November 13, 2025 -Law and Grace

ACTS 14:21-28

GALATIANS 1:1-3:23

Chronological Bible Rea dings

^{Galatians 1"6} I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— ⁷ which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ.

I know that in the Galatian church there were both Jews and Gentiles. A group of Jews called Judaizers were trying to force the Gentiles into following Jewish laws and customs. The need to follow the Jewish laws would be a different gospel than the Gospel of grace.

^{Galatians 1:10} Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.

This should be the deciding factor in how we live and teach others. If we are following His word and living to please God, then we will get it right. If we are living to please people regardless of the truth of God's word, we will be so wrong.

^{Galatians 2:19} “For through the law I died to the law so that I might live for God. ²⁰ I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. ²¹ I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!”

The law had a purpose, but that purpose was fulfilled when Jesus came. It does not mean that following the law is wrong, but it is not necessary to follow the law. Living for Christ by faith trusting in His grace not trusting in the law is truth.

Galatians 3:1 You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. ² I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by believing what you heard? ³ Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh?

We have to be on guard that once we receive the gift of salvation and the Holy Spirit that we do not fall into the trap of legalism. We are saved by grace through faith in Jesus and that is what saves. The desire to please Him and follow His teaching is a result of the change in our hearts by the Sprit of God in us. Yes, we need to do good things and follow Jesus' teachings and much of the law of God. But it is not so that we can earn salvation but so that we can serve and please the one who saved us.