The fifth type of leaven is that of the Galatians. Paul wrote to the churches in southern Galatia, whom he visited on his first and third missionary journeys. The native Galatians were themselves an emotional, impulsive, and changeable people. They were an impetuous, fickle, arguing, loud, boastful and immoral people. they had a love for the strange, curious, and unknown. They were attached to a religion that was mainly the worship of nature. The area was also heavily populated by Jews who clung to their staunch Judaistic religion. Greeks were also numerous and gave the area a strong Hellenistic influence. The nature and strange mixture of people can be seen when they both worshipped and stoned Paul (Acts 14:13-19). They were spiritually immature, and Paul wrote this epistle to deal with the basic doctrine of Christianity:  salvation by grace. It was this epistle that would influence the great reformers Martin Luther and John Wesley.*

The church at Galatia was a mixture of Gentiles and converted Jews, and they attempted to justify their relationship with God by the works of their flesh, such as circumcision and to establish their own righteousness through the Law instead of through “righteousness due to faith,” which was provided by the New Covenant. (Gal 2:4, 16)** They insisted that to be truly justified, Gentiles needed to observe certain Old Testament rituals (especially the rite of circumcision). Of course, they claimed to be Christians, and they were accepted by almost everyone in the church as authentic believers. The whole gospel hinged on the very proposition that the Judaizers denied:  Sinners are justified solely on the basis of what Christ has already done on their behalf, and not in any way because of anything they do for Him. They lived by works rather than faith, and they made the word of God of no effect by their tradition. They were accepted because of what they claimed to be, not because of the fruits they bore! These people, known as Judaizers, taught that they were saved partly by works and partly by faith.*** Like the Sadducees and the Pharisees, the Galatians opposed Paul and even tried to discredit him as an apostle. They felt that by mixing in old Jewish tradition and laws with the New Covenant, they would pacify the Jews and keep them from opposing their congregation so violently. Paul exposed their motives in telling them that what they were actually trying to do was to avoid suffering persecution for Christ (Gal 6:12). They taught one had to undergo the main ritual of religion, which was circumcision, and had to observe all ceremonies and rituals of religion to be saved.** We are saved, not by works, but by faith, and we are not bound to the law, but we are bound to the promises of God, which is in His liberty!

Just as in the days of the Galatian church, we today battle the same destructive leaven of two extremes:  either it is by works or by faith. On the far right, we have the liberals who believe that they can have faith and live anyway they want to. Then, on the far left, we have the conservatives who believe they have to only follow rituals and customs to make it to paradise, such as baptism, church membership, and other requirements the church has today. The truth is that both are wrong! James 2:18 says, “Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: show me thy faith without thy works, and I will show thee my faith by my works.” Christ said, “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 5:17-20).” Christ did not take away from the law, but He fulfilled it in every way. We cannot take of that leaven that abuses the grace of God! We must be saved, and also sanctified, unleavened!

*The Preacher’s Outline and Sermon Bible, Volume 2, by Alpha-Omega Ministries, Inc., pp. , ISBN# 1-57407-072-X

**Preparing for the Glory:  Living Leaven Free, by Rod Parsley, pp. 95-114, ISBN# 1-880244-84-5

***The Truth War:  Fighting for Certainty in an Age of Deception, by John MacArthur, pp. 85-87, ISBN-13: 978-0-7852-6263-3, ISBN-10: 0-7852-6263-6