Central Truth

There is no special “rubric," no requirement to adhere to a particular “rule,” nor any required “process” that we must follow in order to be good Christians. We must trust in God, alone. We must have faith and believe, completely, in Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.

Reflections

Paul is chiding the Galatian Church for its lapses in faith in this text. The Galatians had, apparently, become enamored with magicians, mystics and false prophets. This attraction to magicians, mystics and false prophets was based on their fascination with the “rubrics” of their illusions and concomitantly failing to recognize the consequences of their actions. It was the Galatians’ human insecurity and frailty that inexorably drew them to risk their eternal salvation by relying upon these superficial, illusory “rubrics.”

Also, in this passage, Paul chastises the leaders of the Church in Jerusalem. At this time, early Church leaders were divided over whether gentile Christians had to convert to Judaism in order to become Christians. Not only did this group of Christians insist upon conversion to Judaism, but also that the gentile Christians must follow the “rules” of Judaism. In this passage, Paul strenuously disagrees with the position of the “Judaizers.” Paul asserts that it is those who have faith, not those who adhere to the tenets of Jewish law, who have been redeemed by Christ.

It is easy, when we are attempting to live our lives from day to day, to become reliant upon “rubrics” or “rules." We seek out and acquire a crutch in order to help us somehow insure that we are “good” Christians. Paul, in this text, makes it abundantly clear that, as Christians, we must trust in God. We must have faith!

Discussion Questions

1. How can each one of us free ourselves from reliance on guidelines or rules and place our full trust and faith in Jesus Christ?
2. What actions can we, as Christians, take to more clearly focus our lives and our faith upon Jesus Christ?
3. What can each one of us do to eliminate the distractions and illusions of the world around us in order to strengthen our faith in Jesus Christ?
4. How can we help others to "throw away their material crutch" and trust fully, with all their heart, in Jesus Christ?