DRAFT ONLY

Introduction
      In this passage, which serves as an appeal to his readers, Paul reveals that faith and obedience (for justification as well as sanctification) are absolute opposites.

The passage
      v2. Paul emphatically states that there is no "benefit" (spiritual "value", blessing through Christ = justification) through law obedience. Here Paul identifies "circumcision". This serves as the identifying mark of a person subject to Biblical law.
      v3. By submitting to this mark a believer is claiming submission to the law. For such submission to issue in blessing (be of "value") the whole law must be obeyed.
      v4. Yet as the law cannot be completely obeyed, the believer stands again under the curse of the law, rather than blessing through faith in Christ. "Alienated from Christ" the believer no longer stands under "grace", is no longer freely forgiven and eternally accepted in the sight of God, is no longer justified.
      v5. Paul now supports his contention that law-obedience undermines justification. He makes two points. First, only by the action of the indwelling Spirit of Christ, through the instrument of faith, can a person obtain righteousness in the sight of God (both in standing and state).
      v6. Second, only faith can secure justification. Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any part in the process. The indwelling Spirit of Christ both comes to the believer and renews the believer through the instrument of faith alone, and thus shapes Christ's character of love in their life. They begin to become (sanctified) what they already are in Christ (justified).
      v7. Paul now takes a more personal tack. He reminds them that they were "running well", but have allowed themselves to be diverted from the truth of the gospel (justification).
      v8. Such "persuasion" did not originate from God.
      v9. Using Jesus' own imagery of the Pharisees' hypocrisy, Lk.12:1, Paul illustrates how the false teaching of the Judaizers has permeated through the church.
      v10. None-the-less Paul is confident that this false teaching will inevitably be rejected by the Galatian believers. The leading lights of this untruth will inevitably face judgement, no matter how important they are.
      v11. As for the charge that Paul himself still preaches submission to the law of Moses, he reminds his readers that the Jews remain hostile to his claim that righteousness comes through the death and resurrection of Christ.
      v12. As for the agitators themselves, Paul suggests that it might be nice if the knife slipped next time they performed a circumcision.

Once saved always saved
      In my first catechist position at St.George's Padington I found myself embroiled in a debate over "the perseverance of the saints." The leader of the fellowship, a Church Army officer, knew that as a Moore College student I would follow the standard Calvinist line of "once saved always saved". It was my first Sunday afternoon at the church and I soon found myself in deep water. I knew a few of the verses supporting the sovereignty of God in salvation, but this was their area of expertise, and they knew many more verses supporting the notion that a believer could lose their salvation. In this debate it seems the victors were those who could produce the most number of verses to support their case.
      One of the most fearful thoughts that can confront a believer is encapsulated in the words, "depart from me." Could we find ourselves looked out of the wedding feast like the foolish virgins? Well we might sing, "give me oil in my lamp, keep me burning, burning, burning." Our fear stems from not being good enough for God, not acceptable enough. What if our lamp grows dim, will we be left behind? What if we fail to "work out our salvation with fear and trembling"?
      Lack of assurance in the Christian life is a powerful debilitator. It forces us into a life of pious obedience, as if by living a better life we can prove ourselves worthy of God's love. Then, in the face of constant failure, we can do little but deny our guilt and bury it in a life of righteous indignation. In the end our assurance, our confidence in our eternal salvation, is further undermined.
      In our passage for study Paul openly suggests that our salvation can be undermined, even nullified. Clearly, "once saved always saved" is far too simplistic. A person's eternal salvation can be eroded, but not by the usual "I'm not good enough" routine. In fact, it's the "trying to be good" that's the problem. When it comes to gaining God's approval, obedience and faith are at odds with each other. Effort applied to Biblical law results in alienation from the blessings available in Christ. Eternal blessings in Christ come only by grace through faith.
      Yet here lies our confidence, our assurance, our perseverance. By trusting Jesus for our salvation, we are eternally assured of a place of honour in the presence of God. Our eternal standing is dependent on nothing else other than a faith as small as a mustard seed, as weak as thread of cotton, a faith as but a finger on the hem of the Master's cloak.