When we start thinking that we have to add something to the gospel to be made right with God, we need a wake-up call. Paul doesn’t mince words when he confronts the church in Galatia: “You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you” (v. 1)? That sounds a little over the top. What would you think if a pastor stood in the pulpit and said, “What’s with you people?” We might recoil and take offense. But we shouldn’t. It’s a wake-up call we all need.
The primary job of a faithful herald of the gospel is to remind us of who we are in Christ and call us to the freedom of that wonderful truth. We need to be reminded because too often we forget and start trying to pay our own way to peace with God. When we’ve forgotten who we are, we need God’s Word of forgiveness to grab us by the shoulders and ask, “What’s with you?” Again and again we must be reminded that our debt is paid when we rely on Jesus.
Isn’t that a breath of fresh air? Never recoil at the reminder to rely on the forgiveness and grace of Christ alone.