Galatians 1:7-10

If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.

 

『Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.  But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.  For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ. 』 (Galatians 1:7-10)

The reason the apostle Paul came to write Galatians was because of the Jewish adherents of the law. So, Paul wrote this letter to say that he cannot be saved by law, but by faith. In Acts 15:1–2, the apostles Paul and Barnabas taught the Bible in Antioch, and Jewishists appear.

『 certain men which came down from Judæa taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved.  When therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas, and certain other of them, should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this question. 』

Antioch Church was the first church among the Gentiles. By the way, the Jews say: "If you are not circumcised according to Moses' law, you will not be saved", there was confusion in the church. So Paul and Barnabas go to Jerusalem, and a general meeting is organized. Peter said never again to be yoked by the law. 『And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith. Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? 』 Even the ancestors failed to keep the law properly, God gave us grace, again, are they trying to test God?

In Acts 15:24-25『 Forasmuch as we have heard, that certain which went out from us have troubled you with words, subverting your souls, saying, Ye must be circumcised, and keep the law: to whom we gave no such commandment: It seemed good unto us, being assembled with one accord, to send chosen men unto you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, 』The apostles did not send them, but the Jews were randomly entering the Antioch Church and preaching other gospels. The Church of Galatia, like the Antioch Church, had this problem. People say that they are saved by faith, but they must keep the law and be circumcised. After all, the other gospel is saying that in addition to faith in Jesus Christ, it is necessary to keep the law.

The apostle Paul says in Galatians 5:3-4.『 For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law. Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace. 』 Today, many churches are not familiar with the law. The people in the church are making a strange sound, "It is helpful to keep what you can keep about the law."

The other gospel is to believe in Jesus Christ and keep the law. A typical example would be keeping tithing and the season (especially the Sabbath). People have introduced the mandatory rule of tithing for the finances of the church, sometimes saying, "If you don't tithe, you are not saved." Also, since the problem of sin is not solved, they look to the law. In the ransom of the cross of Jesus Christ, I believe that all believers are forgiven of their sins, but because they sin every day, they say that they must repent of their sins as if they had sacrificed them to gain forgiveness in the Old Testament.

And, they say, "The law makes us realize sin, so we must look at whether or not we sin through the law." So, they are saying, "What is wrong with trying not to sin through the law, because Jesus did not say that he came to abolish the law?" People are confused by mixing their thoughts with the word of God.

Jesus did not come to abolish the law. However, he came to complete the law. Anyone who still looks at his sins with the law becomes irrelevant to the law Jesus completed. Those who are not related to Jesus are those who try to perfect their righteousness by applying the law. However, those who crucified the old man on the cross with Jesus are free from the law. Those who are not related to Jesus are seekers of the law, and those who are in Christ are unrelated to the law. In Matthew 7:21-23『 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.  Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?  And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. 』 Those who are trying to keep the law say to Jesus, "Lord, Lord," but Jesus said, "I don't know you," and said they were illegal. Since the legalists say they believe in the Holy Spirit, it is illegal when viewed by the Holy Spirit.

Most church people say that they are saved by faith, but it is true that they are obsessed with the law. If we do not go into Christ and the old man dies with Jesus, then it is against the law of the Holy Spirit. To preach the other gospel is "not the death of the old man, but the teaching that we must repent of our sins every day, the teaching that we must pay tithing, the observance of the Sabbath day, the observance of the feasts, and the teaching in this way." . All these laws have implications for waiting for Christ. Keeping the Sabbath is waiting for Christ to come. However, Christ, the Master of the Sabbath, came to this world. If Christ has come to this world, there is always rest in Christ. However, saying that we must obey the law is the same as not believing that Christ is coming. Rules and regulations are sometimes necessary, but if they are compulsively regulated, such as the Old Testament law, to bridle people, everyone becomes a legalist.

God's will is for those who have left God to return to God. So, God's will is that everyone who believes in the Son will be saved. Faith means uniting with the Son. The old man (greedy) died with Jesus who died on the cross to return to God. Salvation is to abandon "every greed that I think I can achieve righteousness on my own" and only grab the cross. If you think you can do something, everyone is putting out their righteousness. God is telling you to lay down your righteousness even through Job. Those who keep the law are under the law, and those in Christ are unrelated to the law. If you are in Christ, it doesn't mean you have to keep the law or not. Those who think to keep the law are those who are willing to complete their righteousness through the law. But those who give up their hearts and grab Jesus' cross become those who enter into Christ.