June 19 Prayer

In Galatians 3, Paul is speaking to the Galatians concerning their inheritance given to them by the grace of God through His promise to Abraham many years prior.  God had promised Abraham that in his Seed ALL the nations of the earth would be blessed. (see Genesis 15:1-18 for more insight).  The Galatians witnessed first-hand Jesus’ brutal crucifixion and were saved by the Spirit through faith.  They saw the nails hammered into His hands and feet.  They saw the thorns penetrate His scalp.  They saw the deep wounds in Jesus’ flesh from the whips.  They watched as the officials spit in His face and mocked Him.  They watched Him give up His final breath on earth as a man.  The payment for the world’s sins was collected before their very eyes.  

In spite of this, the Galatians were still trying to justify themselves according to the law, based on their own merits, rather than having faith in the completed work on the cross as payment for their sins.  In their efforts to earn their own salvation, the Galatians mocked Jesus just as much as the officials who spit in His face.  I don’t know their reasoning for turning to the bondage of the law.  Maybe they thought they had messed up and were too far gone for Jesus’ blood to be sufficient for them.  Maybe they were prideful and thought they could live a perfect life, not needing a Savior.  No matter the reason, they were living as though Christ died in vain.   

Paul reminds them in Galatians 3:18 that the promise of salvation and the right to become children of God did not come through the law, but through God’s promise.  In fact, the covenant God made with Abraham to bless the nations through his Seed was sealed 430 years before the law was issued to Moses.  He further explains the law was intended to point to their need for a Savior, not to invalidate the promise.  

If we’re not careful, we can find ourselves in the same predicament.  We claim the blood of Jesus and state we are saved by grace, yet we continue to strive for perfection in our own strength.  We think if we just read the Bible enough, pray enough, attend church every time the doors open, then God has to accept us as though there were a checklist.  The reality is Jesus’ death on the cross and resurrection is enough.  All we have to do is accept this free, yet costly gift to be redeemed and accepted.  If it were based on our own efforts, we would have no hope and Christ died in vain.  We all fall short of His perfect standard which is why Jesus’ sacrifice was necessary for our freedom.  God Himself paid our debt so we can live under the umbrella of grace.