December 23: THE OUTWORKING OF FAITH

When the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. Galatians 4:4-5

Before this Celtic people migrated to Asia Minor, the Galatians had lived in Gaul (now France, Belgium, northern Italy). Paul addressed these churches who were displaying a strong tendency to drift toward a “works theology” and away from the righteousness which is from God by faith (Philippians 3:9) upon which they had been established.

Our Redeemer indeed came at exactly the right time, in the fullness of time; the time chosen by God and foretold by the prophets of old. Jesus was born of a woman, both literally and symbolically. Symbols are thoroughly developed in God’s Word in order to express greater truths that can be quickly understood in the end time, the time in which we now live. The prophetic significance of the word woman is understood to represent a church, the collective people of God, through whom Jesus was born into our world (see Revelation 12).

He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. John 1:11

God’s people had been charged with sharing the Good News of the Redeemer with the world. They were in possession of the written truths of God, which meant they were under the law. What law? God’s eternal, unchanging law, the Ten Commandments, and also ceremonial law which vividly illustrated the plan of salvation and pointed to the Savior. Tragically, they became so fixated upon the ceremonial law that it became a hollow ritual, losing its rich symbolism. The ceremonial law was designed to make plain the gospel of Christ for the people to take hold of by faith while waiting for the Savior to come. The outworking of faith is good works, not the other way around (see Hebrews 11).

By the time that Jesus was born, the vast majority of the leadership was completely entangled in their own man-made rules and traditions, many of which were burdensome rules about Sabbath-keeping. Strict adherence to their own complicated system of legalism had crowded out the beautiful simplicity that He intended. This same pattern was beginning to emerge in the New Testament church at Galatia. It reveals our human tendency for self-reliance in “going through a motion” or “checking a box” rather than relying on the power and leadership of God’s Holy Spirit to guide our way, giving us His vision. Paul wrote this to the church in Rome:

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. Glory, honor, and peace to everyone who works what is good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. Romans 1:16, 2:10

Our omniscient God—you know, the One who never sleeps!—profoundly expresses His available guidance to us thusly:

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye. Psalm 32:8