Galatians

When I first came to faith, it was amazing. Believe in Jesus, my sins are forgiven, life makes sense, and bonus: eternal life in heaven. I mean, it’s a good deal.

But then people told me I had to get rid of all my records, stop playing rock music, cut my hair, no more movies—if it’s fun, it’s probably a sin. So stop it! 

That’s kind of what happened to the Gospel in a bunch of the churches Paul had planted.

Paul had delivered the pure, unfiltered, 100% Jesus gospel. “Christ alone. Grace alone. Faith alone.” And then some well-meaning busibodies came along and said, “Well, sure, Jesus is great—but you need to add a little circumcision, some Jewish cookbooks, maybe a dash of thus saith Moses, just for kick.”

Paul hears about all this and writes them a scathing letter to be read out loud in the churches. Basically saying, “You’re out of your everlovin’ minds. You foolish Galatians! Who bewitched you?”

So we’ve been going through Acts line by line—and we’re right at that moment when the early church, who are mostly Jews, is wrestling with what to do about all these new Gentile believers. That was the big question at the council of Jerusalem in Acts 15. Do they need to become Jewish first before they can really be Christian? How much of the Law do they need to pay attention to? Do they have to look like a Jew, act like a Jew, wear a yarmulke to Hanukkah, celebrate Passover in Jerusalem, and learn how to make Matzo Ball soup? In particular, do all the men have to go see their urologist for a very peculiar procedure?

Perfect time to press pause and look at Galatians, because that’s exactly what it’s about.

I thought it would be good to interrupt our Acts series now and then to cover some of the letters Paul wrote to the churches he planted on the mission trips the Book of Acts covers. So, today we’re opening Galatians.

It’s probably his earliest letter. It’s written to the churches he planted throughout the area known as Galatia. It was to be read out loud in all the churches he started in the area—all the places we’ve visited so far: Pisidian, Antioch, Iconium, Lystra, Derbe (remember the stone throwing incident where he almost died?)

So, after he left, a bunch of the Pharisee Christians had shown up and were trying to bully all the Greek Christians to act like proper Jews. Telling them they weren’t really Christians if they didn’t. Paul was not pleased. This is not his friendliest letter.

They were adding things to the Gospel that didn’t need to be added—things that distorted the whole point of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Unfortunately, this is something we still deal with in the church today. People still add things to the Gospel. They’re like, “Yeah, you’re saved by grace … but you also need to have big emotional experiences in worship, and you need to know all these theological things, plus you need to behave a certain way, look a certain way, talk a certain way. Have certain political opinions, vote a certain way.” No. Jesus plus nothing.

So, we’re going to look at how Paul handles it. It’s gonna get spicy.

Galatians. Six chapters. About 20 minutes to read. A lifetime to digest.

Let’s break it down:

Chapter 1. THE OCCASION – What Happened? 

Right out of the gate, this isn’t one of his warm, “Hey y’all, I thank God every time I think of you” letters. He starts with:

    “I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel.” (Gal. 1:6)

Then he throws this:

    “Even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed.”

Even if an angel came down from heaven and said there was another way to salvation other than Jesus, don’t believe them. Let them be accursed.

Accursed is from one of my favorite Greek words: anathema — literally means “go to hell.” “Hey, any of you who believe this nonsense can go to hell.” Okay. Tell us how you really feel, Paul.

They were especially obsessed with the idea that all the men had to be circumcised. Paul’s like, “Why should they stop there? They should go ahead and cut the whole thing off, castrate themselves.”

Paul sees it as a betrayal of everything Jesus died for—everything he taught them. He’s not just mad, he’s astonished. 

He makes it clear that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is not just another man-made religion. It’s not a self-help program. It’s not some kind of new and improved Judaism. The promise of salvation is in Christ alone—there’s not some special side deal for the Jews, Jesus Christ is the only way.

Galatians 1:11–12

“For I would have you know, brothers, that the gospel that was preached by me is not man’s gospel. For I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.”

What Paul taught came straight from Jesus. That’s a bold claim. No mortal man told him any of these things. He didn’t get it from the disciples. He spent time face to face with the risen Jesus, who taught him everything he taught the churches and wrote down in his letters. 

