God’s Hard-to-Understand Grace

     When trying to understand Paul’s application of God’s grace to humanity, one should realize that Paul showed the difference between the Law of Moses and the Abrahamic Promise.  These are different because the Law of Moses came much later than the promise.  The Jews desired to be those who were the only recipients of the promise given to Abraham.  In addition, the Jews used the Law as a way to establish themselves as righteous before God.  The problem was that the Law was never designed to accomplish that.  Furthermore, the Law of Moses was based upon “doing” rather than faith.  On the other hand, the promise for Abraham’s seed is based upon faith.  Agitators, Jews who believed that circumcision and observance of the Law of Moses were needed to obtain righteous standing before God, had infiltrated the church in Galatia which caused great misunderstanding about who the real seed of Abraham is and how to become recipients of the promise.  In this passage, Paul explains that only those who have faith in Jesus Christ as the Son of the Living God, confess Him as Lord with their mouths, and received the Holy Spirit are the true seeds of Abraham.  Therefore, there is not a particular race of people who have received Abraham’s Promise; all have.  God has given the right to both Jews and Gentiles alike to receive His grace and to become His sons and daughters.  Paul emphasizes three important things: Faith, Sonship/Daughtership, and Unity and Equality.

Galatians 3:23-29

Faith

     Simply put, faith is the only way to righteousness before God.  The Bible says that the righteous shall live by faith.  Paul labors to show that one must have faith in Christ alone because Christ is the one who is reliable.  In other words, He is the only one who can be counted upon to make someone righteous.  Here is how it works: faith is placed in the Cross of Christ and in His Resurrection.  It is God acting alone to provide righteousness to those who believe that He died upon the Cross in their place and rose again from the dead. Righteousness is “received by faith and is a gift of grace.  It contradicts all human boasting and undermines any attempt to base man’s relationship with God on doing the law” (Brown v.1; 601).  One scholar has said that “faith recognizes the eschatological saving event which was anticipated in the call of Abraham” (Brown v.1; 601).  Remember, the Bible says that all nations will be blessed because of Abraham.  As mentioned earlier, this was before the Law which only served to confine humanity.  The general illustration that has been given by many refers to Greek society when a trusted slave escorted the young boy to and from school while helping to cultivate morality within the boy. Graduation has come to humanity because Christ has entered the Human Race and conquered death so that that morality is written upon the hearts of those who believe. 

Sonship/Daughtership

     As a result of faith in Christ, those who believe are adopted into God’s family.  In other words, those who are saved by faith in Christ are entitled to all the privileges of God’s children.  This means that those who believe have “put on Christ” by repenting of their sins.  Remember, repentance is being sorry enough for committing sin that one would turn away from it.  As a result of repentance and faith in Christ, believers are forgiven/newborn (meaning new life) and cleansed of acquired depravity (evil, immorality), which allows the hostility between them and God to be healed.  Salvation by grace means not receiving a spirit of fear, but receiving the Spirit that allows the new life in Christ to say “Abba, Father!” (Grider 366).  Many scholars point out that Abba Father means that one can refer to God as Daddy.  In contrast, “doing” cannot bring anyone into a relationship that is based upon love for someone who is in a family.  Christ has opened the door, to all who desire, to become part of the family of God.  This is new life!  This is the ultimate rags to riches story.  Who can understand God’s way?  Humanity does not deserve to receive grace like this from God.  Certainly, humanity did not deserve to be recipients of Christ’s work upon the Cross.  His Blood is too precious for the human race.  Many remember playing video games as children.  Some played the Atari 2600.  When a game went badly, the player had the option of flipping the reset switch to start all over.  Because of what Jesus has done, God’s grace provides this opportunity to all who desire a change.  They get to receive new life by becoming children of God.    

Equality

     Then, as a result of becoming part of the family of God, all who receive new life in Christ find true equality and true unity.  There is no longer any exclusiveness.  The Jews looked to the Law as way to distinguish themselves.  Now, it is Christ who distinguishes His followers from those who are in the world.  Those who have called on the Name of Christ have clothed themselves in Christ.  He brings true equality to, and between, those who believe in Him.  It has been said that Alexander the Great desired to be clothed in the gods of Artemis, Ammon, and etc.  He did this by putting on ritual masks and robes.  This must have been his way of separating himself from everyone else.  In contrast, Paul demonstrates that Christians do not put on ritualistic robes and masks.  Instead, Christians take on the character, the virtue, and the intentions of Christ.  In other words, the Christian becomes a reflection of the Spirit’s work within his or her heart.  It is through faith in Christ, Baptism of the Spirit that the “new man,” that Paul refers to in other letters, is put on. 

     It is, according to some, a simple concept that God has shed his grace upon those who would receive it.  Moreover, He sheds His grace upon those who do not deserve it.  Yet, there are many who simply cannot believe that receiving eternal life is that easy.  It might be pride that holds many back from receiving this gift.  Whatever, it may be, this is still a roadblock to eternal life for many today.  It is more comfortable to expect that God would have to have some type of great work from someone to receive eternal life.  Yet, there is nothing that humanity can do to satisfy a Holy God.  Humanity must rely upon the fact that Jesus Christ is the only one who measured up to the standard.  He was the only, and perfect, Sacrifice.  This is God’s grace to all. 

Sources Cited

New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology

A Wesleyan-Holiness Theology

A Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament, and other early Christian literature