Galatians 3:23-29.       All accepted by faith alone!!              23/6/13

 (23)  Before this faith came, we were held prisoners by the law, locked up until faith should be revealed. {24} So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith. {25} Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the law. {26} You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, {27} for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. {28} There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. {29} If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.

 Now we know, don’t we, that only Lutherans will be in heaven because we alone have it all together!! Also that there is no hope for Arabs, homosexuals, and dole bludgers!! God surely cannot accept those who are disabled in some way or who are not healthy, wealthy and happy!!

 Now before you start jumping up and down, or nodding your head in agreement; that sort of thinking is absolutely ridiculous. Those statements are definitely not in keeping with God’s Word. Even though we have many thoughts along these lines being promoted in different quarters, they are not in keeping with the simple basic truths of Scripture. Especially when it comes to what it is that makes us acceptable to God and entry into his kingdom we must be very careful that we do not add to what God has done for us in and through Jesus Christ. Yet we hear these things again and again. On the other hand, we also need to have nothing to do with those views that hold that we will all be going to heaven, and that all religions are leading to the same God, and the like.

 Here in this reading Paul is having a real go at those who have and promote this kind of thinking. He says salvation is open to all. No one is exempted. In God’s sight all are equally acceptable. When we are connected to Christ, there is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. So faith in Jesus Christ and his death on the cross for the forgiveness of sins is the only thing that is essential: trust the Jesus has done all that is necessary.

Paul saw quite clearly that there was no need for the Greeks and non-Jews to go through circumcision and other rituals to become like Jews before they would be acceptable to God. There was no need for the slave to have to become a free person before they could enter the Church and be acceptable by all. Nor was a woman or a child barred from being able to stand in God’s presence once they were baptized into his family.  Faith in the Good News of Jesus’ death and resurrection alone is all that is needed for us to be enabled entry into God’s family.

 However, sadly some of the Jewish Christians in Galatia had lapsed back into the old Jewish way of thinking, and were placing people’s acceptance of the Old Testament rituals Laws with regard to how people were to be able to come into God’s holy people, as of vital importance. In fact they were insisting that all go through circumcision, and that they adhere to all those laws which determined how the outsider might be accepted by God. They were adding things above and beyond what the Lord Jesus had said was necessary.

 As Paul says here this locked people up and barred them from coming into God’s presence. They were prisoners with little hope of release, and had a real burden laid on them if they were to be acceptable. Many in fact had no hope at all. These extras were perverting the Gospel and making the keeping of external laws as necessary for salvation. This according to Paul is clearly wrong.

 Now in our society there are many human institutions that have all kinds of rules and regulations for membership; entry however into God’s kingdom is entirely different. We must not add human criteria to that which God has set down for us. When it comes to forgiveness of sins, acceptance into God’s family and eternal life, there is only one avenue: one way; one Church.

 It is here that Paul says that all these rules and regulations that were in the past set for entry into God’s people are not on any more. Jesus’ death and resurrection changes it all. Yes he does say that those old rules and regulations were good in that it does lead people to Christ. How? Because these old ways always put the pressure on: always made it impossible for all to be able to achieve what was needed. Because the obligation rested on us being able to measure up; and this was beyond us, it turned people to look beyond themselves and what they do in order to get into God’s kingdom. This inability to measure up then has forced us to look beyond ourselves. It led people to seek for the help that only God can give.

 Since we cannot fulfil the demands that God originally set, that is why he sends his Son into our world to provide a way out for us. Jesus lived under the law and lived up to its demands, not so that he could then be an example for us: to show us that it can be done; but so that he then could be the sacrifice which takes our sin away. His death on the cross ensures our forgiveness, and opens a clear way into God’s family: acceptance as his very own.

 Now, all that is necessary for our salvation is simple trust on our part. We are simply justified by faith: that is, accepted as having fully met all the demands of the Law; declared right in God’s eyes, simply by our trusting that Jesus has done it all for us. It doesn’t matter who we are; what our status in society is; nor what we have or have not done: simply, he who believes and is baptized will be saved. Nothing more. Nothing less.

You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

 Yes, there are still Jews and Greeks, male and female. Lutherans and Anglicans, workers and the unemployed, rich and poor, and many other social divisions; but those divisions do not affect our standing before God. No one is any better or any worse than anyone else in God’s sight. Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the law. That is when it comes to being acceptable to God.

We cannot however use this to say that all these differences are now gone altogether. This has nothing to say to the issue of women’s ordination, for instance, as much as some would say that it does. It is simply saying that none of those divisions makes one more or less acceptable than the other.  Faith is the only thing that matters.

 Neither can we use this as an excuse now for not seeking to live as God would have us live. We have Jesus come to us and give us salvation so he is, and will be, all important for our life every day. We now will also long for him to help us live in a way that is good and helpful for us. We now will want to live in accord with his word. Not in order to be saved, but because we have been saved.

 At the same time we must always remember that, there is no ‘something extra’ that we have to do in order for this salvation to be ours. There is no requirement for us to make our ‘decision for Christ’ so that we are acceptable. Nor must we be ‘baptized in the Spirit, and be able to speak in tongues’ to be sure of our being true Christians. The same goes for having the right feelings or experiences. None of these things must be added to belief and baptism. It is faith in Christ alone that is essential.  The deeds are only a faithful response.

 What a relief, and what joy this is for us all. Now we can go forward with confidence and hope. Now we don’t have to look to ourselves and wonder whether we are in the right circles or have done enough to make us acceptable. Jesus Christ has done all that is needed in order for us to have entry into God’s family. Let us then simply trust this message, and at the same time not allow this Good News to be perverted by those who want to add all the extras.

 Let us look alone to Jesus Christ, trust him and what he has done, and let us all together continue to give glory to our great God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. For to him alone belongs all glory and honour, now and always. AMEN.

Pastor Roger Atze

Glandore/Underdale Lutheran Parish