GALATIANS 3.1-29

Redeemed From the Curse

  The Galatians, having accepted the gospel, were led astray by false teachers who presented to them "another gospel," a counterfeit gospel, since there is but one for all time and for all men.

The counterfeit gospel was represented in these words:  "Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved."  Now, although there is in these days no question as to whether or not a man should submit to the specific rite of circumcision in order to be saved, the question of salvation itself, whether by human works or by Christ alone, is as alive as ever.

Instead of attacking their error and combating it with hard argument, the apostle begins with an experience, which illustrates the case in hand.  In this narrative he shows that salvation is wholly by faith for all men alike, and not in any degree by works.  As Christ tasted death for every man, so every man who is saved must have Christ's personal experience of death and resurrection and life.  Christ in the flesh does what the law cannot do.  Galatians 2:21; Romans 8:3,4.  But that very fact witnesses to the righteousness of the law.  If the law were at fault, Christ would not fulfill its demands.  He shows its righteousness by fulfilling or doing what it demands, not simply for us but in us.  We do not "nullify the grace of God."  If righteousness could come by the law, "then Christ died to no purpose."

But to claim that the law could be abolished, or could relax its claims and thus be of no account is also to say that Christ is dead in vain.  Let it be repeated, righteousness cannot possibly come by the law, but only by the faith of Christ.  But the fact that the righteousness of the law could be attained in no other way by us than by the crucifixion and resurrection and life of Christ in us shows the infinite greatness and holiness of the law.

1 O foolish Galatians!  Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified?

"Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.  For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry."  1 Samuel 15:22, 23, KJV.  Stubbornness and rebellion are rejection of God.  And he who rejects God puts himself under the control of evil spirits.  All idolatry is devil worship.  "The things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils."  1 Corinthians 10:20, KJV.  There is no middle ground.  Christ says, "He who is not with Me is against Me."  Matthew 12:30.  That is, disobedience, rejection of the Lord, is the spirit of antichrist.  The Galatian brethren were, as we have already seen, departing from God; consequently, they were inevitably, although perhaps unconsciously, relapsing into idolatry.

The Safeguard Against Spiritualism

  Spiritualism is only another name for ancient witchcraft and soothsaying.  It is a fraud, but not the kind of fraud many people think it is.  There is reality in it.  It is a fraud in that while it professes to receive communications from the spirits of the dead, it has communication only with the spirits of devils, since "the dead know not anything."  To be a spiritualist medium is to give one's self to the control of demons.