The Spirit of His Son- Sometimes we act more like slaves than sons in our relationship with God. We can still live under the weight of sin and condemnation. Since "the Spirit of His Son" now lives in us, we can choose to live in freedom, not bondage.

The purpose of the law- God's covenant with Abraham was not reversed by the law. The law was meant to show us our sin and lead us to Christ like a "schoolteacher." We can never find favor with God through our own works.

The just shall live by faith- The line between faith and works was becoming blurred for some of the Galatians. With that in mind, Paul asked a simple question: "Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?"

The exchanged life- When we put our faith and trust in Jesus Christ, it is His life that lives through us. We "exchange" our own righteousness for His. This is an important reminder because, like Peter, we sometimes fall into the trap of pleasing man rather than pleasing God.

When Paul rebuked Peter- Receiving correction from others can be hard. Paul publicly rebuked Peter when he saw his belief did not match up with his behavior. It's not always easy, but there are times when we need to confront other believers who are in the wrong.

Unity in the gospel- Unfortunately, there are many people in the modern church who have sacrificed truth for the sake of unity. Peter, James, and John, affirmed to the church at Jerusalem that Paul was preaching the same message and gospel of grace.

Defending the gospel- Fourteen years after his first visit to Jerusalem, Paul returned to bear witness to how the gospel was reaching the Gentiles. Paul exhorted the church leaders in Jerusalem to resist the "false brethren" who were saying circumcision was required to be saved.

Called to relationship- On the road to Damascus, Jesus revealed Himself to Paul. What Paul found was not religion. It was a relationship with the living God. Jesus calls His followers to walk with Him and to know Him first, above everything else.

The source of the gospel- There are other gospels out there being preached in the world. Like the Galatians, some are tempted to believe in a "Jesus-and" gospel, adding to the true gospel of grace that Paul knew, directly revealed to him by Christ.

To the Galatians- Paul's wrote this letter as a defense against the legalistic teaching of the Judaizers. There are many examples of modern day "Judaizers" who threaten the true gospel with an unhealthy emphasis on religious ceremony and self-righteousness.