Recently, I was running late to catch a flight. I could have blamed the rain that slowed down my drive to the airport, the lack of urgency in the TSA agents, the construction on the moving sidewalks, the disruption in train service, or my boots that made it harder to run. No matter the cause, the culmination of all these aspects made for a stressful travel day and a near miss in making a flight. One thing is certain: the 30-pound backpack and extra luggage in my hand made the travel more difficult. The stress was compounded by the extra weight I was carrying.
This imagery becomes a working portrait of our new study through Galatians. Paul quickly asserts his authority to address a group of believers guilty of polluting the Gospel with the best of intentions. In their eagerness to do what is right, the influence of culture and religion warrant Paul writing a stern letter with love to course correct their local church.
As we open the door to the letter of Galatians and investigate the first five verses, we observe that Paul emphasizes that the completed work of Christ defines our life, is the centerpiece of the Gospel, and therefore gives him the authority to speak. While this frames the message of Galatians, it also gives a warning to each reader.
We are often tempted to fall into the trap that describes the Galatian church, even with the best of intentions. We may receive validation of our position from others or add to the Gospel out of a response to external threats. No matter our reason, we must rest fully on the purity of Christ’s presence and His completed work for our salvation.
As we walk through this book over the next many weeks, there will be moments we feel like a person carrying excess weight running to catch a flight. None of us can avoid the demand to reach our destination, yet we can avoid adding baggage that we carry unnecessarily. We are called to walk in freedom and travel light with faith in Christ alone.