Traveling Light
Living Free
Galatians 6:11-18 (NIV)
Contributed by Nancy Buschart
“But as for me, may I never boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. For neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything. What counts is a new creation.” —Galatians 6:14-15
Today is our last consideration of the book of Galatians. So, it seems good to ask ourselves, “What have we learned? What does Paul want us to know?” Answer: The cross of Christ has changed everything! Jesus has changed everything! Paul is changed. The ways of being a faith-full Jew have changed. The life and practices of a Gentile believer have changed. “The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” (2 Cor 5:17 NLT).
These last eight verses constitute a decisive conclusion to Paul’s letter. False teachers have promoted circumcision and pressured new Gentile believers to submit to the laws of old. Afraid of Jewish, and possibly the ruling, authorities the motives of these teachers are exposed by Paul: “The only reason they do this is to avoid being persecuted for the cross of Christ” (v. 12). If one is a follower of Christ Jesus, persecution may be unavoidable. Jesus told us so. He said, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). And one of the results is that, as Paul says, “Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is the new creation” (Gal 6:15).
But what is this “new creation”? The new creation is revealed first in the Risen Christ. Jesus died the scandalous death assigned to murderers and criminals: he was crucified. He died and was buried. The Jewish leaders and the Roman authorities believed this was the end of the story. But the resurrection power of God the Father broke the bondage of death and the sinless Son of God was raised to new life—a new creation.
“Jesus Christ, … is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father—to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen” (Rev 1:5-6). The scandalous crucifixion and the stunning resurrection of Jesus the Messiah has broken our bondage to sin and death. Jesus received the curse of the law that demanded death as punishment for sins. In his death and resurrection, Christ inaugurated salvation not by works or by following the Law, but salvation by faith alone, through Christ alone. Christ “gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father…” (Gal 1:4). We are rescued and redeemed, loved and belong, by the blood of the Lamb!
Paul gives his own testimony of new life. “For through the law I died to the law so that I might live for God. 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” (Gal 2:19-20). Paul is a “a new creation in Christ!”
Paul elsewhere makes clear that this is not true for him only. Indeed, “Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” (2 Cor 5:17 NLT, emphasis added). There is nothing to boast about in this world. He concludes his letter saying, “May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world… what counts is the new creation” (Gal 6:14-15). Jesus is our one and only penalty-payer, Jesus is the firstborn of the new creation, Jesus is the freedom fighter for those who believe in him. With Paul, we can boast in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ because Christ’s death and resurrection has purchased our freedom from fear and sin and death. “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery” (5:1).
Consider –
╬ Paul accuses the false teachers of being afraid of “trouble” and says that “the world (and all its troubles) has been crucified to [him] and [he] to the world.” How does the assurance of the cross of Jesus mitigate your own fears of trouble?
╬ Galatians 5 is where we find the beloved “fruit of the Spirit.” As we face the worlds’ troubles and our fears, return again to the “fruit” and Paul’s encouragement to “keep in step with the Spirit.”
╬ Father, Son and Spirit, we praise you for rescuing us through the cross and resurrection of Jesus. Enable us to live freely crucified and alive in Christ by the Spirit. In Jesus name, Amen.