Galatians Chapter 2 — Justification Is by Faith, Not Works

He tells the story of how he had to confront Peter over this same issue—someone who definitely knew better. He was all about hanging out with the Gentiles and sharing meals until the Pharisee Christians from Jerusalem showed up and pressured him into falling back into his old “shun the Greeks” way of doing things. Paul says, “I opposed him to his face—straightened him out.” 

Peter was acting like one of the cool kids in school who only hangs out with the nerds when the other cool kids aren’t around. Gross. Paul says there’s no room for that kind of nonsense in the church.

And the Jewish bullies—they were just sure that a person can’t be saved unless they do all the Jewish things. All the law. All their extra rules. Paul’s letter to the Galatians brings them back to the basics. Justification, which means salvation, is Jesus plus nothing. 

Galatians 2:16

"Yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ..."

Being a Christian, being in Christ, being justified, saved—we don’t make it happen. Not by acting a certain way, saying a particular prayer, we can’t earn it. 

But I can say this until my face turns blue and people still won’t get it. I’ll say all that, then ask, “Why should God let you go to heaven when you die?” And they’ll be like, “Well, I think I’ve lived a pretty good life, I’m basically a good person.” No! That has nothing to do with it! We’re not made right with God by being good—not by keeping His rules (the Law) but we’re saved completely by grace through faith in Jesus. 

I don’t know how I can say it any more clear than that. But someone in this room will still think, “Welp, I’ll probably go to heaven because I’m a pretty good person.”

Listen, you’ll only go to heaven if you let go of all that and stop trusting in yourself—your enthusiasm, your theological knowledge, your ability to walk the walk and talk the talk—you have to die to all that confidence in yourself. Or as it says in… 

Galatians 2:20

"I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me..."

That’s what salvation looks like. You die to all your ideas about how good you are. Your goodness is not good enough. The only hope you have is that you’re crucified with Christ. Then you can trust that His life is your ticket to glory. You can’t add anything to what Christ has already done for you. And it’s never been any other way.

Chapter 3 — The Promise Came Before the Law.

It’s never been about keeping the law, God’s promise to Abraham came before the law.

Galatians 3:7

"Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham."

I’m going to make some of you very uncomfortable, but it’s not my fault, it’s Paul’s.

Who are God’s chosen people? That covenant made with Abraham—who do all the promises belong to? The Jews? The nation of Israel? Ethnic Hebrews? No. They belong to Jesus. The descendant of Abraham who inherited everything.

So, good for Jesus, right? What does that have to do with us?

Galatians 3:29

"And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise."

Remember, the theme of this book is how Jewish do you have to be to be saved? God’s chosen people means the ones He’s going to save. There’s only one chosen people. There’s not plan A and plan B. There’s one holy nation in the kingdom of God.

I don’t know how Paul could make it any more clear. Salvation isn’t about heritage or rule-keeping—it’s about being in Christ. All the promises that were made to Abraham have been passed down to his descendant. The entire inheritance has been given to Jesus—and He gives it freely to His brothers and sisters. The ones He calls to follow Him. He gives it to everyone who trusts in Him—everyone who comes to God and prays “Our Father who art in heaven.” 

I don’t know why this is hard to understand. 

God told Abraham that his children will be as numerous as the stars of the sky. He said, “I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.’ That promise was talking about Jesus Christ and everyone who is called by His name. If you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to the promise.

Galatians Chapter 4 — We Are Children, Not Slaves.

He explains the church is like adoption—we’re not just freed, we’re family.

Every one of us was born into slavery—to the world, the flesh, and the devil. He calls this being born under the law. Not because the law of God was bad but because the law shows us that we’re bad. The Law is like a perfectly straight line that shows how crooked we are. 

Galatians 4:4–5

"But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son... to redeem those who were under the law, (all the crooked people bent in on themselves) so that we might receive adoption as sons."

Galatians 4:7

"So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God."

We belong to the household of faith—not by law, but by grace.

We don’t have to prove how spiritual we are. Salvation is a gift. Salvation is adoption into God’s family—He gives us His name, He gives us a room in His home, a seat at His table—we inherit the kingdom of heaven because Jesus, our big brother, shares His inheritance with us. 

So, your salvation is a gift. You didn’t have to do anything to get it.

