“Listen to me, for this is serious: if you are counting on circumcision and keeping the Jewish laws to make you right with God, then Christ cannot save you. I’ll say it again. Anyone trying to find favor with God by being circumcised must always obey every other Jewish law or perish. Christ is useless to you if you are counting on clearing your debt to God by keeping those laws; you are lost from God’s grace.

But we by the help of the Holy Spirit are counting on Christ’s death to clear away our sins and make us right with God. And we to whom Christ has given eternal life don’t need to worry about whether we have been circumcised or not, or whether we are obeying the Jewish ceremonies or not; for all we need is faith working through love.

You were getting along so well. Who has interfered with you to hold you back from following the truth? It certainly isn’t God who has done it, for he is the one who has called you to freedom in Christ. But it takes only one wrong person among you to infect all the others.”  Galatians 5: 2-6

After quite a few years of hearing many different versions of the same thought in regards to the above text, I realized something needs to be addressed here. No matter what translation you adhere to, one can not escape the simple truth Paul the Jesus follower was trying to admonish the folks of his time in the above passage.

Lets be clear here, not one person who has ever lived on the face of this earth can hope to have understood or understand the ways and truths of the Spirit unless that same person receives revelation from the true Holy Spirit of God. The fleshly realm (the physical world) is at enmity with Truth because it is controlled and dominated by Satan. Only by the Holy Spirits indwelling or influence can a mere human have fresh revelation from the Creator of all things who is Spirit. That said, Lets continue…

It is interesting that every religion or faith of the earth in one form or another has a list of tasks, ceremony, or belief system that relies on human effort or self-will to accomplish it’s purpose. That purpose being the re-connection with and thereby acceptance of mankind’s creator or God.  The gospel of Jesus Christ is the only faith that offers forgiveness and re-connection to GOD through grace. (unearned merit or favor) By contrast, Every other faith is human obtained (self help). Wow! This is puzzling indeed. How can a being who has lost it’s spiritual awareness and connection thus it’s eternal well being, hope to re-establish and mend the decay and spiritual darkness on it’s own.

Remember Isaac Newton’s law? What goes up, must come down. Explain how a physical body falling from 30,000 feet at terminal velocity through any means of self-effort keep from experiencing sudden death without the salvation of a well made parachute. No matter how much a person falling thinks, grunts, or disagrees with, he or she is going to meet death unless saved by an external or separate entity. Jesus Christ offers himself as a parachute. Sudden death without a parachute is common sense and yet all religions apart from the gospel of Jesus Christ rely and base their faith on self-effort for salvation. Go ahead, do your own research.

The more complicated any given thought, the less effective. So lets keep it simple shall we.

If any so called Christian (follower of Christ Jesus) falls into the deception that one can earn or secure his or her right standing or acceptance with God through any means of self-effort or law, then that same person cannot be saved. The gospel of Jesus Christ is an unearned gift presented to whosoever would believe. If you or I in the core of our being or soul base our acceptance, (our feeling good about ourselves) our self-worth, on what we do or who we are then we remain lost and will never enter into eternal life.

The reason for this article is to wake up anyone who is deceiving themselves by even unconsciously trying to earn Gods acceptance and favor by any form of self-effort. The true gospel of Jesus Christ is a no strings attached salvation offered freely to anyone who simply believes like a child that Christ died in our place so we could come into God’s favor through His blood alone. Exclusively. If any of you are placing every little bit of hope in Jesus alone, then you my friend are forgiven and accepted by the Great Ancient of days. You have been given the right to be called the children of God and in due season, you will receive your reward…eternal life.

All other religions and faiths will come to not and be eternally lost. If one is fallen from heaven (all of humanity) the same must be saved by one who has not fallen. Christ Jesus was born of a virgin and came from heaven. He alone had the right to offer his life in the place of ours. Every other human being who has ever lived has been born into sin and darkness and does not have the right or legality to stand in the gap (act as mediator) for mankind. Only Jesus Christ was without sin and corruption. This is TRUTH whether you believe it or not. Once we hear the truth we are held accountable.

To sum up this post, we remember and understand what Paul the follower of Jesus Christ was in great grievance of spirit trying to warn the church of his time. Lets read it one more time:

“Listen to me, for this is serious: if you are counting on circumcision and keeping the Jewish laws to make you right with God, then Christ cannot save you. I’ll say it again. Anyone trying to find favor with God by being circumcised must always obey every other Jewish law or perish. Christ is useless to you if you are counting on clearing your debt to God by keeping those laws; you are lost from God’s grace.

But we by the help of the Holy Spirit are counting on Christ’s death to clear away our sins and make us right with God. And we to whom Christ has given eternal life don’t need to worry about whether we have been circumcised or not, or whether we are obeying the Jewish ceremonies or not; for all we need is faith working through love.

You were getting along so well. Who has interfered with you to hold you back from following the truth? It certainly isn’t God who has done it, for he is the one who has called you to freedom in Christ. But it takes only one wrong person among you to infect all the others.”  Galatians 5: 2-6

Why is it so hard for many of mankind to be saved? Is it not because of what Paul was saying? Self-effort is born from Pride. Pride is probably the biggest virus known to man. Pride is such an infectious disease that it spreads like wildfire on a wind driven prairie. Truth is like water though. It puts out the fire of lies. Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

So now this warning has been passed on to you. One false teaching can spoil and infect many many people. Watch out!

He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit is saying in these last days.