TODAY IN THE WORD

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Galatians 1:1-5
Jesus Christ . . . gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age. - Galatians 1:3b–4
TODAY IN THE WORD
A few years ago a popular series of posters initially looked like a jumble of patterns and colors. As one looked intently at them, the apparent chaos would suddenly resolve itself into a well-defined three-dimensional image. While it may not be immediately obvious, a long look at Galatians shows that this epistle fits nicely into the theme of wisdom that we have been studying throughout the year. Galatians represents the apostle Paul’s teaching on living wisely in light of the gospel message.

Paul wrote this letter to a group of fledgling churches in the region of Galatia (located in present-day Turkey) in order to address some serious issues facing the early church. The primary problem concerned the status of Gentile Christians. Thousands of years after Christ, we can easily forget that the earliest followers of Jesus were, like Jesus himself, fully Jewish. They naturally continued to follow the practices of the Jewish Law while professing faith in Jesus. We see in the book of Acts that as the early church carried out Jesus’ Great Commission, the question of the relationship of newly converted Gentile believers to the practices of the Law became an issue of serious disagreement (cf. Acts 10:9–16, 27–29; 15:1–35).

Those first Christian leaders had to work out the implications of the gospel. Some of them concluded that Gentiles needed to observe the ritual of circumcision as prescribed by the Old Testament Law in order to participate fully in the salvation offered by the gospel.

Paul came to a different conclusion. He presents an extended argument for the full acceptance of Gentile believers apart from such practices as circumcision. The starting point for his argument is the simple affirmation of the gospel message–Jesus died for our sins (that is, for the sins of both Jews and Gentiles) in order to rescue us from this present evil age.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
It’s appropriate to begin this month’s study in prayer. Begin by praising the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit for sending servants like Paul to help us all understand more clearly what it means to live wisely as gospel believers.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Galatians 1:6-9
Some people are throwing you into confusion and . . . trying to pervert the gospel. - Galatians 1:7
TODAY IN THE WORD
The neighborhood kids decided to organize themselves into a playgroup and little Danny was their leader. All the members had bicycles and decorated them the same way so that everyone in the neighborhood would know who they were. When Sarah’s family moved in, she too wanted to be part of the group. “You can join,” Danny told her, “but only if you have a bicycle and decorate it just like ours!”

This story reflects something of the situation in Galatia. Paul had proclaimed the gospel there and several people had believed. Yet some in the early church were troubled. For those early Jewish Christians, the problem was that many of the people to whom Paul preached were not Jews, and Paul’s message suggested that they need not become Jewish. Paul was telling Gentiles that the salvation offered by Jesus, the Jewish Messiah (the word Christ means “Messiah”), was open to them if they believed that this Jesus died and rose again on account of their sins (cf. Gal. 1:1–4).

The crux of the matter was not that Paul preached to Gentiles. It was that he preached a message that offered salvation to Gentiles apart from their submitting to circumcision. Paul was preaching a message that offered salvation on terms that seemed to conflict with the commands of the Jewish Law.

Galatians is a complicated letter. As we study it this month we will see that Paul’s response to these concerns is clear and firm–to require Gentiles to submit to the Law contradicts the freedom of the gospel. Such an approach perverts the good news. The gospel message proclaims Jesus as victor over evil and Lord of all people.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
The tendency to want to add requirements for salvation wasn’t isolated to the Jewish Christians in Paul’s day. Although today the issue isn’t usually circumcision, many of us find ourselves thinking that salvation must depend on eating or dressing or doing things a certain way.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Galatians 1:10-24
I received [the gospel I preached] by revelation from Jesus Christ. - Galatians 1:11–12
TODAY IN THE WORD
“You may not run in the hall!” shouted the teacher. “Says who?” the defiant ninth-grader retorted. “Says the principal, and if you don’t obey, you’ll spend time in detention!” Challenge authority, and you’ll face the consequences.

We don’t know exactly what was said by those to whom Paul is responding in this epistle, but it seems likely that they were challenging his authority. We can imagine them saying something like, “Who gave Paul the authority to spread a gospel that extends salvation to Gentiles apart from obedience to the Law?” They might have added, “Isn’t Paul’s gospel just a compromise intended to please people by making salvation available without requiring them to follow the practices prescribed in the Law?”

