…keeping our eyes on Jesus, the source and perfecter of our faith.
Hebrews 12:2
We are not saved by what we do; Jesus saves us. Jesus is our Lord and we obey him.
“There has to be something I bring to the table.”
Yes, there is. You bring your sin. You bring your need. You and I were dead in trespasses and sin. The Bible doesn’t say we had a little limp: “Yeah, I sinned and shot myself in the foot. It was really embarrassing.”
No, we were dead, dead in trespasses and sins, and God made us alive in Christ Jesus. Salvation is His work.
“Yeah, but you do have to believe, right?”
Of course you do. Yet, He is the author and perfecter of our faith. (Hebrews 12:2)
“But, you have to repent, right?”
Yes, and God’s kindness leads you toward repentance. (Romans 2:4)
John Newton got it right: “Amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. … ‘Twas grace that taught my heart to fear and grace my fears relieved.” You see, it’s God’s doing.
In Titus we read:
For we too were once foolish, disobedient, deceived, enslaved by various passions and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, detesting one another. But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us—not by works of righteousness that we had done, but according to His mercy—through the washing of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit. He poured out His Spirit on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior so that, having been justified by His grace, we may become heirs with the hope of eternal life. Titus 3:3-7
Do you hear this? More importantly, do you believe it? He says it twice in verse 5: “He saved us…” Internalize this. Say it aloud: “He saved me. I don’t deserve it, but He saved me.”
This is absolutely crucial, because it is at the heart of the problem in Galatia. Paul writes to the Galatians and rebukes them harshly, not because they had started worshipping idols or engaging in all kinds of sexual immorality, but because they were trying to do something in order to make themselves okay with God.
Unfortunately, I tend to like people who behave like the Galatians. I think they’re really conscientious. I think they have a wonderful attitude.
Here’s a group of Gentile men who hear that if you really want to be a Christian, you need to get circumcised. They are told, “God can’t accept you as one of his children unless you are circumcised.”
These Gentile Galatians respond, “I didn’t know that. Nobody told me. If I had known, I would have already done it. Where do I sign up? And by the way, what is circumcision anyway?”
When Paul writes to them, he doesn’t say, “Guys, you don’t have to do this. It’s not necessary. I mean, it’s really sweet of you and everything, but …”
Instead, the apostle Paul says, “You foolish Galatians. Who has bewitched you? You started out well. You trusted in Christ. You believed the gospel. Now, you’re totally off course.”
Remember, these Galatians are very nice people who want to do the right thing. Instead of commending them, Paul says, “You’re way out of line here.” This must have seemed a shocking response from Paul.
They ask, “You’re saying I shouldn’t be circumcised?”
Paul has to explain, “Circumcision doesn’t count for anything. But, in light of the significance that you are attaching to circumcision, I’m telling you the truth, if you get circumcised, you’re cut off, severed from Christ.”
That’s a dreadful thought. The Gentile Galatians had to make a choice about who and what they believe.
They thought they had heard from reliable Christian teachers that they must be circumcised, and now Paul, the man who led them to faith in Christ, is saying they must not get circumcised. What a tough situation.
Paul desperately wants the Galatians to understand that the reason they must not be circumcised is not because circumcision is bad. Paul was circumcised. The reason is because if you think there is anything you can do to make yourself okay with God, you’re still lost. You can’t get saved by something you do. Only Jesus can save you.
