Tag: Faith

RICHARD CORDER

In his letter to the Galatians, the Apostle Paul reminds believers that faith in Jesus Christ alone brings true freedom. He warns against returning to the bondage of the law, explaining that anyone who tries to earn salvation through religious rules loses sight of the grace that Christ freely gives. The message of Galatians chapter five is a call to remain steadfast in faith and not to be misled by teachings that add human effort to God’s gift of salvation.

Paul had once established the churches in Galatia and taught them the gospel he received directly from Christ. Over time, however, false teachers known as Judaizers began spreading the idea that faith in Jesus was not enough. They claimed believers must also follow the laws of Moses, including circumcision, dietary restrictions, and Sabbath rules, to be fully accepted by God. Paul writes to correct this misunderstanding. The law, he explains, was never meant to save. It was given to show people their need for a Saviour because no one can keep it perfectly. The law points to Christ, the only one who fulfilled it completely.

Paul reminds the Galatians that salvation is a gift, not a reward for good behaviour. No matter how hard someone tries to follow God’s commands, even one failure shows that human effort cannot make anyone righteous. Christ’s death on the cross paid for humanity’s failure to keep the law. Through repentance and faith in Him, believers are forgiven and set free from sin’s power and the weight of trying to earn God’s approval.

The danger of mixing law with faith is that it shifts trust away from Christ and back to human performance. Paul tells the Galatians that if they rely on circumcision or any other law to be saved, then Christ’s sacrifice means nothing to them. Salvation through works is impossible because anyone who chooses to follow the law must obey all of it perfectly. The moment they fail in one command, they are guilty of breaking it all.

Paul teaches that life in the Spirit is very different from life under the law. The Holy Spirit gives believers freedom and leads them to live in love and obedience, not out of fear or duty, but out of gratitude. Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. By contrast, living under strict rules only leads to frustration and disappointment because no one can live up to them.

The apostle urges the Galatians to stand firm in the freedom Christ has given them. Faith in Him alone is enough for salvation and for growth in holiness. To think of the law as a way to salvation would only lead to spiritual stagnation. Instead, believers should hold fast to what they have learned and live out their faith through love, prayer, worship, and fellowship.

Paul also warns of the danger of falling from grace. When people try to justify themselves through good works, they drift away from the truth that salvation is by grace through faith. Good works are evidence of genuine faith, but they cannot save. Even the best human actions are imperfect before a holy God. The prophet Isaiah said that all human righteousness is like unclean rags before Him. Humanity’s sinful heart, as described in Jeremiah, is deceitful and desperately wicked. For that reason, God sent His Son to do what no person could do. Jesus met the full demands of the law and bear the punishment for sin.

Paul’s deep concern for the Galatians comes from his love for the truth of the gospel. He is grieved that those who once received the message of salvation by faith are now turning to a distorted gospel that has no power to save. He reminds them that in Christ, outward rituals like circumcision have no value. What matters is faith that expresses itself through love.

For believers today, Paul’s message remains vital. Many still believe that good deeds or religious rituals can earn God’s favour. But salvation is not about doing; it is about trusting. The Christian life is not lived by rule-keeping but by walking in the Spirit, who gives strength, wisdom, and peace.

When challenges or confusion arise, Paul’s instruction is clear: stand firm in faith. Do not waver between trusting in Christ and depending on works. James reminds believers to ask God for wisdom and to believe without doubting. A double-minded person, unstable in faith, receives nothing from the Lord. Paul calls believers to be steadfast, grounded in truth, and unshaken by false teaching.

Faith in Christ gives freedom, peace, and hope. Through Him, believers wait eagerly for the full realization of righteousness that has already been given to them by grace. This hope is not built on law but on the finished work of Jesus, who said, “It is finished.”