Paul’s pointed response appeals to the highest authority–he is doing what he is doing and saying what he is saying because of his direct encounter with Jesus. His radical transformation in attitude and action (he changed from one who persecuted, to one who propagated the churches of Jesus) showed beyond doubt that his appeal to the authority of Christ was genuine and not a human fabrication (1:11–12, 20–23). In the end, his encounter with Jesus resulted in praising God (1:24), a sure mark that God was at work.

Paul’s appeal to Jesus is important not only because it helps him establish his authority, but also because it builds up the confidence of those who read his letter, both then and now. As Christians we are committed to the belief that God speaks in all of Scripture. We are committed to the authority and truth of what we now call the Old Testament. Yet a little reading in the Old Testament raises the issue of how Gentiles can be acceptable to God apart from obedience to the Law prescribed there.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
In our passage today, Paul gives his own testimony of a life transformed by Christ. If you were asked about your own background, could you give a testimony of how Christ has changed you?

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Galatians 2:1-10
James, Peter and John . . . recognized the grace given to me. - Galatians 2:9
TODAY IN THE WORD
A predominantly white church and a historically African-American church in Durham, North Carolina, meet together for Easter services every year. Though the worship styles differ, those who attend the joint service always remark how blessed they are by sharing in praise with people from different ethnic backgrounds.

Yesterday we saw Paul claiming that the gospel he preached was legitimated by Jesus and not in need of approval from any earthly authority. In our text for today he emphasizes the fact that the ministry he has undertaken is in full unity with the other apostles. It was important to Paul and to the other apostles that Paul’s ministry stood in continuity with the ministry of the Jerusalem church.

We may rightfully ask why this might be the case. Clearly Paul did not feel any need to have the authority of his ministry validated by other people. Jesus, the highest authority, had commissioned him. He needed no other confirmation. But Paul likely saw the need, perhaps through the revelation he received (v. 2), to meet with the other apostles in order to ensure that the Gentile churches he had planted remain in full unity with the Jewish churches.

There are some significant lessons for us from this passage regarding the nature of unity in the church. First, we see that unity does not mean lack of diversity. The fact that Jew and Gentile were united by the gospel–without either one being forced to unite on the terms of the other–means that church can encompass all manner of diversity so long as the unifying factor is the gospel message. Second, the basis of the apostles’ judgment points the way toward balancing unity and diversity in the church. The apostles recognized the presence of God’s grace at work in Paul’s ministry. That is, they confirmed that the gospel he preached was consistent with the message they proclaimed (vv. 2, 7); and, they saw that God was using Paul effectively among the Gentiles (v. .

As we today seek to maintain both unity and diversity in the church, we would do well to look for God’s grace at work.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
When we praise God for an eternity in heaven, we will be surrounded by believers from every tribe and nation. Yet too often when we worship we are surrounded by people who look just like us.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Galatians 2:11-21
I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. - Galatians 2:20
TODAY IN THE WORD
Many of us don’t seem to learn a lesson the first time. This seems to be the case with the apostle Peter, who still had trouble accepting differences in Gentile eating customs even after the Lord had given him a vision saying, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean” (Acts 10:15).

When Peter separated himself from Gentile Christians, Paul recognized that he was failing to live wisely in light of the gospel (v. 14). Peter’s refusal to eat with them made an implicit statement–Gentile believers are not equals. Paul understood that Peter was, in effect, denying the heart and power of the gospel message. By refusing to eat with the Gentile converts Peter was essentially saying that the justification God had granted to Gentiles as a result of their faith in the gospel was of no effect, for until they adopted the practices of the Jewish Law, they were not fully equal members of Jesus’ church. To Paul’s dismay, even Peter, one of the original disciples, failed to grasp the meaning of the gospel.

One of the benefits of this unfortunate conflict is that we get to see what Paul says about wise gospel living. In response to Peter, Paul argues that the Law has reached its fulfillment in the crucifixion of Christ. Peter, as a believer in Jesus, agrees with Paul that justification (that is, being declared righteous) comes only through faith in Christ, not through the Law (vv. 15–16, 21). Yet the implication of this is that one also dies to the Law (v. 19).

