THE YOKE OF BONDAGE

Gal 5:1-4 Stand fast, therefore, in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law. Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.

Throughout the pages of the New Testament we are taught to hear, believe, and obey the gospel message of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, as well as the Holy Spirit-inspired teaching of His apostles. We are to diligently study it, accept it, pattern our lives around it, and never waver from the doctrine it teaches. We are to firmly Stand fast, therefore, in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free. 2 Thess. 2:15 tells us that we are to stand fast, and hold the traditions (of Christianity), which ye have been taught, by Paul and other apostles of Christ. We are to put on the spiritual armor of faith and righteousness in order quench all the fiery darts of the wicked, using only the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God (See Eph. 6:14-17), in order to defend the New Testament doctrine of faith on which we stand.

Paul admonishes the erring Christians of Galatia to return to, and remain steadfast, in the gospel of salvation through Jesus Christ, which he had delivered unto them. He tells them to Stand fast, ...and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. This teaching follows up on the lesson found in the previous chapter. There Paul taught the Galatian brethren that, in the gospel of Christ, and in it only, can we find the freedom from sin; freedom that allows us to be reconciled to God through the soul-cleansing blood of His Son, Jesus Christ, and, being justified through this reconciliation, inherit the hope of eternal salvation in the heavenly Jerusalem. This, Paul contrasts to the heathen yoke of bondage under which the Gentiles worshipped the gods of nature, as well as to the yoke of bondage of the nation of Israel under the Law of Moses. Neither was sufficient to reconcile one to God and bring the hope of salvation to mankind.

Being assured of this, Paul was amazed at the gullibility of the Christians in Galatia for returning again to the yoke of bondage,from which they had been set free, through the inspired, New Testament gospel of Christ. Paul could not comprehend why they had allowed themselves to be misled by ungodly, false teachers that desired to corrupt the pure gospel message of salvation with unscriptural rites, ceremonies, and doctrines from their past. These they observed while under the bondage of sin. As an example, having obeyed the New Covenant gospel of salvation, they had been freed from the rite of circumcision, which was required under the Law of Moses. Paul tells them that there is no spiritual benefit - no profit from circumcision within the body of Christ.

If a Christian returns to the Law of Moses and observes one of its rites, such as circumcision, and believes that it is a necessary tenet under the Law of Christ, Paul says that they place themselves in a position that they should be under an obligation to keep the whole Mosaic Law. The logical truth in this instance is that if one law, under the Old Testament, is required under the New, then it would be necessary to keep all of its laws - he is a debtor to do the whole law.

To resort to the Law of Moses for reconciliation with God, in order to inherit the hope of eternal salvation, then the soul-cleansing power of the blood of Christ becomes of no effect unto you. The two verses that follow the lesson text further explains this by saying that the hope of righteousness (comes) by faith (Vs. 5) in Christ Jesus, and the gospel message which he delivered to all mankind. Of the act of circumcision, which was being taught and practiced within the churches of Galatia, Paul wrote this: For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love (Vs. 6).

The lesson here is that the New Testament gospel of Christ is sufficient, within itself, to cleanse the faithful Christian from their sins and, through obedience to the will of God, receive the hope of eternal salvation. The New Testament word of God is pure; it is not to be adulterated with any other doctrine, either from the past, present, or future. It is not to be added to, subtracted from, or compromised in any manner. The truths found in the gospel of Christ, removed the yoke of bondage from all that obey its tenets. Reverting to the Law of Moses, to Paganistic rites, or any of the hundreds of the doctrines of men today, is to submit, once again, to the bondage of sin.