But if we don’t have to earn our salvation, how should we live this new life we’ve been given? 

Should we do whatever? Sin up a storm? Grab whatever we can? To heck with anyone else?

Galatians Chapter 5 — Freedom Leads to Spirit-Filled Living.

No. Christ frees us—not to live like slaves to sin, but to love one another.

Galatians 5:1

"For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery."

Remember what we pray in the Lord’s Prayer, “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Jesus didn’t come to earth and die so no one would do what God wants. How stupid would that be? The whole idea is that Jesus brought the kingdom of heaven and chooses people like you and me to live as free citizens of His kingdom on this earth that is still in slavery to the world, the flesh, and the devil. So, we’re not supposed to keep living like that. That kind of life is miserable and joyless. We’re free from all that—it has no more power over us. 

We fall down, God helps us back up. We sin, God forgives us because of Jesus. We get scared, God’s word reminds us that even if we die, our true life is in Christ and we’ll still live forever. 

Paul has a little sample list of the kinds of things that would be really dumb for us to spend our new life doing. He calls them works of the flesh—warns that people who do these kinds of things are trying to forfeit their inheritance. Sexual immorality, sorcery, fits of anger, drunkenness. The life of a Christian isn’t some kind of lawless anarchy. I mean, we’re free to do these things, I guess, but they’re like inviting the darkness to come back into our life. Putting the shackles back on our wrists. They’re not God’s will for us. What is God’s will? What does He want us to spend our time doing? You know. Worship God, love people.

We’re free to live our life as an act of worship to God by loving people. We can take one step after another in faith that the more we love and serve other people, the more God will fill our life up with good things. Paul calls this the fruit of the Spirit.

We’re like trees that grow magic fruit to heal and restore people. 

Galatians 5:22–23

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control..."

Fruit doesn’t come from our own effort—it grows from the Spirit of God dwelling in us. God works His salvation in us, and what God works into us, we work out by giving it to others. The fruit that grows on a tree isn’t for the tree—the tree gives it away. The whole point is to make more magic trees. Love people so they will come to faith in Jesus. Give them joy so they will come to faith in Jesus. Live at peace with people, show them patience, show them kindness, be good to people so they might come to faith in the One you have put your faith in. Live a faithful life so people will be led to have faith in Jesus. Be gentle with each other, always control your temper and your tongue (and your typing fingers and texting thumbs) so the Spirit of God can use the fruit He is growing in you to bring people to Jesus.

Your fruit isn’t for you. All those things we call fruit of the Spirit are works, things we do, they don’t save you. They help you reach other people with the love and grace of God.

Galatians Chapter 6 — Sow to the Spirit. Boast Only in the Cross.

Galatians 6:2

"Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ."

This is the bottom line of what I’ve been talking about. What is the law of Christ? How are we to live? Paul quotes Jesus who quoted Leviticus, all the law can be summed up like this, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” 

Notice the fruit of the Spirit is singular. It’s one fruit. That fruit is love. Crack it open and inside you’ll find joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness—and how do you make use of this fruit? Self-control.

Lay down your life for other people. Don’t make it about you.

If someone asked me what I’m the most proud of—what would I say? What am I the most proud of in my life? My mind can go a lot of places. That a cute high school cheerleader wanted to marry me. I got some bragging rights there! That Warner Brothers signed me to a major publishing and record deal. That’s pretty cool. That God called me to serve as pastor of this awesome church. Yeah! What am I proud of? Hmm. That my dyslexic daughter graduated summa cum laude and is working on her masters degree in clinical psychology so she can help people and point them to Jesus. I’d say so. That my son also loves Jesus, has learned how to do all the same things I know how to do, and is going to seminary to be a pastor. I mean, come on! There are so many things I could boast about.

You know what Paul says about all that? 

Galatians 6:14–15

"But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ... 

What’s the thing about his life that he’s the most proud of? 

Last week an author that I’m very fond of emailed me and said she loved my sermon. I want to shout that from the rooftops.

What is it about Paul’s life that he wants to shout from the rooftops?

That he’s a Jew? A Pharisee? That he got his theological training from a well respected rabbi? That God picked him to write half the New Testament?

