Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-09-22

portunity let US do good unto all men
especially unto them who are of the
household of faith."-Ga1. CLIO.
The letter to the Galatians gives
us a good opportunity to review the
teaching of Paul which we have been
studying during the past three
months You will recall that it was
on his second missionary journey
that he was attacked by severe
illness which was the occasion of
his being detained in Galatia, and
after his recovery he preached in the
three principal cities of the province
On his third journey he visited these
churches again, but later at Ephesus
Cor Corinth) he heard news which
made him write this letter. Judaiz-
ing missionaries had gone in after
at least perverting the faith of the
Galatians. They were willing to al
low that salvation was by grace
through faith, but insisted that it
was also necessary to keep the law
Hence they were insisting. on the
Galatians observing CIRCUMCISION, tne
new moons, Sabbaths, and other
feast days, if they would attain unto
righteousness.
Pau1's Letter
Paul therefore wrote them a letter.
It is evident from the tone of 1t
that Paul was quite upset. There
is an absence Of the usual warm
greeting; there is noticeable lacking
the ST thank my God upon every
rememberance. Of you but instead
the IT marvel that you are so soon
turned away from the gospel of the
grace of God. He is so wrought up
that he calls down twice repeated
anothenia on any angel or man who
would preach any other gospel than
the one he had preached to them. He
shows them that it had been given
him by direct revelation from God,
reciting some of the otherwise I'M
known details of his early Christian
life to show them that there had
been no human influence in his
knowledge of the truth. Further
more, when he went to the Council
he found that not only did the apos-
ties there add nothing to what had
been revealed to him, but they &C
tually acknowledged at the
special work of evangeliZing the Cen
ties had been given to him, as the
work among the Jews had been to
them. This was gratifying to him,
of course; for he had been such an
ardent Jew himself. In addition to
this, when he saw Peter acting two
facedly, he actually took him to task
about it, and brought the issue
he put to him. For the essence of
his gospel was this-no man can be
justified by works of the law, but
only by grace through faith; and this
brings about an entirely new life
the life of the indwelling Christ, the
life which is Christ.
He wonders who has bewitched
them so that they are turning away
from simple grace and adding law
to it. He illustrates his meaning
by Abraham-he was counted right
eous because he believed, and because
of anything he did. The law was
not given until 430 years later, there
fore it could not take the place OF
grace. The law was given us to
show us what is wrong, not to make
us righteous. You did not know it
was wrong to jay-walk until the law
fthis city said you could not cross
the street except at certain places
SO the law was given to show them
what was wrong and right, but 1t
could be made righteous by it.
Paul then made a comparison be-
tween law and grace, between bond
age adm liberty, and illustrated it by
Ishmael and Israel. And then (5:1-6:
100 he appealed to them to stand fast
Christ. This very thing they had
failed to do, and the conduct Of their
lives was the result. Instead of
loving one another they were biting
and devouring each other. Instead
of the fruit of the Spirit being de-
veloped in their lives, the works of
the flesh were being manifested
| Goal. 5:16-24) What should character
ize them, was a willingness to put
an erring brother in the right path
again, remembering how easy it is to
slip off the road; sharing with others
the good things of the Word, doing
good whenever an opportunity was
presented especially to the fellow be-
levers.
AS a closing word he compares
these false teachers with himself;
they were after them for their own
selfish ends while his only concern
was for the glory of the cross of
Christ.
Present Day Galatians
Thus briefly we have sketched
this letter to the Galatians-that
easily influenced people who were
mingling law and grace, who were
falling away from the dominion of
grace because they insisted on put
ting themselves again under the do
ninion. of law, for the two cannot
be mingled.
And yet-and yet-that is just
what the majority of church members
are trying to do today! We are gull
! ty of the Galatian heresy, and dont
know it. Well, here's the proof of
You believe that the only way to
| be saved is through faith in Jesus
the Christ as the Son of God who
died on the Cross for your sins, and
who said before dying, "It is finish
| ed" You believe He rose again, and
assembled to the right hand of God,
and now lives to make intercession
for you as your Advocate. You be-
| lieve that because of Him and what
He did God accepts you and adopts
you into His family. You believe that
He is fashioning you day by day into
His likeness imputing righteousness
day you shall be like Him when you
see Him as He is. Now this is all
| grace.
But along with this you believe
you must keep the ten commandments
if you would be righteous. Now this
is all law. In the one case you have
righteousness imputed to you and
impaired to you by what has been
done for you by another; in the sec
ond case you are seeking righteous
ness by what you do yourself. In
the first instance it is a gift; in the
second it is wages. The two are in
conflict hopelessly, and cannot be
mingled.
To our nqind this is exceedingly i'm
portant, and because of the failure
| to recognize it we as Christians
richest experiences of our lives. We
want to get back to the gospel that
Paul preached, the gospel of the grace
of God, and all of grace. I marvel
| that we have been turned away Sc
easily from the simplicity which is