Galatians: Believers are Saved by Grace and are to Stand/Walk/Live Therein:

The number of times words are used in epistles usually are indicative of the teaching/doctrine presented therein. The book of Galatians contains the words “faith” and “law,” percentage wise, much more frequently than any other New Testament (NT) book.

Faith:

• In Romans, faith is found 40 times, the most frequent in any NT book. Since Romans contains 9422 words in the King James Version, faith makes up 0.424538% of the total words.

• Faith occurs 32 times in Hebrews, the second most frequent in the NT. Since Hebrews contains 6897 words faith is 0.463969% of the total.

• Galatians comes in third for total number of the word faith at 22, but since Galatians has only 384 words, it accounts for 5.729166% of the total, which is by far the biggest percentage in the NT.

Law:

• The Greek word translated “law” in the NT occurs most frequently in Romans at 75; which percentage wise law makes up .7960% (rounded off) of the total words therein.

• “Law” occurs in Galatians the second most frequently in the NT at 32, but makes up 8.333% (rounded off) of all words therein. Percentage wise it occurs a great deal more frequently than in any other NT book.

Romans is the handbook that teaches, as revealed exclusively to the Apostle Paul, that the purpose of the law was given to demonstrate the total depravity/sinfulness of mankind and it is impossible for anyone to follow it totally to the letter, Romans 3:2020 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

. Mankind can only be justified, or found righteous by faith, Romans 3:2828 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.

. Prior to the Apostle Paul, Israel was given the law to follow and any Jew who sought to be righteous before God, obeyed it by faith. God knew the heart of each individual Jew and whether they were keeping the law out of self rightness like the Pharisees or in true faith.

Grace:

The word translated “grace” occurs 25 times in Romans, the most frequent of any NT book. There, grace is used frequently in conjunction with both the law and faith. In Romans 3:22 - 2422 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:

23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:

we learn the righteousness of God is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all who believe for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God (none could keep the law in its entirety) and believers are justified (made righteous) by God’s grace thought the redemption in Christ Jesus. Note also: “Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all,” Romans 4:1616 Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all,

. And “For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. Moreover the law entered, that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:” Romans 5:19 - 2019 For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.

20 Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:

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While Galatians comes in ninth for the number of times “grace” is used, it occurs seven times, seven being the number for Spiritual Perfection in Scripture. The Greek Lexicon definition of grace: “a kind, affectionate, pleasing nature and inclining disposition, either in person or thing. Objectively it denotes, personal graciousness, a pleasing work, beauty of speech, etc. Subjectively it means an inclining towards, courteous or gracious disposition, friendly willingness; on the part of the giver of a favor, kindness, favor; on the part of the receiver, thanks; (The word denotes specially, God’s grace and favor manifested towards mankind or to any individual, which, as a free act is no more hindered by sin than it is conditional upon works. It is the grace of God, because it denotes the relation assumed and maintained by God towards sinful man. It is joined with Christ, because it is manifested in and through Him.)”

Grace appears in Galatians as follows:

▪ 1st occurrence - “Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ,” Paul wishes Grace to & Peace to the Galatian church and by extension, to believers ever since,” Galatians 1:33 Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ,

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▪ 2nd - Paul marvels/wonders that the Galatians had so soon removed/changed from the Gospel of the Grace of Christ to which he Paul) had called them, to another Gospel (referring to the Law, i.e., the Kingdom Gospel), Galatians 1:66 I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:

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▪ 3rd - God called Paul before he was born by His Grace to reveal Jesus Christ in him and for Paul to preach Christ to the Gentiles. Paul emphasizes that he received the message he preached directly from God and had not consulted any other person (God gave it uniquely to Paul), Galatians 1:15 - 1615 But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace,

16 To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood:

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▪ 4th “And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; that we should go unto the heathen (Gentiles), and they unto the circumcision (Israel).” Galatians 2:99 And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; that we should go unto the heathen, and they unto the circumcision.

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▪ 5th “I (Paul) do not frustrate (reject) the grace of God: for if righteousness (could) come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain (uselessly).” Galatians 2:2121 I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.

. Simply put, if mankind could be righteous/justified before God by following the law then the fact that Christ died for sin would have been useless. It is simply by God’s grace that believers are saved.

▪ 6th “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage (the law). Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised (follow the law), Christ shall profit you nothing. For I testify again to every man that is circumcised (depends on following the law to be saved), 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.” Galatians 5:1 - 41 Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.

2 Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing.

3 For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law.

4 Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.

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▪ 7th “Brethren, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.” Galatians 6:1818 Brethren, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.

. Thus, Paul closes this letter by referring to them as brothers in Christ in spite of the corrective and critical nature of what he has written them. Quoting from John Gill’s commentary: Paul here prays “that the Gospel of the grace of God might be continued with them; that the love of Christ might be shed abroad in their hearts; that they might receive out of His fulness grace for grace; that there might be an increase of grace in their souls; that it might abound in them, and they grow in the exercise of it.”

Recap: Paul’s begins and finishes (1st & 7th occasions) wishing grace to the Galatian believers, and by extension to all true believers since then. His wish was that there be an increase of grace in the souls of all believers that abounds and all grow in the exercise of it.

In the 2nd and 5th, Paul warns against abandoning God’s Grace that saves the believer and returning to the law of works that condemns.

In the 3rd occasion Paul reveals that God called him before he was born to preach Christ to the Gentiles.

In the 4th occasion Paul reveals that the Apostles who ministered to Israel and in so doing followed the law acknowledged Paul was sent with the message of grace to the Gentiles (without the law).

In the 6th Paul exhorts believers to stand fast in the liberty bestowed by God’s Grace and not to be entangled/ensnared by the law.

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works (following the law), lest any man should boast.” Ephesians 2:8 - 98 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

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