The book of Galatians is one of the most important books in the New Testament. Many people justly point to the book of Romans as the primary book of the New Testament. Paul always wanted to get to the capital city of Rome because he believed if Christianity could gain a foothold in the capital city, it could spread throughout the empire. And when he couldn’t get to Rome, he wrote a letter called Romans. In this theological treatise of Romans, he said, “this is the essence of the New Covenant.” Therefore, I would agree that Romans is one of or the most profound book in the New Testament, but right beside it should be the book of Galatians because Galatians is the battle for what was taught in Romans.
While Romans is the doctrine of the justification and sanctification by Grace, by the Person of Jesus, apart from the Law, this was being tested in Galatia. There were believers there who were adding to Jesus, saying “you’ve also got to do.” And so Paul had to go to war. He had to fight a battle for the essence of the gospel. And if he hadn’t fought that battle, my friends, the church would be in a horrible state today. It would be worse than it already is because we’d be mixing performance with receiving. We’d be mixing Law and Grace and destroying them both.
Listen to these words,
”I marvel [the idea here is that “I'm shocked or astonished”] that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ.
Galatians 1:6-7(KJV)
The Apostle Paul said that when you add any type of ritual, performance, ethic, standard, rule, or behavior to the gospel, you’re not being removed from the gospel but you are being removed from Him. Oh my friends, did you hear it? This is huge.
The gospel is not believing a set of historical facts about Jesus, it's believing Him.
We do not say as Christians, “Oh, I believe that.” The gospel is us saying, “We believe Him.” As the Apostle John says, “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God.” John 1:12a (NASB)
It’s not about receiving a doctrine, a fact, or a truth, but rather it’s receiving a Person. My friends, I fear that the church is reducing Christianity to a belief system, a code, a rule book, or a doctrinal treatise.
The gospel is a Person and His name is Jesus.
The Apostle Paul later wrote to Philippians, “My one thing is to know Him”. (Philippians 3:10, paraphrased) My friends, what is your one thing? Your one thing needs to be believing Him, trusting Him, and living from Him.
Jesus said,
”As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats Me, he also will live because of Me.
John 6:57 (NASB)
Let Him be your one thing and find life as you’ve never found it before.
