Paul the apostle spent four
chapters explaining to the Galatian church members how keeping the
law differs from the grace of God through Jesus Christ. He has begun
chapter five of his letter to them by sharing how they should stand
fast in the liberty wherewith Christ has made them free. In chapter
fiver verse two Paul addresses a specific group of members within the
church and explains how their lack of liberty leads to
unprofitableness. He wrote:
Behold, I Paul say unto
you, that if you be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing.
Paul
begins, “Behold, I Paul say unto you...” In other words,
“look, pay attention, observe” that it is Paul the apostle who is
writing these words. Paul wanted these members' attention, and like a
military reveille, Paul desires that they awake from their mental
stupor by knowing who it is that is addressing them.
He
continued, “...that if you be circumcised,...” When God
made His covenant with Abraham of old, He initiated the idea of
circumcision. The foreskin of males was to be cut off to symbolize
the putting away of the flesh. Every male child that was born
thereafter was to be circumcised on the eighth day after his birth.
This was a covenant for the descendants of Abraham and therefore
belonged to the Jews. Gentiles were not a part of this custom unless
they joined the Hebrew religion. The Galatians were Gentiles, and the
Judaizers were attempting to convince them as part of following Jesus
Christ that all males must be circumcised. It is this idea that Paul
is addressing, and he wants them to remember just who he is that is
addressing them.
Paul
adds, “Christ shall profit you nothing.” In other words,
there is no benefit to following Jesus Christ if there is a return to
this old covenant idea. In the book of Acts of the Apostles in
chapter fifteen and verse one and two we read:
And certain men which
came down from Judaea taught the brethren, [and said], Except you are
circumcised after the manner of Moses, you cannot be saved. When
therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation
with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas, and certain other
of them, should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about
this question.
This
was the beginning of the first church council in Jerusalem that
addressed the idea of circumcision and following the law for
righteousness before God. Paul says if these ways are true, then
“Christ shall profit you nothing.” It
was not as though those who were already circumcised could not profit
from a relationship with Jesus Christ, but rather the notion that
circumcision in and of itself was a means to being righteous before
God was an error. It was by Jesus Christ that righteousness before
God comes, and those who rely upon, cling to, and trust in Him stand
liberated and righteous before God.
Once
again we are challenged to think about ways in which we serve rules,
regulations and traditions within our walk with God. Do we think
certain paths other than faith in Jesus Christ must be followed for
us to be saved? Are there acts of obedience with which we must comply
to be righteous before God other than faith in Jesus? If not, we
align ourselves with Paul, and Christ profits us. If so, perhaps we
should lay aside these things and trust that God's plan for the
salvation of man is best.
Next time we will see how following one aspect of the law makes us
debtor to all the law, so read ahead, and let us join together then.
Until
tomorrow...there is more...
Look for
the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation
to Generation” in all major
bookstore
sites, www.amazon.com ; www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to
e-books, and find it locally
at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore
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