A Liberty Worth Spying Out
Written by Sam Sullivant
“Yet not even Titus, who was with me, was compelled to be circumcised, although he was a Greek. Now this matter arose because of the false brothers with false pretenses who slipped in unnoticed to spy on our freedom that we have in Christ Jesus, to make us slaves. But we did not surrender to them even for a moment, in order that the truth of the gospel would remain with you.” Galatians 2:3-5 (NET)
Do we possess a faith that is worth testing?… a liberty worth spying out?! Some may read this passage in Galatians 2 and worry if they would pass the test Paul and Titus went through when first meeting the church elders in Jerusalem. Rightfully so if we care about Christ being represented rightly, but there’s something profound going on in Galatians 2. We see that God has signed, sealed and delivered an authorized message to the human race entrusted to and given through human vessels. The Holy Spirit’s message was and remains today, the Gospel of Jesus Christ. What a wonderful thing to ponder that ever since the early church, the Holy Spirit has been fighting to preserve His authorized message. Now there is debate as to who now carries the authentic Gospel, and what percentage of the church now carries the purity of the Gospel. However, in the end, we know that God has always and will always preserve His testimony.
The question for us initially is, not just if we will pass our tests, but if the Gospel we carry is even worth being tested. Do we possess the true inside and out liberty that Paul is describing? I don’t mean liberty to sin or be frivolous, but freedom from sin while bearing true spiritual Life and fruit. Why do I say this?! Because a key feature in Galatians 2 is not how pious and prestigious Paul and Titus were or the great christian leaders in Jerusalem, in fact they were denying that kind of thing entirely (see Gal 2:6), but rather they were carrying a true burden from God concerning the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ. “But I am afraid that just as the serpent deceived Eve by his treachery, your minds may be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ.” 2 Corinthians 11:3 (NET). So Satan’s constant barrage is against the Life of the Son in the hearts of God’s people. This is a major point of attack. If He can confuse, dilute, pervert or distort the purity of the Gospel then he can keep God’s people from the goal of God and thus delay God’s work. This is not a power issue with the Lord, but a relational issue in the church with God.
Let’s look at a section in Colossians 2:16-23 (ESV) to take this further:
“Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ. Let no one disqualify you, insisting on asceticism and worship of angels, going on in detail about visions, puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind, and not holding fast to the Head, from whom the whole body, nourished and knit together through its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God. If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations-- “Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch” (referring to things that all perish as they are used)--according to human precepts and teachings? These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh.”
This passage is not an endorsement of sin or addiction in any way, but is highlighting the religious side of sin and how deceitful it is. In this passage, we’re dealing with a whole Jewish history of ritual cleansing that God was involved in, but no longer is. We are also dealing with religion masquerading as true spirituality. In modern culture we may misinterpret this as endorsing an “eat, drink and be merry” lifestyle which is incorrect. This is about inward holiness instead of external cleansing. If we are consumed with what is holy or not outwardly, we will always be running in a hamster wheel of questioning and self doubt. Satan is keen on getting us stuck in that hamster wheel. Am I clean or unclean?! Am I still saved or have I committed the unforgivable sin?! Again, I’m not advocating for any kind of sin, but just exposing the various forms sin can take. The beauty of the simple Gospel is that no person can earn their way to salvation, it is truly a free gift based on grace through faith in the person of Christ. The affects of that free gift can be quite attractive to a hungry heart, but on the heels of a genuine Gospel work, Satan is not far behind sending in his agents to spy out the efficacy of that liberty with a desire to insert human wisdom and strength into the work. Those agents are not only demonic but often human vessels under satan’s influence.
So here is the question and challenge for us: are we willing to journey beyond externalism (John 7:24; Gal 6:12; Heb 9:10) to take up the Cross of Christ and follow Him into the unknown of true inward Life?! True salvation begins, exists and is only fulfilled in the Life of Christ. He is the Law of Life and the Law of Liberty! If we really come into the inheritance of Christ, we will possess a Life worth fighting for, and His Life is always fought against. Every other gospel and worldly offering is a counterfeit to the true, all sufficient offering of Jesus Christ. True grace is fruit-bearing, but it comes with a cost and that cost is full surrender to Jesus with a sincere heart. Surrender to Jesus is ongoing not just a one-time event. Don’t surrender to religiosity, surrender to Jesus! This is about freedom from sin not freedom to sin. Regulations don’t regulate sin eternally-speaking, think of it like putting a bandaid on an internal hemorrhage. Only Christ’s covenant deals with sin on a nature level, but we must do our part in faith, surrender, and endurance if we are going to partake of His Life in full. True grace initiates a journey of endurance to remain in Jesus by the strength of God working powerfully within to sustain and seal God’s people for the day of Christ’s return and judgment. He is a worthy King and may we pass our tests for His sake and the sake of His testimony. But first, let us taste and see for ourselves that the Lord is good! If that’s on the heals of repentance, then praise God, repent! The Kingdom of heaven is at hand!
So that is my prayer, may we go there with Jesus and let the fruit of His nature come forth without employing our religious strength to attempt a victory that has already been won. The truth is Christ is victorious today, and may He conquer my inward man every day through an ongoing work of inward crucifixion and resurrection Life as I embrace the Life and sufferings of Christ! Help us Lord, we trust you implicitly and avail our hearts on the altar of true worship again today! Our race is not yet over, help us to overcome the world, the self nature and the devil by grace through faith in Jesus alone. To you, Lord, belong the spoils of this battle!