Imagine you’re part of a marathon team. Your coach has trained you rigorously, given you the best running shoes, and provided you with a perfectly mapped-out route. All you have to do is follow the plan, keep running, and you’ll reach the finish line. But halfway through the race, someone hands you a heavy backpack filled with rocks and tells you that carrying this load is necessary to win. The question is: Do you trust your coach’s plan, or do you believe that carrying this burden will somehow make you a better runner?
This is similar to what the Apostle Paul is addressing in Galatians 5:1-12. The Galatian believers had started their spiritual race well, trusting Christ’s work on the cross. But now, false teachers—the spiritual equivalent of the person handing you the heavy backpack—were telling them they needed to take on the burden of the law, specifically circumcision, to truly be right with God.
Let’s explore Paul’s message to the Galatians, how he urges them to drop unnecessary burdens and stand firm in the freedom Christ has given them.
Stand Firm in Freedom
“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” (Galatians 5:1, NIV)
Paul begins with a powerful declaration: “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.” Think back to our marathon analogy. The coach—representing Christ, has freed you from carrying unnecessary burdens so you can run with endurance. Paul is telling the Galatians to “stand firm” in this freedom. Just like a runner who must keep their focus and resist the temptation to pick up the heavy backpack, believers are called to resist anything that would pull them back into the bondage of trying to earn God’s favor through their efforts.
The “yoke of slavery” Paul mentions is like that heavy backpack filled with rocks. It represents the burden of the law, rules, and regulations that, once necessary, have been fulfilled in Christ. Carrying them now doesn’t help; they hinder.
Consequences of Embracing the Law
“Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all. Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law. You who are trying to be justified by the law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace.” (Galatians 5:2-4, NIV)
Paul’s warning is like your coach saying, “If you pick up that backpack, you’re no longer running the race I trained you for.” If the Galatians chose circumcision, they were essentially choosing to carry the weight of the entire law. It’s not just one rock in the backpack; it’s the whole load. And here’s the issue: carrying this burden means you’re no longer relying on Christ’s finished work. It’s like saying, “I don’t trust the training plan; I’m going to do this my way.”
The consequences are severe: “Christ will be of no value to you at all.” In the race analogy, this would be like abandoning the coach’s plan altogether. You’re no longer running the race set before you and missing out on the benefits of the coach’s guidance.
Hope of the Believer
“For through the Spirit we eagerly await by faith the righteousness for which we hope. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.” (Galatians 5:5-6, NIV)
Paul focuses on what really matters: running the race as intended. For the believer, the Holy Spirit enables us to keep running, trusting that we’ll reach the finish line because of what Christ has done. The heavy backpack of the law isn’t necessary; in fact, it’s a hindrance.
Paul makes it clear that external markers like circumcision have no value in determining our standing with God. What matters is “faith expressing itself through love.” In the race analogy, this is like running with a light and free stride, focused on the goal and helping others along the way. Your actions, motivated by faith, become the evidence of your training. You’re not running to prove yourself; you’re running because you’ve already been equipped and set free to run.
The Danger of False Teaching
“You were running a good race. Who cut in on you to keep you from obeying the truth? That kind of persuasion does not come from the one who calls you. ‘A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough.’” (Galatians 5:7-9, NIV)
Paul uses a race metaphor directly here: “You were running a good race.” The Galatians were doing well, running in the freedom Christ provided. But then someone “cut in”—just like that person who handed you the heavy backpack—and caused them to stumble.
Paul warns that this kind of influence isn’t from God. It’s like a tiny bit of yeast that alters the whole batch of dough. In our analogy, the backpack’s weight gradually slows you down, affecting every step you take. The seemingly small act of picking up one rock (like circumcision) leads to the whole backpack getting filled.
Paul’s Confidence and Rebuke
“I am confident in the Lord that you will take no other view. The one who is throwing you into confusion, whoever that may be, will have to pay the penalty. Brothers and sisters, if I am still preaching circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been abolished. As for those agitators, I wish they would go the whole way and emasculate themselves!” (Galatians 5:10-12, NIV)
Despite the serious situation, Paul is confident that the Galatians will see the truth and drop the unnecessary burden. It’s like the coach reminding you that you know how to run well and that you can leave the backpack behind. He’s confident in your training and in your ability to run freely.
Paul also addresses his own persecution. If he were preaching circumcision, telling people to pick up the backpack, why would he still be facing opposition? The offense of the cross, which declares that human effort is insufficient, would no longer be offensive. Paul’s frustration with the false teachers is intense, culminating in his harsh words in verse 12. It’s as if he’s saying, “If you’re so obsessed with adding burdens, why not go all the way?” His point is clear: adding anything to the gospel is destructive and must be rejected entirely.
Crossing The Context
As we wrap up, think about the race again. Christ has set you free to run without unnecessary burdens. You don’t need the backpack filled with rocks; carrying it will only slow you down and take you off course. The challenge for us today is to resist the temptation to pick up burdens that Christ has already lifted from us.
Our freedom in Christ isn’t just freedom from the law; it’s freedom to run with joy, motivated by love, and empowered by the Holy Spirit. It’s a freedom that allows us to live out our faith in ways that bless others and glorify God without the weight of trying to earn what has already been given to us as a gift.
So, as you continue your race, remember Paul’s words: “Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” Keep running in the freedom Christ has provided, trusting in His finished work, and allowing your faith to express itself through love.
Notes:
Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are from: ”Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
images created by Steve Ellis with Midjourney
Recommended Resources:
BibleProject, Galatians Overview Video
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