GALATIANS: The Spiritual Health of God’s Grace

What a vigorous Christian life the book of Galatians will produce! One full of conviction as one taught of God who knows the risen Christ, depends on His Spirit, serves Christ in His church, and is devoted in love to the One who died for Him.

Galatians was Martin Luther’s favorite book. He even called it his ‘Katie,’ which was his wife’s name. It is a book that teaches us that we must have personal dealings with God. We must read the Bible and ask God to teach us Himself. Read each chapter and see if you recognize in the flow of thought with each chapter. Compare what you learn with the summary theme of each chapter that I have written below. May God teach each of us as we cry out to Him to teach us from His Holy Word!

Chapter 1. True Conversion is conviction from God Himself by His word. Jesus is the only Savior and the Bible is the only revelation of God.

Chapter 2. The Bible is your authority—we must be like the Bereans: if God says it, that’s it and Christ’s glory is what you are dedicated to. Paul did not care “how important” anyone was who opposed or contradicted God’s truth. God’s truth is above us all, even Peter who acted inconsistently when he at first preached the good news to Gentiles and then later avoided them because they did not keep the Jewish laws.

Chapter 3. Paul says to the Galatians: O foolish ones, you have been to the cross, how can you leave that. You have been taught by the Spirit—that is what the OT was pointing to: Sharing life and eternity with Messiah by the Spirit poured out upon you, this is our inheritance, how foolish to trust in your efforts as a religious person!

Chapter 4. The Spirit of Adoption is on you. Don’t turn again to the slavishness of observing ceremonies as a way to earn favor with God. Keep aligned with the Jerusalem which is above, beware of the Ishmael’s of today, who are the self-righteous opposes of God’s free grace. The Son of God is our Redeemer. He has fulfilled the law for us—even its curse.

Chapter 5. The Spirit comes and fills the life of the one daily coming to Christ! The fruit of the Spirit is the outworking of the indwelling Holy Spirit.

Chapter 6. Oh how Christ blesses those believers who dwell among His People! They are taught to bear one another’s burdens. They learn to sow to the Spirit and not to the flesh. They seek to do good to all men, but especially those of the household of faith. They glory only in the cross.

The book of Galatians is a powerful proclamation of the gospel. May its power be demonstrated in our lives!