Galatians – Thankful

I want to pause at this point in my study of the book of Galatians and just thank the Lord. When I started this book I blogged that in a way I wasn’t particularly looking forward to it. I mainly picked it because I have a commentary on the book by John Eadie and I wanted to study through the book with him. He is by far and away my favorite commentator of all time, but he only wrote on about five NT books. So whatever he wrote on, I knew I would eventually study, Galatians being the one I looked forward to the least.

I said in that earlier blog that I knew already the book is basically a fight and I am not a fighter. I just didn’t look forward to spending hundreds of hours studying someone else’s fight.

On the other hand, I said back then that was exactly a reason why I was excited to study the book. One of the major reasons I enjoy studying the Bible is because it makes me think about things I wouldn’t have otherwise have even considered. It makes me think through things I really don’t want to think about. And whenever I come to those points, I am excited because I know the Lord is going to teach me something!

With that I launched into it apprehensive on the one hand but excited on the other.

As I studied, I certainly enjoyed learning whatever the Lord had for me, but on the other hand I found the book very tedious. Not only is it a fight but it is a fight over legalism which is a very unpleasant subject to me. I found in a sense I wasn’t enjoying studying the book. I was just slogging my way through.

Then I came to chapter 4, verses 1 through 7, which I blogged under the title “Overcoming Legalism, Jesus’ Way.” Those seven verses were a huge turning point for me! Paul there basically explains the OT, the Law, and the reason for it. I of course have read the section many, many times and I was familiar with the analogy of the Law being a pedagogue to lead us to Christ. But never having “studied” it, I totally did not comprehend the enormity of it all.

Wow. I am so pumped. This is exactly why I study the Bible! I feel like I’ve learned so much! The Lord has allowed me to understand so much! As He so often does, I feel like he stuffed my head with dynamite and lit the fuse!

I’ve never understood the difference between OT and NT believers. I have always and still do believe they were saved by their faith in the coming Messiah just as we are looking back to Him. But then it seemed to me they had to live out that faith the same as us. In fact, I have thoroughly enjoyed studying so many of their lives and learning from their faith. But still it seemed, this side of the Cross, something ought to be different. One thing I have noticed in the OT was that somehow their faith didn’t overcome their vindictiveness. Numerous times they plead for the cursing and/or death of their enemies, like Jehoiada’s son who lay dying, telling Joash’s appointed killers, “The Lord require it of you.” How different from Stephen, who prayed, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.”

I also just simply didn’t understand the OT itelf, why people of faith even needed a pedagogue. I could understand the Law’s necessity to lead people to Christ, but then why, having found Him, did they still need 618 laws to live by?

And then I’ve never understood why we are all so easily allured by legalism.

Now it all makes perfect sense. The Messiah-purchased, NT-outpoured Holy Spirit is the difference. “…when the fullness of time came, God sent His Son, made out of a woman, made under law, ⁵that He might redeem those under law, that we might receive the adoption of sons ... God sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba, Father.” ⁷Thus you are no longer a slave but a son and if a son [you are] also an heir of God through Christ. The human heart is so desperately wicked, the only possible ultimate cure (short of death) is to have that heart indwelt by the very third Person of the Trinity! Until that time, whether Jew or Gentile, saved or not, we had to be kept under law. It’s the only language our darkened hearts can understand. “Do this. Don’t do that. Or else!” But blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who, because of the great love with which He loves us, is willing to actually come and take up personal residence in the dark, filthy stench of our evil hearts! Think of it! The Holy Spirit living in a desperately wicked heart! But He does! And that means, this side of the Cross, we have a power to actually live Christ, a power this world has never known. And unlike our OT brothers and sisters of faith, for us it is not an outside/in thing. We have available within us (!) the infinite power of the very Godhead to change our lives and help us be different!

No wonder Stephen was so like Christ when Jehoiada’s son was not. It wasn’t just the example of Christ (“Father forgive them, they know not what they do”) that made the difference for Stephen. It was the very presence of the Spirit of Christ in his heart!

This all explains too why Paul had to write this letter, why this was a fight he had to fight. For believers to live in legalism is a cosmic tragedy. It is missing the whole point of it all. And it guarantees that, in the end, they probably won’t live Christ well at all, which unfortunately is exactly the prevailing case today.

I am so excited now to study the rest of the book. I know that at least beginning in chapter 5, Paul will be talking about what it means to live out this life in the Spirit. I’m quite sure at this point I don’t really understand what that means. But I am so pumped to think, at least in some ways, I am going to begin to really learn.

I no longer feel the book is tedious and I am no longer slogging through. I am excited to go on.

Thank the Lord. This is so much like Him. It is exactly why I study. Hopefully He is preparing to pack my head with more dynamite and light the fuse again!

What a trip it will be to be in Heaven and learn from Him!! If it’s this good on earth, what will it be like then??

He’s so awesome!