Paul’s point is this: everyone who believes in Jesus has in effect been crucified with Jesus. Such a one has vicariously died with Christ to the Law. This vicarious inclusion in the death of Jesus implies that one is also included in His resurrection to new life. As a result of Jesus’ death and resurrection, justification is available, by faith, for those who belong to Christ.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Many of us can relate to Peter and his reluctance to let go of his old notions of what it meant to serve God. Although God may not send us a dramatic vision as He did to Peter, He still speaks through His Word to us to align our ideas with His.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Galatians 3:1-5
Did you receive the Spirit by observing the Law, or by believing what you heard? - Galatians 3:2
TODAY IN THE WORD
When arguing a case in the Ameri-can legal system, great stress lies on the proof that both sides can present to back up their arguments. In criminal cases, the burden of proof lies with the prosecution, who must demonstrate beyond reasonable doubt that the accused person actually committed the crime.

The next move in Paul’s argument is a critical one. He first draws the Galatians’ attention back to the crucifixion of Jesus (v. 1). In keeping with the point we saw him arguing yesterday, Paul reminds his readers that Jesus did die. Implicitly he is pushing them to reflect on the point he has just made in 2:11–21. Their own profession of faith in the gospel involves this confession about Jesus. Once they recall that they do accept the fact that Jesus died on a cross, they ought then to accept the rest of Paul’s argument–that those in Christ have died to the Law.

However, in a series of rhetorical questions, he bolsters his case by urging the Galatians to consider how it was that they came to enjoy the presence of the Holy Spirit in their lives. The answer he expects is clear--the Galatians, as Gentiles, received the gift of the Spirit simply by believing the gospel message.

Paul’s real point is implicit in his list of questions. He wants his converts to consider the fact that as Gentiles they received the Spirit by believing in Jesus. Well before it ever occurred to them that they had not adopted the practices of the Jewish Law, they had been blessed with the full benefits of life in Christ. If they possess the Spirit, and Paul is hinting that they do, they are thus justified and have received the fullness of God’s promised salvation. Their sins have been taken care of and they have been freed from the present evil age. What then could they possibly gain by adopting the practices of the Law?
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Those who believe in the saving power of Christ’s death and resurrection have the Holy Spirit. His presence with us is one of the irrefutable proofs of our salvation. He is the fulfillment of Jesus’ promise in John 14:16-17.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Galatians 3:6-9
Those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham. - Galatians 3:9
TODAY IN THE WORD
We can hardly imagine God asking more of us than He asked of Abraham. First, He instructed Abraham to leave his family home and strike out for an unknown destination. Then God asked Abraham to believe that although his wife was barren, his descendants would be numerous. And then when he finally did have a son, God told him to sacrifice Isaac. Yet Abraham steadfastly believed God’s promises.

Paul is at pains to show that the outpouring of the Holy Spirit those first Gentile believers experienced when they professed faith in Jesus was, in fact legitimate. To make his case, he turns to the story of Abraham. He wants to establish two key points. First, he wants his readers to see that God’s act of justifying sinners is not something brand new. Abraham, one of the most important figures in Jewish history, was “justified” by God in the very same way as those who believe in Jesus. He had faith in God’s promises and so God declared him righteous (3:6). Those today who also believe God’s promises follow in the footsteps of Abraham and are even included in his family (3:7).

The second point concerns the inclusion of Gentiles into Abraham’s family. Scripture had foretold that God would one day bring Gentiles into Abraham’s line (3:. The words that the niv translates as “Gentiles” and “nations” are identical in the Greek language in which Paul originally wrote. For Paul it was very clear that God did not limit his promises to Abraham only to the Jews. Rather, through Abraham’s descendants blessing would go out to all the peoples of the earth.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
If someone were recording our life story as a journey of faith, how would it read? Have we ever been in a position of absolutely trusting God when the situation seemed crazy or hopeless? Have we experienced God’s faithfulness when we obey Him regardless of the cost?

