Genesis 3:7, after Adam and Eve sinned, they tried to cover their shame with fig leaves, it did not work. Genesis 3:21, God himself made garments of skin and clothed them. An animal died, not because Adam and Eve asked for it, because God provided it, an innocent creature gave its life, so that guilty humans could be covered. Genesis 15:1-21, when God made his covenant with Abraham, he told Abraham to arrange animals cut in half in two rows, in ancient covenant ceremonies, both parties would walk between the pieces, pledging their lives to the agreement. But something extraordinary happened, God put Abraham into a deep sleep and God alone passed between the pieces. God took both sides of the obligation, he was saying, if this covenant is ever broken, I will pay the price, not you, me.
Thousands of years later, on a cross outside Jerusalem, God did exactly that and this reframes the entire cross, Jesus did not die because God was enraged and needed someone to absorb his fury, Jesus died because the debt was life and only the giving of a perfect life could settle it, he offered himself. Galatians 5:4, picture a high platform called grace, this is where you stand when you trust Jesus, you are safe there, you are accepted, but down below, there is a treadmill called law. Falling from grace means, you step off the secure platform of what Jesus did and you jump down onto the treadmill of what you do. You start running and working and sweating trying to please God, but you are no longer standing in his free favor, you have fallen from the position of rest, into the position of work.
To be alienated from Jesus Christ means, you have cut off the flow of power, when you operate by rules, you are on your own, when you operate by faith, you are connected to the power source of Jesus. So, if you do not follow the law for salvation, does that mean you just do nothing? Does faith mean sitting on a couch and waiting for heaven? Absolutely not, Paul gives you the definition of real Christianity in a single sentence, the only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love, Galatians 5:6. This is the key to the entire chapter, it is the middle ground between legalism and laziness. Legalism says, I work so I can be saved. Laziness says, I am saved, so I will not work. But the gospel says, I am saved by faith and that faith is so alive, that it naturally produces love.
Thousands of years later, on a cross outside Jerusalem, God did exactly that and this reframes the entire cross, Jesus did not die because God was enraged and needed someone to absorb his fury, Jesus died because the debt was life and only the giving of a perfect life could settle it, he offered himself. Galatians 5:4, picture a high platform called grace, this is where you stand when you trust Jesus, you are safe there, you are accepted, but down below, there is a treadmill called law. Falling from grace means, you step off the secure platform of what Jesus did and you jump down onto the treadmill of what you do. You start running and working and sweating trying to please God, but you are no longer standing in his free favor, you have fallen from the position of rest, into the position of work.
To be alienated from Jesus Christ means, you have cut off the flow of power, when you operate by rules, you are on your own, when you operate by faith, you are connected to the power source of Jesus. So, if you do not follow the law for salvation, does that mean you just do nothing? Does faith mean sitting on a couch and waiting for heaven? Absolutely not, Paul gives you the definition of real Christianity in a single sentence, the only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love, Galatians 5:6. This is the key to the entire chapter, it is the middle ground between legalism and laziness. Legalism says, I work so I can be saved. Laziness says, I am saved, so I will not work. But the gospel says, I am saved by faith and that faith is so alive, that it naturally produces love.