Galatians 3 - Adding to the gospel

"Jesus is God's everything. Jesus plus anything else is heresy."

When we add anything to the gospel of grace we ruin it, adulterate it. It is not worthless yet but we have started down that path.

Paul is very serious here. He knows that they originally believed that Jesus saved them. They needed no more for salvation than belief. Now this does not mean that he did not insist that they strive to live righteous lives. But this did not mean more religious practices. Of any kind.

Paul knew and loved the law, still. When he went to Jerusalem he was not opposed to following the old practices if it would help his fellow Jews to see that Jesus was the promised Messiah and all had gone as God had planned.

But for the Gentiles he wanted them to know that adding Jewish practices to their faith did not make them any more saved. He insisted they were free. Adding some comfortable rite started them down the heretical path of salvation by works.

Our debt to God is too great, death is too great, we cannot save ourselves by anything we do. We need a savior. I believe Jesus showed himself to be the Messiah. I believe that he is. His resurrection showed that God approved of Him. He defeated death and he gave us the gift of life.