Galatians 5:1-12 (NRSV) For freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. ²Listen! I, Paul, am telling you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no benefit to you. ³Once again I testify to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obliged to obey the entire law. ⁴You who want to be justified by the law have cut yourselves off from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. ⁵For through the Spirit, by faith, we eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness. ⁶For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything; the only thing that counts is faith working through love. ⁷You were running well; who prevented you from obeying the truth? ⁸Such persuasion does not come from the one who calls you. ⁹A little yeast leavens the whole batch of dough. ¹⁰I am confident about you in the Lord that you will not think otherwise. But whoever it is that is confusing you will pay the penalty. ¹¹But my friends, why am I still being persecuted if I am still preaching circumcision? In that case the offense of the cross has been removed. ¹²I wish those who unsettle you would castrate themselves!

Paul accentuates the freedom of the Christian. We are free to love and serve. God gives the gifts. We are moved to serve. We can resist or reject. We can recognize that some times are more appropriate than others for certain service, for the congregation and individually. But we cannot help but serve the Lord if we are Christians.

This is a foolish thing to write, but I hope it makes the point. Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved! The only thing to add is that once every ten years you need to pull a hair out of your head at the altar and put the hair in the candle flame for five seconds. THEN you will be saved eternally. No. No. No. No. No. No. No.!!!!!!!!!!

The Christians in Galatia wanted to be saved by the free act of Jesus Christ on the cross to forgive their sins and save them. But they also wanted to demand that new male Christians be circumcised (the hair sounds easier but is just as deadly spiritually!). Paul is in anguish. No way!

Faith works through loving others by applying the good news of forgiveness and salvation. It looks outward. The Galatians were back to thinking faith was to please God. Too late! Cannot be done! Already accomplished! As Christ looked outward to love us, we are to be equipped to look outward. If you think that your job is to please God so that he will love you, come to worship and hear of his grace. You are in spiritual trouble. If you know you are saved by grace alone, continue to worship, that you do not fall away. It is eternally serious business!

In Christ our Lord and Savior,
Pastor Thomas Trapp