Nullifying the Effect of Grace.

In Galatians 5:4 the issue is no longer ‘works plus faith’ for salvation {as earlier in Paul’s Letter}, now it’s ‘works— circumcision, obedience to the Law, social justice, tea-totaling, militarism, nationalism, the right kind of political opinions, etc.— plus faith’ for intimacy with the God of all grace.  The Apostle is waging war not just against legalism but against anyone, be it Judaizers, Gnostics, or any other group or organization which distorts the Gospel of Grace and impedes the unbeliever’s access to relationship with Abba.  “You who are trying to be justified [‘declared righteous in the eyes of Abba, eternally acquitted of all your misdeeds and sinful sidesteps’] by Law have been alienated from Christ: you have fallen away from grace,” 5:4.

Katargeo means- ‘nullify the effect of, render inoperative; deprive of force, influence, or power.’  The Saints in Galatia were, by their own actions, ‘nullifying the effect of grace, rendering it inoperative in their lives and relationships— primarily with Abba, then as always happens, with each other— ‘depriving grace of its force, influence, and power’ in their experience.

In this section {5:1-6:10} Paul’s teaching centres around an outworking of grace designed to correct the havoc this false teaching was causing in the Galatians’ lives.  This is why in vv. 1-3 he said, “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.  Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.  Mark my words!  I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all.  Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised, that he is obligated to obey the whole Law.”  When you look at the context of vv. 1-4, there are at least three things which stand out immediately, three things worth noting.

 I.  In Christ there is grace.  Jesus is the Author of grace and the Source of grace.  Since we are “in Him” from the moment we trusted Him, we have all the blessings, resources, and provisions of the Kingdom of Grace at our disposal, something no other People before Pentecost had been able to say.

II.  In grace there is freedom.  Not the freedom to do just as we please, to follow the “sinful nature” down a path of self-gratification, but the Freedom to live and love by the Spirit.  We’re not functioning as automata in Christ— jack-booted brownshirts who look the same, speak the same, act the same, just going through the motions, oblivious to everything around us— but as individuals in Christ.  In this ‘freedom of grace’ the ultimate Role-Model is not some man or woman out here in the world, but the King of all Kings.

III. In freedom there is power.  We have the ‘spiritual power’ to operate according to His will and His Word, not out of fear, coercion or manipulation, but out of love, passion and desire for who and what Abba is!  This unconquerable power is the omnipotence of the One who indwells us.

The Galatian Saints had left the realm of grace, those gorgeous, shimmering Fields of Grace, and were operating in the realm of law.  They had taken their stand on legalism, on them earning and God owing, as opposed to the lavish generosity of Jesus.  And Law and grace, legalism and grace— pre or post-salvation— are mutually exclusive.  They cannot coexist!

The solution, as almost always in Scripture, follows right on the heels of the problem.  Paul writes in v. 5, “But by faith we eagerly await through the Spirit the righteousness for which we hope [‘for which we wait with conviction and assurance’].  For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value.  The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love,” v. 6.  You seeing this?  “The only thing that counts....”

HJC	Ric Webb  |  Shepherd Heart’s Journey Community 9621 Tall Timber Blvd. |  Little Rock, AR 72204 t +1.501.455.0296
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Heart’s Journey – Live Generously and Love Graciously