The church at Galatia was a troubled church. At one time it had been flourishing. Love had lived there. The bond between Paul and these Christians had been so strong that he said they would have been willing to pluck out their eyes to give them to him had that been called for or helpful. Now they were torn by strife.

False teachers had come to Galatia and had confused the church. They hovered between law and grace, not knowing or experiencing real Christian liberty. While claiming to adhere to the law in an effort to attain righteousness, they had forsaken the truth. Fellowship had disappeared in this legalistic atmosphere and they had become Christian cannibals — eating away at one another’s reputations.

Sadly, these Christians, in trying to become more righteous, had missed the point of God’s great plan. The law had been but a schoolmaster to bring them to Christ. To retreat back to the law would not bring righteousness — Christ had died to deliver them from the law. Their need now was to allow the Holy Spirit to produce works of love through them. Faith had come in response to God’s love. Now they must stop trying to do through the law what God intended to bring about as a result of their faith.

Perhaps the reason for your failure in the Christian life has been your legalistic approach: “Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?” (Galatians 3:3). It is time to get back to the basics of salvation. Success lies in faith which works by love!