Redeemer. We are born slaves to sin and to the law. When we sin we owe a debt to God. God gave  sacrificial laws for own to temporarily redeem his sins. But these sacrifices did not pay the eternal cost of our sin.
    But Jesus’ sacrifice does. Jesus redeemed you, so you could be justified – made right before God – free of all sin debt forever. This should give us great cause to pause and consider how valuable we are to God.
    How did Jesus redeem us? He paid the great price not only with his body but by becoming a curse. This is the ultimate price. God’s law says anyone who is hung on a tree is under God’s curse (Deuteronomy 21:23) Becoming a curse, Jesus would carry sin’s curse to the cross. His death paid for the sins of all who believe. Jesus is the Lamb who was slain, redeeming our souls from sin’s bondage. When you believe in Jesus, you are no longer a slave to sin and the law. The law becomes your guiding light to live into your redeemed life.
    Why did Jesus redeem? He did so to fulfill the blessing promised to Abraham: Genesis 18:18 Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and all nations on earth will be blessed through him. In all circumstances, we must believe that God is a promise-maker, and he is a promise-keeper. God gave a law that pointed to Jesus. Jesus came to fulfill the law. That included dying on a “tree” under God’s curse to redeem the price of sin on our souls. The Redeemer has set us free as we in faith receive his redemptive price – his body broken and his blood shed.
    Paul summarizes his teaching in verse 24: So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith. Perhaps another way to say this is: God so loved the world, he gave us the law. The law reveals our sin and the means to be redeemed from our sin. The Father sent his only son to earth to be our redeemer. Anyone who believes in Jesus shall never perish but have eternal life because Jesus has paid for our sin.  
    Yes, Jesus, Son of God, has paid the price you owed to God for your sin. The Father, Son and Spirit have acted to remove sin from your soul. Your debt is clear as you trust Jesus to be your Lord and Savior. 

Galatians 3:6-7 Consider Abraham: “He believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”  7 Understand, then, that those who believe are children of Abraham.
 
WHY is it essential to know your salvation into eternal life is not your decision, but it is God’s gracious work to call you to faith in Jesus? Think of it. What would it be like if it were up to you on your own to believe, “Jesus is Savior.” How would you know if and when you are saved? Yes, the Bible tells you many rules and commands, so you can obey God. But how would you know when you’ve obeyed enough, done enough to confidently say, “I’m saved.”
    In truth, you would never know. That is the trouble with self-determination that says, “I chose Jesus.” If God were not involved in your decision, how do you know your decision is real and eternal?
    This is why Paul is so forceful and persistent to convince the Jews that faith, not any particular work or law, is the means of salvation. Paul uses Abraham as an example to continue his faith argument. Abraham’s relationship with God began when he believed God. He was not working for God. He didn’t’ know God and cared nothing for God’s commands the first 75 years of his life. It was impossible for God to say to him, “You are righteous, Abraham, because you’ve done these good works.” Instead, God chose Abraham to come into God’s salvation plan for humanity. The LORD God credited – deposited – in Abraham’s heart a faith to believe God: “Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you. 2 I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. (Genesis 12:1-2) Without previous experience with God and no understanding of his future, Abraham obeyed. So Abram left, as the Lord had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Haran. (Genesis 12:4)
    God generated in Abraham a faithful obedience. Abraham’s faith in God’s commands advanced God’s gospel plan, and the nation Israel was ultimately formed. From Israel came the Savior. Through the Savior the church began. As a result, all people who call Jesus “Lord and Savior” in true faith are children of Abraham. From generation to generation, God credited faith to particular patriarchs, prophets and apostles to advance the gospel. All chose their work because God first chose them.
    Why do you need to know this? First, your faith is only a sure faith when you know it comes from God. Second, when you connect your Christian life to men and women God has chosen for the gospel, you can more deeply know that you are part of God’s eternal plan to seek and to save the lost. Your faith and love for God grows deeper roots when you know the LORD God has moved through history, one generation to another, to purposefully bring you into his eternal promise. God loves the world. He began a worldwide movement with one man, so you could know Jesus today and forever. So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith. (Galatians 3:9)
    This is God’s love story for you. Embrace it, and keep telling the story. You are one of God’s anointed messengers today. 9 So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.