The Galatians, having accepted the gospel, were led astray by false teachers who presented to them "another gospel," a counterfeit gospel, since there is but one for all time and for all men.

The counterfeit gospel was represented in these words: "Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved." Now, although there is in these days no question as to whether or not a man should submit to the specific rite of circumcision in order to be saved, the question of salvation itself, whether by human works or by Christ alone, is as alive as ever.

Instead of attacking their error and combating it with hard argument, the apostle begins with an experience which illustrates the case in hand. In this narrative he shows that salvation is wholly by faith for all men alike, and not in any degree by works. As Christ tasted death for every man, so every man who is saved must have Christ's personal experience of death and resurrection and life. Christ in the flesh does what the law cannot do. Galatians 2:21; Romans 8:3,4. But that very fact witnesses to the righteousness of the law. If the law were at fault, Christ would not fulfill its demands. He shows its righteousness by fulfilling or doing what it demands, not simply for us but in us. We do not "nullify the grace of God." If righteousness could come by the law, "then Christ died to no purpose."

But to claim that the law could be abolished, or could relax its claims and thus be of no account, is also to say that Christ is dead in vain. Let it be repeated, righteousness cannot possibly come by the law, but only by the faith of Christ. But the fact that the righteousness of the law could be attained in no other way by us than by the crucifixion and resurrection and life of Christ in us shows the infinite greatness and holiness of the law.

O foolish Galatians, Who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified? Verse 1.

"Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry." 1 Samuel 15:22, 23, KJV. Stubbornness and rebellion are rejection of God. And he who rejects God puts himself under the control of evil spirits. All idolatry is devil worship. "The things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils." 1 Corinthians 10:20, KJV. There is no middle ground. Christ says, "He who is not with Me is against Me." Matthew 12:30. That is, disobedience, rejection of the Lord, is the spirit of antichrist. The Galatian brethren were, as we have already seen, departing from God; consequently, they were inevitably, although perhaps unconsciously, relapsing into idolatry.

Spiritualism is only another name for ancient witchcraft and soothsaying. It is a fraud, but not the kind of fraud many people think it is. There is reality in it. It is a fraud in that while it professes to receive communications from the spirits of the dead, it has communication only with the spirits of devils, since "the dead know not anything." To be a spiritualist medium is to give one's self to the control of demons.

Now there is only one protection against this, and that is to hold fast to the Word of God. He who lightly regards God's Word, severs himself from association with God, and puts himself within Satan's influence. Even though a man denounce spiritualism in the strongest terms, if he does not hold to God's Word he will sooner or later be carried away by the strong false-christ delusion. Only by keeping close to the word of God can men be kept from the temptation that is coming on all the world. Revelation 3:10. "The spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience" (Ephesians 2:2) is the spirit of Satan, the spirit of antichrist; and the gospel of Christ, which reveals the righteousness of God (Romans 1:16, 17), is the only possible salvation from it.

Jesus was set forth before the Galatians, when Paul preached to them, as openly crucified before their eyes. So vivid was the presentation that they could actually see Christ crucified. It was not only skillful word painting on the part of Paul and imagination on the part of the Galatians. Through Paul the Holy Spirit enabled them to see Him crucified.

The experience of the Galatians in this matter cannot be peculiar to them. The cross of Christ is a present thing. The expression, "Come to the cross," is not an empty form of words, but an invitation that can be literally complied with.

Not until one has seen Christ crucified before his eyes, and can see the cross of Christ at every turn, does one know the reality of the gospel. Let those scoff who will--the fact that a blind man cannot see the sun and denies that it shines will not deter one who sees it from telling of its glory. Many there are who can testify that it is something more than a figure of speech when the apostle says that Christ was crucified before the eyes of the Galatians. They too have had the experience. God grant that this study of Galatians, before it is finished, may be the means of opening the eyes of many more!