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Galatians 3:10-14
He redeemed us … so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit. - Galatians 3:14
TODAY IN THE WORD
If you’ve ever spent time around toddlers, you can understand the emphasis of Paul’s argument in our passage today. As soon as you warn a two-year-old not to put his fingers in the fan, nothing seems more enticing to him. If you instruct her that carrots are good for her, she wants nothing to do with them.

Everything Paul has said since Galatians 2:15 regarding Jews, Gentiles, Law, faith, righteousness, justification, the Spirit, and Abraham comes into focus in this passage. His main point is simple: observing the Law never produced righteousness. He knows this because Scripture says very clearly that those whom God deems righteous live by faith (Hab. 2:4), while those who live by observing the Law are not living by faith (Lev. 18:5; Gal. 3:11–12). The problem with this latter way of life is that it places one under the Law’s curse since no one can actually do all that the Law commands (v. 10).

Paul is probably thinking about the blessings and curses pronounced when the Law was given again in Deuteronomy. Deuteronomy 28:1–14 promised blessing to Israel so long as they did all the Law said. Deutero-nomy 28:15–68 recounts all the curses that would come for failure to obey. Paul knew Israel’s history. Israel had been forced into exile in the past and, even after they had returned to the Promised Land, they had lived for most of that time under the rule of foreign overlords (see Deut. 28:32–66). Israel continually found itself under the curse of exile and foreign domination predicted by the Law. For Paul this could only mean one thing--those who had tried to live by the Law had inherited curse rather than blessing. The promised blessing had to come from some other source.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
If we are tempted to think of Christianity as a set of rules or a list of do’s and don’ts, we’ve missed the point of Galatians! Following a set of rules can never produce the righteousness than enables us to enter God’s presence.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Galatians 3:15-22
What, then, was the purpose of the Law? - Galatians 3:19
TODAY IN THE WORD
If we think back to our illustration yesterday on the willfulness of toddlers, someone might ask, “Why go through all the trouble of giving them instructions if they are just going to do what they want?” This question misses the true point of the instruction. We want to protect children from things that will harm them, but we also want to train them so that they can make wise, healthy choices when they are mature enough to choose for themselves.

Paul entertains two questions that his preceding argument might raise: first, why was the Law given if the promised blessing comes by faith; and second, does the Law oppose the promises? The response begins with the observation that the promise of an inheritance for Abraham’s seed was ultimately directed toward Christ (v. 16). That is, the “many people” who follow the Law and call Abraham “father” are not in the first instance the object of the promises. He points out next that the promises were given before the Law (vv. 17–18). The Law does not trump or set aside the prior promises.

Having laid this groundwork, he turns to the first question–why the Law? The Law served the purpose of cleansing sin, but only in a provisional and temporary way. The commands and sacrificial system were limited, not full and perfect, in dealing with sin. The Law was always only intended to be in effect until Christ “the Seed to whom the promise referred had come” (v. 19).

His answer to the second question–does the Law oppose the promises?–is closely linked with his answer to the first. The Law was provisional and temporary, so it could not bring about the righteousness that comes by faith (v. 21).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
The blessing of the promise was for all nations, but many people are still waiting to hear this good news.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Galatians 3:23-29
If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed. - Galatians 3:29
TODAY IN THE WORD
A young first-year Latin teacher was preparing his fourth-graders for their drills that morning. “Now once we learn these conjugations, we can move on to the fun stuff!” he promised. But the children responded, “We love to conjugate! This is fun!” Indeed, as the class went on, the teacher discovered that the power of repetition with the drills prepared his students to enjoy and understand the language.

As we recall, Paul has been arguing that the Law is not opposed to the promised blessing. The Law served as an instructor for the Jewish people that provided protection and training in preparation for the coming of Christ and of faith (v. 24). That is, the Law was the guardian of those people through whom God intended to bring salvation to all the nations.

Prior to the coming of that salvation, the Law performed the necessary function of distinguishing between God’s children, His chosen people Israel, and the Gentile nations. With the first advent of Jesus, the Law reached its fulfillment and the time for the promised blessing to go to the nations had come (v. 25).

