We now come to the close of Paul’s earnest defense of the gospel which he had received by revelation from the Lord. He says, “As many as desire to make a fair show in the flesh, they constrain you to be circumcised; only lest they should suffer persecution for the cross of Christ.”
What a common principle this is in man’s religious nature. He wants numbers, to make a fair show in the flesh. He will give his wealth-even, he will toil, he will allow almost anything, if it will only make proselytes and swell the party to which he belongs. He may do all this, and be a stranger to Christ. And then the circumcision, that is Judaism, had peculiar-claims. In the midst of the darkness of this whole world, it only had the knowledge and testimony of the one God. It only had the oracles of God. Surely here was much for man to boast of, and they did boast, and bitterly hated and stirred up persecution against anything that intrenched upon it. To incorporate then believers with this ancient system by circumcision, was the way sought to stop persecution, and wipe away the reproach of the cross.
Is there nothing like this in our day? The great desire is to make a fair show in the flesh, to increase the proselytes, to swell the numbers of the ancient systems for the improvement of the flesh.
But is the evil nature of man improved? It may be held in check, but has it improved by the law for 1,500 years? The apostle says not. “For neither they themselves who are circumcised keep the law; but they desire to have you circumcised, that they may glory in your flesh.” What a boast this would be. If the multitudes of the churches in Galatia would all become proselytes by being circumcised, all professing to be under the law, what a fair show in the flesh. This is the spirit of conformity as set up by Nebuchadnezzar. Oh, how men do long for this outward show. How beautiful such a scene! All circumcised, that is, proselytized; all keeping the sabbath; all swelling the vast assemblies of worshippers. No dissent, and therefore, no persecution. How wonderfully improved, you say, is society. Is not this enough to make a man boast? Not Paul.
Paul says, “But God forbid that I should glory save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.” What a man this Paul is. This beautiful scene of religious show in the flesh, though all men be conformed to it, has positively no charms for him. He. says, I will take my stand outside of it all with that crucified Man, I will boast of Him, and Him alone. That cross has proved to me what you are, oh world of Jews and Gentiles. I have seen an end of this fair show in the flesh. It is forever judged, crucified to me. I will boast of the cross, the place you have given my Lord. Yes, this is the end of all human pretensions: man has proved himself utterly vile and at enmity with God. He has shown his hatred to God in the shameful death of the Son of God. There all united; the Gentile man with his philosophy and learning, and the Jew with all his pretensions to righteousness. On that cross the world is proved guilty, judged, and crucified; and I am crucified to the world. There is the true discerning of my old self as a child of Adam.
I accept the cross, it is my just desert; I will boast of the One that thus died for me.
Now Paul sums up in a few words, his grand and inspired defense of the gospel. How little we have understood these words, and yet they present to us the very foundation truth of Christianity. He says, “For [in Christ Jesus] neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature,” or “new creation.”
What can these words mean? What was the thought the Jew had as to circumcision, and being under the law? That it improved him, and made him a worshipper of the true God in His temple or house on earth, as, Paul himself had done, seeking to establish his own righteousness, being exceedingly zealous of the tradition of his fathers.
He had found it of no avail, of no use; for when the crucified One appeared to him in glory, he found out that he was the chief of sinners, blaspheming and persecuting the Lord of glory. If the law could have availed for any man, it must have done so for religious Saul It was no doubt gain, to him before men, but for righteousness before God he treated all that was gain to him as dung. It was the test whether, the old man could be improved. Nay, further, when God gave His Son, man under law would not have Him, but cried out, “Crucify him, crucify him.”
Now as to the uncircumcision, the whole Gentile world without the law, yet having a conscience knowing good and evil—with all its moral teaching and schools of philosophy, of which men were very proud, all seeking to improve man sunk in sin—did it avail? See the answer in Rom. 1:18-3218For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; 19Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath showed it unto them. 20For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: 21Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 22Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, 23And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. 24Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonor their own bodies between themselves: 25Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. 26For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: 27And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet. 28And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; 29Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, 30Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 31Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: 32Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them. (Romans 1:18‑32). And that lawless world was fairly represented by Pilate. For once there was uniformity, but it was to reject and crucify the Son of God, Pilate, Herod and the Jews are: friends!
