Not Running in Vain

DEVOTION

THE LETTER TO THE GALATIANS

NOT RUNNING IN VAIN 

Gal 2:1-5

2:1 Fourteen years later I went up again to Jerusalem, this time with Barnabas. I took Titus along also. 2 I went in response to a revelation and set before them the gospel that I preach among the Gentiles. But I did this privately to those who seemed to be leaders, for fear that I was running or had run my race in vain. 3 Yet not even Titus, who was with me, was compelled to be circumcised, even though he was a Greek. 4[This matter arose] because some false brothers had infiltrated our ranks to spy on the freedom we have in Christ Jesus and to make us slaves. 5 We did not give in to them for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might remain with you.

NIV

It seems more of a travel log, in a sense. Paul had just accounted for the three years following his conversation and now he gives them a time reference of after another fourteen years. It is most likely within these fourteen years Paul had made his first visit to these Galatians and preached the gospel. This would most likely account for the church Paul was responsible for starting there and now because of false teachers coming after him, he writes this letter to set the record straight. He tells them of his travels to Jerusalem, the great city, the center of Judaism, the place of the temple. However, Jerusalem was also the center of Christianity although it was not known by that name yet. We are not sure just what the revelation Paul had for the reason he went to meet with the brothers in Jerusalem, although it appears it was about this matter of circumcision. Paul wanted to double-check his life’s work, his preaching the gospel was not in vain. Again, this appears this was centered on the freedom in Christ and that Gentiles would not be held to the law regarding circumcision. The idea of making them slaves was being a slave to the Law. This should give us some insight as to how we should approach the Gospel as well. It is not a matter of Jesus plus anything, such as the idea of this good work. Yes, after we are redeemed after we accept Jesus, we do things for the kingdom of God, we do some form of works in that sense. We run the race, we preach the gospel, and we live for Christ. We set aside the old self who sinned as a regular course of action and put on a new self who desires to live rightly, although that is not even completely possible, being but a human living on a corruptible body. Even Paul who we have a tendency to lift up had the same infirmity in his humanity doing that which he did not want to and not doing that which he wanted to. But the point is the pure gospel is not about Jesus plus anything form of a religious act of righteousness, or works. Salvation is a free gift of God through faith in Jesus Christ and that is all. A free gift does not require work to earn it, then it would not be a free gift. This is the message Paul was preaching, but the false brothers who had infiltrated their ranks were only there to spy on them, making it appear they were part of the believers, but only for the purpose of spreading false teaching. Is that not also true today? We have so many who claim to be Christians who are only pretending to be among the ranks of believers, so to spread their own form of the gospel, which is more of their own message rather than the message of God. There are so many false teachings being spread through the church it is difficult for many to discern the truth. Some have such silver tongues their ideas sound good, while others attempt to wow people into false beliefs with their intellectual arguments, which again may sound right, but are not actually based on the true gospel message. Paul wanted these believers in Galatia to not be deceived by those who would add something to the free gift of salvation. However, we also have to say Paul taught how a believer should live. There is freedom in Christ, but not to go on sinning, or doing anything we want when we want. But this letter is about the free gift, the freedom from the law, from the list of rules in order to be saved. Circumcision was not required for them. The law is not required for us to be saved either. But once we are saved, once we have been set free, we should not allow ourselves to be placed back in bondage. Let us not run our race in vain.