The struggle between right and wrong, good and evil, sin and righteousness is a battle waged within every Christian. This battle is between the desires of the flesh and the desires of the Spirit, a civil war within the heart, mind, soul, and body. Surrendering to sin, characterized by habitual and unrepentant behavior, results in eternal separation from God. Paul encourages us that the battle against sin is won through the power of the Holy Spirit and achieved by mortifying the flesh. This involves daily crucifying sin and embracing the fruit of the Spirit, such as love, joy, and peace. Ultimately, the war against sin is won through Jesus’ sacrifice, and as believers, we eagerly await His return when sin will finally be put to death.

Paul gets to the very heart of the argument of his letter to his old friends. They are free in Christ Jesus, the agitators who are leading them astray are in real trouble and will face judgment, and those that are free in Christ should use their freedom to serve and love their neighbors. The warning language to both the Christians in Asia Minor and the false teachers leading them astray is shockingly strong. This underscores the seriousness of the matter. Nothing less than the eternal fate of all involved is at stake. 

In this section of Paul’s letter, he uses a nuanced argument from the Old Testament. He uses the story of Hagar/Sarah and Ishmael/Isaac allegorically or in a typological way to help us understand the difference between a covenant of works compared to a covenant of Grace. Paul ultimately wants his friends and us today to understand that there is a HUGE difference between people who try to do things by their own power and strength compared to people who rely on God’s power to accomplish great and wonderful things. God’s children, children of the promise, cannot save themselves and fully realize that it is by God’s strength that they are saved and brought into his family. Legalism always leads to slavery while children of the promise are born into freedom. 

Paul is personally and pastorally very concerned about his friends in Asia Minor who are following false teachers that are leading them away from the Gospel of Jesus Christ. These instigators are also putting a dividing wedge between the churches in Asia Minor and Paul himself. So, Paul passionately encourages them, and us 2,000 some years later, that true children of God are built on Grace ALONE. That true children of God know the Freedom of the Gospel of Grace, they are in tune with God’s voice through the Spirit, and are being formed into the likeness of Jesus Christ. It is God’s Grace through Jesus Christ and the power of the Spirit that both saves us (justification), and also makes us more like Jesus (sanctification). 

Paul begins a deeper exposition on the meaning and purpose of the Old Testament Law. The Law certainly has its place in the lives of the people of God, however the promised seed and the future fulfillment of Law is much better than the Law itself. The Law, according to Paul, is not contrary to the Promise of the Gospel in Jesus, but is a kind of guardian. A caretaker until the promise is fulfilled. It can never do what the Gospel does, in that sense the Gospel and Jesus is better than the Law, but that doesn’t mean the law is bad. Ultimately, the fulfillment of the Law leads to a people of God that transcend national Israel. The Gospel of Jesus flings open the door to better and new reality that includes all kinds of people in his family.

In this passage Paul illustrates the role the law had for Israel as being like a caretaker for an underage heir. Israel was subject to the law until the time set by the Father. During that time Israel was enslaved to the law, a basic, rudimentary spiritual guardian/guide. The special time appointed for Christ to come (the fullness of time) brought about our redemption from the law/slavery. But this redemption was SO MUCH MORE than just being forgiven or declared righteous. It means that WE BECOME God's sons and daughters. Which means we can cry out to him, "Abba." And which means that we become heirs of of God, receiving the same resurrection life that Jesus received and that can never be taken from us.

Paul encourages the Galatians to remember how God brought them together as communities of faith in Jesus. This wasn’t by good works, works of the Law, or circumcision. This was by simple faith in Jesus who then empowered them by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit makes the local church a community of brothers and sisters, children of Abraham. All of this is even possible only because Jesus became a curse on our behalf. He hung on the cross so we could be a family together who shares a common faith in him and a common Spirit sent from the Father and the son. We are a new faithful Christian community because of Him. 

The troubles that the Galatian churches are having is not Paul’s first go around with these kinds of false beliefs and false teachers. Earlier in Paul’s ministry, some false believers tried to convince Titus, Paul’s gentile friend, that he needed to be circumcised if he was going to be a Christian. Paul thought this was crazy! This matter was brought before the early Christian leaders in Jerusalem and they agreed with Paul. They agreed that Paul would continue to spread the truth of the Gospel among uncircumcised gentiles, and James, Peter, and John would continue to focus on reaching Jewish people. This is an early example of the good church authority structures and how those structures are vital for spreading the true Gospel.  

Personal testimonies of how people come to faith in Jesus can be very powerful. In this passage, Paul actually tells his personal testimony of coming to faith in Jesus. But, the story is not really about Paul, it’s about God’s Grace towards Paul. It’s not by Paul’s power that he is saved. It is not by Paul’s good works, or his intellect, or his zeal, but it is by God’s sovereign Grace, planned out by God long ago. This passage challenges those who believe in Jesus to step out in faith and tell others about how we came to faith, while emphasizing that every story of faith is really a story about God’s Grace. 

The intro sermon focuses on introducing us to Paul, the people churches of Galatia, the theological troubles that were being brought into the communities, and finally a look at the Gospel of Jesus that brings actual freedom. This is because true freedom is not what we have to do for God in order to be made right, but has everything to do with what God has done for us in Jesus Christ.