The region of Galatia was located in today’s central area of modern-day Turkey. The Apostle Paul had traveled throughout the region of Galatia preaching the Good News of Jesus Christ: Jesus has come from Heaven! Jesus has broken down the barrier of sin! Jesus has opened the gateway to Heaven!
Many people in the region of Galatia believed in Jesus! And many churches were started.
However, the Jewish people were very confused by this. How was it possible that their promised Savior of the Old Testament could provide salvation for non-Jewish people?? The Old Testament Scriptures had been written for the Jewish people. The promises of the coming Savior had been given to them.
The Jewish people had been so faithful to keep the Old Testament Law. They had offered all the sacrifices. Surely the promised Savior was just for them??
Into the region of Galatia came Jewish teachers who told the new followers of Jesus that their faith and belief in Jesus was not enough. Afterall, they were not even Jewish. They had not kept the Jewish Law.
These Jewish teachers told the new followers of Jesus that they could not simply pass through the gateway of Jesus into Heaven. No … they must first do lots of additional good works.
This is a lot like our background photo for today. The tall black fence in our photo could represent the tall barrier of sin which separates humanity from God. The tall gate can represent Jesus, who is the gateway to Heaven.
Jesus has unlocked the gate! The gate is unlocked … and it is now possible to freely pass through the gateway to the other side.
But as you can see, a secondary gate has been constructed in front of the tall gate. It is not possible to freely pas through the tall gate anymore. No … first you must figure out how to swing aside the secondary gate.
Our background photo is fuzzy. In this same way, the whole picture of salvation became fuzzy and confusing for the people who were living in the region of Galatia.
The book of Galatians is a letter written by the Apostle Paul to those followers of Jesus in Galatia. The purpose of this letter was to clear things up! The book of Galatians brings the picture into focus and gets rid of the fuzziness – Salvation is by faith alone in Jesus Christ! That’s all!
There is no secondary gate which must be opened by doing good works. Jesus has already done all the work! Jesus’s work has already opened the gateway to Heaven! Simply believe in Jesus Christ and pass freely through the gateway.
Jesus Christ in Galatians
Jesus is the one who sets us free from the requirements of the Old Testament Law
– Galatians 3:10-14
– Galatians 3:22-25
– Galatians 3:26-28
– Galatians 4:3-5
– Galatians 5:1
– Galatians 5:4-6
Jesus is the source of power for the believer’s new life – Galatians 2:20
