THE KING’ S BUSINESS
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us), to free us from which Christ has paid so great a price. In the verses that follow Paul drives this thought home with tremendous emphasis, “ Behold, I Paul (the I is emphatic. The thought is, I, an inspired apostle, whatever you think me, here Paul rises in noble dignity).” "I, Paul, say unto you that if ye receive circumcision (as a ground o f acceptance before God, cf. v. 4; Acts 15:1), Christ will profit you noth-, ing.” ' Christ by His atoning death is the ground of our acceptance before God, and acceptance before God on the ground o f Christ’s atoning blood becomes experiment ally ours when we believe in it, put our whole trust in the blood as securing accept ance. I f we receive circumcision as a ground o f acceptance it is evident that we are not dependent upon the blood and so, o f course, Christ profits us nothing. Paul himself practiced circumcision on occasion (Acts 16:3), but not at all in the sense meant here as securing acceptance before God, but as a mere means o f avoiding unnecessary discussion and antagonism. If any one observes any other requirements of the Mosaic law (fo r example, seventh day Sabbath observation) as a ground o f accept ance before God, Christ will profit him nothing. We must depend upon Christ and His finished work alone as the ground of our acceptance before God if Christ is to profit us anything. Friday, May ly. Gal. 5 : 3 , 4 . Here Paul carries the obligation that a man brings upon himself by seeking justi fication by circumcision (or any other work o f the law) yet further. He says, “Yea, I testify again to every man that receiveth circumcision, that he is a debtor, to do (and not merely to talk about) the whole law.” Circumcision is a mere sign o f being under the Mosaic covenant. It is o f no value whatever unless the whole covenant, of Which it is the mere symbol, be kept. Fur thermore, the only way to be justified by law keeping is by keeping all o f it (cf. ch. 3:10; James 2:10). Just so today, the one who seeks justification before God by sev
enth day Sabbath keeping is a debtor to keep the whole law, and will not be justi fied if he fails to keep the law at any point. The legalist is indeed a hard case. Paul still continues making his opposition if possible stronger yet. “Ye are severed (literally^, brought to, naught, or rendered inoperative) from Christ,- ye who (rather, ye whosoever) would be justified by the law (more literally,, in law) ye are fallen away from (rather, out o f) grace.” These are exceedingly strong words and should cause all legalists to pause. They should be deeply meditated. If any one can be justi fied by law, then Christ’s atoning death was unnecessary (cf. ch. 2 : 21 ), and if one is seeing justification, in law, there is no value for him in Christ’s death, which is meant to cover our failure to keep the law. Paul goes so far as to say, “Ye ( 1 . e., ye who would be justified in law) are fallen out o f grace.” Justification by works, i. e., justification in law, and justification by grace are directly opposite to one another (Rom. 4:4, 5; 11:6). One cannot have both. He must choose one or the other, either justification by grace and grace alone, or justification by law and law alone. He cannot be in grace and be under law at the same time. .Therefore, he who steps over into justification by works steps out o f grace and he steps under a curse {Gal. 3:10). Where do you stand? Are you depending wholly and solely upon God’s grace in Jesus Christ, the atoning Saviour, or are you trusting in whole or in part in your own good works? I f tjie latter, you have fallen out o f grace and you have fallen under condemnation. Saturday, May 18 . Gal. 5 : 5 , 6 . Paul In verses 1 to 4 has shown the unhappy position o f those who were seek ing justification by law. He now sets in contrast with this the happy lot o f those who simply believe in Jesus Christ for justification. He begins with the word “ For,” because the attitude o f the believer is a proof that those who would be justi fied by the law are “ fallen out o f grace.”
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