October 8

Galatians 5:1

Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.

Paul went throughout Galatia preaching Christ crucified as our only way of being saved. He was followed by some who said that in addition to receiving Jesus into your heart, you must also keep the commandments and the Law of Moses. They taught salvation through Jesus, PLUS works of righteousness, or obedience to God. This sounds plausible because we must obey God’s commands. But we obey God and serve Him because we are already saved. We have come to Jesus, He has changed our hearts, put his Spirit within us and given us eternal life; as a result, we love him and serve him. But do not think for one second that what we do helps the work of Christ, and adds to it so that then there is sufficient for our salvation. It is like the old song that J. Vernon McGee loved so much; “Jesus Paid It All.” If you try to require something additional to what Christ did, you devalue his sacrifice, and say that what He did was not quite sufficient. Paul calls this reversion to the law for righteousness a “yoke of bondage”, and called for a curse upon anyone that would teach such a heresy. He said, “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.” Galatians 1:8. He repeats this in verse 9. Jesus saves us and we serve Him because we love Him. Our salvation is God’s masterpiece, and anything you add would spoil it. But all this means nothing to you, if you have not received Jesus into your heart as your Savior.

Commentary by Francis L. Harris

"...what must I do to be saved?" Acts 16:30