A New Creation
In the Apostle Paul's strongest letter, written to defend the gospel he preached, he concluded it with the following statement.
Galatians 6:10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith. 11 See with what large letters I have written to you with my own hand! 12 As many as desire to make a good showing in the flesh, these would compel you to be circumcised, only that they may not suffer persecution for the cross of Christ. 13 For not even those who are circumcised keep the law, but they desire to have you circumcised that they may boast in your flesh. 14 But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. 15 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but a new creation. 16 And as many as walk according to this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God.
Being doers of good is not being legalistic or works-motivated. It is not anti-grace to do good toward others, especially the household of faith. After all, we are instructed in other places in the New Testament Scriptures as follows.
Hebrews 13:16 But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.
James 4:17 Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.
God forbid that we should ever think that doing good from a place of being new in Christ and confident of being made righteous through Him by faith is somehow an anti-grace or anti gospel behavior.
In verse 11, we find that if Paul were texting in modern times, the advice we see here in Galatians would likely be expressed in all caps and ended with an exclamation point.
The problem with the men who came to Galatia to insist that the believers be circumcised had to do with moving the Galatians to reposition their trust and confidence in the flesh according to the law, as opposed to having been made a new creation in Christ. Thus, Paul exposes their hypocrisy very clearly.
Paul says they stand for circumcision to avoid being persecuted for the cross of Christ. He then goes on to say that those promoting such things don't themselves keep the law. Their reason for promoting obedience to the law and having a show in the flesh according to it is so they might feel better about themselves. There's an old saying, "misery loves company." It appears that this is the primary motivation of these mixture preachers that Paul is exposing.
This leads Paul to his strong conclusion on this matter. He says, "God forbid" that he boast in anything other than the cross of Jesus. It is by means of the cross that Paul died to the world, and by the same means, we also die to this world. It is when we are swallowed up in the story of Jesus on our behalf that we find ourselves changed and truly set free. It is in this identity as a new creation that we find ourselves living a totally different life than the one we had before we came to know Christ. Thus, only being a new creation brings us true victory over sin and this world.