We now come to the grave inquiry, Has Christendom fallen into the fatal Galatian heresy? Is It the mixture of the truth, or the attempt to mix up the law and the gospel, and for what purpose? Is it not to improve man-man fallen and sinful? Is it to restore him? Has the Christianity of centuries been a mixture of christian truth, the law, and. heathenism, having for its object the improvement of fallen humanity? —the saving of what scripture calls the old man, our fallen humanity as derived from the first Adam?
If this is our object, according to this epistle we are laboring under a total mistake. Yes, a mistake which is the cause of endless sorrow and disappointment. A child is baptized, confirmed, takes the sacrament, observes heathen feast days under Christian names, reads prayers, observes ceremonies, seeks to keep the law, tries hard to be religious. And for what purpose? To improve his sinful nature. Does it avail anything? Nothing: he finds his evil nature as bad as ever. The words of Jesus are true, “That which is born of the flesh is flesh.”
And, what is most distressing, the evangelical has precisely the same object as the ritualist—the improvement of the old man. And how often he exclaims, “I am not a bit better.” The longer, he lives, if a Christian, the more he abhors himself; and, the more he tries to improve his old carnal self, the more disappointed he is; the more he fails. No avail, no avail. Oh, what vain efforts to make the flesh better and holy. Yes, there are holiness meetings for this purpose, in order to attain to holiness of the old man, or to eradicate him, and thus be without sin in the flesh. And in the fervor of social intercourse, some may hope they are now perfect, without sin, and their love perfect! But after a time, and when alone, how dreadful to find the flesh still the same. We believe there is a terrible mistake throughout Christendom on this very serious matter. Every effort to improve my old self is utterly in vain. This is not christian truth at all, but the very opposite.
Will you notice, that the apostle not only tells us what will not avail, but also what will. “For.... neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature,” literally “new creation.” Before we examine what avails-before God, just look back at one statement as to the flesh, the old man; “And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the passions and lusts.” (Chap. 5:24) No thought of either improving it or indulging it. It is literally set aside by the cross of Christ, put away from the sight of God on the cross. We thus reckon it dead—my old self dead. I am to treat myself as dead. There now we can look at “new creation.”
Mark, this is the only true scriptural standing of every believer. “Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature [or creation]: old things are passed away; behold all things are become new, and all things are of God,” &c. (2 Cor. 5:17, 1817Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 18And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; (2 Corinthians 5:17‑18).) Now, “new creation” is not old things improved. “New creation” is not an effort of mine, or a work of man. “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works.” (Eph. 2:1010For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:10).)
Is not this truth of “new creation” little understood? Do you really understand that all the religion and philosophy of this world cannot either improve the old man, or new-create the new man in Christ Jesus? Oh, how blind we have been; surely we ought to seek to help each other in these things. Just read Eph. 1; 2 What a new creation! How worthy of God. That new creation is suited to God. Every believer is brought into favor in the Beloved. No cobbling of the old man, but it is buried out of sight; and the new creation is the climax of Paul’s defense of the gospel.
One more word as to walk. Many will say after reading this, If Paul takes away the law, or the law mixed with grace, as the believer’s rule of walk, or life, what rule does he give us? Let us read: “Neither circumcision [the law] availeth anything, nor uncircumcision [lawlessness], but new creation. And as many as walk by this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.” What a subject to meditate upon. What a rule for our walk—“new creation.” The natural man knows nothing of this. It is perfect, it is divine, it is all of God. Not (I) now, but Christ. “I am crucified with Christ; nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”
Christ is the beginning, the head, the all, and in all, of the new creation. We are called to walk no longer under the law, which tests the flesh and provokes its corruptions, but as a new creation of God unto good works; works suitable to God, suitable to Christ, Head of the new creation. May He bless these feeble meditations on Paul’s defense of the gospel, and use them for the help and comfort of His children everywhere, and to Him be all the praise. Amen.
Blessed Lord! Keep our eyes fixed on Jesus within the veil. Help us to feed on Him. Teach us to discern between clean and unclean. And, though the world seeth Thee not, may we see Thee.