5:1-8 What do we learn from what Paul says here?
5:1-8 What do we learn from what Paul says here?
In V1 here Paul is warning the Galatian Christians against turning away from God's grace in Christ and bringing themselves again under bondage to the law (cp Ac 15:24; Ga 3:10-15). In Ga 5:2-6
Paul teaches that every man who is circumcised in obedience to the Old Testament law is obligated to obey the law in its entirety. They are no longer partakers of God's grace.
This teaches that once-saved Christians can forfeit their salvation, because Paul is not referring here to those who had been circumcised in the past, but only to those who were going to be circumcised as a necessity for justification under the law.
Christ is not concerned whether one is circumcised or not. Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything with Christ.
He is only concerned with one's faith that works itself out by love (cp 1Cor 7:18-19; Ga 6:15-16; Col 2:8-12; 3:11-14).
Faith which worketh by love means that faith in Christ expresses itself in self-sacrificing love for others (cp Jn 13:2-17, 34-35; 15:12-17; Ro 5:5; 12:9-10, 15-16; 15:1-3; 1Cor 13:1-7; Ga 5:13-15, 22-26; 6:2; Eph 5:1-2; Php 2:1-5; Col 3:12-14; 1Th 3:12-13; 4:9; He 13:1; Jas 2:14-26; 1Pe 1:22; 2:17; 3:8; 4:8; 2Pe 1:5-9; 1Jn 2:3-5, 9-11; 3:14-19; 4:7-21; 5:1-3; 2Jn 5-6).
Most Christians love each other with a mutual, friendly love which is called out of their hearts because they find pleasure in each other's fellowship.
But as the foregoing scriptures clearly teach, God calls us to increase that love to an unconditional, self-sacrificial love - the same love wherewith He loves us - for that is the only love that will ensure our place in His eternal kingdom.
(For a more detailed study on how Christians are to love others see comments on Jn 13:34-35, Ro 13:8, 1Cor 12:31, Ga 5:13, 1Th 3:12, 1Jn 2:7, 3:15, 3:16-18, 3:19-22, 4:7-21, Rev 3:7-13).