10 - Getting Galatians Right

Ever since the time of the Reformation, most evangelical commentators and preachers have followed the path marked out by Martin Luther and taken the main subject of Paul's letter to the Galatians to be justification – justification by faith alone, through grace alone, in Christ alone. Of course, justification is by faith through grace in Christ alone; I'm not for a moment suggesting otherwise. What is more, in his letter to the Galatians, Paul does make this very clear. Nevertheless, justification does not exhaust the teaching of Galatians. Far from it! The main topic – the burden – of Paul's letter to the Galatians is not justification, but justification leading to inevitable progressive sanctification in the life of the believer.