48) The Book of Galatians

GALATIANS was probably the first letter written by Paul. This epistle is the most passionate defense of the gospel of the grace of God and its redeeming power of salvation. The Judaizers advocated that the works of the law supplement the gospel of Jesus Christ, but this issue was already decided by the Apostles in the special meeting of Acts 15. The official decree declared that salvation is obtained by grace through faith (Acts 15:9-11).

Galatians is kin to the Epistle to the Romans. These two letters were the favorites of Martin
Luther. Romans reveals that justification is dispensed by grace through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ (Rom. 3:24; 4:5; 5:1). The letter to the Galatians reinforces the doctrine of salvation by grace through faith and adds that sanctification is also dispensed by grace through faith in the words of God (Romans 6:11; Gal. 2:20-21; 5:16; Col. 2:6). These epistles establish the sound doctrines of eternal security and growth in grace from Calvary to the Rapture.

Gentile legalists have added many other works to supposedly verify salvation. The common addition is the water baptism of Acts 2:38, but the proponents of this Jewish water baptism advocate different modes of baptism. Paul adamantly wrote that justification is not dispensed through a wafer, water, or any other work (Gal. 5:4; Eph. 2:8-9; Titus 3:4-7) and all preachers who pervert the gospel ofthe grace of Christ are accursed (Gal. 1:6-9).

This epistle records the Contrasts of the works of the flesh and the fruit of the Spirit. As the believer in Christ receives the new birth so the believer in the Spirit and the sacred Scriptures receives the abundant life (John 10:10; Col. 2:6-7). The works of the flesh reap corruption and death, but the fruit of the Holy Ghost reaps life everlasting. The liberty to live in the Spirit is granted to the believer at salvation (Gal. 5:1). The common saying for the fruitful life is living on cloud nine (Gen. 9:1). This letter contains 6 chapters and 149 verses.