GALATIANS (28): Who hindered you? (Galatians 5:5-12).

First, we take a closer look at Paul's wonderful description of the Spirit-filled Christian life in v5-6: "We through the SPIRIT eagerly WAIT for the HOPE of RIGHTEOUSNESS by FAITH. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but FAITH working through LOVE." We live by the grace of the indwelling Spirit, who enables us to believe (rest) in His promises, so that with assurance we eagerly wait in hope for Him to bring us into their fulfilment and manifestation, as we trust His leadership in our lives. The hope of righteousness speaks of our confident expectation that God's grace in us will produce a continual and increasing manifestation of His imparted righteousness (the fruit of the Spirit) in our lives (sanctification), based on His imparted righteousness (justification). Our hope of righteousness is also that this process of sanctification will ultimately result in our glorification, when we will be perfected, and become just like Jesus, with His righteousness perfectly manifested in our being for all eternity (see Romans 5:1-5). The basis, value and reality of our life with God has nothing to do with outward rituals like circumcision, but rather what matters is our FAITH, which first of all rests (sits) in Christ and His grace, and is then expressed in a life of LOVE toward God and man (our Christian walk). A genuine FAITH unites us to the GOD, who is LOVE and the Source of all LOVE (1John 4:7-8). Therefore, the natural FRUIT that flows forth from our FAITH is LOVE, through the Holy Spirit within us (Romans 5:5). Thus, the true RIGHTEOUSNESS of (from) God that is of real value in our life is the LOVE that issues forth from our FAITH, or in other words, FAITH working through LOVE, expressing itself through our works (actions) of love. Having contrasted the life of believers under the law with the life of believers under grace (v1-6), Paul then contrasts the false legalistic teachers of God with true teachers of grace, like Paul (v7-12). The Christian life is like running a race. We run well as we obey (live step by step in accordance with) the truth of grace. But false teachers are like those who cut across us, causing us to break our stride, hindering our progress in grace (v7). Paul points out that the origin of their doctrine cannot be God, who originally called them into His grace (see 1:6), since their message of human merit contradicted this Divine call (v8). He also points out the effect of their doctrine is to hinder, trouble and contaminate the church (v8,9,10,12). Also, one has to be on guard against it, because it can spread quickly like an infection, until it affects the whole church as well as one's whole life (v9). For example, although circumcision seems a small thing, it opens the door to you having to keep all the law (v3). Paul points out that God will judge false teachers (v10, see James 3:1), although he is also confident that the Galatians will eventually come to their senses (v10). Paul also answers false information spread by these teachers that Paul actually agrees with them and still preaches circumcision (v11), by saying that if that were the case he would not be continually persecuted by the Jews. His persecution came because of the offence of the Cross, which declares that fallen man cannot contribute anything to his salvation, which offends man's self-righteousness, so if he in fact agreed with the legalists, this offence and its associated persecution would cease (v11). Paul concludes by expressing his wish that these false teachers, who were so into cutting the flesh (circumcision), would go all the way and castrate themselves, so that they could no longer reproduce, limiting their ability to spread their harmful doctrines further (v12).