Day 15: The Appropriate Reaction to Liberty Spies

Galatians 2:3-5  :

But not even Titus, who was with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised. This was because of the false brothers secretly brought in, who stole in to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage; to whom we gave no place in the way of subjection, not for an hour, that the truth of the Good News might continue with you.

Paul should know all about this. He used to be one of those people who would seek out free people and haul them off to jail. He was quite capable of detecting those who would come against freedom in Christ.

Some people, who called themselves Christians, had come into the church and had begun to teach that you need to follow Jewish law in order to be a good Christian. Does that sound at all familiar to you? I can’t seem to go anywhere today without detecting this disease among “Christians.”

Titus serves as an example of a person who did the right thing. He completely ignored them!

Did you know that following the 10 commandments won’t make us closer to God? The reason isn’t because doing them is wrong, but because no one is actually able to do them. God knew that His law would be impossible for anyone to do but it is hard for many to accept. The 10 commandments were clearly, in context, only given to the Jews and in order to follow Jewish law, you must be circumcised (if you are male), which is also a part of the law. There are many other laws connected to these 10 and it is a wrong to pick and choose which laws that you plan to follow! Instead, we are to read what the Bible says we should be doing today very carefully. Following the law is not how the Christian life is lived as Paul makes clear in Romans and Galatians.

What’s more, Jesus already fulfilled the Bible’s legal requirements. When we try to do this, we end up sinning and when we sin without the whole law, we do so without sacrifice. This is a very proud and dangerous thing to do. Jesus was the only Law follower that God was pleased with and the only one who was capable of following the law of Moses without sin. Instead of mixing the Jewish law in with Christianity, we should be listening to the un-perverted gospel message.

Sometimes, I have to speak in strong language, just like Paul did in order that the true Gospel can be heard. I realize that this is salvation. May you be free from the obligations of those who wish to lock you up under the law.