In Galatians 5 Christ is presented as the Emancipator.
In Galatians 5:1 Paul says, “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free; stand fast therefore, and do not be entangled with a yoke of slavery again.” The word freedom in this verse denotes freedom from the slavery of the law. Christ has set us free through His redeeming death and life-imparting resurrection that we may enjoy this freedom in grace. Thus, we should stand fast in the freedom from the slavery of the law, not deviating from Christ, not falling from grace.
The Greek word rendered entangled in verse 1 may also be translated as being held in a snare. To deviate from Christ to the law is to be entangled or held in a snare. The yoke of slavery is the bondage of the law, which makes the law keepers slaves under a binding yoke. Here Paul is telling the Galatians that they must set aside the yoke of slavery and return to their freedom in Christ.
As the Emancipator who delivers us from the slavery of the law, Christ brings us into grace by the Spirit and by faith operating through love.
In 5:4 Paul goes on to say, “You have been brought to nought, separated from Christ, you who are being justified by law; you have fallen from grace.” Here to be brought to nought is to be reduced to nothing, separated from Christ; deprived of all profit from Christ and so separated from Him (Darby’s New Translation), making Him of no effect. To go back to the law is to be severed from Christ, to be brought to nought, separated from Christ. To be brought to nought, separated from Christ, is to fall from grace. This implies that the grace in which we believers are is just Christ Himself. Therefore, to fall away from the grace of God is to fall away from Christ. We should not fall away from grace. Rather, we should have grace (Heb. 12:28), be confirmed by grace (13:9), and stand in grace (Rom. 5:2).
Grace is Christ Himself, the embodiment of the Triune God, as the life-giving Spirit for our enjoyment. To go back to the law is to reject this grace, to fall from grace. In Galatians 5:4 Paul indicates that although by believing into Christ and being baptized into Christ the Galatians were grafted into Him as the rich tree and were enjoying His unsearchable riches, by going back to the law and to circumcision they were brought to nought, annihilated, from the unsearchably rich Christ. If we go to anything other than Christ—such as the law or character improvement—and if we do not cleave to Christ that we may enjoy Him continually, then our enjoyment of Christ will be confiscated. Conversely, when we are in intimate fellowship with the dear Lord, we have the deep sense that we are in grace, having grace for our strength and enjoyment and for our every need. If we need life, grace is life. If we need strength and comfort, grace is our strength and comfort. Therefore, we need to pray, “Lord, have mercy on us and grant us grace that we would not be brought to nothing from You. We want to abide in You as the all-inclusive One to enjoy Your riches.”
In verse 5 Paul says, “For we by the Spirit out of faith eagerly await the hope of righteousness.” The expression by the Spirit is in contrast to by the flesh (3:3). Furthermore, out of faith is in contrast to out of the works of law (v. 2). The hope of righteousness is not out of the works of law in the flesh but out of faith in the Spirit. By the Spirit and by faith we expect Christ as the hope of righteousness.
In 5:5 Paul puts the Spirit together with faith. In order to have the proper enjoyment of Christ, we need to have the Spirit as the all-inclusive land and faith as the means to enjoy the land. Just as the law and the flesh go together, so faith and the Spirit go together. Whenever we try to keep the law, we are immediately in the flesh, but when we take the way of faith to hear the word of Christ, appreciate Him, and call upon His name, we spontaneously experience the Spirit. This can be confirmed by our experience. Whenever we strive to keep the law, we are in the flesh, in the fallen man, but whenever we take the way of faith, we are in our spirit enjoying the Spirit. Here, in the way of faith, we enjoy the Spirit as the processed Triune God. Furthermore, the way of faith causes the organic union between the processed God and regenerated man to be developed and cultivated. God intends that this organic union be developed to the uttermost.
In 5:6 Paul goes on to say, “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision avails anything nor uncircumcision, but faith avails, operating through love.” Apart from the Spirit and faith, nothing else avails. In Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything. What avails is the Spirit on God’s side and faith on our side. The Spirit is the all-inclusive land for our enjoyment, and faith is the organ by which we participate in this rich land and enjoy it. Because the Spirit and faith avail, we should treasure them.
In 5:6 Paul also says that faith operates through love. Living faith is active. It operates through love to work out the fulfillment of the law (v. 14). Circumcision is simply an outward ordinance, having no power of life; hence, it avails nothing. Faith receives the Spirit of life (3:2); thus, it is full of power. It operates through love to fulfill not only the law but also God’s purpose, that is, to complete the sonship of God for His corporate expression—the Body of Christ.
Love is related to our appreciation of Christ. Without such an appreciation, faith cannot operate. The hearing of faith awakens our loving appreciation, and the more we love the Lord, the more faith operates to bring us into the riches, the profit, of the all-inclusive Spirit.