THE POCKET TESTAMENT LEAGUE DAILY DEVOTION

​"Introduction to Galatians 3" Galatians 3 Introduction
Thoughts for Today: The reason for Paul's epistle to the churches of Galatia was to address his great concern regarding the false doctrine spreading throughout the towns and villages of the region. Following after him were teachers who had come into the churches and complicated the simple Gospel Message Paul originally preached. These error-prone teachers said, "Paul's message is fine, but there is so much more you must do. If you're serious about being a follower of Christ, then you have to keep these additional rules and regulations." The Galatians were susceptible to these teachings, and as a result, had become more and more confused about the meaning and purpose of God's grace.

In the Bible, we find some very simple ideas that can become extraordinarily complex with greater study. However, deeper understanding usually leads back to the original simple idea. Creation is one example. We can discuss complex scientific theories which support the basic truth of divine design. But in the end they all lead back to a very simple statement: God created the universe and everything in it. Grace is another example. Unfortunately for the Galatians, they had lost sight of the big picture -- the simplicity of the greater concept: Jesus died for our sin; there is nothing more for us to do than to receive God's gift of salvation; we can't add to it; and we certainly can't earn it because we've been given that gift by His grace.

In the third chapter of his letter to the Galatians, the Apostle Paul will move his focus from relating his personal experiences with grace (chapters 1 and 2) to doctrinal instruction about grace (chapters 3 and 4).
Questions to Ponder: Have you made Christianity more complex than necessary? In your present study, have you kept focused on the simple truth? How can it be said in its most basic form?