A Letter That Still Speaks
Imagine receiving a letter so urgent, so heartfelt, that the writer skips all pleasantries and goes straight to the point. That’s Galatians. Paul writes with fire in his bones because something precious is at stake: the gospel itself.
From the very start, Paul makes it clear: “By the works of the law no one will be justified” (Galatians 2:16). Righteousness is not earned, bought, or performed. It is received—by grace, through faith in Christ.
Two thousand years later, this message still matters. We live in a world quick to measure worth by performance, appearance, or success. Even in the church, we drift toward legalism on one side and self-indulgence on the other. Paul’s voice calls us back: Freedom is found only in Jesus.
1. The True Gospel
Paul begins by confronting “another gospel” that was infiltrating Galatia (Galatians 1:6–9). False teachers were adding requirements to Christ’s finished work. Their message sounded spiritual, but it enslaved.
Don’t we face the same danger? We may not preach circumcision, but we’re tempted by performance-based Christianity: If I read enough, serve enough, pray enough—then God will accept me. Yet Paul reminds us that salvation is not Jesus-plus-anything. It’s Jesus alone.
2. Faith, Not Law
In Galatians 2:20, Paul offers a verse worth engraving on our hearts: “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”
The law was a guardian, pointing us to Christ (Galatians 3:24). But once He came, we were set free from guardianship to live as sons and daughters. Faith clothes us in Christ—covering our shame, reshaping our identity, and filling us with His Spirit.
3. Sons and Daughters, Not Slaves
Paul describes our new position beautifully: “Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, ‘Abba, Father’” (Galatians 4:6).
We are no longer slaves, bound by fear, but heirs—secure in our Father’s love. I think of a child who sees their dad and instinctively says, “That’s my daddy!” That is the confidence God gives us in Christ.
But when we drift back toward legalism or sin, we live as if we’re orphans again. Paul pleads with the Galatians—and with us—don’t trade sonship for slavery.
4. Truth That Feels Personal
In Galatians 4:12–20, Paul’s tone softens. He reminds them of how they once received him with love, even in his weakness. But now, after correction, they treat him as an enemy. “Have I now become your enemy by telling you the truth?” (v. 16).
Isn’t that familiar? Correction feels personal, even when it comes from love. Yet Paul’s aim wasn’t to wound but to see “Christ formed in you” (v. 19). That’s what spiritual friendships and gospel communities are for—not comfort alone, but transformation.
5. Walking in the Spirit
Freedom is never license. Paul warns: “You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love” (Galatians 5:13).
The works of the flesh destroy community; the fruit of the Spirit builds it. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control—these are not self-manufactured. They are Spirit-produced in hearts surrendered to Christ.
So when we’re unsure how to respond to someone, here’s the question to ask: What does love require of me? That question dismantles pride, silences ego, and re-centers us on Christ.
6. Boasting in the Cross
Paul closes with a powerful declaration: “May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world” (Galatians 6:14).
We were made to boast. By creation, we were designed to boast in God. By sin, we twist that boasting toward ourselves. But Paul redirects us: all our bragging belongs at the cross.
Why? Because at the cross the ground is level. Achievements, failures, backgrounds, and status—none of it counts. “What counts is the new creation” (Galatians 6:15).
Living the Galatians Way
So how do we live this out?
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Cling to the true gospel. Don’t settle for Jesus-plus-anything.
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Rest in your adoption. You are no longer a slave, but a child and an heir.
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Welcome truth, even when it stings. God uses it to form Christ in you.
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Walk by the Spirit. Let love shape every action and decision.
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Boast only in the cross. Let Christ be your confidence and your song.
Closing Encouragement
Paul’s words to the Galatians echo into our lives: It is for freedom that Christ has set us free (Galatians 5:1). Not freedom to wander, but freedom to worship. Not freedom to indulge, but freedom to love.
As you go into your relationships, workplaces, and communities, remember this promise: You are a new creation in Christ. The Spirit lives in you. And the cross is enough.
