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Galatians 5 Commentary
by Brad Boyles
The fruit of keeping the law is exposed here in Galatians 5. According to Paul, the devotion to the law was leading to a cold, empty legalism. They were “biting and devouring one another.” We could ask the very same question today! Why do so many people who are committed to the church end up dividing others and failing to truly love them?
Enter, the Holy Spirit.
What I say is this: let the Spirit direct your lives, and you will not satisfy the desires of the human nature.
Galatians 5:16 GNB
In Judaism, the “yoke of the mitzvot” (yoke of commandments) is considered joyful to bear. Does it actually produce joy? What do the real world examples show us?
In Paul’s experience, those who accepted such a yoke were unable to fulfill it. Instead of admitting to their shortcomings, the religious leaders fell victim to self-righteousness and passed on their interpretation of the yoke of mitzvot onto their people. When Jesus arrives, He is disgusted by the heavy burdens being laid on His people stemming from a core issue of pride. He addresses it in Matthew 23.
“The teachers of the Law and the Pharisees are the authorized interpreters of Moses’ Law. 3 So you must obey and follow everything they tell you to do; do not, however, imitate their actions, because they don’t practice what they preach. 4 They tie onto people’s backs loads that are heavy and hard to carry, yet they aren’t willing even to lift a finger to help them carry those loads.
Matthew 23:2-4 GNB
Do you know anyone like this? Even worse, are you willing to admit that you have a little bit (or a lot) of Pharisee in you as well?
Jesus was the fulfillment of what the law originally intended. It was supposed to bring obedience which produced joy. How do we obey when the standard is set so incredibly high? How do we live a Christian life without succombing to the “do’s and don’t checklist” of generations prior? Paul gives us a starting point.
Those of you who try to be put right with God by obeying the Law have cut yourselves off from Christ. You are outside God’s grace. 5 As for us, our hope is that God will put us right with him; and this is what we wait for by the power of God’s Spirit working through our faith.
Galatians 5:4-5 GNB
The power of God’s Spirit working through our faith.
Grace is based on faith and is able to justify sinful people. It starts with Christ and is continued by His Spirit that takes residence in our body and guides us to real heart change. This is how we accomplish true intimacy with God and how God designed for His children to function. But the key is understanding that grace through faith is not an accomplishment. It is a lifestyle.
This is why Paul describes Christ as bringing liberty and freedom. Waking up everyday knowing that Christ has paid your debt and you are free to live in harmony with God through the Holy Spirit propels obedience and heart change. Waking up everyday with the task of accomplishing a laundry list of commandments only produces anxiety, depression, and bondage.
In Paul’s time, circumcision was a big deal to Jewish Christians. They believed, in addition to Jesus, you needed to be circumcised in order to be saved. Sarcastically, Paul tells these Judaizers exactly how he feels about that!
I wish that the people who are upsetting you would go all the way; let them go on and castrate themselves!
Galatians 5:12 GNB
The bottom line is this; Christ called us to freedom. If we understand the bondage He has freed us from, we will love others with that same grace. If we don’t, we will become a selfish, angry hypocrite with no fruit and no joy.