GALATIANS.
Chapter 4. The Jews had been slaves under the bondage of the law. They had a nature utterly opposed to the law they were commanded to obey. The Gentiles had also been slaves to demons, which by nature are no gods. And now they were saved—known of God—why should they go back to slavery and be in bondage?— “Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years.” On this account, Paul says, “I am afraid of you.” Is it not terrible that the old feast days to demons have been turned into fasts and feasts of so-called saints? How Paul does mourn over such in the tenderness of the bowels of Christ!
He, however, turns to his defense of the Gospel. Verse 21. “Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law? Mark, they were professing Christians—they had no thought of giving up Christ or justification by faith, but they desired to have both principles, or both Christ and the law—exactly like great numbers now, who have no thought of giving up the principle of justification by faith, but having entered in by that wicket-gate, they now desire to Lave the law as a rule of life; or, in plain words, they desire to have both the principle of faith and the principle of law. May the Lord enable us to help rather than offend such. You that do thus desire to be under law, do ye not hear the law? Turn to Genesis, and read the history of Ishmael and Isaac. The son of the bondwoman, and the son of the free woman: these are the types of the two principles, the flesh under bondage, and the child and heir of promise—the principle of law, and the principle of faith. The apostle, in his defense, shows justly, that these two could not be allowed to co-exist. The bondwoman and her son must be’ cast out. The one should not be heir with the other.
And as it was then, just as the son of the bondwoman persecuted him that was born of the free, so it is now. “But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the spirit, even so it is now.” Has not this been the experience of all the centuries since these words were written? How strange then, that not only the ministers of Satan want to displace Christ and faith by the principle of law and works, but many true Christians are so misled as to desire to have the principle of law and Christ!
Let us examine this great mistake a little further. Many have the thought, that to give up the law, as Ishmael was given up, would be to become lawless, or Antinomians. But, if so, how could the Spirit, through Paul, thus show us it must be given up, just as Ishmael was cast out? Are you quite sure you have by faith in Christ the salvation of your soul, and that that salvation is eternal? No doubt these Galatians had thus received the gospel as Paul had preached it to them—the very gospel he had received from Christ. It was a great matter to have seen and heard the man that received his gospel from Christ—one who had, in spirit, seen Him and heard Him. Then what did they want with the law? And what do you want with it?
Chapter v. will show us they wanted the law for walk, just as you want it for walk. You find you have still an evil nature, called in scripture, “the flesh,” or, sin in the flesh. You find this lusts after evil things, and is a source of great distress to you. Further, you say that evil, vile nature, flesh, must be put under restraint of law, or responsibility to keep the law, or it will break out in iniquity. This looks very plausible, and it is the object of the Spirit to utterly disprove all this false reasoning’ in this very chapter.
We cannot give Ishmael the least room in the house without its beings an offense to Isaac. We cannot allow the principles of law an atom, but, in like proportion, we displace Christ. Thus it is strongly stated: “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.... Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.”
You say, Yes, that is strong language, but we are not seeking to be justified by law. What then? To walk by law? Yes, you find the flesh still in you, and it lusts to do evil things, and you want to put that evil nature or flesh under the law, so that you may walk in righteousness, or, in other words, that you may attain to righteousness of walk. Is not this the thin end of Satan’s wedge? Will it not surely betray us into seeking justification by works of law? The whole thing is a mistake.
For first, the flesh or carnal mind “is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.” (Rom. 8:6-96For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. 7Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. 8So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. 9But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. (Romans 8:6‑9).) It had been tried for 1,500 years. The root of this mistake we are dwelling upon, is ignorance of, or denial of the total ruin of man in sin. And though the flesh is still in us, we are not in the flesh; we are not on that ground. There is no improvement of the flesh thought of in the gospel, any more than a gardener thinks of improving the old briar on a stock rose.
Secondly, the flesh is utterly disallowed, and judged on the cross of Christ. That which the law could not do, God has, “sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh.” (Rom. 8:33For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: (Romans 8:3).) We are not to cultivate it by the law, for the only effect of law on our sinful flesh is to provoke transgressions. (Rom. 7:7-257What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet. 8But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead. 9For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died. 10And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death. 11For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me. 12Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good. 13Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful. 14For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin. 15For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. 16If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good. 17Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. 18For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. 19For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. 20Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. 21I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. 22For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: 23But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. 24O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? 25I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin. (Romans 7:7‑25).)
