In the opening line of Galatians 3, Paul asks them harshly why they have strayed from the truth. “You foolish Galatians!” he says, “Who has bewitched you?“ Throughout his letter to the Churches in Galatia we can see a different tone in Paul’s voice than we witness in his other letters. He is upset. Actually, he seems more than upset. He seems frustrated and even bewildered at times.
Why is Paul so upset? Clearly, Paul is upset because the people are leaving the true Gospel of Jesus and working towards a salvation gained through the law, but why is he so upset? Can’t they just have the Gospel of Jesus and still rely on their laws & traditions? No! Adding anything to the Gospel destroys it. We cannot amend Jesus sacrifice on the cross and add things to it. Jesus paid it all!
Paul is upset because he knows what is at stake in this situation. Their very souls and lives are at stake. What about us? Take a second to think about how we react to people who leave the faith. Are we frustrated and upset that they have left the truth? Have we done anything along the way to prevent this from happening or was it a surprise when they finally left? How emotional do we get when we see people refuse the gift of God’s grace and instead put their hope in something else?
We have the ultimate gift and it’s been given freely to us through Christ’s death and resurrection. Let’s act like it. It is time that we realize what is truly at stake and help people to see the truth of God at any cost to us.
Paul says in Galatians 2:21, “ I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!”