Christ Rescues Us
Paul, an apostle—not from men or by man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised Him from the dead— 2 and all the brothers who are with me:
To the churches of Galatia.
3 Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, 4 who gave Himself for our sins to rescue us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father. 5 To whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen. (Galatians 1:1-5)
The letter to the region of Galatia was written by the apostle Paul in order to combat the issue of false teachers and their spread of false doctrine. The false teachers were telling the Gentiles that in order to be saved, they needed to adhere to the Mosaic Law, meaning to follow the traditions such as having to be circumcised, in addition to believing in Christ Jesus.
In verse 1, we see that Paul did not include his typical thanksgiving for the recipients of the letter. Because the Galatians had fallen prey to the false teaching, Paul did not want to waste time on small talk and immediately dives into the purpose of his letter, starting with sharing his credentials, “Paul, an apostle—not from men or by man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised Him from the dead.” Because of the false teacher’s influence, Paul’s own message and apostleship were being challenged. Paul states that he is not sent by any earthly institution that could be corrupted, but is directly from Christ, the resurrected Savior, along with God the Father.
We see in verse 2 that not only is Paul alone in this concern for the believers in Galatia, but “all the brothers who are with me,” which included Barnabas. Paul adds more credibility to his defense by mentioning that he is not alone, but is supported by many churches and their leaders who are concerned for their fellow brethren.
Verse 3, we see Paul’s summary of salvation, “Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ.” It is by grace alone that one is saved, not by one’s own work or merit, such as adhering to the Mosaic Law to gain salvation. When one does accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, they have peace with God, within themselves, and with those around them.
Verse 4, Max Anders states, “Grace not only saves us from the penalty of sin; it also delivers us from the power of sin. We have been rescued from the enslaving power of this present evil age—a world ruled by Satan, full of cruelty, tragedy, temptation, and deception.” Christ followed the Father’s will and completed His task by dying on the cross for us, to rescue us.
Finally, verse 5, because of this wonderful grace and peace through the work of Jesus Christ, He forever deserves glory and praise.
In just the opening section of this letter, Paul establishes that it is by grace alone that one is saved, by the work already done by Christ. One does not have to do additional work to earn salvation. Instead, peace is provided to those who trust in the Lord. It is not by one’s own work, but it is Christ who rescues us from the bondage of sin.
Blessings,
Isaac De Guzman