We always find it so. To place our sinful nature under law, can only prove what it is—utter enmity against God—and thus bring us into bondage and misery. Surely, the result of man being placed on the principle of works of law, as seen in the Jews rejecting and killing the Lord Jesus Christ, ought to have been enough to show the Galatians the utter uselessness of going back to it, for even righteousness of walk.
And is it not so again with those who take the place of Jews, and are not, just in proportion as the principle of seeking salvation by works, and observance of days, and pretended holy sacraments—nay, in proportion as the principle of law is held for righteousness—in that proportion are the true living Person of Christ, and eternal salvation, rejected? And where there is power, He is still persecuted, and killed in His members.
Verse 6. This is a very important verse, “For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.” Man is so bad, that for justification, neither the principle of law nor lawlessness can make him a bit better or worse. He is concluded already, under sin and judgment. Mark this well, if you are still in your sins, and in sin. You cannot be better or worse as to justification before God. But, if in Christ, your justification cannot be one whit more or less. If in the flesh, you are completely lost. If in Christ, ye are complete in Him. Nothing can add to your completeness in Christ. Have you this faith?
Now, faith must have an object, and the object of faith, true faith, is Christ. Is He the object of our faith? Then we shall be transformed by the object, and changed into His blessed likeness, soon to be like Him. But what is He? The perfect expression of love: for God is love, and thus faith worketh by love.
Here, then, we have the two principles fairly brought out, even as to walk, or a holy life. The principle of law availeth nothing, either for justification, or holiness of life. What is holiness-but likeness to Christ, to walk as He walked, down here? Here, then, is a fact: the law, so pressed by deceivers in our day, and by many sincere persons, but deceived, has no power to work or produce a holy life, or a walk like Christ. Faith has power, for it is wholly occupied with Christ, and the more we do simply believe Him, as God speaking to us—the more we study Him—the more we are like Him. Let us, then, reckon ourselves dead indeed unto sin, and alive unto God through Jesus Christ. And then also that life and new nature, we, as believers, have in Him, has now the capacity to enjoy Him.
This scripture, then, gives us this defense of the gospel, that the law is of no avail whatever, any more than license or lawlessness, circumcision or uncircumcision, for a holy life; but that other principle is, which Christ had taught His servant Paul, “Faith which worketh by love.”
Now, since Christ had taught Paul the one principle, He could not possibly have taught these deceivers the opposite. “This persuasion cometh not of him that calleth you.” Thus we learn that the leaven of Judaism in this day, is not of Christ. If it be not Christ, then, that is leading men, in our day, to ritual and legality, who is it? Who is it that is seeking to leaven the whole lump again with Romish salvation on the principle of works? Can there be a question that it is Satan now, as then, seeking to destroy your soul by leading you from Christ and eternal salvation in Him, and a holy life by faith in Him, working by love?
However gorgeous and unscriptural the ritual, however sweet the music or eloquent the tongue of men, however much dancing, bazaars, and worldly pleasure he may bait his hook with, remember, it is the eternal damnation of your soul he seeks. Nay, do we need to say it is Romish? Is it not all fast becoming alike? As to complete and eternal salvation in Christ, who knows this, and enjoys it, on the mixed principles of these days? As to holiness, where do you find it? Can you talk of likeness to Christ, and mix up with the world, go to balls or dancing, cricketing, football, and bazaars, as now carried on? Would Christ be found in such places?
All these are allowed and practiced in these days, thus utterly denying that which is so prominent in this epistle—the Cross. I am crucified to the world. What has the law, then, to say to a crucified man? And what are the: sports of the world to such an one? To be circumcised, or to adopt the principle of law, was to set aside the Cross, and its offense would be gone. What fools Satan can make of men and women! They will wear a cross, and utterly reject the complete salvation wrought by Christ, and will seek to be saved by works of law, as directed by men!
The apostle could wish that those who made so much of circumcision, would really circumcise themselves, so to speak: “I would they would cut themselves off that trouble you.” But faith alone can understand how really reckoning ourselves to be dead, can be one great step towards practical holiness. Let us next look at facts.