Galatians 5

“You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by the law; you have fallen from grace” (v4).  Trying to gain God’s favor by following a strict religious code means that we deny grace.  If we have to obey a law to be accepted by God, then we don’t believe Jesus’ work was sufficient for us.  We are accepting “a yoke of slavery” (v1) instead of the free gift of salvation.  Obsessed with being perfect, we can’t live fully as God’s beloved children.

Totally accepted and forgiven because of Christ, as His ambassadors we live by one simple code: “faith working through love” (v6).