Salvation from the Power of Sin

The Galatians had been wonderfully saved through the Gospel message preached by the Apostle Paul.

 After he left, a group known as Judaizers came to these new converts, like spiritual snakes encroaching on an unprotected nest of fledglings.

Coming from Jerusalem with forged letters of recommendation from the Apostles, they impressed the novice Christians with their knowledge of the Law.

These “teachers” soon had the new converts tied hand and foot with the demands of Judaism.... They were told real believers keep the Law of God and are circumcised. Soon the joy of salvation through faith in Christ alone ebbed away and the Galatians became religious. Envy, criticism and every form of religious hypocrisy held sway.

This is a common problem all new Christians face. How do we go on after coming to faith in Christ? The Apostle Paul wrote the Letter to the Galatians to answer that question for them and for us.

Paul sets the premise of his reply in Galatians 1:3-5: "Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, 4 who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, 5 to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen."

Are we always thinking one dimensionally in regard to Christ’s death? Was His death only useful in saving us from condemnation? Or did His death on our behalf save us from sins past AND provide a safeguard against the sin and error every new Christian must navigate in the path to spiritual maturity?

I submit Paul is pointing here to Christ’s death providing a living Savior, who is our source of strength, guidance and spiritual sustenance.
He spoke of this point of view also in Romans 5:10: “For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!”

The hope of the sinner is the salvation found in Jesus Christ’s death, burial and resurrection. The hope of the believer is found in the presence of the resurrected Savior in his life made real by the ministry of the Holy Spirit. There is victory for every believer in Jesus Christ as we realize His power and presence is available to us by Christ’s death for us.