So that we do not miss the significance of this last point, Paul spells it out--the coming

of Christ marks the coming of the promised blessing to all the nations. As we have already seen, Paul is repeating himself when he makes this statement. Yet this repetition includes an important elaboration. Now we see why the Law is no longer that focal point of God’s activity in the world. In Christ the Law has been fulfilled. Now that the promise has come, the sons of God are distinguished by being clothed with Christ.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Educators have long understood the power of repetition. We can use this power in our spiritual lives through memorizing Scripture. The process of repeating God’s Word as we memorize sears His truth into the fabric of our being.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Galatians 4:1-7
When the time had fully come, God sent his son. - Galatians 4:4
TODAY IN THE WORD
Every year young Shane looked forward to his birthday--not just for the presents, but because his dad would grant him new privileges. When he turned six, his dad gave him a bicycle without training wheels that he could ride in the driveway. When he turned seven, he was allowed to ride in front of his house. By the time he was twelve, he could ride his bike around town with his friends. Shane learned that proving he could handle his current level of privilege meant that his dad would grant him additional privileges as he grew older.

In an attempt to clarify the point he made in the previous passage, Paul compares the time of being under the supervision of the Law to the life of a firstborn child living under the care of a guardian. The child stands to inherit the estate of his parents, but he must wait until the date set by the father. The father will not allow the child to inherit the estate until he has matured into an adult. He is the son, but he is little better than the household slaves, subject to the commands of the authority set over him until he reaches the age of maturity.

During the age of the Law, God’s people were like that child–heirs, but not yet in possession of the promised inheritance. Then, at the date set by the Father, Jesus was sent into the world. With the coming of Christ, the fullness of time had come. The guardian was no longer needed and the children were no longer subject to its commands. The heirs of the promise now had the full rights of sons (v. 5). They had now obtained possession of the promised inheritance–the presence of the Spirit.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Galatians 4:6 says, “Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, 'Abba, Father.’ ” On our own we could never approach God in this intimate way. But through faith in Christ and the resulting presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives, we are able to have a relationship with God that is supremely personal and powerful.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Galatians 4:8-11
Now that you know God . . . how is it that you are turning back? - Galatians 4:9
TODAY IN THE WORD
One of the great concerns in the American criminal justice system is the amount of recidivism, the rate at which prisoners who have been released from prison commit another crime and end up back in jail.

Many factors influence the likelihood of repeat offense, but a common reason seems to be that many former prisoners find it difficult to function outside the order and structure of prison. Faced with making choices on their own, they end up committing crimes that will lead them back behind bars.

As we think back to the beginning of this letter, we recall that Paul contends that wise living in light of the gospel message means discerning that Gentiles do not need to submit to the Law--the very practices that separated and distinguished them from the Jewish nation--in order to be full participants in the people of Jesus Christ.

Having explained and elaborated on the ways in which the logic of the gospel message leads to this conclusion, Paul now applies his argument to the debate going on in the Galatians’ churches: whether adopting the specific practices of the Law is tantamount to returning to the position of the child under the guardian. Such a move makes one no better than a slave, subject again to the authority of the supervisor.

More importantly, acceptance of the Law puts Gentile converts back in the position of being distanced from God. In Christ they know God, or, even better, are known by God. Prior to the coming of Jesus and of faith, they were estranged from God, subject to the evil powers and principalities of the world (3:. Only the Jews had the right to call God “Father.” Now that Jesus has come, those who were distanced from God, who had no way of dealing with their sin, have been brought near to him. Gentiles now know and are known by God.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
We can all relate at some level to the temptation facing these Gentile Christians in Galatia. We may not feel pressured to follow the rites of Judaism, but we may feel pulled back into our old ways of life before we were converted.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Galatians 4:12-20
It is fine to be zealous, provided the purpose is good. - Galatians 4:18
TODAY IN THE WORD
During the campaign before the Iowa caucus in January, Democratic candidate John Kerry was surprised by an unexpected speaker at one of his campaign stops. The man took the microphone to describe how Kerry had saved his life 35 years earlier when they both served in Vietnam. He had not seen Kerry since, and was, in fact, a registered Republican. But as he talked about his gratitude and admiration for Kerry, he revealed a bond forged in combat that crossed the lines of political parties. That loyalty led him to endorse Kerry, and some political analysts credited his statements with Kerry’s eventual win in the Iowa caucus.

