8 Key Instructions in Galatians

Key verses: –
Romans 3:20. Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
Romans 6:14. For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.
Ephesians 2:8. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.

The Epistle of Sha’ul (Paul) to the Galatians

The reason this was written by the Apostle Paul under the guidance of the Spirit of God was that believers could see the difference between the Gospel of Faith against the ‘gospel of works’ which was being wrongly taught and promoted by false teachers. The Law declares men guilty whereas faith sets men free to enjoy liberty in Messiah. But liberty is not license. Freedom in Yeshua/Jesus the Messiah for Jew and Gentile means freedom to produce the fruits of righteousness through a Spirit led new life style.

These 8 key instructions put together give us a guide to the whole epistle of teaching that the Apostle wanted those who were in Messiah, to know they were not under the law, as breaking one meant you broke all. God was now dealing with mankind through the New Covenant (Jeremiah 31:31) which was established by God through the Messiah being the Saviour of all who would believe.

Messiah is the only acceptable sacrifice and the only means of getting to Heaven and enjoying eternal life that has been promised to all who repent and become ‘born again’.
First, we must repent and then we are justified, just as if we had never sinned. God promises to forget our sins of the ‘past’ and then leads us into a glorious ‘future’ of being set free through the ‘once and for all atoning death of Messiah’ who died and rose again showing life after death.

It is the greatest event in history unto all who believe, to the Jew first and then to the Gentile. Let us now see the truth of these 8 instructions.

1) Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus the Messiah, even we have believed in Messiah Yeshua, that we might be justified by faith in Messiah and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified. Galatians 2:16.

2) This only do I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh? Galatians 3:2-3.

3) For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them’ – Deuteronomy 27:26. But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for the just shall live by faith – Habakkuk 2:4. Yet the law is not of faith, but the man who does them shall live by them. Messiah has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree’ – Deuteronomy 21:23). That the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Messiah Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. Galatians 3:10-14.

4) What purpose then does the law serve? It was added because of transgressions, till the Seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was appointed through angels by the hand of a mediator. Now a mediator does not mediate for one only, but God is one. Is the law then against the promises of God? Certainly not! For if there had been a law given which could have given life, truly righteousness would have been given by the law. But the scripture has confirmed all under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus the Messiah might be given to those who believe. But before faith came we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed. Galatians 3:19-23.

5) There the law was our tutor to bring us to Messiah, that we might be justified by faith. But after faith has come we are no longer under a tutor. Galatians 3:24-25.

6) But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. Galatians 4:4-5.

7) You have become estranged from Messiah, you who attempt to be justified by law, you have fallen from grace. Galatians 5:4.

8) For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself.’ (Leviticus 19:18). Galatians 5:14.

From the above verses, we can see that we are not under the law but under Grace. We still have the 10 Commandments as a basis and then Paul speaks about the Laws of Messiah that we are to keep. A good place to start with these is the Beatitudes and moral instructions and commandments given to us in Matthew chapters 5 to 7. There are over 180 commandments within the Mosaic Law that no Jew can keep because there is no Temple and Sacrificial system in place as Yeshua/Jesus has fulfilled these.

Paul wrote the Galatian epistle first to show that the Gnostics and Judaizers were teaching error. To the early Jewish believers in Yeshua, Sha’ul wrote in Galatians 5:7 –
‘You ran well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth?’

We fulfil the Law as Messiah taught in that we are to love our neighbour and we are to love one another. This sums up the whole of God’s Laws for it is love that fulfils the law.

May we all then follow the pattern and instructions that our Lord Jesus (Adonai Yeshua) showed the early Messianic Community and His House (The Church). Amen.

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