for as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. [galatians 3:27]
have you been baptized into Christ?
while it may look like this verse is teaching a baptism-based or works-based salvation, saying the act of being baptized is what allows us to put on Christ, let’s not get confused about what we’ve been studying so far in galatians.
1:6-7 there is no gospel other than Christ
1:8-9 anyone preaching a gospel other than Christ alone is accursed
1:11-12 the true gospel of Christ was delivered by Jesus himself, not man made
2:4 Christ has freed us from slavery to the law (circumcision)
2:11 with the law as our gospel, we only stand condemned
2:16 we are not justified by works of the law, but through faith in Jesus Christ
2:19 only when we die to the law, can we live to God
2:20 i have been crucified with Christ. it is no longer i who live, but Christ who lives in me. and the life i now live in the flesh i live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
3:2 we received the Spirit by hearing with faith
3:7 those of faith are sons and heirs of the promise of abraham
3:10 those who rely on the works of the law are under a curse
3:13 Christ removed our curse by becoming a curse for us
3:18 God’s promise to us through abraham depends on his own character, not ours
3:26 in Christ Jesus, we are all sons of God through faith
so to say as many of you as were baptized into Christ encompasses all of these verses. we have faith that Jesus Christ frees us from the curse of our sin, makes us alive to God, justifying us before him and removing our condemnation, making us sons of God and heirs of his promises, including his very Spirit who lives in us and is perfecting us until the day of Christ Jesus! and all of this depends on Jesus’ very own pure and spotless nature, faithful and true forever.
and if this is where our faith lies, in the faithful and true nature of Jesus Christ, he changes us. we have put on Christ, meaning we now wear his name, his character, his likeness, his purpose like a royal robe because he lives in us and through us, changing us daily to look more like him. and he who began this good work in us will be faithful to complete it in the day of Christ Jesus. what a promise! he who is the author of our faith promises to perfect it!
so are you living in this promise?
have you been baptized into Christ?
have you put on Christ?
if you can say yes, rejoice! God is doing an amazing work in you! this work is totally unmerited, yet freely given, so that all glory goes to your heavenly Father doing the work. so praise him for the gift of his Son. praise him with your voice, praise him with your thoughts, praise him with your life.
if you cannot say yes, today is the day of salvation! Christ is offering you his very own presence. his very own eternal life. and he invites you to “come.” look to the Savior, ask him to be your Lord. he is not hiding himself, he longs for you to know him. so lay down your life of striving for happiness in everything else. he will satisfy your soul.
~ arwen eastman