No. The only thing he wants to boast about is that Jesus, the Messiah, the Son of God—went to the cross to give His life to save him. 

Because none of that other stuff matters in comparison. He goes on to say… 

“For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation."

We have to get our heads around this: The promise that God gave to His chosen people was inherited by Jesus. Alone. It’s His. No one who rejects Jesus has any part of it. Not Jews who reject Jesus. Not national Israel who rejects Jesus. The salvation and blessings of the promise belong to Christ alone—but then He shares it with anyone who hears the Gospel and believes. Anyone who puts their trust completely in Him. Anyone who boasts in the cross.

This is the only rule. To respond to the promise of salvation by grace and believe it.

Galatians 6:16

"And as for all who walk by this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God."

This is Paul’s concluding argument. All who are in Christ are the Israel of God. Not national or ethnic Israel. Not Jews who keep the law of Moses. He’s talking about Christians—Jews and Greeks, men and women—regardless of background or status, there’s no distinction in the church. The people of promise, through faith. Jesus plus nothing.

What does it mean to really be a Christian? What does it mean to really be saved? We think there have to be certain emotional experiences in worship or prayer. Have to say some magic prayer that has just the right words. Have to get our theology ducks all in a row. Have to quit certain habits or act like whatever we think a nice Christian ought to be like.

We think we have to add something to Jesus. But we don’t, He’s enough. So…  

To the parent or grandparent trying to raise a child or a teenager or a young adult in the faith:

You’re exhausted. You pray, drag them to church, read Bible stories at night, try to have spiritual conversations—wonder if anything is sinking in.

Haunted by the fear that you’re not doing enough.

Like somehow God is grading your parenting—and your faith—your performance.

Galatians says this: You are justified by faith, not parenting perfection.

That little one doesn’t need you to be Jesus. They need you to trust Jesus—and point them to the One who is perfect. The miracle part is up to Him.

To those who are trying to succeed at work and provide for your families:

You’re carrying the weight. Trying to be strong, competent, respected. Trying to check the boxes—career, reputation, integrity, provision.

And maybe inside, you’re afraid you’re not doing enough. That your identity is tied to how well you provide or how much you’re achieving.

Galatians says this: You are not justified by how well you perform.

You are a child of God, a son of the promise—not a slave to status. You don’t have to prove anything to God. Jesus already proved everything.

Your worth doesn’t come from what you do. It comes from Whose name you carry—the name of Jesus.

To the depressed who are struggling to find joy:

You may feel like you’re failing at faith. Like you can’t "feel" joy the way you’re supposed to.

You’ve been told the Christian life is supposed to be victory and peace—and you’re just trying to get through the day.

And maybe you think, If I was really saved… I wouldn’t feel like this.

Galatians says: You are justified by faith, not by feelings.

It’s not about how strong your grip on God is. It’s about how strong His grip is on you.

Even when you don’t feel joyful, you are still adopted. Still loved. Still secure.

And the fruit of the Spirit? It's growing—even if it’s slow, even if you don’t see it yet. Plus, it’s not for you—so, give it away!

And to all the people of NewChurch:

We’re a scrappy, unique church, deeply invested in doing this faithfully—redeeming the culture around us but with deep roots in Christ and apostolic faith.

And sometimes we might wonder: Are we doing it right? Should we look more “churchy”? Should we add more tradition, more liturgy, more whatever?

Galatians says this: Don’t add anything to the Gospel.

Don’t get sucked into spiritual one-upmanship. The Spirit is moving here—not because we’ve figured out a system, but because we keep trusting in Jesus alone.

Bottom line for all of us at NewChurch:

Jesus is enough—we don’t need extra rules, better performance, more effort.

Galatians says: Stop it. It’s Jesus Plus Nothing.

Jesus did it all. He fulfilled the Law. Did what Israel was never able to do. He became Israel as one perfect man and inherited the entire promise. The Son of God shares His Father with us. He makes us sons and daughters. He gives us His Spirit. He is more than enough.

The Gospel doesn’t need additives, enhancements, or artificial sweeteners.

It just needs to be believed. Jesus plus nothing.

Read Galatians this week. All six chapters. Let it set you free.

You are the Israel of God. You are the heir of every promise.

Because you are in Christ.

Amen.