As we saw yesterday, submitting to the Law would result in Paul’s Gentile converts being pushed away from God rather than being brought nearer to Him. There were additional implications. Not only would the Galatian Christians be driven from God, they would also be alienated from the very people, such as Paul, who first pointed them to Christ (vv. 16–17). Given this alienation both from God and from others, Paul hints at the obvious conclusion–zeal for the Law is the antithesis of zeal for Christ (vv. 17–18).

Before Paul leads his readers to consider this, he sets about reminding them of the joy and love they once shared with one another (vv. 12–16). He recounts how he first came to Galatia and preached the gospel there. Apparently he stayed in that region on account of illness. Those to whom he first gave the good news of Jesus lovingly cared for him during this time of sickness. Paul is convinced that the bond they shared with one another was so close that the Galatians would have plucked out their own eyes if it could have helped him.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Paul describes a bond with these Galatian Christians that is remarkable; clearly, they had a deep love and concern for him.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Galatians 4:21-31
Now you, brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise. - Galatians 4:28
TODAY IN THE WORD
In the classic movie, An Affair to Remember, Cary Grant plays a character trying to support himself through selling his paintings. He has lost touch with the woman he loves, played by Deborah Kerr. One day, she sees a portrait in a store window and is taken aback–it is a portrait of herself that he has painted. And it is clear through the loving way he has portrayed her image that he still loves her very much.

Paul appeals to one final image to help his readers understand why they ought not, as Gentiles, accept the teaching of those urging them to embrace the practices of the Jewish Law. Drawing on his earlier conclusion that those who have faith are “in Christ” and therefore the seed of Abraham (3:26–29), he goes back to the story of Abraham to illustrate his case (see Gen. 15–16, 18:1–15, 21:1–21).

To get his point we need to remember that Abraham’s wife Sarah was barren. God promised Abraham that he would have an heir, but given that Sarah could not have children, the promise seemed futile. Sarah suggested to Abraham that he try to have children by her slave girl Hagar. Abraham took her advice, and as a result Ishmael was born. Hagar was not a barren woman. Thus the birth of Ishmael was completely natural and ordinary (v. 23). God, however, still intended to fulfill His promise to Abraham and, against all odds, Sarah did eventually give birth to Isaac. Since Sarah was barren, Isaac’s birth was an act of God, not an ordinary event.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Some Christians in history have thought that the Old Testament was irrelevant for believers. They couldn’t be more wrong! The New Testa-ment itself draws on the Old, as we see in our passage.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Galatians 5:1-6
It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. - Galatians 5:1
TODAY IN THE WORD
During the struggle by African Americans for civil rights, many leaders drew an analogy between the experience of Israelite slavery and escape from Egypt and the experience of African-American slavery in the United States. Although the institution of slavery had been abolished after the Civil War, some cities and states had instituted laws that treated blacks as second-class citizens. As they advocated for full rights as American citizens, the cry went out: “We won’t return to slavery!”

Paul wanted the Galatians to take up this cry in a spiritual sense. The gospel message, Paul says, does not allow one to return to slavery. Yet as we have seen, anyone who thinks they will be justified by observing the Law are, in effect, enslaved by the Law.

Living out the implications of the message that Jesus died and rose again to rescue sinners from this evil age means that those very people who have been rescued are no longer enslaved by the powers of this age. For Gentiles to turn to the Law, as if that added something to their salvation, was to deny that they really had been rescued and set free by Jesus’ death and resurrection. In fact, Paul goes so far as to say quite explicitly what he only hinted at earlier (cf. 4:17–18)--submitting oneself to the Law alienates one from Christ.

Having spent so much time laying out and expanding on his argument for this conclusion, Paul now begins to explain other constructive implications within the gospel message.

Those who possess the Spirit look forward in hope and by faith to the time when they will be fully righteous (5:5). Gentiles, simply by believing the message about Jesus, already begin to participate in the promise of forgiveness of sin and can look toward the day of judgment with the confidence that they will be declared right.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
As you examine your life, could you describe your Christian journey as walking in freedom? Or do you feel oppressed by a list of restrictions?