In the previous article in this "Christians and the Torah" series, we looked at Galatians chapters 1-3. Today we'll finish Galatians, by touring chapters 4-6.

In chapters 1-3, we saw very clearly that the Christian is not only dead to the law, but they are considered the seed of Abraham, who was not under the law, but under the promise of the Gospel. We learned that the promise was before the law, and that the law "could not disannul" the promise. We are the children of promise through Jesus Christ, our risen Lord and Saviour.

Chapter 4 continues from chapter 3, where we learned that the law was our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ, and that after faith has come, we are no longer under that schoolmaster/the law.

"But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father. Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world: But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons." -Galatians 4:2-5

Through Jesus Christ, we are now adopted as sons and daughters of the Lord. What I'm about to say is not politically correct, or at all popular, but none-the-less, it is the truth: Only saved, born again Christians are children of God. All others are children of the god of this world - the devil. (John 8; 2 Cor. 4:4) The Bible is very clear on this. This, and most everything the Bible says aren’t popular with this world. Perhaps this is the case, because Satan is the current prince of this world (John 14:30) - but not for much longer. Soon Christ will come back, evil will be done away with, and the curse will be lifted. Come soon, Lord Jesus.

Take a specific look at verse 4:

"But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law" - Galatians 4:4

Jesus was made under the law. He was to live on this earth - and was the only human to never sin. This was to fulfill the law. Only pure, sinless blood could be spilled to redeem mankind, and only God/Jesus could be that sacrifice.

Jesus kept the Torah perfectly - he lived a completely sin free life, and then he took on the sins of all mankind, as if He did them, and took the cursed punishment, of hanging on a tree/cross. We studied this in "Tour of Galatians Part One."

Jesus fulfilled the law in order to set us FREE from the law. Thank you Lord Jesus.

Remember, the main topic of Galatians is to refute Judaizers, and those who think they have to keep the Sabbaths, feasts, and other laws. Since Galatians' focus is on this, it gets very specific. Any honest Christian, even a Judaizer, cannot argue with the crystal clear facts in the below Scripture:

"Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ. Howbeit then, when ye knew not God, ye did service unto them, which by nature are no gods. But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage? Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years. I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain." -Galatians 4:7-11

Earlier in Galatians, it was already established that the bondage is referring to being under the law. WOW! Paul is describing many people walking around today, who claim to be Christians, but they also insist on putting themselves back into bondage via keeping Sabbaths (days), times, and years - of which things Christ has set us free. How can this be any clearer? So much detail.

"Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?" - Galatians 4:16

Those who were putting themselves back into bondage were mad at Paul because he told them the truth, as he was taught from the Lord Jesus Himself. Jesus kept the law, so that we don't have to. Jesus kept the law so that it could be fulfilled, and we wouldn't have to be under that bondage anymore.

I can identify with Paul. Who would have known that such a topic of works/law vs. faith/freedom in Christ would cause such contention? I've gained a few enemies. Yet, I haven't done anything. I'm just writing a study. The Scriptures speak for themselves, as I've shown. :-)

"Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law? For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman. But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise. Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar. For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children. But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all. For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband. Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise. But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now. Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman. So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free." - Galatians 4:21-31

Paul gives us yet another allegory to try to explain how we are free in Christ, and no longer under the law. Just as he showed us earlier in Galatians, Christians are the spiritual seed of Abraham, and therefore seed of the promise, which was before the law, and therefore does not contain the law. He goes further to show that Christians are to be the spiritual seed of Isaac - the child of promise. Those who put themselves back under the law make themselves seed of Ishmael - the child who was born out of bondage, and not of promise.

"Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage." - Galatians 5:1

We're free! Praise God! Don't put yourself back under the law, or you put yourself back into bondage. Then, what of the liberty of Christ?

In fact, one's trying to keep days, times, feasts and other parts of the law, after they claim to have received Christ as their Lord and Saviour is VERY dangerous. Let me show you:

"Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace." - Galatians 5:4

Thank about it - What's the point of Christ having come and died on the cross, if the "Christian" is just going to put themselves back under the law? Christ died to redeem us from the law of sin and death. What grace is left for those who try to work their way into heaven via the Torah, instead of having faith in Christ. Christ kept and keeps the law for us. He's the only one that can do it perfectly. Remember, he who is guilty on one point of law is considered guilty in all points. I DON'T want that on me, do you want that burden? I keep the spirit of the law through Christ, who has made me free. I'm a daughter of the King, not a servant to the law.

Christians are not under the law, but that does NOT give the Christian license to sin:

"For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another." - Galatians 5:13-15

Christians are called to walk in love, and in the spirit. When we do this, we won't sin. Yet, the good the Christian does is not of themselves. When we walk in the spirit, we are yielding ourselves to the heavenly Father to do with us as He pleases. It's God's Spirit working through us that produces fruits of the God-honoring Christian. The law requires works by those who tried to keep the law. Christ set us free from the law. When we let Christ work in and through us, we love others.

Lord, I don't want to bite and devour others. Help me each day to walk in love. To love not only those who love me, but to love my enemies as well. Christians are supposed to LOVE their neighbor (AKA - everyone). That's the fulfilling of the spirit of the law.

"But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another." - Galatians 5:18-26

Why does Paul hit the nail right on the head? Because he wrote what the Holy Spirit had him write. Notice the above calls the works of the flesh "works," but the fruit of the spirit "fruit." When we walk in the spirit, God's Holy Spirit works through us. The good works we do are not our own, they are God working through us:

"Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone." - James 2:17

Works come from faith - God working through us. If we don't have that, then our faith is empty. When we get saved, God's Holy Spirit comes to live within us:

"In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise" - Ephesians 1:3

There's that word promise again. ;-) When we have the Holy Spirit, we need to walk in the spirit, and yield ourselves to the Lord, and let HIM do the works through us.

"Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ." - Galatians 6:1-2

We fulfill the law of Christ through love, and sometimes that is via bearing one another's burdens. We don't air our brother's and sister's dirty laundry or faults to the world. We go them, in a meek and humble spirit, and we bear their burden with them. This is the fulfilling of the law.

"For every man shall bear his own burden." - Galatians 6:5

We are to bear our own burdens, as well. We are to take responsibility for our own faults, and we are take it to the Lord. We are not to put things off on other people.

Verses 11-18 conclude the book of Galatians, where Paul puts in his closing. He always hand wrote the closings on all of his Epistles, even though it was hard for him to write. He always had someone write the letters for him, while he dictated, but he always made sure to put his own mark on it. His farewell was by his own hand, in love to his Christian brethren - us.

Next article in this series - "Was Jesus "Torah Observant?" What does this mean for us?"