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The truth of the gospel was intimately associated with the absolute freedom of the
believer from the law:--
"I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God" (Gal. 2: 19).
"He that is dead is freed from sin" (Rom. 6: 7).
"A man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ"
(Gal. 2: 16).
"If righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain" (Gal. 2: 21).
At that memorable conference at Jerusalem Peter recognized the "truth of the gospel",
for he said:--
"Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which
neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?" (Acts 15: 10).
Yet this same Peter is an example to us all of the warning that the "fear of man
bringeth a snare", for
"Before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles: but when they
were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the
circumcision" (Gal. 2: 12).
The apostle realized that the tendency of the Jewish section of the church was toward
bondage (Gal. 2: 4), and against this he stood with all the strength that God gave, so that
the truth of the gospel, and the freedom that that gospel brings, might continue,
unalloyed, right through to the Gentiles. While it is true that the doctrine of Galatians is
as true for us to-day as then, dispensational associations have radically changed since the
epistle was written. Some, not realizing this, have questioned our consistency in quoting
Galatians, but we are not here attempting either to correct their misapprehension or to
justify ourselves.
As our present purpose is to present a series of brief studies that revolve around the
fact that it is the truth that makes free, we are not pursuing the subject beyond the point
necessary to establish that one feature. We cannot, then, do better than finish the article
with the apostle's own words--words which couple the liberty found in the gospel with
the bondage of any other approach to acceptance with God:--
"Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not
entangled again with the yoke of bondage. Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be
circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. For I testify again to every man that is
circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law. Christ is become of no effect unto
you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen by grace" (Gal. 5: 1-4).