It is very meaningful that this letter follows 2 Corinthians. This means that if we would be a person like Paul, living by Christ and taking Him as our person, we must be aware of religion. Whenever we become religious, we become ensnared in the present evil age. If we look at today’s Christians, we can see that so many of them are simply in a kind of religion. They have the teachings, the regulations, the traditions, and the ordinances. In the past I have mentioned several times what a religion is. A religion is the act of doing things for God without the presence of Christ. If we worship God without the presence of Christ, that is a religion. If we work for God without the presence of Christ, that is a religion. If we try to be a good person without the presence of Christ, that is a religion. Anything for God without the presence of Christ is a religion. Religion is simply to worship God, to work for God, to keep the law, and to improve ourselves and do so many good things religiously without the presence of Christ. It may be good, but it is still a religion because it is without Christ.
The Jewish religion never taught anyone to worship idols, to commit sin against God, or to be evil. Rather it always taught others to worship God sincerely, to serve God faithfully, and to behave honestly. Surely this is good. But this is what the Apostle Paul called religion. He was the foremost in such a religion, keeping the law, keeping his forefathers’ tradition, and observing all the ordinances. But if we would enjoy the indwelling Christ, we must beware of all these religious things. This is why Paul said that Christ gave Himself for our sins to deliver us from this present evil age. There is no doubt that the present evil age of the Apostle Paul was the typical Jewish religion, a religion supposedly founded according to the verses of the Bible. Therefore, if we would realize the real experience and enjoyment of the indwelling Christ, we must beware of anything religious.
Of course, I realize that this word does not sound well to religious ears. But if we read our Bible in Galatians, we can see that religion is not a positive word. Religion persecuted the church. Religion damaged the church. Religion opposed Christ. This is why we need to be delivered from all the religious teachings, all the regulations, all the traditions, and all the ordinances. This is what it means to be delivered from the present evil age.
Paul told us that he was exceedingly zealous in his forefathers’ religion. “For ye have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jews’ religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it: and profited in the Jews’ religion above many my equals in mine own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers” (Gal. 1:13-14). But then something happened to Paul, and he expresses it in this way: “But when it pleased God...to reveal His Son in me” (Gal. 1:15a, 16a). When Christ is revealed in us, all the religious matters simply fall off. Paul was so zealous for his religion, but on the way to Damascus a voice came from the heavens and smote him to the earth. He was blinded. Actually he was already religiously blind, but he didn’t know it. Now his blindness became exposed.
This is the case of so many dear ones. They thought they were clear, but they did not realize that they were religiously blinded. Then one day the Lord touched them and exposed their blindness. Paul had been so clear. He knew where to go, and he took the lead to take others there, but now he needed someone to lead him. He did not know where to go. He was made blind by Christ. But, praise the Lord, this blindness eventually became a real vision. Paul became blind to religion, yet he became clear with a vision concerning Christ.
From that time, Paul began to see Christ. It had pleased God to reveal Christ into him, and he was delivered from religion. This is why he said that Christ gave Himself for our sins to deliver us from this present evil age. Now he is writing that the Galatians might obtain the same deliverance. They had been trapped in a snare of religion, and needed deliverance from religion. Now it is not a matter of keeping the traditions, but of having Christ revealed in us. And it is not a matter of keeping the law, but of having Christ living in us. “I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me” (Gal. 2:20). Christ should not only be revealed in us, but also live in us. Christ has to be both our life and our living.