Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all.
Thoughts for Today:These are very strong words from the Apostle Paul, he says, "Mark my words!" I think we should pay very careful attention to what he's about to say. Why? Because some people may find out they aren't saved in the way they think they are.
Paul is basically saying that if anyone adds anything to the sufficiency and completed work of the Cross (in order to obtain a right standing with God), then Christ is of no value to them. In other words, they aren't truly saved from God's perspective.
Think about the Mormons or Jehovah Witnesses. They confuse some people because on the surface they seem to be "good church-going people" who also acknowledge Jesus Christ. However, there is a gigantic difference. They consider Jesus to be a starting point. They teach that Christ alone is not enough, and there is so much more to know and do. In our passage today, Paul tells us unequivocally that they are lost. Why? Because anything a human adds to the finished work of the cross is worthless and of no value. And if we depend on our work and effort we will never earn nor have a right standing before God.
Questions to Ponder:In what ways have human efforts deceived you? How can you bring yourself back to the realization of the sufficiency of the Cross? What practices do you need to abandon?