The Law Enslaves the Believer - Page 2 of 3 (series: Lessons on Galatians)

by John Lowe
(Woodruff, S.C.)

There is freedom through truth—the Christian religion makes people free because Christ is truth. “Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And YE SHALL KNOW THE TRUTH, AND THE TRUTH SHALL MAKE YOU FREE” (John 8.31, 32).

No word in our day needs to be singled out in our day and underscored more than the word “truth.” Take only its human dimensions. An increasing stock pile of lies, false witness, and half-truths has brought about a famine of truth in the land and throughout the world. Mankind cannot long survive in such a famine. The axles of God’s universe turn upon truth and will not tolerate the falsehoods of men.

So Christianity is a redemptive religion because it is the religion of truth; it is the truth about God, about man, and about human relationships. It is not myth. It is not a set of abstract ideas. It is not an assembly of truths, to which may be added other truths. It is ultimate truth, living truth, from which all these bits of truth find their validity. As man comes to know truth, personalized and dramatized in Christ, he discovers himself and his freedom. And that freedom no man can take away from him. It is freedom in the Spirit that defies the circumstances of man’s existence.

As Christians we have in our possession this living truth. Our freedom is established upon this rock of truth. The life of Christ is real, more real than the Rock of Gibraltar. No amount of talk about legends can destroy that fact. The records of what He said and did are real, an account that is consistent in itself, and consistent with other records. His words and deeds are still unassailable. And what is more, He is still living. The faith of millions is anchored in that truth. It is upon such truth that Christians stake their lives. In it they find their freedom. The more Christian they are, the more free they become; the more God-centered, the less self-centered; the more spiritual, the less a slave to the things of earth, the flesh, and time.

Does it matter then that Christ is truth? Truth always matters. If God is love, then I must love my neighbor as myself; if God cares, then I must have a holy concern for my fellowman; If God is righteous, then I must live righteously; if God has a plan, then I must voluntarily be part of His plan. Christian truth means nothing—it brings no freedom—until it is truth appropriated.
Faith, truth, and freedom form a perfect chain in the Christian life. Knowledge of the divine truth comes by faith and sets men free. As man freely accepts the promises of God he is able to more faithfully follow the commands of God.

2 Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing.

Paul begins his argument to stand fast in the liberty and freedom of grace in verse 2, where he declares “that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing.” This is the first of three phrases that he uses to describe the losses the Christian incurs when he turns from grace to Law. The second is “a debtor to do the whole Law” (v. 3), and the third is “Christ has become of no effect unto you” (v. 4). This leads to the sad conclusion in Galatians 5.4: “Ye are fallen from grace.” It is bad enough that legalism robs the believer of his liberty, but it also robs him of his spiritual wealth in Christ. The believer living under Law becomes a bankrupt slave.

The legalistic teachers have insisted that the Gentiles, in order to be saved must become Jews and submit to the rite of circumcision. Paul vigorously opposes this mistaken notion and says, “If you submit to circumcision you become a debtor to the whole law and are under its curse and condemnation, and Christ can profit you nothing.” It is not Law AND grace, but Law OR grace. Those who look to the law for justification, miss the grace of God (v. 4).

Circumcision was the badge of the Law. A badge indicates to which organization or lodge you belong. Perhaps Christians should wear a badge because that is about the only way you can tell that some people are Christians. But Paul says that if you so much as put on the badge of the Law, which is circumcision, that Christ does not profit you anything.

Now let’s look closely at what Paul is saying. You must choose between Christ and Circumcision. He is not speaking to the Jews (Acts 21.21 ), but to the Gentiles, who had no background in circumcision. In their case the rite could only indicate a deliberate attempt to obtain merit by adopting a legalistic position and seeking righteousness by works. In the beginning circumcision had no such connotation, for with Abraham it was the sign and seal of the righteousness he already had by faith (Rom. 4.11 ). But in the course of time it had become a badge of merit. Therefore, Christ could not prophet the recipient of circumcision, who had really placed himself under the obligation to do the whole Law, with the idea that the act itself brought justification. But Paul says, if you trust Christ plus something else you are not saved. If you go so far as to be circumcised, which is only the badge of the Law, or if you go through some other experience and rest your salvation in that, “Christ shall profit you nothing.” How can He profit you anything when you are depending on something other than Him alone for your salvation? Paul makes a very strong statement when he says, “If ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing.” If you trust anything other than Christ, you are not a Christian.

Law and grace were mutually exclusive ways of salvation. Reception of circumcision would prove that the Galatians did not have full confidence in Christ. They would rely more and more on their own efforts, while seeing less and less value in Him. Paul could not be satisfied with the legalist’s view that Christ would still be the great hero of faith, the masterful teacher of the Law, the good example and inspiration, the expected Messiah. Christ was either the only Savior or no Savior at all. Those who were circumcised before they heard of Christ must give up all reliance upon it. This does not necessarily mean that the Gentile believers in Galatia had already yielded to the demands of the Judaizers, but only that some of them were strongly inclined to do so. Those who did yield to the demands of the Judaizers and were circumcised were thereby seeking righteous by works. To them Paul declared that Christ will be of no value to you at all. It is not that the apostle condemned circumcision in itself, for he had Timothy circumcised (in Galatia) so that the young man would have a wider ministry (Acts 16.1-3 ). Circumcision had meaning in Israel when it was the symbol of a cleansed heart (Deut. 30.6 ) and served as a reminder of God’s covenant of salvation promise (Ge. 17.9 ). But Paul was strongly opposed to the Judaistic theology which insisted that circumcision was necessary for salvation. Anyone who was circumcised for that reason added works to faith and demonstrated that he had not exercised saving faith in Christ.